Apple iPhone 12 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
The Quick Answer
Samsung's Galaxy S20 Ultra dominates in raw specifications and hardware capability, featuring a massive 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 120Hz refresh rate and 1200 nits brightness compared to iPhone 12 Pro's 6.1-inch 60Hz OLED at 800 nits.
The Verdict
Samsung's Galaxy S20 Ultra dominates in raw specifications and hardware capability, featuring a massive 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 120Hz refresh rate and 1200 nits brightness compared to iPhone 12 Pro's 6.1-inch 60Hz OLED at 800 nits. Camera prowess heavily favors Samsung: the 108MP main sensor with f/1.8 aperture and OIS, paired with a 48MP periscope zoom lens offering 4x optical magnification, significantly outperforms the iPhone's triple 12MP setup. Battery capacity tells a similar story: 5000 mAh with 45W fast charging versus 2815 mAh with 20W charging. The iPhone 12 Pro counters with the A14 Bionic processor, which delivers superior single-core performance and gaming efficiency, plus iOS 14's optimized ecosystem and longer software support trajectory. At $1399 versus $999, Samsung asks a 40 percent premium for features that appeal to power users and camera enthusiasts, while iPhone's tighter integration and processing prowess justify its lower price for those prioritizing performance per watt and ecosystem cohesion. Samsung wins on specifications and camera versatility. iPhone wins on efficiency and long-term value. Your choice depends on whether you want cutting-edge display tech and zoom capability or balanced performance and ecosystem reliability.
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 Ultra if…
- →100x Space Zoom headline feature
- →108 MP main camera sensor
- →Large 5000 mAh battery
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 Ultra
Pros
- 100x Space Zoom headline feature
- 108 MP main camera sensor
- Large 5000 mAh battery
- 45W fast charging
- Massive 6.9-inch QHD+ display
Cons
- Autofocus issues at launch required software patches
- $1399 made it extremely expensive
- Very heavy and large
- 120Hz locked to FHD+ resolution at launch
- 100x zoom quality was mostly a gimmick
Full Specifications
| Spec | Apple iPhone 12 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Software | iOS 14 | Android 10, One UI 2.1 |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 189 g | 220 g |
| Material | Stainless steel frame | Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass 6 |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Dimensions | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm | 166.9 x 76 x 8.8 mm |
| Camera | ||
| Main camera | 12 MP | 108 MP, f/1.8, OIS |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 40 MP, f/2.2 |
| Video | 4K@60fps Dolby Vision | 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps |
| Telephoto | 12 MP 2.5x | — |
| Ultrawide | 12 MP | 12 MP, f/2.2 |
| Periscope | — | 48 MP, f/3.5, 4x optical zoom |
| Memory | ||
| RAM | 6 GB | 12 GB |
| Storage options | 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB | 128 GB, 512 GB |
| Battery | ||
| Capacity | 2815 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Charging | 20W wired | 45W wired |
| Wireless charging | 15W MagSafe | 15W wireless |
| Display | ||
| Size | 6.1 inches | 6.9 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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