iPhone 11 vs Galaxy S10e: A Detailed Comparison for 2024

The iPhone 11 and Samsung Galaxy S10e represent a bygone era of compact, high-end smartphones. Both have seen significant price drops, making them attractive options in the used market. This comparison dissects their strengths and weaknesses to determine which offers the best value in 2024, focusing on real-world performance and usability.
Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

For most users, the iPhone 11 emerges as the better choice. Its superior battery endurance (94h vs 83h) and consistently strong performance from the A13 Bionic chip outweigh the S10e’s slightly more versatile display. However, the S10e’s reverse wireless charging and potentially lower price point make it a viable alternative.

PHONES
Phone Names Apple iPhone 11 Samsung Galaxy S10e
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - Global, USA
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A22211, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - Global
SpeedHSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat16 1024/150 Mbps, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 MbpsHSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps
TechnologyGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTEGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE
 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 29, 30, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2111, A22231, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66, 71 - USA
Launch
Announced2019, September 102019, February 20. Released 2019, March 08
StatusAvailable. Released 2019, September 20Discontinued
Body
BuildGlass front (Corning-made glass), glass back (Corning-made glass), aluminum frame (7000 series)Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame
Dimensions150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3 mm (5.94 x 2.98 x 0.33 in)142.2 x 69.9 x 7.9 mm (5.60 x 2.75 x 0.31 in)
SIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China)· Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM
Weight194 g (6.84 oz)150 g (5.29 oz)
 IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 2m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified)IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min)
Display
ProtectionScratch-resistant glassCorning Gorilla Glass 5
Resolution828 x 1792 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~326 ppi density)1080 x 2280 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~438 ppi density)
Size6.1 inches, 90.3 cm2 (~79.0% screen-to-body ratio)5.8 inches, 82.8 cm2 (~83.3% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeLiquid Retina IPS LCD, 625 nits (typ)Dynamic AMOLED, HDR10+
 -Always-on display
Platform
CPUHexa-core (2x2.65 GHz Lightning + 4x1.8 GHz Thunder)Octa-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M4 & 2x2.31 GHz Cortex-A75 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55) - EMEA/LATAMOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) - USA/China
ChipsetApple A13 Bionic (7 nm+)Exynos 9820 (8 nm) - EMEA/LATAMQualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) - USA/China
GPUApple GPU (4-core graphics)Mali-G76 MP12 - EMEA/LATAM Adreno 640 - USA/China
OSiOS 13, upgradable to iOS 26.1Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 12, One UI 4.1
Memory
Card slotNomicroSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only
Internal64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM
 NVMeUFS 2.1
Main Camera
Dual12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/3.6"12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 16 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.0µm, Super Steady video
FeaturesDual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Video4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, stereo sound rec.4K@60fps (no EIS), 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDRHDR
Single12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)10 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF
Video4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Sound
3.5mm jack NoYes
35mm jackNoYes
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakersYes, with stereo speakers
 -32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG
Comms
Bluetooth5.0, A2DP, LE5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSSGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
RadioNoFM radio (USA & Canada only)
USBLightning, USB 2.0USB Type-C 3.1
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspotWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Features
SensorsFace ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometerFingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
 Ultra Wideband (UWB) supportANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified)
Battery
ChargingWired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min Wireless (Qi)15W wired, PD2.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless
TypeLi-Ion 3110 mAh, non-removable (11.91 Wh)Li-Ion 3100 mAh, non-removable
Misc
ColorsBlack, Green, Yellow, Purple, Red, WhitePrism White, Prism Black, Prism Green, Prism Blue, Canary Yellow, Flamingo Pink
ModelsA2221, A2111, A2223, iPhone12,1SM-G970F, SM-G970U, SM-G970W, SM-G9700, SM-G970U1, SM-G970N, SM-G970X
Price$ 167.50 / C$ 228.68 / £ 175.00 / € 193.32About 130 EUR
SAR1.09 W/kg (head)     1.18 W/kg (body)0.56 W/kg (head)     0.70 W/kg (body)
SAR EU0.95 W/kg (head)     0.99 W/kg (body)0.58 W/kg (head)     1.57 W/kg (body)
Pricing
128GB 4GB RAM$ 359.95-
256GB 4GB RAM$ 469.99-
64GB 4GB RAM$ 292.79-
RENEWED£ 214.00-
Tests
Audio quality Noise -94.2dB / Crosstalk -80.8dB Noise -92.9dB / Crosstalk -89.4dB
Battery life Endurance rating 94h Endurance rating 83h
Camera Photo / Video Photo / Video
Display Contrast ratio: 1505:1 (nominal) Contrast ratio: infinite
Loudspeaker Voice 70dB / Noise 72dB / Ring 76dB Voice 71dB / Noise 76dB / Ring 80dB
Performance AnTuTu: 419453 (v7) GeekBench: 13882 (v4.4) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) AnTuTu: 325192 (v7), 389694 (v8) GeekBench: 10081 (v4.4), 2141 (v5.1) GFXBench: 40fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Apple iPhone 11

  • Superior battery life (94h endurance)
  • Faster and more efficient A13 Bionic chip
  • Long-term software support from Apple

  • LCD display lacks the vibrancy of AMOLED
  • No reverse wireless charging

Samsung Galaxy S10e

  • Vibrant AMOLED display with 'infinite' contrast
  • Reverse wireless charging for accessories
  • Potentially lower price point in the used market

  • Shorter battery life (83h endurance)
  • Performance lags behind the iPhone 11
  • Software updates are no longer guaranteed

Display Comparison

The Galaxy S10e boasts an 'infinite' contrast ratio, indicative of its AMOLED panel, offering richer blacks and more vibrant colors compared to the iPhone 11’s 1505:1 contrast ratio LCD. However, the iPhone 11 counters with a measured peak brightness of 644 nits, potentially offering better visibility in direct sunlight. Both displays feature Qi wireless charging, but the S10e’s AMOLED tech provides a more visually striking experience, though at the cost of potential burn-in over time.

Camera Comparison

Both phones offer capable photo and video recording, but differ in their approach. The iPhone 11’s image processing prioritizes natural colors and dynamic range, while the S10e tends towards more saturated, punchy images. While both have dual-camera systems, the iPhone 11’s computational photography often yields more consistent results in challenging lighting conditions. The S10e’s camera system is more versatile with features like a dedicated Night Mode, but the iPhone 11’s video recording quality is generally considered superior.

Performance

The iPhone 11’s Apple A13 Bionic (7nm+) chip consistently outperforms the Samsung Galaxy S10e’s Exynos 9820 (8nm) or Snapdragon 855 (7nm) in CPU-intensive tasks. The A13’s hexa-core architecture, with its Lightning and Thunder cores, delivers faster processing speeds. While the S10e’s octa-core CPU is capable, the A13’s optimized software integration and efficient design provide a smoother, more responsive user experience. The 7nm process node used in the Snapdragon 855 variant of the S10e offers better efficiency than the 8nm Exynos, but still trails the A13.

Battery Life

The iPhone 11’s endurance rating of 94 hours significantly surpasses the Galaxy S10e’s 83 hours. This translates to a noticeable difference in real-world usage, with the iPhone 11 comfortably lasting a full day on a single charge for most users. Both support PD2.0 wired charging, with the iPhone 11 achieving 50% charge in 30 minutes. The S10e adds the convenience of 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, allowing it to charge accessories, a feature absent on the iPhone 11.

Buying Guide

Buy the Apple iPhone 11 if you prioritize long-term software support, consistent performance, and all-day battery life. It’s ideal for users deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem or those seeking a reliable, easy-to-use smartphone. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S10e if you value a more customizable experience, the convenience of reverse wireless charging, and potentially a lower upfront cost, understanding that software updates will cease sooner.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Exynos 9820 chip in the Galaxy S10e overheat during prolonged gaming sessions?
The Exynos 9820 is known to throttle under sustained load, leading to reduced performance during extended gaming. While playable, users may experience frame drops and increased heat compared to the iPhone 11’s A13 Bionic, which manages thermals more effectively.
❓ Is the 2MP macro camera on the Galaxy S10e actually useful?
The 2MP macro camera on the S10e delivers limited detail and often produces soft, underwhelming results. It's largely a marketing feature and doesn't significantly enhance the overall camera experience. The iPhone 11 lacks a dedicated macro lens, but its standard camera can capture reasonably detailed close-up shots.
❓ Will the Galaxy S10e receive further software updates?
Samsung has ended official software support for the Galaxy S10e. While some security patches may still be released, it will not receive major Android version updates. The iPhone 11, however, continues to receive iOS updates, ensuring longer-term security and feature enhancements.
❓ How does the iPhone 11's LCD screen compare to the S10e's AMOLED in terms of outdoor visibility?
While the S10e's AMOLED offers vibrant colors, the iPhone 11's 644 nits of peak brightness provides better visibility in direct sunlight. AMOLED screens can sometimes wash out under intense sunlight, whereas the iPhone 11 maintains a clearer image.