Samsung Galaxy Note10 vs. Google Pixel 4 XL: A Detailed Comparison
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing camera quality and a streamlined software experience, the Google Pixel 4 XL is the better choice. However, the Samsung Galaxy Note10’s S Pen, larger battery, and faster charging provide a compelling alternative for those who value productivity and extended usage.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Note10 | 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, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - Global, LATAM | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66, 71 - Global |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat18 1200/150 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66, 71 - Canada | 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 07. Released 2019, August 23 | 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 + 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 8GB 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 | 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-N970F, SM-N970U, SM-N970U1, SM-N9700, SM-N970W, SM-N9700, SM-N970N, SM-N970X | G020P, G020, GA01181-US, GA01182-US, GA01180-US |
| Price | About 590 EUR | About 180 EUR |
| SAR | 0.85 W/kg (head) 1.08 W/kg (body) | - |
| SAR EU | 0.21 W/kg (head) 1.52 W/kg (body) | - |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 364.52 |
| 64GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 274.99 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 149.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -92.8dB / Crosstalk -94.0dB | Noise -93.9 / Crosstalk -94.1 |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 92h | Endurance rating 73h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | - |
| Loudspeaker | -26.2 LUFS (Good) | Voice 80dB / Noise 78dB / Ring 88dB |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 344442 (v7), 452400 (v8) GeekBench: 10353 (v4.4), 2241 (v5.1) GFXBench: 28fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 323305 (v7), 403267 (v8) GeekBench: 10171 (v4.4), 2267 (v5.1) GFXBench: 21fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy Note10
- Integrated S Pen for enhanced productivity
- Larger battery capacity for extended usage
- Faster 25W wired and wireless charging
- Exynos variant may exhibit thermal throttling
- Software experience can be cluttered with Samsung features
Google Pixel 4 XL
- Exceptional camera quality with Google’s computational photography
- Clean and bloatware-free Android experience
- Guaranteed software updates (at the time of release)
- Shorter battery life compared to the Note10
- Slower 18W wired charging
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy Note10 boasts a brighter display, reaching a measured 789 nits, compared to the Pixel 4 XL’s unspecified peak brightness (though generally lower in contemporary reviews). While both utilize OLED technology for excellent contrast – Samsung claims 'Infinite' – the Note10’s panel likely benefits from Samsung’s display expertise. The Note10’s smaller size (6.3 inches vs 6.7 inches) may appeal to users preferring a more manageable form factor, though the Pixel 4 XL’s larger screen is better for media consumption. Both lack high refresh rate technology, a feature becoming standard in later generations.
Camera Comparison
The Pixel 4 XL’s strength lies in its computational photography. While sensor sizes aren’t specified, Google’s image processing algorithms consistently deliver exceptional dynamic range and detail, particularly in challenging lighting conditions. Both phones offer photo and video capabilities, but the Pixel 4 XL’s Night Sight mode is a standout feature. The Note10 offers a more versatile camera system with multiple lenses, but its image processing tends to be more saturated and less natural than the Pixel’s. The Pixel 4 XL’s focus on software optimization gives it an edge in image quality, despite potentially having a smaller sensor.
Performance
Both the Note10 (depending on region) and the Pixel 4 XL are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (7nm). However, the Note10 also came in an Exynos 9825 variant for EMEA/LATAM markets. While the Snapdragon 855 offers consistent performance, the Exynos 9825 historically exhibited slightly lower efficiency and potential for thermal throttling under sustained load. Both phones feature 6GB of RAM in the base configurations, and the CPU architecture is identical (Octa-core with Kryo 485 cores in the Pixel 4 XL and a similar configuration in the Snapdragon Note10). Real-world performance differences will be minimal for most users, but the Snapdragon variant of the Note10 will likely maintain higher sustained performance during demanding tasks.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy Note10 holds a significant advantage in battery endurance, achieving a 92-hour rating compared to the Pixel 4 XL’s 73-hour rating. This translates to a noticeable difference in real-world usage, with the Note10 lasting considerably longer on a single charge. Furthermore, the Note10 supports 25W wired charging with PD3.0, allowing for faster charging times than the Pixel 4 XL’s 18W PD2.0 charging. The Note10 also includes 12W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, features absent or less capable on the Pixel 4 XL.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note10 if you need a stylus for note-taking, drawing, or precise control, and if you value a larger battery and faster charging speeds. Buy the Google Pixel 4 XL if you prioritize a best-in-class camera experience, a clean and bloatware-free Android interface, and timely software updates. The Pixel 4 XL is ideal for photography enthusiasts and those who prefer a minimalist approach to their smartphone.