Apple iPhone 12 minivsSamsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G

We compare these two popular phones to help you decide which one fits your needs and budget better.

Apple
Apple iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 mini
Processor:Apple A14 Bionic
RAM:4GB
Storage:64GB

Quick Stats

The iPhone 12 mini's battery life is decent but not exceptional, lasting around 8-10 hours on a single charge.
The standout display of the iPhone 12 mini boasts excellent color accuracy, brightness, and vibrant color reproduction.
The iPhone 12 mini's camera boasts excellent performance, delivering sharp images and impressive dynamic range results consistently.
The Apple iPhone 12 mini delivers lightning-fast performance with its A14 Bionic chip and excellent battery life capabilities overall.
Samsung
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
RAM:6GB
Storage:128GB

Quick Stats

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G's poor battery life is its most significant and disappointing drawback overall.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G's display is its strongest feature, offering vibrant colors and high contrast ratio.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G's camera delivers good images, but struggles with low light conditions and color representation.
The Galaxy S21 FE 5G offers seamless multitasking and smooth execution of demanding tasks due to its robust specifications.
Key Differences

Processor Speed

Winner
Apple iPhone 12 mini
3.10 GHz
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
2.84 GHz

RAM

Winner
Apple iPhone 12 mini
4GB
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
6GB

Storage

Winner
Apple iPhone 12 mini
64GB
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
128GB

Weight

Winner
Apple iPhone 12 mini
135g
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
177g
Rank
Apple iPhone 12 mini
#507
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Winner
#197
Scores by Category
Rankings
Connectivity
Apple iPhone 12 mini
#65
Winner
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
#349
Design
Apple iPhone 12 mini
#13
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
#6
Winner
Display
Apple iPhone 12 mini
#704
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
#157
Winner
Performance
Apple iPhone 12 mini
#224
Winner
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
#239
Battery
Apple iPhone 12 mini
#684
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
#587
Winner
Camera
Apple iPhone 12 mini
#763
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
#246
Winner
item_phones_categoryId
Apple iPhone 12 mini
#1
Tie
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
#1
Tie

Note: Lower rank number indicates a better position in category.

Specifications Comparison
Specification
Apple Apple iPhone 12 mini
Samsung Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Model
Apple A14 Bionic
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
CPU
2x Icestorm 3.1 GHz + 4x Firestorm 1.8 GHz
1x Cortex X1 2.84GHz + 3x Cortex A78 2.42GHz + 4x Cortex A55 1.8GHz
Type
Hexa-Core
Octa-Core
Nanometer
5
5
Frequency
3.10
2.84
64 Bits
Yes
Yes
GPU
Apple 4-core graphics processing unit A14 GPU
Adreno 660
RAM
4
6
Type
LPDDR4X RAM
RAM LPDDR5
Capacity
64
128
Type
N/A
UFS Storage 3.1
SD slot
No
No
Fingerprint security
No
Yes, in screen
Fingerprint sensor
No
Yes
Proximity sensor
Yes
Yes
Light sensor
Yes
Yes
Accelerometer sensor
Yes
Yes
Compass sensor
Yes
Yes
Gyroscope sensor
Yes
Yes
Barometer sensor
Yes
Yes
Hall sensor
N/A
Yes
Geomagnetic sensor
N/A
Yes
Audio
Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus, Stereo Speakers
Dolby Atmos, Noise cancellation microphone, Stereo Speakers
Antutu Score
1072354
923836
Antutu Version
Antutu v10
Antutu v10
Antutu Standing
Overall performance better than 89% of devices
Overall performance better than 87% of devices
Cooling system
No
No
Gaming buttons
No
No
Extras
N/A
N/A

Note: Highlighted specifications show differences between the two devices.

Pros and Cons

Apple iPhone 12 mini

Strengths

The durable build quality of the iPhone 12 mini is one of its standout features.
The excellent OLED screen offers vibrant colors, deep blacks, and wide viewing angles.
The lightning-fast chipset provides seamless performance.
The good cameras take great photos, even in low light conditions.

Weaknesses

The lack of a high refresh rate on the screen may make scrolling less smooth.
No charger is included in the box, requiring users to purchase one separately.
Heavy gaming or video streaming may not be ideal due to the smaller battery size.
The cameras don't quite live up to the standards set by other flagship devices.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G

Strengths

Good camera performance
Sterling video quality
Impressive selfie camera
Good Android experience
8-megapixel telephoto shooter
Solid bonus camera features

Weaknesses

Poor battery life
High price point
Camera not as good as rivals
Read Full Reviews

Apple iPhone 12 mini

The Apple iPhone 12 mini is a compact flagship that delivers an impressive range of features despite its small size. The device boasts a durable build quality, making it perfect for those who want a phone they can carry with them everywhere. One of the standout features of the iPhone 12 mini is its excellent OLED screen, which provides crisp and vibrant visuals. Additionally, the phone's lightning-fast chipset ensures seamless performance, making it ideal for everyday use. The inclusion of stereo speakers adds to the overall experience, providing clear and immersive audio playback. The camera system on the iPhone 12 mini is also impressive, with the 12MP main camera taking excellent photos in a variety of lighting conditions. Portrait mode shots are particularly good, with true-to-life colors and superb contrast. Low-light photography is also handled well, thanks to the phone's ability to automatically switch to night mode when needed. Video capture is similarly impressive, with 4K footage looking great on both the main camera and ultra-wide lens. Electronic stabilization is available on all cameras, making it easy to record smooth video footage. One potential drawback of the iPhone 12 mini is its smaller battery size, which may not be ideal for heavy users. Furthermore, the phone's thermals can get warm during intense gaming sessions, which may limit its suitability for this type of activity. Overall, the Apple iPhone 12 mini is a great option for those who want a compact phone with flagship features and plenty of software support down the road. While it may not be perfect for heavy gamers or users who need more battery life, it's an excellent choice for anyone looking for a pocket-friendly device that delivers on performance and camera capabilities. Rating: 4.5/5 Recommendation: For those who want a compact phone with flagship features, the iPhone 12 mini is definitely worth considering.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is a solid but not exceptional smartphone that falls short in terms of battery life and camera capabilities, especially compared to the Google Pixel 6. While it's enjoyable to use as a daily driver, its limitations make it hard to recommend at this price point. One of the biggest issues with the Galaxy S21 FE 5G is its subpar battery life. It consistently falls short of delivering a full day's worth of power, making it unreliable for heavy users or those who rely on their phone throughout the day. The camera system is another area where the phone disappoints, particularly in still photography, although it excels in video capture and selfie mode. The camera features are well-rounded, with a 12-megapixel primary sensor, 8-megapixel telephoto lens with three times optical zoom, and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens. However, the lack of pixel binning means that low-light photos can be noisy, and colors may not be as accurate as those from competing devices. While the Android 12-based One UI 4 experience is excellent, it's not enough to make up for the phone's shortcomings. The addition of a 15-watt wireless charging feature and a 25-watt wired charger are welcome but hardly make an impact on the overall user experience. In conclusion, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is a good but not great smartphone that struggles to compete with its contemporaries in key areas like battery life and camera performance. If you're looking for a reliable daily driver at this price point, consider alternatives like the Google Pixel 6 or other options from competing manufacturers.

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