Samsung Galaxy Note10 5G vs Google Pixel 4 XL: Which Flagship Still Reigns?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user seeking a balance of features and performance, the Samsung Galaxy Note10 5G emerges as the stronger contender. Its broader feature set, including S Pen support and faster charging, coupled with the Snapdragon 855 variant (in US/China models), provides a more versatile experience than the Pixel 4 XL, despite the Pixel's excellent camera.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Note10 5G | Google Pixel 4 XL |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 46, 48, 66, 71 - USA | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66, 71 - Global |
| 5G bands | 78 NSA/Sub6 | - |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps, 5G (2+ Gbps DL) | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat18 1200/150 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO - USA | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, August. Released 2019, August | 2019, October 15 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2019, October 22 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 151 x 71.8 x 7.9 mm (5.94 x 2.83 x 0.31 in) | 160.4 x 75.1 x 8.2 mm (6.31 x 2.96 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM |
| Weight | 168 g (5.93 oz) | 193 g (6.81 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus, 42ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2280 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~401 ppi density) | 1440 x 3040 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~537 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.3 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~90.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.3 inches, 98.0 cm2 (~81.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED, HDR10+ | P-OLED, 90Hz, HDR |
| Always-on display | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M4 & 2x2.4 GHz Cortex-A75 & 4x1.9 GHz Cortex-A55) - EMEA/LATAMOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) - USA/China | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) |
| Chipset | Exynos 9825 (7 nm) - EMEA/LATAMQualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) - USA/China | Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G76 MP12 - EMEA/LATAMAdreno 640 - USA/China | Adreno 640 |
| OS | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 12, One UI 4 | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM | 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | UFS 2.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 12.2 MP, f/1.7, 27mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 16 MP, f/2.4, 50mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom |
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Dual-LED flash, Pixel Shift, Auto-HDR, panorama |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 27mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.1, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 16 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.0µm, Super Steady video | - |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30fps (gyro-EIS) |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF | 8 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide), 1.22µm, no AF TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | FM radio (USA & Canada only) | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1 | USB Type-C 3.1 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | - | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired, PD3.0 12W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | 18W wired, PD2.0 Wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 3500 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 3700 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Aura Glow, Aura White, Aura Black, Aura Pink, Aura Red | Clearly White, Just Black, Oh So Orange |
| Models | SM-N971U, SM-N971N | G020P, G020, GA01181-US, GA01182-US, GA01180-US |
| Price | About 1100 EUR | About 180 EUR |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 364.52 |
| 64GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 274.99 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 149.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | - | Noise -93.9 / Crosstalk -94.1 |
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 73h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Loudspeaker | - | Voice 80dB / Noise 78dB / Ring 88dB |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 323305 (v7), 403267 (v8) GeekBench: 10171 (v4.4), 2267 (v5.1) GFXBench: 21fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy Note10 5G
- Faster 25W charging with PD3.0
- S Pen functionality for enhanced productivity
- 5G connectivity for faster data speeds
- Larger display for immersive viewing
- Exynos variant (EMEA/LATAM) may exhibit lower sustained performance
- Samsung's One UI can feel bloated to some users
Google Pixel 4 XL
- Exceptional computational photography
- Clean and streamlined Android experience
- 90Hz display for smoother visuals
- More affordable price point
- Slower 18W charging
- Limited feature set compared to Note10 5G
- Potentially shorter software support lifespan
Display Comparison
Both devices feature OLED displays, but key differences exist. While specific nit brightness figures aren't provided, the Note10 5G's larger display (6.8 inches vs 6.3 inches) and potential for higher peak brightness (based on Samsung's display technology) offer a more immersive viewing experience. The Pixel 4 XL's 90Hz refresh rate, however, provides smoother scrolling and animations, a feature absent on the Note10 5G. The Pixel 4 XL's smaller size may appeal to users preferring a more manageable form factor.
Camera Comparison
The Pixel 4 XL is renowned for its computational photography prowess. While both phones offer capable camera systems, the Pixel 4 XL excels in dynamic range and low-light performance thanks to Google's image processing algorithms. The Note10 5G offers a more versatile camera setup with multiple lenses, but its image processing leans towards more saturated colors, a stylistic choice that may not appeal to all users. The Pixel 4 XL's focus on software optimization allows it to consistently deliver excellent results, even with a potentially smaller sensor size compared to the Note10 5G's main sensor.
Performance
The performance landscape is nuanced. Both the Note10 5G (Snapdragon 855 in US/China) and the Pixel 4 XL utilize the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) chipset, featuring an identical CPU configuration: Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485). However, the Note10 5G's availability with the Exynos 9825 (7 nm) in EMEA/LATAM regions introduces a potential performance disparity. The Snapdragon 855 generally exhibits superior sustained performance and thermal management compared to the Exynos 9825. Both phones feature 6GB of RAM, but the Note10 5G's larger internal storage options (up to 512GB) provide greater flexibility for power users.
Battery Life
Both devices share an endurance rating of 73h, suggesting comparable battery life under similar usage scenarios. However, the Note10 5G boasts significantly faster charging capabilities with 25W wired charging (PD3.0) compared to the Pixel 4 XL's 18W wired charging (PD2.0). The Note10 5G also supports 12W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, features absent on the Pixel 4 XL. This faster charging translates to less downtime and greater convenience for Note10 5G users.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note10 5G if you need a versatile device with 5G connectivity, appreciate the S Pen for productivity, and value faster charging speeds. Buy the Google Pixel 4 XL if you prioritize a clean Android experience, exceptional computational photography, and are comfortable with a slightly older device with potentially shorter software support.