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Apple iPhone 12 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S20

By SpecPair Editorialphones
Verified specs·AI-assisted analysis·Editorially reviewed
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
$999
8.4/10
VS
Samsung Galaxy S20
Samsung
Samsung Galaxy S20
$999
8.3/10

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.

Value12 Pro
Camera12 Pro
BatteryGalaxy S20
DisplayGalaxy S20
Performance12 Pro

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

Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Samsung Galaxy S20
Value
8.2
8.1
Camera
8.6
8.4
Battery
7.5
8.5
Display
8.2
8.8
Performance
8.9
8.5

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

SpecApple iPhone 12 ProSamsung Galaxy S20
SoftwareiOS 14Android 10, One UI 2.1
Body
Weight189 g163 g
MaterialStainless steel frameAluminum frame, Gorilla Glass 6
IP ratingIP68IP68
Dimensions146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm151.7 x 69.1 x 7.9 mm
Camera
Main camera12 MP12 MP, f/1.8, OIS
Front camera12 MP10 MP, f/2.2
Video4K@60fps Dolby Vision8K@24fps, 4K@60fps
Telephoto12 MP 2.5x64 MP, f/2.0, 3x hybrid zoom
Ultrawide12 MP12 MP, f/2.2
Memory
RAM6 GB12 GB
Storage options128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB128 GB
Battery
Capacity2815 mAh4000 mAh
Charging20W wired25W wired
Wireless charging15W MagSafe15W wireless
Display
Size6.1 inches6.2 inches
TypeSuper Retina XDR OLEDDynamic AMOLED 2X
Resolution2532 x 11703200 x 1440
Refresh rate60Hz120Hz
Brightness (nits)8001200
Processor
CPUHexa-coreOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz + 3x2.42 GHz + 4x1.8 GHz)
GPUApple GPU (4-core)Adreno 650
ChipsetApple A14 BionicQualcomm Snapdragon 865
Connectivity
5G
NFC
USBLightningUSB-C 3.2
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth5.05.0

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Spec data verified from manufacturer sources. Analysis AI-assisted and editorially reviewed. How we compare · Last verified

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