Samsung Galaxy Note10 Lite vs. Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max: Which Flagship Still Holds Up?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing longevity and a refined software experience, the iPhone 11 Pro Max remains the superior choice. Its A13 Bionic chip and slightly better battery endurance outweigh the Note10 Lite’s S Pen functionality and lower price, especially considering the iPhone’s continued software support.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Note10 Lite | Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max |
| 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, 17, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66 | 1, 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 - A2218 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE | HSPA, LTE 1.6 Gbps DL, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / 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 - A2161, A2220 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, January 03 | 2019, September 10 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, January 21 | Available. Released 2019, September 20 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame, plastic back | Glass front (Corning-made glass), glass back (Corning-made glass), stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 163.7 x 76.1 x 8.7 mm (6.44 x 3.00 x 0.34 in) | 158 x 77.8 x 8.1 mm (6.22 x 3.06 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 199 g (7.02 oz) | 226 g (7.97 oz) |
| Stylus (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 4m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Scratch-resistant glass |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~394 ppi density) | 1242 x 2688 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 107.8 cm2 (~86.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.5 inches, 102.9 cm2 (~83.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED, HDR | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Always-on display | - | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (4x2.7 GHz Mongoose M3 & 4x1.7 GHz Cortex-A55) | Hexa-core (2x2.65 GHz Lightning + 4x1.8 GHz Thunder) |
| Chipset | Exynos 9810 (10 nm) | Apple A13 Bionic (7 nm+) |
| GPU | Mali-G72 MP18 | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5.1 | iOS 13, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM | 64GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM, 512GB 4GB RAM |
| UFS 2.1 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, panorama, HDR | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | - | 13 MP, f/2.2, PDAF |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.7, 27mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide) | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.0, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/3.6" |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps; gyro-EIS | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.2, 25mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.8µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | FM radio | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0 | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| ANT+ | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min Wireless (Qi) |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh | Li-Ion 3969 mAh, non-removable (15.04 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Aura Glow, Aura Black, Aura Red | Matte Space Gray, Matte Silver, Matte Gold, Matte Midnight Green |
| Models | SM-N770F, SM-N770F/DS, SM-N770F/DSM | A2218, A2161, A2220, iPhone12,5 |
| Price | About 550 EUR | $ 233.00 / C$ 369.75 / £ 226.95 / € 249.00 |
| SAR | 0.88 W/kg (head) 0.65 W/kg (body) | 1.16 W/kg (head) 1.17 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.29 W/kg (head) 1.08 W/kg (body) | 0.95 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 256GB 4GB RAM | - | $ 874.46 |
| 512GB 4GB RAM | - | $ 1,004.31 |
| 64GB 4GB RAM | - | $ 435.00 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 485.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -93.3dB / Crosstalk -91.4dB | Noise -94.3dB / Crosstalk -81.5dB |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 92h | Endurance rating 102h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -27.8 LUFS (Good) | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 258484 (v7), 341212 (v8) GeekBench: 6103 (v4.4), 2027 (v5.1) GFXBench: 25fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 459713 (v7), 536883 (v8) GeekBench: 13870 (v4.4), 3503 (v5.1) GFXBench: 57fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy Note10 Lite
- Integrated S Pen for note-taking and creativity
- More affordable price point
- Expandable storage via microSD (market dependent)
- Less powerful processor
- Lower peak display brightness
- Shorter battery life
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
- Superior performance with the A13 Bionic chip
- Brighter and more accurate display
- Longer battery life and faster charging
- Higher price
- No expandable storage
- Less flexible operating system (iOS)
Display Comparison
The iPhone 11 Pro Max boasts a peak brightness of 820 nits, while the Note10 Lite reaches 622 nits. This 198-nit difference translates to noticeably better outdoor visibility on the iPhone, particularly in direct sunlight. Both displays share an 'Infinite' (nominal) contrast ratio, suggesting excellent black levels. However, the iPhone’s Super Retina XDR display, while not explicitly detailed in the provided data, is known for its color accuracy and wider color gamut, offering a more vibrant and realistic viewing experience. The Note10 Lite’s display, while large, lacks the premium refinements found in Apple’s offering.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer capable photo and video recording, but the iPhone 11 Pro Max holds a distinct advantage. While specific sensor details are missing for both, Apple’s image processing pipeline is renowned for its natural-looking photos and excellent dynamic range. The iPhone’s computational photography capabilities, combined with its superior video stabilization, deliver consistently high-quality results. The Note10 Lite’s camera, while decent, likely relies more heavily on software enhancements to compensate for potentially smaller sensor sizes and less advanced optics. The absence of detailed camera specs for the Note10 Lite makes a precise comparison difficult, but Apple’s reputation in this area is well-established.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets: Apple’s 7nm+ A13 Bionic versus Samsung’s 10nm Exynos 9810. The A13 Bionic, with its hexa-core architecture (2x2.65 GHz Lightning + 4x1.8 GHz Thunder), consistently outperforms the Exynos 9810’s octa-core configuration (4x2.7 GHz Mongoose M3 & 4x1.7 GHz Cortex-A55) in both single-core and multi-core benchmarks. This translates to faster app loading times, smoother multitasking, and superior gaming performance on the iPhone. While the Note10 Lite is capable, the A13 Bionic’s efficiency also contributes to the iPhone’s slightly better battery endurance. The iPhone’s 4GB of RAM is the same as the Note10 Lite, but the A13’s memory controller is far more efficient.
Battery Life
The iPhone 11 Pro Max achieves an endurance rating of 102 hours, edging out the Note10 Lite’s 92 hours. This difference, while not massive, is significant for heavy users. The iPhone also supports 25W wired charging with PD2.0, offering a 50% charge in 30 minutes, and Qi wireless charging. The Note10 Lite supports 25W wired charging, but lacks wireless charging capabilities. The A13 Bionic’s power efficiency further contributes to the iPhone’s longer battery life, allowing it to extract more usage from its battery capacity.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note10 Lite if you need a large display with S Pen support for note-taking and creative tasks, and prefer the flexibility of the Android ecosystem on a tighter budget. Buy the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max if you prioritize a consistently smooth user experience, a superior camera system, and long-term software updates, and are willing to invest in the Apple ecosystem.