Compared: Apple's iPhone 11 Pro Max versus the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and 10+

AppleInsider · October 6, 2019 5:24PM

The iPhone 11 Pro Max may be the most high-specification model available from Apple, but how does it shape up against its main rival, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and the Note 10+? AppleInsider compares the specifications to determine an on-paper winner.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ against the iPhone 11 Pro Max

Revealed just a month ahead of Apple's annual iPhone event, Samsung's Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ were revealed as potential smartphone powerhouses, with a large display and a rear triple-camera setup that is relatively similar to what was presented by Apple in the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max a few weeks later.

With the launches so close together and being the flagship models of their respective manufacturers, it is worth taking some time to compare the offerings against each other, to see who has the upper hand for the next year or so.

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The Specifications List

On paper, the three are roughly similar in terms of size and what they offer. There are obvious differences, such as the Note pair having support for the S Pen while the iPhone doesn't use an Apple Pencil or any stylus at all, but ultimately the differences in the key areas people look at are quite small.

	Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max	Samsung Galaxy Note 10	Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
Price	$1,099	$949	$1,099
Screen size (ins)	6.5	6.3	6.8
Resolution	2688 x 1242 at 458ppi	2280 x 1080 at 401ppi	3040 x 1440 at 498ppi
Contrast	2,000,000:1	2,000,000:1	2,000,000:1
Brightness (nits)	800	1200	1200
Display type:	Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR, True Tone, Wide Color (P3)	Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED, HDR10+	Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED, HDR10+
Processor	A13 Bionic with Neural Engine	Octa Core processor, 2.7GHz + 2.4GHz + 1.9Ghz	Octa Core processor, 2.7GHz + 2.4GHz + 1.9Ghz
Memory	4GB*	8GB or 12GB	12GB
Stylus Support	No	S Pen	S Pen
Dimensions (ins)	5.7 x 2.8 x 0.32	5.9 x 2.8 x 0.31	6.4 x 3.0 x 0.31
Weight (ounces)	6.63	5.92	6.91
Rear Cameras (megapixels)	12MP Ultra Wide, 12MP Wide, 12MP Telephoto	16MP Ultra Wide, 12MP Wide, 12MP Telephoto	16MP Ultra Wide, 12MP Wide, 12MP Telephoto, VGA DepthVision
Video recording	4K60	4K60	4K60
Slow Mo	1080p at 240fps	720p at 960fps, 1080p at 240fps	720p at 960fps, 1080p at 240fps
Front Camera	12MP TrueDepth	10MP Selfie	10Mp Selfie
Biometric	Face ID	Fingerprint, Face Recognition	Fingerprint, Face Recognition

While the basic list of specifications can certainly give the appearance of similarities in some areas and larger differences in others, like with the Note's rear cameras against Apple's being fairly close in many respects, there's more variation in the two different families of devices than numbers alone can advise about.

Display

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ display

All models employ an OLED panel for their screens, which means both offer high levels of contrast and brightness. Indeed, since Samsung supplies Apple with OLED panels for its iPhones, the technology and quality should be quite comparable from a manufacturing standpoint.

The iPhone 11 Pro Max slots in the space between the Note 10 and Note 10+, at 6.5 inches to the Samsung 6.3 inches and 6.8 inches. The resolution is also roughly in the middle of the two Samsung models as well, with its pixel density of 458 pixels per inch sandwiched between the 401ppi for the Note 10 and the 498ppi of the Note 10+.

While you are likely to find the quality of the display on all three models to be quite agreeable, one big difference is how the two companies handled the extra components on the front of the device. Apple continues to endure with the infamous notch holding the TrueDepth camera array, while Samsung elects for a hole-punch camera design that minimizes wasted space.

It is hard to judge one over the other, as while you have more screen with the Samsung models, both do ultimately interrupt a full-screen appearance with an aberration, one that cannot easily be dismissed from view. Samsung's may be smaller, but it's still a distraction.

Performance

In theory, Samsung should be able to blow Apple out of the water with the performance of the Note 10 and Note 10+, with each Note using an 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor equipped with either 8GB or 12GB of memory, depending on the model. While the iPhone 11 Pro Max has just 4 gigabytes of memory to work with, its six-core A13 Bionic therefore needs all the help it can get from the Neural Engine to properly compete.

Geekbench 5 results for the iPhone 11 Pro Max (right) and the Galaxy Note 10+ (left)

In benchmark results at least, the A13 seems to have done the job. According to GeekBench, the A13 Bionic in the iPhone 11 Pro Max scores 1,329 points on single-core processing to the Note 10's 697 points, while for multi-core, Apple wins again with 3,405 to Samsung's 2,523.

The story doesn't get any better for Samsung in GeekBench's Compute benchmark, with Apple achieving 6,288 points for Metal over 2,307 for the Note 10's OpenCL score. While this isn't a direct comparison due to differing technologies, it does indicate the iPhone continues to be far in the lead in this respect.

Why is the A13 doing so well, despite having half the RAM? It is likely due to Apple's chip design choices, the fact that it has almost complete control over the entire process, and that it can make chips that work for its own needs, rather than relying on a third-party design like one from Qualcomm.

Photos and Video

Around the back, there is both a similar story between the companies, as well as considerable differences. Both Apple and Samsung went down the same route of offering three cameras, with Ultra-Wide, Wide, and Telephoto lenses.

Both sides also have Optical Image Stabilization on the Wide and Telephoto cameras, as well as typical camera-shooting modes, HDR, and a 10x digital zoom, but while Apple does opt for 12-megapixel sensors across the board, Samsung uses 12-megapixel for the Wide and Telephoto but switches it out for a 16-megapixel sensor in the Ultra-Wide.

Cameras on the Note 10+ and iPhone 11 Pro Max

For photographers, this will mean a higher resolution image could be produced for Ultra-Wide shots, but only for those. There are also the assorted imaging features and processing that each smartphone offers which can influence the final shot, which may sway some users based on their personal preferred shooting style.

The Note 10+ does offer an extra party trick, in the form of the DepthVision camera, a VGA-resolution sensor which is able to acquire depth data, allowing for augmented reality experiences using the rear camera. Apple's ARKit does allow for its rear cameras to be used for similar purposes but Samsung's version may be more accurate overall due to capturing actual depth data rather than computing it from a live video feed.

Turning to the front, the aforementioned hole-punch camera in the Note 10 models offers 10-megapixel images, but the iPhone's TrueDepth camera offers 12-megapixel images, along with Portrait Mode effects that depth data can provide. Face ID, powered by the TrueDepth camera, is also a far more secure biometric system than both the single camera-based facial recognition system and the fingerprint reader offered on the Note models.

As for video, both are capable of 4K recordings at 60fps as well as the usual slow motion 1080p at 240fps, but Samsung adds in Super Slow-mo, capturing 720p video at 960fps. HDR, audio zoom, and the ability to capture still images while recording a video are also present in both ranges.

And The Winner Is...?

S Pen on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+

Putting aside debatable elements like the merits of iOS over Android or the long-time rivalry between the two companies, it's actually quite hard to determine just from specifications alone which device is the best.

If we're talking displays, the Note 10+ is better than the iPhone, which is better than the Note 10. If it's photography, Samsung may have a higher-resolution Wide-Angle camera sensor, but there's only an arguable amount of benefit to that difference, before anyone takes into account image processing systems employed by each device.

The iPhone 11 Pro Max in Midnight Green

The iPhone 11 Pro Max does come out on top in some areas, like Face ID security and the TrueDepth camera, as well as performance, but it also falls behind in aspects like the pixel density against the Note 10+ and rear camera depth sensing.

The main takeaway is that Apple is still maintaining its position at the front of the field alongside Samsung, with it producing iPhones that are at a par with the best its main rival can offer. Those who are platform agnostic would probably be quite happy using any of the devices, as they are the best of what are currently available on the market at this time.

Where to buy

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ is available at B&H Photo and from Samsung directly. Each retailer is offering free Galaxy Buds with the Note+, as well as free service options (free Mint Mobile service for three months at B&H or four months of ad-free YouTube service at Samsung). Details of each promotion, including terms and conditions, can be found on the respective retailer's site.

Meanwhile, wireless carriers are offering a variety of incentives on the new iPhone 11 Pro Max, from BOGO offers to trade-in deals on devices in any condition. Highlights are below.

iPhone 11 Pro Max deals

Verizon Wireless: Get up to $450 off the iPhone 11 Pro Max via bill credits with select trade-in and Unlimited plan.
AT&T Wireless: Buy an eligible iPhone and get the iPhone 11 for free when you buy both on a qualifying installment plan with an eligible AT&T unlimited plan.
Sprint: Starting at $12.50 per month with Sprint Flex lease and select trade-ins in any condition
Walmart: Save up to $100 on the iPhone 11 Pro. Offer valid only on purchase with installment plan through AT&T or Verizon.
Sam's Club: Get a $150 Sam's Club gift card when you buy and activate an iPhone 11 Pro or iPhone 11 Pro Max by Nov. 8.

GeorgeBMac · October 6, 2019 5:42PM

This review was great! But, as with most reviews, it also made me a little crazy -- because it was so very one-sided: Because, it ONLY LOOKED AT HARDWARE!

At this point, the hardware in even cheap phones is not only pretty good but more than most people need.

As always and since the beginning, what really sets Apple and its iPhones apart is iOS and the Apple Ecosystem. In another 5 or 10 years when the power and speed of the Note 15 or 20 is double what it is today, it still won't be able to touch the iPhone -- simply because it doesn't run iOS and is not backed by the Apple ecosystem.

And that's not to trash the review: The review was accurate and complete and reviewing OS's and ecosystems was not part of its scope. But, for normal people trying to decide between phones, it is those things that make the iPhone a clear winner.

cpsro · October 6, 2019 5:53PM

AppleInsider said:
While the iPhone 11 Pro Max has just 4 gigabytes of memory to work with, its six-core
A13 Bionic therefore needs all the help it can get from the Neural Engine to properly compete.

Geekbench and most other benchmarks do not utilize or test the Neural Engine.
Apple's processors win because Apple jumped to 64-bit ARM design and SoC implementation with the iPhone 5S, at least 2 years ahead of when everyone else was planning to do so. The competition called 64-bits a gimmick, because they were caught flat-footed. And they're still working to catch up. The A13 wins on its merit, not because of some odd behavior required to "properly compete."

iPhones receive first-class support for iOS for at least 5 years. How does Samsung compare in this regard with Android?

MplsP · October 6, 2019 6:17PM

GeorgeBMac said:

This review was great! But, as with most reviews, it also made me a little crazy -- because it was so very one-sided: Because, it ONLY LOOKED AT HARDWARE!

At this point, the hardware in even cheap phones is not only pretty good but more than most people need.

As always and since the beginning, what really sets Apple and its iPhones apart is iOS and the Apple Ecosystem. In another 5 or 10 years when the power and speed of the Note 15 or 20 is double what it is today, it still won't be able to touch the iPhone -- simply because it doesn't run iOS and is not backed by the Apple ecosystem.

And that's not to trash the review: The review was accurate and complete and reviewing OS's and ecosystems was not part of its scope. But, for normal people trying to decide between phones, it is those things that make the iPhone a clear winner.

Not only that, they actually came out and said that the image processing will make a significant difference for the camera(s). Simply comparing specs for screens, cameras, etc is pretty useless at this point.

A few years ago I was shopping for a TV and went to Best Buy to compare the pictures. While I could see a difference in the store, the differences were subtle and I realized that once I got the TV home in my living room I would never notice or care. Phones these days are the same - When the Xr came out, people made a big deal about the fact that it lacked an OLED screen, but as a practical matter, no one I asked could tell the screens apart. Bottom line, you won't be disappointed with the screen on either the Samsung or the iPhone.

ericthehalfbee · October 6, 2019 6:26PM

Terrible comparison and this why using numbers off a spec sheet is meaningless (though the Android fans love spec sheets).

For starters, no Android device display can touch the iPhone because Android has a horrible version of color management. Nobody can render content anywhere nearly as accurate as the iPhone. As to pixel count, both are so high nobody could ever tell the difference.

The brightness spec is wrong. You can measure peak brightness in a small area of the screen or over the entire screen. Bottom line is the iPhone has the brighter screen and Samsung is playing with numbers when they quote 1,200 nits.

Cameras? Try to record a video and switch between cameras during the video. The Note 10 often stutters and has to refocus when changing. The iPhone does this seamlessly.

Just a couple obvious examples.

bulk001 · October 6, 2019 8:24PM

Thank you. Great article with a lot of useful information.

rf40928 · October 6, 2019 8:56PM

IMHO the article wasn’t that great. First of all it’s not accurate.. max nits for the iPhonee Pro is 1200!!! You can’t set it at 1200... you can’t manually set it on 1200... it does it on auto when you go outside on bright daylight .. the battery life has already been benched against the Samsung 10 Note and it beat it by 2 hours cycling thru programs continuously while playing music .. Androids phone can’t be compared to iOS phones - First of all android apps have to run on an emulator ( a virtual engine ) and this is why Android phones have more memory!!! If they didn’t they would run horrible !! iOS runs apps natively and require less memory ... so funny how android fan boys talk about the memory without understanding it’s not extra ram over the iPhone... droid phones simply need it !!

The iPhone cpugpu (soc) also beats snapdragon is most benchmarks.. cpu clock speed can’t be compared.. different operating systems .. different soc architectures .. different memory requirement ( more ram needed to android )

That’s it.. and iOS runs on more then phones ..Anyone who makes a phone is at the mercy of google..you can’t sell a phone and have any chance at selling a phone without a store for apps and most droid makers make little money except Samsung and Hauwei..
Samsung said they made more money selling Apple screens then from their entire Galaxy line of phones.. iPhone has around 50% or more market share in most western countries.. Android has more market share because cheap.. very cheap android dominate poor Asian and Indian markets ( most of the worlds population)... Samsung hasn’t sold hardly any phones the last couple years in China because they cost too much and Hauwei has done well there - This is the first year since iPhone 6 that (iPhone 11) has sold out in China and India ..

GeorgeBMac said:

This review was great! But, as with most reviews, it also made me a little crazy -- because it was so very one-sided: Because, it ONLY LOOKED AT HARDWARE!

At this point, the hardware in even cheap phones is not only pretty good but more than most people need.

As always and since the beginning, what really sets Apple and its iPhones apart is iOS and the Apple Ecosystem. In another 5 or 10 years when the power and speed of the Note 15 or 20 is double what it is today, it still won't be able to touch the iPhone -- simply because it doesn't run iOS and is not backed by the Apple ecosystem.

And that's not to trash the review: The review was accurate and complete and reviewing OS's and ecosystems was not part of its scope. But, for normal people trying to decide between phones, it is those things that make the iPhone a clear winner.

bb-15 · October 6, 2019 9:06PM

Good video review.
I’ll add my preferences;
1. Android apps from Google are all designed to mine user data for targeted ads. That’s how Google makes most of its $ & it’s why its apps are free.
- By contrast, Apple does a better job protecting my privacy.
Apple does this by putting much of the cost of apps as part of the price of the phone. I’m willing to pay that price.
2. Samsung phones have bloatware. There are Google apps & as many Samsung apps which have the same features. The phone carrier may add more apps.
- iPhones begin with a much “cleaner”/slimed down app experience. No bloat.
3. Quality of login (mostly a repeat from the video);
- It has been reported that the S10 fingerprint reader has accuracy problems. The Samsung facial recognition is not 3D & can be fooled.
- Apple is much more careful w/ its Face ID which uses 3D tech & is very hard to fool.
I do want an under screen fingerprint sensor but only when it can be done right.
4. In terms of camera color accuracy Apple has done a better job than Samsung.
5. Android phones are lucky to have 2 years of OS updates.
iPhones (with iOS updates) are designed to last ~5 years. The iPhones are very powerful & so can handle several years of new OS features.

rf40928 · October 6, 2019 9:10PM

IMHO the article wasn’t that great. First of all it’s not accurate.. max nits for the iPhonee Pro is 1200!!! You can’t set it at 1200... you can’t manually set it on 1200... it does it on auto when you go outside on bright daylight .. the battery life has already been benched against the Samsung 10 Note and it beat it by 2 hours cycling thru programs continuously while playing music .. Androids phone can’t be compared to iOS phones - First of all android apps have to run on an emulator ( a virtual engine ) and this is why Android phones have more memory!!! If they didn’t they would run horrible !! iOS runs apps natively and require less memory ... so funny how android fan boys talk about the memory without understanding it’s not extra ram over the iPhone... droid phones simply need it !!

The iPhone cpugpu (soc) also beats snapdragon is most benchmarks.. cpu clock speed can’t be compared.. different operating systems .. different soc architectures .. different memory requirement ( more ram needed to android )

That’s it.. and iOS runs on more then phones ..Anyone who makes a phone is at the mercy of google..you can’t sell a phone and have any chance at selling a phone without a store for apps and most droid makers make little money except Samsung and Hauwei..
Samsung said they made more money selling Apple screens then from their entire Galaxy line of phones.. iPhone has around 50% or more market share in most western countries.. Android has more market share because cheap.. very cheap android dominate poor Asian and Indian markets ( most of the worlds population)... Samsung hasn’t sold hardly any phones the last couple years in China because they cost too much and Hauwei has done well there - This is the first year since iPhone 6 that (iPhone 11) has sold out in China and India

ericthehalfbee said:

Terrible comparison and this why using numbers off a spec sheet is meaningless (though the Android fans love spec sheets).

For starters, no Android device display can touch the iPhone because Android has a horrible version of color management. Nobody can render content anywhere nearly as accurate as the iPhone. As to pixel count, both are so high nobody could ever tell the difference.

The brightness spec is wrong. You can measure peak brightness in a small area of the screen or over the entire screen. Bottom line is the iPhone has the brighter screen and Samsung is playing with numbers when they quote 1,200 nits.

Cameras? Try to record a video and switch between cameras during the video. The Note 10 often stutters and has to refocus when changing. The iPhone does this seamlessly.

Just a couple obvious examples.

apple ][ · October 6, 2019 9:13PM

Android paper specs have always been irrelevant and meaningless.

Remember when all of the "iPad Killers" were being released every week some years back?

And then when multicore Android phones began coming out many years ago?

Some of those devices had better "paper specs", but they all failed.

Apple has always been kicking their butts. Who cares if a Fandroid lunatic claims that their 8 core whatever device is more powerful when Apple devices with much less cores have always left them in the dust.

Android has always been an inefficient and crap OS, which is probably why it needs so much RAM etc.

Android has often had higher Paper Specs than comparable Apple devices going back to the very beginning, but what matters is how the device itself functions, not how something looks on a piece of paper. A person doesn't carry a piece of paper with specs in their pocket, they carry a device that they intend to use and do things on. You can't make a phone call with a piece of paper and you can't surf the internet or open an app on a piece of paper.

I don't care if somebody comes out with an Android device featuring a 64 core CPU and with 64 GB RAM, it will still be garbage in my humble opinion, as it still relies on Android. The brain is the most important part of the human body, and a dumb brain makes a dumb person, and an inferior CPU combined with a low IQ OS like Android, makes for a pretty dumb device.

rf40928 · October 6, 2019 9:17PM

When we read articles like this we realize this person doesn’t know very much...

Android apps run on Java and to get around this they need a virtual machine ( an emulator )... this is because android could run on different processors and running android apps on snapdragon wouldn’t be native code.

In English this means Android requires a lot more RAM to run as smoothly as the iPhone does — which runs code natively for apps ( without an emulator ) ... surprise surprise did we learn anything ?! In this sense iOS is much more efficient with memory since there it needs no emulator and iOS Apps actually decide the memory allocated; yet for Android the memory is allocated by the o/s... because android has to constantly recycle and empty memory to free up...

IMHO the article wasn’t that great. First of all it’s not accurate.. max nits for the iPhonee Pro is 1200!!! You can’t set it at 1200... you can’t manually set it on 1200... it does it on auto when you go outside on bright daylight .. the battery life has already been benched against the Samsung 10 Note and it beat it by 2 hours cycling thru programs continuously while playing music .. Androids phone can’t be compared to iOS phones - First of all android apps have to run on an emulator ( a virtual engine ) and this is why Android phones have more memory!!! If they didn’t they would run horrible !! iOS runs apps natively and require less memory ... so funny how android fan boys talk about the memory without understanding it’s not extra ram over the iPhone... droid phones simply need it !!

The iPhone cpugpu (soc) also beats snapdragon is most benchmarks.. cpu clock speed can’t be compared.. different operating systems .. different soc architectures .. different memory requirement ( more ram needed to android )

That’s it.. and iOS runs on more then phones ..Anyone who makes a phone is at the mercy of google..you can’t sell a phone and have any chance at selling a phone without a store for apps and most droid makers make little money except Samsung and Hauwei..
Samsung said they made more money selling Apple screens then from their entire Galaxy line of phones.. iPhone has around 50% or more market share in most western countries.. Android has more market share because cheap.. very cheap android dominate poor Asian and Indian markets ( most of the worlds population)... Samsung hasn’t sold hardly any phones the last couple years in China because they cost too much and Hauwei has done well there - This is the first year since iPhone 6 that (iPhone 11) has sold out in China and India Also max nits for iPhone pro is same as Samsing.. 1200... it can’t be set this high manually.. it achieves this on auto mode when you go on bright daylight outside ( saves battery )

Could add much more but why ? IPhone is better

Most of the world is poor and can’t afford high end androids or iPhonss.. therefore very cheap androids dominate Asia and India which is most of the worlds population .. in western markets iPhone controls most of the market around 50% or more ( Canada 59%) and even market shares aren’t super accurate because they calculate this yearly on sales.. to put it another way iOS has a 1.6 Billion person user base ..

cpsro said:

AppleInsider said:
While the iPhone 11 Pro Max has just 4 gigabytes of memory to work with, its six-core
A13 Bionic therefore needs all the help it can get from the Neural Engine to properly compete.
Geekbench and most other benchmarks do not utilize or test the Neural Engine.
Apple's processors win because Apple jumped to 64-bit ARM design and SoC implementation with the iPhone 5S, at least 2 years ahead of when everyone else was planning to do so. The competition called 64-bits a gimmick, because they were caught flat-footed. And they're still working to catch up. The A13 wins on its merit, not because of some odd behavior required to "properly compete."

iPhones receive first-class support for iOS for at least 5 years. How does Samsung compare in this regard with Android?

lkrupp · October 6, 2019 9:21PM

I have little respect for those who make buying decisions based on spec sheets alone whether it be smartphones, audio gear, automobiles, or other products. It means those people are unable to look at the entire picture. They look at the numbers and conclude those offerings with the best numbers must, by definition, be better. Nothing could be further from the truth.

mark fearing · October 6, 2019 10:37PM

OK...this entire 'review' is more than a bit of sloppy writing. I'm sorry but I think this needs to be called out.

One example - " Putting aside debatable elements like the merits of iOS over Android or the long-time rivalry between the two companies " so you are comparing ONLY on hardware specs?

What about the speed of the os on its given hardware?

And what two companies? 'Android' isn't a company. I'd guess you meant to imply Samsung, but I'm not sure there is a rivalry with Apple. Does Samsung make an OS? A computer? Does Apple make washers and dryers? I just think all kinds of things are being confused and tossed in this piece in order not to hurt feelings. And if you are actually doing a review and than saying 'but we won't look at the os' what is the point? Just run tech specs, take your free Samsung phones and move on. Honestly, this is a badly written and rather silly piece. I'm not attacking the writer. I'm criticizing the entire editorial system that puts this out. By the end I don't know what I've read, if the reviewer has an opinion (most reviewers have opinions...that's OK. Explain your opinion and let others decide) but don't pretend all is equal, i love everything, boy these are both so good...why bother writing it then?

AppleExposed · October 6, 2019 10:40PM

Gotta get the knockoff iPhone.

klick21 · October 7, 2019 1:01AM

You have the dimensions wrong on the pro max...I believe it is 6.22 inches tall.

StrangeDays · October 7, 2019 3:49AM

ericthehalfbee said:

Terrible comparison and this why using numbers off a spec sheet is meaningless (though the Android fans love spec sheets).

For starters, no Android device display can touch the iPhone because Android has a horrible version of color management. Nobody can render content anywhere nearly as accurate as the iPhone. As to pixel count, both are so high nobody could ever tell the difference.

The brightness spec is wrong. You can measure peak brightness in a small area of the screen or over the entire screen. Bottom line is the iPhone has the brighter screen and Samsung is playing with numbers when they quote 1,200 nits.

Cameras? Try to record a video and switch between cameras during the video. The Note 10 often stutters and has to refocus when changing. The iPhone does this seamlessly.

Just a couple obvious examples.

Yeah the article spends way more time on specs than on use. Using the 11 is a joy — especially how seamless you can switch lenses without the stuttering I’ve heard people report on the Samsung. Also,
the automatic Night Mode is amazing. For my uses it’s been a 1-2 exposure and it just comes out really nice, it’s like magic. This is how it’s supposed to be done.

scorpio1023 · October 7, 2019 4:12AM

All the people commenting on this post are all stating opinions. I had every iPhone. I just switched to Android with the S10 plus, and I love it. It doesn't lag at all. It's smooth. And I enjoy being able to multitask and customize the phone to my liking, but all of this is opinions. I like iOS, but I don't like it as much as one ui. It's ok to like iPhone or Android. Phones these days are so good that it's all a matter of which opertaino system you like more. You can't say iOS is betreb than Android because that's an opinion not a fact. My phone has loaded apps faster than the new iPhone 11 pro max and I compared them side by side. Each phone has it's pro's and con's. It's a matter of your preference. Like I said before in my opinion I like being able to do what I want with my phone, and Android lets me do that that's why I like it more.

scorpio1023 · October 7, 2019 4:14AM

Samsung phones have always won awards for best display mainly because the resolution is higher. My phone has a higher resolution than the new iPhone. The iPhone only won best display this year (which is the only year it won) because it gets brighter in doors. In my experience my S10 plus gets brighter with direct sunlight, but only by a small amount.

AppleExposed · October 7, 2019 4:32AM

ericthehalfbee said:

Terrible comparison and this why using numbers off a spec sheet is meaningless (though the Android fans love spec sheets).

For starters, no Android device display can touch the iPhone because Android has a horrible version of color management. Nobody can render content anywhere nearly as accurate as the iPhone. As to pixel count, both are so high nobody could ever tell the difference.

The brightness spec is wrong. You can measure peak brightness in a small area of the screen or over the entire screen. Bottom line is the iPhone has the brighter screen and Samsung is playing with numbers when they quote 1,200 nits.

Cameras? Try to record a video and switch between cameras during the video. The Note 10 often stutters and has to refocus when changing. The iPhone does this seamlessly.

Just a couple obvious examples.

Man I wish you were in the thread where someone was arguing with me about Sammy having a better screen. Not even close.

rotateleftbyte · October 7, 2019 6:08AM

Comparing specs is less than half the story.

Most phones these days are good enough for most people. End of argument.

Like 0-60mph times in cars, specs are for bragging rights.

All I ask from a phone or a car is does it do the job I want it to in an easy and simple way.

IOS is far easier to use that Android for me and my use case.

Subjecting things to the 'Ease of Use' test seems to have died a death in recent years yet, a few decades ago we spent vast amounts of time making software easy to use for total beginners.

I don't like spying so that rules out anything that has Google's name attached and that includes the new Polestar EV because it runs Android...

If you don't mind sharing your world with Google (and others) then go ahead and get an Android. It is a pity that more people don't wise up to this situation but that's life.

badboybubby · October 7, 2019 6:50AM

The storage size wasn't mentioned at all? Is this not an important metric?

For $1099 the iPhone gives you 64GB while the Note gives you 256GB, big difference when you can simultaneously shoot with 4K on multiple cameras.

As for the screen, until the iPhone 11 came about, the Note was recognized as having the A+ screen.
Then the Galaxy S11 will come out, and it will considered the best.

Then the Note 11 and then the iPhone 12 will be top until the next Galaxy flagship or until the iPhone comes along with its new micro led screen perhaps, who knows? It's swings and roundabouts.

To say any of the screens or cameras on any of these phones is significantly better than the other is rubbish really, they both have strengths and weaknesses.

Personally, I'd want more memory on an iPhone, 4GB in 2019 flagship costing up to $1499 is just being cheap. Sure, iOS does better with less ram but it also seems to struggle keeping certain apps open in the background.

Look what happened when apple threw a big battery in their new phones, instant battery god phone, why not double the memory, it wouldn't cost much and you'd make a lot of people happier, even 6GB would have made a difference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CusxWlCsTfQ

Anyway, both phones are great, choose the one you want.