Apple iPhone 13 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S21+

The two handsets compete closely on many features, with their similar superb displays, high refresh rates and strong batteries.

The Samsung Galaxy S21+ has a slightly larger display that will appeal to some and it includes 8GB compared to the 6GB on the iPhone.

Yet the Apple iPhone 13 Pro wins this battle thanks to its market-leading camera and the option to upgrade to 1TB of storage space.

At a glance

Price

Winner: The Samsung Galaxy S21+ is cheaper on contract thanks to being out for a while.

The Apple iPhone 13 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S21+ are premium handsets, one tier above the standard models in their ranges and one tier below the most expensive models.

The two handsets launched at the same price: £949 for the 128GB model.

That doesn't mean customers will necessarily pay that upfront, especially with retailers competing on deals for the Samsung Galaxy S21+ that came out in January 2021, but it shows the target market for these devices are customers who might pay that upfront.

More customers are likely to pay for their handset via a pay monthly contract with airtime.

Here are some of the cheapest high data deals for the Apple iPhone 13 Pro 128GB:

And here are some of the cheapest comparable deals for the Samsung Galaxy S21+:

Be aware that some mobile providers like O2 default to 36-month deals in comparison tables but these can be tweaked if customers prefer shorter contract lengths (and don't mind higher upfront fees or monthly payments) when they click through to the website.

From the tables above, we can see that it's slightly cheaper to get the Samsung Galaxy S21+ on contract, probably due to the length of time it's been on the market in comparison to the Apple iPhone 13 Pro.

Upfront costs can vary from provider to provider, plus customers should watch out for the amount of data included as this can jump up suddenly if special offers are available.

Camera

Winner: The Apple iPhone 13 Pro has a better camera set-up.

The Apple iPhone 13 Pro launched with a focus on camera and video features, coming with a triple lens set-up on the rear and a selfie camera all featuring 12MP lenses.

Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S21+ has 12MP wide and ultrawide lenses plus a 64MP telephoto lens on the rear and a 10MP selfie camera.

To someone interested solely in megapixels, Samsung seem to have the edge with their 64MP telephoto lens, yet Apple's behind the scenes enhancements mean customers can get more out of their photography on the iPhone 13 Pro.

If a better zoom camera is important to customers, the Samsung Galaxy S21+ wins, but Apple's rear camera set-up is superior. In fact, it's more comparable to the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, the top tier in Samsung's 2021 line-up than the S21+.

Samsung does have an advantage in video shooting with their 8K video option, although Apple upped the ante again by including ProRes shooting and their Cinematic mode for more professional looking video.

The camera on the Samsung Galaxy S21+ isn't bad, it just can't compete with Apple's power.

Display

Winner: Both have great displays but Samsung's isn't impeded by a notch.

There's a size difference in the display on the two devices, with Samsung offering a screen that's slightly bigger and doesn't have the notch we see on Apple handsets.

This larger display makes for fewer pixels per inch, but these devices are so rich in colour that most people aren't going to notice the slightly sharper display on the iPhone 13 Pro.

As these are both premium handsets, we see a 120Hz refresh rate on both. This means the display can refresh up to 120 times per second for maximum brightness.

Plus, the 120Hz refresh rate is adaptive on both devices, allowing the handset to intelligently choose the right refresh rate for usage rather than being stuck at the extremes as we see with some mid-range mobile phones.

Screen size is often a personal preference, so this one is close to call. In our view, Samsung edge this category thanks to no notch.

Aesthetics

Winner: The Samsung Galaxy S21+ has a more stylish camera unit.

Apple's design for the iPhone 13 Pro didn't change much from the iPhone 12 range, but it remains an iconic design that has many fans.

Meanwhile, Samsung made a splash with their contour cut camera module design on the rear of the S21+. It's a smart and stylish change that arguably has more flair than the iPhone 13 Pro. As we've already mentioned, there's no distracting notch on the S21+ display either.

As both handsets are premium models, we see glass on the front and back plus a metal frame between them (stainless steel for the iPhone, aluminium for the Galaxy).

The iPhone 13 Pro comes in a choice of four professional looking colours: Graphite, Gold, Silver and Sierra Blue. All of these are available via UK networks.

Officially, the Samsung Galaxy S21+ has six colour options but only three of these are available from UK networks: Phantom Black, Phantom Silver and Phantom Violet. The other three must be purchased direct from Samsung.

Battery

Winner: Tie - Both offer strong battery performance.

First glance at the battery specs shows Samsung seems to be miles ahead, but the gap is much smaller in reality thanks to Apple's behind the scenes improvements on the iPhone 13 Pro in comparison to its predecessor.

Apple say they increased battery life by 1.5 hours this time around and it should get customers through a day of use without trouble. Apple's operating system handles battery consumption more efficiently and customers can generally get more out of a small Apple battery than they can a larger Samsung one.

Even so, the battery on the S21+ is also powerful enough to see customers through a day of smartphone usage.

In terms of charging, the Samsung Galaxy S21+ is slightly faster and offers wireless charging at 15W (the same as Apple's MagSafe wireless charging).

Storage

Winner: Apple's 1TB far outstrips what Samsung are offering.

Apple expanded storage in a big way for the iPhone 13 range, bringing 1TB storage options to customers for the first time.

Whether anyone actually needs that level of storage on their iPhone is a matter for debate elsewhere, but the option is there and some customers will certainly take them up on it.

Conversely, Samsung only offer storage of 128GB or 256GB for the S21+.

Neither device has a microSD card slot for expanded storage.

Performance

Winner: Tie - Both use powerful processors that deliver rapid performance.

Apple use their own A15 Bionic chipset in the iPhone 13 Pro. The processor comes with five cores instead of the four in the standard iPhone 13, making the device up to 30% faster than the standard model.

Samsung customers in the UK will receive a device with a Exynos 2100 chipset compared to the Snapdragon 888 seen in US models. There's no reason for UK customers to feel short-changed, though, since the processors are both high-spec and very fast.

These devices are finely matched when it comes to power, so outside of professional benchmarking services, most people won't be able to tell the difference and they both deliver excellent performance.

Resistance

Winner: The iPhone 13 Pro can survive in deeper water.

Both handsets are rated IP68 for dust and water resistance, but this overall figure masks some differences.

The Apple iPhone 13 Pro has the highest rating of water resistances but has gone over and above, providing protection in 6 metres of water for up to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S21+ is protected for up to 30 minutes at depths of no more than 1.5 meters.

Read more about the best waterproof phones on the market.

If we look at the protection for the device itself, we find that Apple use their Ceramic Shield protection on the front with Gorilla Glass panels on both sides. Samsung use Gorilla Glass Victus, the toughest on the market, but there's not much between the two handsets here.

Verdict: iPhone 13 Pro or Galaxy S21+

Overall winner: The Apple iPhone 13 Pro has a more powerful camera and other specs to match.

The battle between Apple and Samsung is iconic and both the iPhone 13 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S21+ are strong premium devices that will be popular among fans.

While the iPhone 13 Pro is generally more expensive because it was released more recently, the cheaper monthly deals don't mean the Galaxy S21+ is an inferior device. In many ways, it keeps pace with the iPhone 13 Pro and we prefer the stylish contour cut design for bringing something fresh to the market.

However, if we have to choose, it's going to be the Apple iPhone 13 Pro because:

• It has the best camera available on a smartphone
• It has larger storage options
• It has a strong battery and a stunning display
• It has better water resistance

For customers who like the bigger screen of the Samsung Galaxy S21+, they might find the smaller display on the Apple iPhone 13 Pro frustrating, but that's a minor inconvenience when faced with the superior camera and incredible storage offered by the Apple iPhone 13 Pro.