Apple iPhone 12 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S20
The Quick Answer
Both phones compete at the $999 price point with distinctly different strengths.
The Verdict
Both phones compete at the $999 price point with distinctly different strengths. The iPhone 12 Pro features a compact 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with 800 nits brightness and 60Hz refresh rate, paired with Apple's A14 Bionic chipset that delivers excellent single-threaded performance. Its camera system excels in computational photography with 12MP sensors across main, ultrawide, and 2.5x telephoto, capturing exceptional 4K video at 60fps with Dolby Vision. Battery capacity sits at 2815 mAh with 20W wired and 15W MagSafe charging. The Galaxy S20 counters with a larger 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display boasting 3200 x 1440 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate at 1200 nits brightness, making it noticeably sharper and smoother. Its Snapdragon 865 processor handles multitasking admirably, while the camera array impresses with a 64MP telephoto offering 3x hybrid zoom and capable 8K video recording. The S20 packs a substantially larger 4000 mAh battery and supports faster 25W charging. iPhone 12 Pro wins for video quality, compact design, and ecosystem integration. Galaxy S20 dominates in display quality, zoom capability, battery endurance, and raw specs. Choose the iPhone 12 Pro for premium video and performance consistency; select the Galaxy S20 for superior display, zoom range, and all-day battery comfort.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Apple iPhone 12 Pro if…
- →First iPhone with LiDAR scanner for AR and Night mode portraits
- →Introduced MagSafe magnetic accessory ecosystem
- →First 5nm chip (A14 Bionic) on any smartphone
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S20 if…
- →Compact flagship with 120Hz QHD+ AMOLED
- →5G support across all S20 models
- →12 GB RAM was generous
Category Scores
Pros & Cons
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Pros
- First iPhone with LiDAR scanner for AR and Night mode portraits
- Introduced MagSafe magnetic accessory ecosystem
- First 5nm chip (A14 Bionic) on any smartphone
- ProRAW format for professional photo editing
- Flat-edge design revival praised for aesthetics
Cons
- No 120Hz ProMotion display at Pro pricing
- Small 2815 mAh battery requires charging daily
- Charger removed from box controversially
- 2.5x telephoto falls short of Android competition
Samsung Galaxy S20
Pros
- Compact flagship with 120Hz QHD+ AMOLED
- 5G support across all S20 models
- 12 GB RAM was generous
- microSD card slot
- Lightweight at 163 g
Cons
- 120Hz required FHD+ resolution at launch
- $999 base price was a $100 increase
- Slow 25W charging
- 64 MP telephoto hybrid zoom not as sharp as optical
- 8K video was impractical due to file sizes
Full Specifications
| Spec | Apple iPhone 12 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S20 |
|---|---|---|
| Software | iOS 14 | Android 10, One UI 2.1 |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 189 g | 163 g |
| Material | Stainless steel frame | Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass 6 |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Dimensions | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm | 151.7 x 69.1 x 7.9 mm |
| Camera | ||
| Main camera | 12 MP | 12 MP, f/1.8, OIS |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 10 MP, f/2.2 |
| Video | 4K@60fps Dolby Vision | 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps |
| Telephoto | 12 MP 2.5x | 64 MP, f/2.0, 3x hybrid zoom |
| Ultrawide | 12 MP | 12 MP, f/2.2 |
| Memory | ||
| RAM | 6 GB | 12 GB |
| Storage options | 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB | 128 GB |
| Battery | ||
| Capacity | 2815 mAh | 4000 mAh |
| Charging | 20W wired | 25W wired |
| Wireless charging | 15W MagSafe | 15W wireless |
| Display | ||
| Size | 6.1 inches | 6.2 inches |
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED | Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
| Resolution | 2532 x 1170 | 3200 x 1440 |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 120Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 800 | 1200 |
| Processor | ||
| CPU | Hexa-core | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz + 3x2.42 GHz + 4x1.8 GHz) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (4-core) | Adreno 650 |
| Chipset | Apple A14 Bionic | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 |
| Connectivity | ||
| 5G | ||
| NFC | ||
| USB | Lightning | USB-C 3.2 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.0 |
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