The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series is finally official and in this post, we’re going to be putting it up against the best from Apple, which is currently the iPhone 11 Pro Max. we’re going to break down all of the key differences.
Both of these smartphones are the current flagship offerings from two of the biggest rivals in the smartphone industry as such people are naturally asking questions such as is the iPhone 11 Pro Max a better smartphone than the Note 20 Ultra. In this post, we are going to share with you by doing a full side-by-side comparison of every aspect of these smartphones.
| Note 20 Ultra | iPhone 11 Pro Max |
| Outstanding 6.9” AMOLED screen | Powerful new A13 processor |
| Beautiful styling, luxurious feel | Face ID still leads the way |
| S Pen is smoother and quicker | Flexible triple camera system |
| No headphones in the box | Face ID still leads the way |
| The camera bump is pretty big | No expandable memory |
Key Specification
| Note 20 Ultra | iPhone 11 Pro Max | |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ | Apple A13 Bionic |
| Display | 6.9 inches | 6.5 inches |
| Memory | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB-12GB RAM | 64GB, 256GB, 512GB-4GB RAM |
| Camera | 108 MP + 13 MP + 12 MP | 12 MP + 12 MP + 12 MP |
| Fingerprint Sensor | Under display | Face ID |
Design
| Note 20 Ultra | iPhone 11 Pro Max | |
| Dimensions | 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm | 158 x 77.8 x 8.1 mm |
| Weight | 208 grams | 226 grams |
| Screen Size | 6.9 inches | 6.5 inches |
| Display | 3088 x 1440 pixels | 2688 x 1242 pixels |
| Colors | Mystic Bronze, Black, White | Matte Gray, Silver, Gold, Midnight Green |
Now take a look at the overall design and build, the Note 20 Ultra does have much more squared-off edges to go in line with that Note theme. We’ve got an aluminium frame on the Note 20 Ultra. On the iPhone 11 Pro Max, we have a stainless steel frame. Now both devices do have glass on the front and the back. On the Note, we do have curved glass, and it’s also going to be the first smartphone in the world to have the new Gorilla Glass 7, which is supposed to be more durable and also less likely to shatter when dropped.
Both the iPhone and the Note 20 have a similar build quality front and back you’ll find glass on both smartphones with a solid metal band around the edges this makes for a high-end build, therefore, both smartphones feel like a million dollars when you hold them in your hands. When you move on to the design is where things differ they both have massive frontal displays and they both look gorgeous note 20 has a large and tall display that dominates the screen leaving tiny bezels on all four sides with a hole cut out on top center while the iPhone continues to have a notch which houses the front camera and the face id system.
Performance
| Note 20 Ultra | iPhone 11 Pro Max | |
| Processor | Octa-core, 3000 MHz, Kryo 585, 64-bit, 7 nm | Apple A13 Bionic |
| GPU | Adreno 650 | Apple-designed 4 core |
| RAM | 12GB LPDDR5 | 4GB LPDDR4 |
| Internal storage | 128GB | 64GB |
| Storage expansion | Up to 1000 GB | No |
| OS | Android (10), Samsung One UI | iOS (13.x) |
When it comes to performance both smartphones are rock solid with swift user experience so the iPhone certainly wins in terms of processing power while Note 20 takes a lead in storage capacity and storage expansion options. Now, 5G is interesting but it’s only available in less than 5 of the country. For gaming Note 20 is really nice. Especially because of the larger and more full display. Gaming in Note was super smooth and enjoyable. One major difference is background apps. Note 20 comes with 12GB RAM keeps the app open seemingly forever. Whereas iPhone’s 4GB is frustrating. Especially when taking a photo and the apps just using gets closed.
Camera
| Note 20 Ultra | iPhone 11 Pro Max | |
| Rear | 108 MP + 13 MP + 12 MP | 12 + 10 MP |
| Front | 10 MP (PDAF, HDR) | 12 MP (EIS, HDR) |
| Video recording | 7680×4320 (8K UHD) | 3840×2160 (4K UHD) |
If we compare photos, there are times when there’s neck to neck when using main sensors but when using the ultrawide or the telephoto. Note 20 looks much more detailed. But you just get so much more detailed in ultra zoom in Note 20 and moreover, you can take night mode shots in Ultra Wide and front-facing too.
If you want your photos to have the most control, plus a great zoom? Select a Note 20 Ultra. Without too much manual control on the default camera, to be able to take great photos and videos? Choose the iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Multimedia
| Note 20 Ultra | iPhone 11 Pro Max | |
| Headphone jack | No | No |
| Speakers | Multiple speakers | Multiple speakers |
Battery Life
| Note 20 Ultra | iPhone 11 Pro Max | |
| No of Cell/Capacity | 4500 mAh | 3969 mAh |
| Quick Charging | Adaptive Fast Charging | Wired: 18.0W; Wireless: 7.5W |
| User Replaceable | No | No |
In the battery department overall you get a full day of battery life with medium to heavy use on both smartphones. Both the iPhone Pro Max and the Galaxy Note 20 offer wireless charging which is fantastic. The Galaxy Note 20 has a 25 watt super fast wired charging out of the box with the included charging adapter and the iPhone Pro Max has an 18-watt fast charger in the box. The Galaxy Note 20 does charge faster than the iPhone, so it gets a lead there additionally the Galaxy Note 20 now offers wireless power share which allows you to charge other smartphones compatible accessories such as wireless earbuds and smartwatches using the back of your Note 20, a feature the iPhone does not have.
Connectivity
| Note 20 Ultra | iPhone 11 Pro Max | |
| SIM | – | Nano-SIM |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Wifi | 802.11 | 802.11 |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Barometer | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Barometer |
The iPhone 11 Pro Max offers a powerful Face id system that uses your face to unlock it it is fast convenient and secure. The Galaxy Note 20 on the other hand has the in-display fingerprint sensor that also works flawlessly and has a special futuristic appeal since it is built under the display and it is invisible this is mostly a matter of choice since both systems work great but samsung gets extra points for having it in the display without sacrificing screen real estate.
Which is better!
Let’s move on and do a conclusion to find out which one of these smartphones is a superior device. One thing is clear that both smartphones offer value but one of them does lead in the overall feature. Note 20 comes with a minimum of 128 gigs of storage has a cleaner design it offers the wireless power share feature and faster wired and wireless charging.
Note 20 also has a more aggressive camera setup with powerful zooming capabilities and 8k recording it also offers a better screen with more screen real estate and the 120-hertz refresh rate.
The Note 20 ultra offers 5G on the flip side the iPhone only has one advantage that is superior to Note 20. it has a more powerful processor otherwise they both have many flagship features such as IP68 grade water resistance and of course they both offer top-tier multi-camera systems and top-tier display quality.
The Note 20 has more features over the iPhone it is easy to conclude that the Note 20 is the better smartphone however we have a slight problem although the winner of this comparison is the Note 20 ultra it comes at a cost it is $200 more expensive than the iPhone 11 pro which is a big price bump so surely the Note 20 is a more comprehensive phone package it is the winner in a side-by-side comparison but it comes at a high
The iPhone 11 pro is still a top-tier phone so it’s going to be hard to say to simply get the Note 20 Ultra because at cost savings you’re still getting a powerful device with the iPhone
If you’re not worried about the pricing go for the Note 20 Ultra but if the price is a little too steep then you can buy the iPhone and that’s the end of this comparison.
