I am done with Android - S21 Ultra vs iPhone 13 Pro Max
This video is brought to you by Torras.
You're moving BACK to Apple? Come on Alex, you were never really gone!!
Yeah I know... I do have some apple products and I am well trapped into the Apple ecosystem.
But I really enjoyed breaking the cycle this year.
And that display on the S21 Ultra! (I can't say S21 Ultra fast...) The display on this
compared with the 12 Pro MAX is the best for me and arguably... still able to compete with
apple's new display on the 13 Pro range.
I know Samsung is one of the manufacturers but Apple's implementation of 120 Hz ProMotion
is really really good! Is it better than the S21 Ultra now?
Yes and No. More on that later in the video.
So if this is so good (S21 Ultra) why are you moving back to Apple then?
Well, let me start by sharing my experience so far and then hopefully you will understand.
And maybe it's not goodbye, maybe it's just a "see you later"
Using the S21 Ultra since February AND as my main phone for about 6 months, I learned
a lot.
The main thing that surprised me, was how there seems to be a PERCEPTION that Android
is not as friendly as iOS.
But I was really impressed at how good the Android experience has become.
Was that Android experience what made me switch from the iPhone 12 Pro Max?
No.
Not by itself anyway, I switched to the S21 Ultra before, because of the DISPLAY being
superior AND BECAUSE of the camera options and how much more FUN it was to use.
Every time I wanted to relax in the evenings and watch some content and browse social media,
I picked the S21 Ultra every time instead of the 12 Pro Max.
So to answer that question of why I am moving back to Apple now, let's break it down.
Starting with something that I took for granted and it maybe doesn't apply to YOU, but it
WAS a big drawback for me.
And that is Airdrop. Yes, there are many workarounds that mostly rely on 3rd party apps and bluetooth.
And I tried them all.
I just could not find something that transferred data as quickly and as SMOOTHLY as Airdrop.
As I said, it may not bother you but if you use a Mac for your workflow, and you're transferring
images and videos between your phone and the Mac, this could be a biggie.
Sometimes I forget to include a shot in a video for example, and a bit last minute,
all I want is 5-10 second clip that I could do with my iPhone, INSTEAD of picking up my
bigger camera, transferring from the SD card to the MacBook, etc.
This might be late at night, and I am tired and ALL I want is a quick, shoot, Airdrop
to the Mac, and drag to my timeline, done. So Airdrop is perfect for that.
But I AM going to miss the S21 Ultra connectivity speeds. I don't know HOW they do it!
This is the Exynos 2100 as well but their WiFi speeds just seems to be a lot better
in comparison to... EVEN the iPhone 13 Pro Max!
It could be something related to my router (router) and my Wifi here at home but it's
been consistent when I am out and about as well.
I only EVER experience 5G when I go into town in London but I haven't used it enough to
compare that so I will leave that aspect out for now
We are gonna talk about the display and cameras in a minute, so this is a good opportunity
to talk about a product from today's sponsors that will help you look after them!
These are excellent protective cases from Torras.
You've spend quite a bit of cash on these devices and whilst it's nice to every now
and then rock them naked, especially when you go for a custom colour like this Phantom
Brown, or the Sierra Blue, I really think a protection is a must if you want to retain
that re-sale value and look after your device.
Especially if you're clumsy like me.
I've bought these cases myself last year for my 12 Pro Max and made a video about them
before. I really liked how thin and how minimal they looked.
So when they reached out to me, I was more than happy to include them here as I know
they are good quality cases AND don't really break the bank!
They are quite smart looking cases too! They're not flashy or in your face from a
design perspective, and they have options for different styles and levels of protection.
Starting with the clear case options, they have two models:
Crystal Clear and Diamond. The Crystal clear focuses on being ULTRA-transparent so you
barely notice there's a case. So this is great if you want to keep that original look.
As I said in my previous video, they do have a GREAT camera module protection which is
actually much better than more expensive cases so... Kudos to Torras on that.
This camera lip is ONE millimetre above the lens and the same level ABOVE the screen so
putting the phone down with the display OR with the camera facing down will be protected
in the same way.
The diamond clear case, focuses more on being shock proof. So not as TRANSPARENT as the
Crystal Clear model but much more rigid. Remember to remove this film as well...
The diamond model is military grade certified from a drop-test perspective so you ARE getting
full protection here.
We then have the Guardian model, this model here not only offers a bit more shockproof
protection - they also feature oleophobic coating so less fingerprints and a lovely
silky feel to it.
And one of my favourite features, the Guardian model comes with these extra buttons in different
colours so you can customise them to your liking, that’s really cool!
And finally this is the Slim fit option, which is one of my favourite cases when it comes
to being understated and minimal - Super slim, it has nano coating so it's not going to get
scratches very easily and is anti-fingerprints too.
The buttons have this nice floating design which will make it very responsive WITHOUT
adding extra bulk to the case.
As always, there will be links in the description for you! and thanks Torras for sponsoring
this video.
Right, one of the key features of the S21 Ultra for me was that 120Hz display.
Not only because of the refresh rate! Not many people mention this but the aspect ratio
of 20:9 instead of 19.5:9... Coupled with the fact there's no NOTCH....
to me makes the display more immersive. And actually more comfortable to hold as well.
Because it is a bit narrower than the iPhone.
It's not something you notice in short little pick-ups but... you DEFINITELY feel it when
watching content or even just TYPING for longer periods.
Though the iOS keyboard for me IS a lot more intuitive than the android keyboards I tried.
When it comes to the display quality itself, this is where things get a bit interesting.
There are times when the content looks a bit more WASHED OUT and sometimes over exposed
on the iPhone and other times where I PREFER the iPhone colours.
And this was consistent indoors and outdoors, irrelevant of True Tone / Adaptive brightness
being on or off. I feel this one really came down to preference and the content itself.
Now, one thing that I DID notice is that the iPhone 13 seems brighter now! In my previous
comparison with the 12 Pro Max, the S21 Ultra came out on top, even though the display on
the 12 Pro Max is no slouch, but outdoors the S21 Ultra was just much brighter, much
better display!
Now, even though the COLOURS are different depending on the content and the app I was
using...
When it comes to brightness, the iPhone 13 Pro Max just seems EVER so slightly brighter
now. Which is astonishing really.
Keeping it real though, no one really watches content in full brightness all the time but
purely from a testing perspective I thought that was interesting.
It's always tricky to replicate that on a YouTube video because there are so many variables
between me and you but I hope you can pick up on what I am seeing.
Is this enough of a DIFFERENCE to make it a deciding factor? I don't think it is.
But I think if you are considering the S21 Ultra, the display is STILL incredible and
as I said that aspect ratio is actually nicer for me, even now.
And then there's the cameras. I knew it would
be a SLIGHT compromise for me to switch to the S21 Ultra in terms of video quality...
But I was ok with that for my usage... because I REALLY enjoyed using the different camera
modes, in comparison with the 12 Pro Max which... does great videos but I just got bored with
the iOS camera app!
Sure, you can install 3rd party iOS apps like Filmic Pro and FIDDLE with the settings...
But I just thought some of those options like director's view were ALREADY there in the
S21 Ultra and much more accessible!
Now on the 13 Pro Max, the game HAS changed. Not a little bit... considerably!
Not only we do have some fun options like Macro and Cinematic mode, they are actually
BETTER than the similar features on the S21 Ultra.
In addition to that we now have ProRES and... file sizes aside, this is a MAJOR game changer
for anyone trying to capture really high quality clips, with PRO quality and edit them later,
with colour grading and things like that.
I say clips because 15 seconds of ProRes in my experience is 1GB file - so yeah, you will
want to keep those videos quite short.
There is one other aspect worth mentioning which is gaming... Not really that relevant
for me, but I know you might appreciate this.
In my previous comparisons there was this one game called Genshin Impact which completely
melted the 12 Pro Max.. and caused extreme overheating and screen dimming. It became
unusable!
And I noticed that Arun from "mrwhostheboss" mentioned that there were no issues with this
game... Yes there were! massive for me.
With the S21 Ultra that game was actually ok... After about one hour It did drop some
frames but nothing like the 12 Pro Max. I did about 5 different videos comparing these
two phones so check this playlist if you want to know more.
But given the new processor on the iPhone and improved cooling technology, I thought
I 'd try that same game again.
Absolutely no problem. That game is beast still and I did not notice any issues whatsoever,
so Apple as far as this game goes, well done!
So does this mean I am getting rid of my S21 Ultra?
I will be honest with you, I was tempted to try the Pixel 6 Pro but two things happened.
1. Google didn't want to take my S21 Ultra as a trade-in deal so maybe this is still
worth more than the Pixel. That may be obvious to you but it wasn't to me, I thought the
Pixel was gonna really compete at the highest levels
2. And the other point was that the Pixel reviews started to come in and I am not convinced
it would be a good exchange.
So based on that I decided to keep it for now and wait for the S22 Ultra or whatever
they call it. And maybe I will upgrade to that and who knows, maybe go back to Android.
I think is cool to keep an open mind when it comes to these brands as the competition
is so fierce now and everyone is trying to innovate.
The new Sony Xperia phone slash camera... That thing is really impressive too!
So I am looking forward to the next Samsung and might try something completely different
but for now, I think the 13 Pro Max is the best device for me and my workflow.
Let me know what you think down in the comments and I will see you and your smiling faces
on the next one!
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