iPhone or Samsung: which smartphone to choose in 2021?
First of all, I want to remind you that being a fanboy is not a good thing. And fanboys are just as common at Apple as they are at Android. But when you buy a smartphone, you don't...
10/02/2022
First of all, I would like to remind you that
being a fanboy is not a good thing
. And fanboys are just as common at Apple as they are at Android. But when you buy a smartphone, you are not just buying the list of hardware specs. You also choose a brand that has its own philosophy in terms of products and user experience.
Therefore, the purpose of this article is not to settle a “Samsung vs Apple, which is better?” debate. Rather, the idea is to allow more regular users, or perhaps would-be defectors who might be hesitant to switch sides, to make an informed choice between a Samsung smartphone and an Apple iPhone in 2021.
To do this objectively, we will consider different criteria, weighing the pros and cons of each manufacturer on particular criteria. This article was written by an Android user, a recovering OnePlus fanboy, and former iPhone owner (up to iPhone 6s Plus).
Summary:
iPhone or Samsung: Catalog range and prices
iPhone or Samsung: the quality/price ratio (hardware)
iPhone or Samsung: the user interface
iPhone or Samsung: update policy p>
iPhone or Samsung: data protection
iPhone or Samsung: resale price
iPhone or Samsung: range and list price
Apple offers a smaller and more expensive range of smartphones than the rest of the Android makers, but Samsung's and Apple's catalogs should be understood in proportionate and appropriate context.
Apple iPhone catalog and price
iPhones primarily include
high-end smartphones
. Even Apple's entry-level is more expensive than your average mid-range device, but keep in mind that it's also more powerful than some of Samsung's high-end mid-range phones and the iPhone. Android ecosystem in general.
< p>In 2021, Apple's catalog consists of 7 iPhones sold between $399 and $1099, with the models mainly centered on the iPhone 12 and its Mini variant, the iPhone 12 Pro and the Pro Max variant in when it comes to flagship products. "Older" high-end devices such as the iPhone 11 and iPhone XR have fallen somewhat into the mid-range on Apple's list. As for the iPhone SE 2020, it is presented as Apple's entry-level smartphone. So that's the breakdown.Apple
Smartphone catalog 2021
Model
Range
Price
iPhone 12
Flag ship
From $799
iPhone 12 Pro
Flag ship
From $999
iPhone 12 Pro Max
Flag ship
From $1099
iPhone 12 Mini
Flag ship
From $699
iPhone SE 2020
Entry level
From $399
iPhone 11
Midrange
From $599
iPhone XR
Midrange
From $499
Such a setup can be very confusing for an Android user like most of you and me. It's totally counterintuitive to think of the iPhone SE 2020 and its $399 price tag as an entry-level smartphone, where it's comparable to a
Redmi Note 10
which carries half the price. price tag.
But the Redmi Note 10 would surely cost over $200 if it had a high-end SoC like the Snapdragon 870 or 888, which is the case with the iPhone SE 2020 with its A13 Bionic chip - the same chip as the iPhone 11. That's why I say we have to consider the context.
The catalog and prices of smartphones from Samsung
Samsung, on the other hand, offers a much more varied catalog than Apple. It covers all price ranges from $100 to $1,800. Since undergoing a redesign exercise in 2019, the Galaxy A range has become a bit of a catch-all and includes both entry-level and mid-range Samsung devices.
But the South Korean conglomerate is also a pioneer in the foldable smartphone market, which it currently dominates while waiting for the competition to catch up. The flagship Galaxy S line, on the other hand, is quite similar price-wise to what Apple offers, with fairly similar hardware specs. As for the range
Galaxy Note
, it is now widely accepted that Samsung
will not please these famous phablets
with new models in 2021.
Samsung
Smartphone catalog 2021
Model
Range
Price
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G
Ultra-premium
$1799.99
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G
Ultra-premium
$1199.99
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Flag ship
$1199.99
Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
Flag ship
$999.99
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Flag ship
$799.99
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE (5G)
Top of the line
$699.99
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 (5G)
Top of the line
$999.99< /p>
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
(5G)
Top of the line
$1299.99
Samsung Galaxy A72 p>
Midrange
-
Samsung Galaxy A52 (5G)
Midrange
$499.99
Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
Midrange
$399.99
Samsung Galaxy A32 (5G)
Mid-range< /p>
$279.99
Samsung Galaxy A21s
entry level
-
Samsung Galaxy A12
entry level
$179.99
Samsung Galaxy A02s
Entry level
$109.99
What is obvious is this: Samsung's catalog is certainly more varied and covers additional budgets. Don't forget that the handset ranges are also undergoing more frequent refreshes. It is rare that a model stays more than a year in the official catalog before a newer one supplants it. Even last year's Galaxy S20 is no longer officially sold by Samsung.
The fact that the Galaxy A range mixes both mid-range smartphones that are closer to the high-end segment like the Galaxy A72 while others stay closer to the entry-level segment such as the Galaxy A32 is confusing for a non-tech-savvy buyer. This is probably a calculated choice, to give the impression that all models are on the same "level".
On the contrary, Apple maintains certain models such as the iPhone 11 released in 2019, or the iPhone XR which appeared on the market in 2018. Its catalog is also much clearer. A key part of the retained value of used iPhones is largely due to Apple's upgrade policy. I talk about it later in the article.
Conclusion
Advantages of Samsung over Apple:
Catalog diversity.
Generally more affordable.
Advantages of Apple over Samsung:
Clear catalog.
The "old" models are discontinued later.
iPhone or Samsung: The quality/price ratio (hardware)
"Apple is too expensive for what you get" - we know the lyrics of this song ringing out of tune at every turn. However, it is true that iPhones generally offer less forward-looking tech specs compared to their Android counterparts.
If we were to compare the flagship models of Apple and Samsung and check the hardware specifications of their base models (the iPhone 12 and the Galaxy S21), we see that the South Korean company "wins". I used quotation marks here because the idea of this article is not to compare hardware specs empirically. This is to understand the price positioning of each manufacturer for its products.
Samsung Galaxy S21 vs. iPhone 12
Hardware specs compared
Model
< p>Galaxy S21 5GApple iPhone 12
Processor
Exynos 2100 5nm
Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55)
A14 Bionic
Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Ice Storm)
Memory
8/ 128 GB
8/ 256 GB
4/ 64 GB
4/128 GB
4/ 256 GB
Expandable storage
Nope
Nope
Screen p>
6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED with punch
FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 421 dpi
Refresh rate 120 Hertz
Maximum brightness 1300 nits
6.1 inch OLED Super Retina XDR
1170 x 2532 pixels, 460 dpi
60Hz refresh rate
Maximum brightness 1200 nits
Camera module
Main 12 MP
: f/1.8/1/1.76" / Dual Pixel PDAF / OIS
12 MP ultra-wide angle
: f/2.2 / 1/2.55" / FOV 120° / Super Steady Video
64 MP telephoto: f/2.0 / 1/1
.72" / PDAF / OIS / 3x hybrid zoom
10 MP Selfie< /p>
: f/2.2 / 1/3.24" / PDAF Dual Pixel
Main 12 MP
: f/1.6 / PDAF Dual Pixel / OIS
12MP Ultra Wide Angle
: f/2.4 / 1/3.6" / 120°FOV
S
elfie 12MP
: f/2.2 / 1/3.6" / FOV 120
Video
8K at 24 FPS / 4K at 30/60 FPS / 1080p at 30/60/240 FPS / 720p at 960 FPS / HDR10+ / stereo sound / gyro-EIS
4K at 24/30/60 FPS / 1080p at 30/60/120/240 FPS / HDR / Dolby Vision HDR (30 FPS max) / stereo sound
Battery capacity
4000mAh
25W USB PD 3.0 fast charging
15W Qi Wireless Charging< /p>
4.5W wireless charging
Charger not included
2,815mAh
20W USB PD 2.0 fast charging
15W Qi wireless charging
Charger not included
Audio
Stereo speakers
Stereo speakers
Price (May 2021)
$799.99
From $799
Samsung, for example, can boast a 120Hz refresh rate for its screens, while Apple's (mostly supplied by Samsung) are stuck at 60Hz. Samsung's smartphone screens are considered annually the new standard of excellence. The Galaxy S21's camera module is also a bit more versatile as it offers a telephoto lens. Its battery is also double the capacity of the iPhone 12, as is the amount of RAM.
But, where Apple communicates very little about the precise details of its hardware specs, Samsung tends to overdo it. For example, the telephoto lens only offers 1.1x optical zoom and 3x hybrid zoom, which begs the question of its usefulness.
The iPhone 12 is actually
ranked higher in its camera scores.
on DxOMark than the Samsung Galaxy S21, with a score of 122 against 116. The iPhone 12 Pro Max even won our
camera blind test 2021
, outperforming the main Android flagships, although this result is very subjective.
And Apple's A14 Bionic SoC clearly outperforms Samsung's Exynos 2100 on most graphics benchmarks. Apple's chip is almost universally considered by far the most powerful on the market, even ahead of Qualcomm's high-end Snapdragon.
The best smartphones with camera
iPhone 12 vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 p>
Graphic markers
Test
Apple iPhone 12
Samsung Galaxy S21
Geekbench 5 single/multiple
1605/4067
1032/3238
3DMark Wild Life
7314
5521
AnTuTu
601473
584055
As explained above, it's not about making a simple comparison between two sets of hardware specifications to determine which is the better smartphone. A spec list isn't everything, especially when it doesn't tell the whole story. When you look at the prices, the iPhone 12 128 GB is only €50 more expensive than the Samsung Galaxy S21 128 GB.
At the top of the market, Apple and Samsung offer a similar offer. It's only in the mid-range segment that Samsung holds an edge simply because Apple hasn't jumped into that market segment. And no, I'm not counting the iPhone SE 2020, which cannot seriously be considered a mid-range/entry-level device in the same way as a Galaxy A72 for example.
Conclusion p>
Advantages of Samsung over Apple:
More advanced hardware specifications.
Has a powerful and more affordable mid-range catalog.
Better screens than any other smartphone.
Advantages of Apple over Samsung:
No excessive price for its high-end devices.
Performance is often better than hardware specs suggest.
The most powerful smartphones on the market, regardless of brand.
iPhone or Samsung: user interface
Well, as much to say it right away Bat. The last iPhone I owned was the iPhone 6S Plus in 2015. The last iPhone I comprehensively reviewed over several months was the iPhone 11 Pro Max in 2019 to early 2020. For a brief period of a few weeks ago I also used an iPhone 12 that was running on iOS 14 this year.
I therefore have no legitimacy to definitively judge the quality of iOS 14 in terms of user experience. And OneUI 3 is a pretty busy overlay that's a far cry from stock
Android 11
, the lite version you get on Google's Pixel smartphones, for example.
But if I had to summarize, I would say that each operating system has made huge strides in terms of its respective biggest flaws. Apple, for example, made iOS 14 much more customizable, allowing iPhone users to experience the "magic" of widgets.
iOS 14.5: All the new features in Apple's latest update
When Apple "invents" the customizable widget / © David Grandmougin/Unsplash
I'm just teasing you, calm down. The fact is that Apple has really worked hard to make its interface less rigid and more intuitive. The App Library is also a great addition, as is the ability to set third-party apps as default apps.
Android 11 has greatly improved data protection and privacy with an even more powerful permissions manager (unique permissions for certain apps). It's not as advanced as iOS, which literally
swung the balance of power
between users and GAFAM, but it's already very good. The more comprehensive quick menu and extreme notification customization are also great additions.
Android 11: Here are its main new features
I like the smoothness of OneUI 3's multitasking and multi-functioning window options are / © NextPit
And Samsung's OneUI 3 based on Android 11, takes up most of the additions of Android 11 while optimizing what Samsung has already done very well on its previous versions. We can mention it in particular: multitasking and multi-windows that can be optimized for your daily use are more fluid than what iOS offers.
This section alone deserves a dedicated article that can go up to several thousand words. , so I will stop here. The two operating systems gradually resemble each other in some aspects. However, they remain fundamentally different in their philosophy.
Conclusion
The advantages of Samsung over Apple:
More customizable user interface.
More advanced optimization for multitasking.
Advantages of Apple over Samsung:
Seamless experience within the Apple ecosystem.
Very high degree of data protection.< /p>
High quality native apps.
Clear and clean design.
iPhone or Samsung: the update policy
This is the biggest difference between iPhones and Android smartphones which continue to be ignored by the average consumer. iPhones usually get updates for 5 years and all affected models get the update almost at the same time.
Apple Update Policy
According to
Apple's official page< /p>
, we can see that the latest iOS version 14.6 is available until iPhone 6s/Plus released in 2015. These models have received 5 new iOS versions since their launch (not counting the version present by default at release). No Android manufacturer offers such extensive software maintenance.
iOS 14.5 update tracker: These iPhones will get the latest Apple update
The chart below illustrates this discrepancy quite well, although the methodology used to count software maintenance time is flawed. This is because the graph assumes that one year equals one update. This works for iPhones since each new model is released at the same time as each new (major) version of iOS is rolled out. But for Samsung, its flagships are launched at the beginning of the year with the previous year's Android version and then updated in the same year once the new Android version is released.
When it comes to updates, Apple maintains a wide lead over Google and other Android makers / ©
Wimpires via Reddit
Samsung Update Policy
Since the Galaxy S10 and the launch of OneUI in 2019, Samsung has come a long way when it comes to updates. Most Android manufacturers are content to offer 2 versions of Android and 3 years of security patches that become less and less frequent over time.
For its latest flagships, the Samsung Galaxy S21 included, the manufacturer promises to deliver 3 major OS updates, which means that these smartphones should be eligible to receive Android 14 in 2023. This promise mainly concerns the top of range but is not limited to these terminals alone. Even mid-range models such as the Samsung Galaxy A52 and A72 are expected to receive 3 versions of Android.
Samsung promises 4 years of security updates
In February, Samsung also announced that all of its smartphones launched after 2019 will now get 4 years of security updates. Please note that this does not mean that you will receive a monthly patch for 4 years. On the contrary, according to the official Samsung page
, you should expect monthly patches for the first 2 years, quarterly patches for the third year, and semi-annual patches for the final year.
Again, the situation is rather chaotic and arbitrary. For example, Samsung Galaxy A52 5G is currently listed in the list of smartphones that receive monthly patches. But the Galaxy A72, while more expensive and launching almost simultaneously this year, is only getting quarterly patches so far.
Conclusion
There aren't really any pros or cons here since Apple's update policy is simply better than Samsung's. But, it should also be noted that Samsung is the best example among all Android manufacturers.
iPhone or Samsung: data protection
Apple again holds a certain lead over Android manufacturers in this area. aspect. But the situation is no longer as clear-cut as it was in the past. And by the past, I mean just a few years ago. Samsung has benefited greatly from the security advances made by Google on Android.
When it comes to security, the number of criteria to take into account is far too vast to be covered in the scope of this article. That's why I limited myself to the privacy and security features of each manufacturer.
Samsung Privacy Features
With OneUI 3, Samsung has integrated Android 11's new privacy features into its handsets. The first of these is the system of one-time permissions that you can grant or not to applications on your smartphone. So you can allow an app to access your location, microphone, or camera just once, or every time you launch that app.
The fact that you don't have to activate geolocation in the background. away is also an advantage. Now you have to do it from the page dedicated to the application in question from the system settings. These are extra steps that are meant to discourage or at least make you think twice about letting an app track you even when you're not using it.
Limited Storage (launched on Android 10), which compartmentalizes the data that different apps can access, with one app unable to access the other's silo and vice versa. Basically, this limits apps' access to a few folders in internal storage, so your apps can't check out the rest of your files.
As for file managers, One UI 3.0 has a new "Access All Files", which allows them to work as in previous versions. However, the application must meet certain conditions to obtain this permission. All other apps are limited to "Media Access Only".
These third-party app access indicators for microphone and camera were available on iOS before Android / © Google
Apple privacy features
The main addition of iOS 14, or rather iOS 14.5, is the famous ATT or
App Tracking Transparency
intended for strictly limited third parties and the access of native applications to your personal data.
ATT lets you control which apps can and can't track what you do on your iPhone, you can enable a setting that will ask you if an app wants to track you. Of course, apps that don't ask for your permission can still track you, but this setting at least gives you a warning.
How to Use Apple App Tracking Blocker on Your iPhone
iOS also offered permission options for your mic, camera, and geolocation, long before Android followed in its footsteps. For geolocation, you also have the option of sharing your location, but only approximately.
iOS lets you see if any of your saved passwords are corrupt, too weak, or potentially vulnerable. Another interesting feature is that the Safari web browser notifies you of cross-site or domain tracking, cross-site tracking, and allows you to block said trackers. You can then access a report directly through Safari that tells you the number of blocked trackers for each site.
This is how ATT stops an app from tracking you without your knowledge on iOS 14 / © NextPit
Conclusion
iOS and Android/OneUI have come a long way when it comes to data protection. Manufacturers understand that more and more users value their personal data and make it a purchasing criterion for their new smartphones.
In any case, however much control an interface gives you over your data, the level of threat depends on factors beyond your control, such as the irregularity of updates and the ease and speed with which hackers can exploit these vulnerabilities.
Apple offers more frequent and regular updates for all of its devices, a closed ecosystem that's harder to break into, and an app store with a stricter verification process. All of these factors are still lacking in Android. Although the balance of power is no longer as unbalanced as before, Apple is still one step ahead in this regard.
iPhone or Samsung: resale price
This is a key criterion to consider when buying a smartphone. Generally, an average user renews their smartphone once every 2-3 years. Reselling your old smartphone to finance the purchase of a new one is obviously a common practice. But the fact is that Android smartphones depreciate much faster than iPhones.
According to one
study commissioned and published last January
by Bankmycell, Android smartphones lose on average more than 33% of their value in 2020, compared to around 16% for iPhones. This drop represents more than 50% of its price for a mid-range / entry-level smartphone.
Android flagships lose more than 30% of their initial value one year after their launch / © NextPit
There are many reasons why Android phones depreciate faster than Apple. Take Samsung for example. The manufacturer launches more than 10 smartphones each year. In 2020, Apple only released 5 smartphones. Samsung's more affordable models are supposed to be renewed more frequently, ideally every year if the manufacturer wants to maximize sales.
If people resell their smartphones earlier, it's normal for them to lose value faster. If you want to renew your iPhone, you will have to wait longer because Apple only launches a new range once a year on average. Since iPhones are more expensive than their Android counterparts, it is normal for Apple users to keep their iPhones for longer and resell them at the most convenient time.
It's the same Hodl principle that many cryptocurrency fans subscribe to right now - keep your assets with you no matter how the market fluctuates, especially when the value drops. As long as everyone holds on, everything will be fine.
Conclusion
Advantages of Samsung over Apple:
Possibility of finding smartphones at a better price only a few months after their release.
Flagships are seeing significant price drops, unlike the iPhone.
The second-hand market forces e-tailers to offer regular promotions.
Advantages of Apple over Samsung:
Possibility of reselling your iPhone at a good price one or two years after the purchase.
Makes buying a new iPhone easy.
< p>So, for those of you who read this article to the end, I hope these comparisons between Apple and Samsung were helpful. Do not hesitate to give me your opinion on this format, tell me what you think or if you would like to have this kind of guide but for other brands. I tried to be as thorough as possible without writing a 50-page book either, but if I missed anything critical or made a mistake, let me know in the comments.