Samsung Galaxy Note10+ 5G vs. Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max: Which Flagship Still Reigns?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing consistent performance and a refined software experience, the iPhone 11 Pro Max emerges as the winner. Its A13 Bionic chip, coupled with Apple’s optimized iOS, delivers smoother operation and longer software support. However, the Note10+ 5G’s S Pen and faster charging are compelling advantages for specific users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Note10+ 5G | 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, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - Global | 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 |
| 5G bands | 5, 71, 260, 261 NSA/Sub6 | - |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps, 5G (2+ Gbps DL) | HSPA, LTE 1.6 Gbps DL, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
| 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, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 29, 30, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2161, A2220 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, August. Released 2019, August | 2019, September 10 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2019, September 20 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front (Corning-made glass), glass back (Corning-made glass), stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 162.3 x 77.2 x 7.9 mm (6.39 x 3.04 x 0.31 in) | 158 x 77.8 x 8.1 mm (6.22 x 3.06 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 198 g (6.98 oz) | 226 g (7.97 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 4m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Scratch-resistant glass |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3040 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~498 ppi density) | 1242 x 2688 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.8 inches, 114.0 cm2 (~91.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.5 inches, 102.9 cm2 (~83.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED, HDR10+ | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| 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 | Hexa-core (2x2.65 GHz Lightning + 4x1.8 GHz Thunder) |
| Chipset | Exynos 9825 (7 nm) - EMEA/LATAMQualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) - USA/China | Apple A13 Bionic (7 nm+) |
| GPU | Mali-G76 MP12 - EMEA/LATAMAdreno 640 - USA/China | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 12, One UI 4 | iOS 13, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (dedicated slot) | No |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 64GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM, 512GB 4GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | - | 13 MP, f/2.2, PDAF |
| 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 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, (depth) | 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, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| 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 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | FM radio (USA & Canada only) | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1 | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| 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/6, dual-band, hotspot |
| 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) | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 45W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min Wireless (Qi) |
| Type | Li-Ion 4300 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 3969 mAh, non-removable (15.04 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Aura Glow, Aura White, Aura Black | Matte Space Gray, Matte Silver, Matte Gold, Matte Midnight Green |
| Models | SM-N976F, SM-N976U, SM-N976, SM-N976B, SM-N976N, SM-N976V, SM-N9760, SM-N976Q | A2218, A2161, A2220, iPhone12,5 |
| Price | About 700 EUR | $ 233.00 / C$ 369.75 / £ 226.95 / € 249.00 |
| SAR | - | 1.16 W/kg (head) 1.17 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 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 -94.3dB / Crosstalk -81.5dB |
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 102h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 459713 (v7), 536883 (v8) GeekBench: 13870 (v4.4), 3503 (v5.1) GFXBench: 57fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy Note10+ 5G
- Integrated S Pen for enhanced productivity
- 45W fast charging for quicker top-ups
- Reverse wireless charging for accessories
- Chipset performance varies by region (Exynos vs. Snapdragon)
- Android OS may receive fewer long-term updates compared to iOS
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
- Superior CPU performance with the A13 Bionic
- Optimized iOS ecosystem for smooth operation
- Excellent video recording quality
- Slower charging speeds compared to Note10+ 5G
- No stylus support
Display Comparison
The iPhone 11 Pro Max boasts a measured peak brightness of 820 nits, providing excellent visibility in direct sunlight. While the Note10+ 5G’s display specifications aren’t provided, Samsung historically excels in display technology, likely offering vibrant colors and high contrast. The iPhone’s ‘infinite’ contrast ratio suggests a superior OLED panel, while the Note10+ 5G’s display tech is unknown. Both devices lack high refresh rate displays, a feature becoming standard in later generations. The iPhone’s display is likely to be more color accurate out of the box, catering to professionals.
Camera Comparison
Both phones excel in photography and videography, but approach it differently. The iPhone 11 Pro Max’s camera system is renowned for its natural color reproduction and excellent dynamic range. The Note10+ 5G, typical of Samsung, likely emphasizes vibrant colors and scene optimization. While specific sensor sizes aren’t provided, the iPhone’s image processing prioritizes realism, while Samsung’s aims for shareable, visually appealing photos. The Note10+ 5G may offer more versatile zoom capabilities, but the iPhone’s video recording quality is generally considered superior. The inclusion of a 2MP macro camera on the Note10+ 5G is largely a marketing gimmick, offering minimal practical benefit.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets: Samsung’s Note10+ 5G utilizes either the Exynos 9825 (EMEA/LATAM) or the Snapdragon 855 (USA/China), both 7nm processors. The iPhone 11 Pro Max is powered by Apple’s 7nm+ A13 Bionic. While both are octa-core, Apple’s custom CPU architecture (2x Lightning + 4x Thunder) generally outperforms the Cortex-based cores in the Exynos/Snapdragon. The A13 Bionic’s superior single-core performance translates to snappier app launches and smoother multitasking. The Note10+ 5G’s performance will vary based on the chipset region, with the Snapdragon variant generally offering better sustained performance due to thermal efficiency. Both devices feature 4GB of RAM, but iOS’s memory management is more efficient, mitigating the impact of the lower RAM capacity.
Battery Life
Both the Note10+ 5G and iPhone 11 Pro Max achieve an endurance rating of 102 hours, indicating comparable battery life under similar usage conditions. However, the Note10+ 5G boasts significantly faster charging with its 45W wired charging (PD3.0) and 15W wireless charging (Qi), allowing for a full charge in under an hour. The iPhone 11 Pro Max supports wired charging via PD2.0, reaching 50% in 30 minutes, and wireless Qi charging, but at a slower rate. The Note10+ 5G also includes 4.5W reverse wireless charging, a feature absent on the iPhone.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note10+ 5G if you need the versatility of the S Pen for note-taking, sketching, or remote control functionality, and value the flexibility of Android. Buy the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max if you prioritize a seamless user experience, long-term software updates, and a consistently powerful camera system, even if it means sacrificing the S Pen and faster charging speeds.