1. Home
  2. Comparison

Apple iPhone 12 vs Samsung Galaxy S8 Active

Compare recorded specifications, size and practical differences.

+ Add a third phone

    Key differences

    Calculated from recorded specifications using minimum difference thresholds. These are differences, not an overall ranking. For three phones, numeric highlights compare the two extremes.

    • Weight

      iPhone 12: 44.1 g lighter

      iPhone 12:
      164 g
      Galaxy S8 Active:
      208.1 g

    • Width

      iPhone 12: 3.4 mm narrower

      iPhone 12:
      71.5 mm
      Galaxy S8 Active:
      74.9 mm

    • Screen diagonal

      Galaxy S8 Active: 0.3 in smaller diagonal

      iPhone 12:
      6.1 in
      Galaxy S8 Active:
      5.8 in

    • Rear camera layout

      iPhone 12:
      Dual
      Galaxy S8 Active:
      Single

    • Depth

      iPhone 12: 2.5 mm thinner

      iPhone 12:
      7.4 mm
      Galaxy S8 Active:
      9.9 mm

    • Height

      iPhone 12: 5.2 mm shorter

      iPhone 12:
      146.7 mm
      Galaxy S8 Active:
      151.9 mm

    Physical size

    Relative size, not calibrated actual size. Front and side outlines share one scale and a bottom baseline. Generic outlines use recorded body dimensions, excluding camera bumps.

    1. 1. iPhone 12

      Height:
      146.7 mm
      Width:
      71.5 mm
      Depth:
      7.4 mm

    2. 2. Galaxy S8 Active

      Height:
      151.9 mm +5.2 mm versus iPhone 12
      Width:
      74.9 mm +3.4 mm versus iPhone 12
      Depth:
      9.9 mm +2.5 mm versus iPhone 12

    Weight

    Bars start at zero and share a scale within this chart.

    1. 1. iPhone 12

      164 g

    2. 2. Galaxy S8 Active

      208.1 g

      +44.1 g versus iPhone 12

    Screen size

    Approximate rectangular screens calculated from recorded diagonal and aspect ratio at one relative scale. Rounded corners and cutouts are not subtracted. These are not phone outlines or calibrated actual sizes.

    1. 1. iPhone 12

      Screen diagonal:
      6.1 in
      Aspect ratio (height:width):
      19.5:9
      Approximate rectangular screen area:
      91.3 cm²

    2. 2. Galaxy S8 Active

      Screen diagonal:
      5.8 in
      Aspect ratio (height:width):
      18.5:9
      Approximate rectangular screen area:
      85.4 cm²

    iPhone 12 has approximately 7% more rectangular screen area than Galaxy S8 Active.

    Memory variants

    Each row compares the same storage capacity. Cells show recorded RAM alternatives, not combined maxima. Not recorded does not mean unavailable in every market.

    Recorded RAM for iPhone 12, Galaxy S8 Active, compared at the same storage capacity.
    StorageiPhone 12Galaxy S8 Active
    64 GB 4 GB RAM Unknown
    128 GB 4 GB RAM Unknown
    256 GB 4 GB RAM Unknown
    Galaxy S8 Active: Original memory entry

    64 GB · 512GB 4GB

    Practical features

    Explicit Yes and No values are shown directly. Qualified or regional records retain their details. Unknown means the record is missing.

    1. iPhone 12

    NFC:
    Yes
    Headphone jack:
    No
    Memory card support:
    No

    2. Galaxy S8 Active

    NFC:
    Yes
    Headphone jack:
    Yes
    Memory card support:
    See details microSD · up to 512 GB (dedicated slot)

    Battery capacity

    Capacity is not battery life. No endurance test is implied.

    Recorded battery capacity

    Bars start at zero and share a scale within this chart.

    1. 1. iPhone 12

      2815 mAh

    2. 2. Galaxy S8 Active

      4000 mAh

      +1185 mAh versus iPhone 12

    Specifications

    Open a section for more detail. On narrow screens, swipe sideways or use Left/Right arrow keys while the table is focused. Unknown means missing data, not No. Recorded zero values are shown as recorded.

    1. iPhone 122. Galaxy S8 Active

    Everyday essentials
    Everyday essentials — specifications for iPhone 12, Galaxy S8 Active.
    SpecificationiPhone 12Galaxy S8 Active
    Dimensions (HxWxD)
    • 146.7 Х 71.5 Х 7.4 mm
    • 151.9 Х 74.9 Х 9.9 mm
    Weight
    • 164 g
    • 208.1 g
    Technology
    • Super Retina XDR OLED
    • Super AMOLED
    Screen size
    • 6.1" inc
    • 5.8" inch
    Screen resolution
    • 1170 x 2532 px
    • 1440 x 2960 px
    Internal memory Recorded storage / RAM variants. Entries are alternatives, not a combined maximum. Ambiguous formats stay as recorded.
    • 64GB 4GB RAM
    • 128GB 4GB RAM
    • 256GB 4GB RAM
    • 64 GB
    • 512GB 4GB
    Memory card support
    • No
    • microSD
    • up to 512 GB (dedicated slot)
    Battery Capacity is not battery life. No endurance test is implied.
    • 2815 mAh
    • Li-Ion
    • non-removable
    • 4000 mAh
    • Non-removable Li-Ion
    Operating system OS
    • iOS 14.1
    • Android 7.0 (Nougat)
    • upgradable to Android 8.0 (Oreo)
    Chipset
    • - Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm)
    • Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835 (10 nm)
    NFC
    • Yes
    • Yes
    Headphone jack
    • No
    • Yes
    Display
    Display — specifications for iPhone 12, Galaxy S8 Active.
    SpecificationiPhone 12Galaxy S8 Active
    Touchscreen
    • capacitive touchscreen
    • capacitive touchscreen
    Display colors
    • 16M
    • 16M
    Screen area
    • 90.2 cm2
    • 85.4 cm2
    Screen format
    • 19.5:9 (height:width)
    • 18.5:9 (height:width)
    Screen to body ratio
    • 86.0%
    • 75.0%
    PPI /points per inch/ Unknown
    • 568 PPI
    Screen protection
    • Scratch-resistant glass
    • oleophobic coating
    • Corning Gorilla Glass 5
    Camera and Video

    Scores marked * are historical catalogue entries. Test conditions are unspecified; no new testing is implied.

    Camera and Video — specifications for iPhone 12, Galaxy S8 Active.
    SpecificationiPhone 12Galaxy S8 Active
    Rear camera, main
    • 12 MP
    • Dual
    • 12 MP
    • Single
    Camera specs
    • -12 MP
    • f/1.6
    • 26mm (wide)
    • 1.4µm
    • dual pixel PDAF
    • OIS -12 MP
    • f/2.4
    • 120˚
    • 13mm (ultrawide)
    • 1/3.6''
    • 12 MP
    • f/1.7
    • 26mm (wide)
    • 1/2.55''
    • 1.4µm
    • OIS
    • dual pixel PDAF
    Functions
    • HDR
    • Dual video call
    • Auto-HDR
    Video
    • 4K@24/30/60fps
    • 1080p@30/60/120fps
    • gyro-EIS
    • 1440p@30fps
    Front camera, selfie
    • 12 MP
    • Dual
    • 8 MP
    • Single
    Specifications
    • 12 MP
    • f/2.2
    • 23mm (wide)
    • 1/3.6'' SL 3D
    • (depth/biometrics sensor)
    • 8 MP
    • f/1.7
    • 25mm (wide)
    • 1/3.6''
    • 1.22µm
    • AF
    DxOMark Main Score *
    • 122
    		 Unknown
    DxOMark Photo *
    • 101
    		 Unknown
    DxOMark Video *
    • 93
    		 Unknown
    DxOMark Selfie Score *
    • 98
    		 Unknown
    Performance

    Scores marked * are historical catalogue entries. Test conditions are unspecified; no new testing is implied.

    Performance — specifications for iPhone 12, Galaxy S8 Active.
    SpecificationiPhone 12Galaxy S8 Active
    Processor CPU
    • - Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm)
    • Octa-core (4x2.35 GHz Kryo & 4x1.9 GHz Kryo)
    Graphics processor GPU
    • - Apple GPU (4-core graphics)
    • Adreno 540
    Antutu 7 score * Unknown
    • 201325
    GeekBench 4 Single Core * Unknown
    • 1775
    GeekBench 4 Multi-Core * Unknown
    • 6056
    GeekBench 4 RenderScript * Unknown
    • 7509
    Antutu 8 score *
    • 598478
    		 Unknown
    GeekBench 5 Single Core *
    • 1580
    • 343
    GeekBench 5 Multi-Core *
    • 3920
    • 1426
    General specs
    General specs — specifications for iPhone 12, Galaxy S8 Active.
    SpecificationiPhone 12Galaxy S8 Active
    Release date
    • 2020
    • October 13
    • 2017
    • August
    Colors
    • Black
    • White
    • Red
    • Green
    • Blue
    • Meteor Gray
    • Tungsten Gold
    Historical recorded price Legacy catalogue value; date unknown. Not a current offer.
    • 880 EUR
    • 850 USD
    Battery life
    • Stand by time- Up to 17 h (multimedia) Music play - Up to 65 h
    • Stand by time- Up to 120 h (3G) Talking time- Up to 32 h (3G) Music play - Up to 113 h
    Body build
    • Glass front (Gorilla Glass)
    • glass back (Gorilla Glass)
    • aluminum frame
    • aluminum frame
    • corner bumpers
    • plastic back
    Communication and Connectivity
    Communication and Connectivity — specifications for iPhone 12, Galaxy S8 Active.
    SpecificationiPhone 12Galaxy S8 Active
    SIM card
    • Single SIM (Nano-SIM and/or eSIM)Dual SIM (Nano-SIM
    • dual stand-by) - for China
    • Nano-SIM
    Network
    • Show all network frequencies: -2G - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 (dual-SIM) - for China CDMA 800 / 1900 -3G - HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO -4G - 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5
    • 7
    • 8
    • 12
    • 13
    • 14
    • 17
    • 18
    • 19
    • 20
    • 25
    • 26
    • 28
    • 29
    • 30
    • 32
    • 34
    • 38
    • 39
    • 40
    • 41
    • 42
    • 46
    • 48
    • 66
    • 71 - A2176 -5G - 1
    • 71
    • 77
    • 78
    • 79
    • 260
    • 261 Sub6/mmWave - A2176
    • Show all network frequencies: -2G - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 -3G - HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 - AT&T HSDPA 850 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - T-Mobile HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - Sprint -4G - LTE band 1(2100)
    • 2(1900)
    • 3(1800)
    • 4(1700/2100)
    • 5(850)
    • 7(2600)
    • 8(900)
    • 12(700)
    • 20(800)
    • 28(700)
    • 29(700)
    • 30(2300)
    • 38(2600)
    • 39(1900)
    • 40(2300)
    • 41(2500)
    • 66(1700/2100) - AT&T LTE band 1(2100)
    • 13(700)
    • 18(800)
    • 19(800)
    • 25(1900)
    • 26(850)
    • 66(1700/2100)
    • 71(600) - T-Mobile LTE band 1(2100)
    • 41(2500) - Sprint
    Speed
    • HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps
    • LTE-A
    • 5G
    • EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps
    • HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps
    • LTE-A (4CA) Cat12 600/150 Mbps
    GPRS
    • Yes
    • Yes
    Edge
    • Yes
    • Yes
    Wi-Fi
    • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6
    • dual-band
    • hotspot
    • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
    • dual-band
    • Wi-Fi Direct
    • hotspot
    GPS
    • Yes
    • with A-GPS
    • GLONASS
    • GALILEO
    • QZSS
    • Yes
    • with A-GPS
    • GLONASS
    USB
    • Lightning
    • USB 2.0
    • Type-C 1.0 reversible connector
    Bluetooth
    • 5.0
    • A2DP
    • LE
    • 5.1
    • A2DP
    • LE
    • aptX
    Harmful irradiation
    • SAR EU - 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body)
    		 Unknown
    Music and Audio
    Music and Audio — specifications for iPhone 12, Galaxy S8 Active.
    SpecificationiPhone 12Galaxy S8 Active
    Radio
    • No
    • No
    Others
    • - Dolby Vision -Wide color gamut -True-tone -HDR10 -625 nits (typ) -1200 nits (peak)
    • HDR10 -3D Touch (home button only) -Always-on display
    • Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
    Other features
    Other features — specifications for iPhone 12, Galaxy S8 Active.
    SpecificationiPhone 12Galaxy S8 Active
    Dop
    • - Sensors - Face ID
    • accelerometer
    • gyro
    • proximity
    • compass
    • barometer - Siri natural language commands and dictation - Fast charging 20W
    • 50% in 30 min -USB Power Delivery 2.0 -Qi fast wireless charging 15W - IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 mins) -Apple Pay (Visa
    • MasterCard
    • AMEX certified) - Versions: A2399 (International); A2176 (USA); A2398 (Canada
    • Japan); A2400 (China); A2399 (Hong Kong)
    • Sensors Iris scanner
    • fingerprint (rear-mounted)
    • accelerometer
    • gyro
    • proximity
    • compass
    • barometer
    • heart rate - Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) -Fast battery charging (Quick Charge 2.0) -PMA wireless charging -ANT+ -S-Voice natural language commands and dictation - Samsung Pay (Visa
    • MasterCard certified) -IP68 dust/water proof (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) -MIL-STD-810G compliant - For AT&T
    • T-Mobile
    • Sprint

    Similar comparisons

    alcatel S62 ProSamsung Galaxy S8 Active

    alcatel S62 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S8 Active
    Huawei P30 Pro New EditionSamsung Galaxy S8 Active

    Huawei P30 Pro New Edition vs Samsung Galaxy S8 Active
    Image unavailableSamsung Galaxy S8 Active

    Oppo Reno5 4G vs Samsung Galaxy S8 Active
    Samsung Galaxy Note 20Samsung Galaxy S8 Active

    Samsung Galaxy Note 20 vs Samsung Galaxy S8 Active