52 Macworld • March 2021iPHONE
tricks. Here’s how the two £800
smartphones stack up.DESIGN
Samsung’s Galaxy S is always at
the forefront of Android smartphone
design and the S21 continues that
tradition. Samsung has crafted a truly
unique design where the metal sides
seamlessly blend into the camera
array, as if it were snapped onto the
back. The back is made of plastic
rather than glass, but it still has a
premium feel, even if it’s not quite
as luxurious as the S20.
Of course, the iPhone is no slouch
in the looks department. Apple
introduced a new, flatter design
with the iPhone 12 that has a retro
charm reminiscent of the iPhone 4,
and it feels great to hold. The squarecamera array is nearly identical to
the iPhone 11’s and not nearly as
unique as the S21’s.
The two phones are very similar in
size. The S21 is slightly bigger and a
bit heavier. However, Samsung has
done a fantastic job with distributing
the weight on the S21, so it doesn’t
feel as heavy as it weighs:iPhone 12: 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4mm, 171g
Galaxy S21: 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9mm, 164gBoth phones come in a variety of
colours that basically boil down to
personal preference, but Samsung’s
unique design stands out here as
well. The camera array is treated as a
design element and is made to stand
out with a bold metal housing. It’s one
of the most unique designs Samsung
has ever made, and it
makes the iPhone 12
look a little stale.My pick: The Galaxy S21DISPLAY
Now that Apple has
gone OLED and
Samsung has gone Full
HD, the iPhone 12 and
Galaxy S21 have very
The S21 has a gorgeous colour palette this year. similar displays:52 Macworld • March 2021iPHONE
tricks. Here’s how the two £800
smartphones stack up.DESIGN
Samsung’s Galaxy S is always at
the forefront of Android smartphone
design and the S21 continues that
tradition. Samsung has crafted a truly
unique design where the metal sides
seamlessly blend into the camera
array, as if it were snapped onto the
back. The back is made of plastic
rather than glass, but it still has a
premium feel, even if it’s not quite
as luxurious as the S20.
Of course, the iPhone is no slouch
in the looks department. Apple
introduced a new, flatter design
with the iPhone 12 that has a retro
charm reminiscent of the iPhone 4,
and it feels great to hold. The squarecamera array is nearly identical to
the iPhone 11’s and not nearly as
unique as the S21’s.
The two phones are very similar in
size. The S21 is slightly bigger and a
bit heavier. However, Samsung has
done a fantastic job with distributing
the weight on the S21, so it doesn’t
feel as heavy as it weighs:iPhone 12: 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4mm, 171g
Galaxy S21: 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9mm, 164gBoth phones come in a variety of
colours that basically boil down to
personal preference, but Samsung’s
unique design stands out here as
well. The camera array is treated as a
design element and is made to stand
out with a bold metal housing. It’s one
of the most unique designs Samsung
has ever made, and it
makes the iPhone 12
look a little stale.My pick: The Galaxy S21DISPLAY
Now that Apple has
gone OLED and
Samsung has gone Full
HD, the iPhone 12 and
Galaxy S21 have very
The S21 has a gorgeous colour palette this year. similar displays: