Samsung Galaxy Note10+ vs. Google Pixel 4 XL: A Detailed Comparison in 2024

The Samsung Galaxy Note10+ and Google Pixel 4 XL represent distinct philosophies in the Android space. Released in 2019, both phones now offer compelling value on the used market, but cater to different priorities. The Note10+ aimed for a premium, feature-rich experience with its S Pen and large display, while the Pixel 4 XL prioritized computational photography and a clean software experience. This comparison revisits these titans to determine which holds up better today.
Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

For the average user in 2024, the Samsung Galaxy Note10+ emerges as the stronger choice. Its significantly superior battery life (107h endurance vs 73h) and faster 45W charging outweigh the Pixel 4 XL’s camera advantages, especially considering the price difference. The Note10+ offers a more complete package for power users.

PHONES
Phone Names Samsung Galaxy Note10+ Google Pixel 4 XL
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
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - Global, LATAM1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66, 71 - Global
EDGENo-
GPRSYes-
SpeedHSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/150 MbpsHSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat18 1200/150 Mbps
TechnologyGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTEGSM / 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 - Canada1, 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
Announced2019, August 07. Released 2019, August 232019, October 15
StatusDiscontinuedAvailable. Released 2019, October 22
Body
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame
Dimensions162.3 x 77.2 x 7.9 mm (6.39 x 3.04 x 0.31 in)160.4 x 75.1 x 8.2 mm (6.31 x 2.96 x 0.32 in)
KeyboardQWERTY-
SIM· Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIMNano-SIM + eSIM
Weight196 g (6.91 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
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass 6Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Resolution1440 x 3040 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~498 ppi density)1440 x 3040 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~537 ppi density)
Size6.8 inches, 114.0 cm2 (~91.0% screen-to-body ratio)6.3 inches, 98.0 cm2 (~81.3% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeDynamic AMOLED, HDR10+P-OLED, 90Hz, HDR
 Always-on displayAlways-on display
Platform
CPUOcta-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/ChinaOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485)
ChipsetExynos 9825 (7 nm) - EMEA/LATAMQualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) - USA/ChinaQualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm)
GPUMali-G76 MP12 - EMEA/LATAMAdreno 640 - USA/ChinaAdreno 640
OSAndroid 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 12, One UI 4Android 10, upgradable to Android 13
Memory
Call recordsYes-
Card slotmicroSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model onlyNo
Internal256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM
Phonebook200 entries-
 UFS 3.0UFS 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
FeaturesLED flash, auto-HDR, panoramaDual-LED flash, Pixel Shift, Auto-HDR, panorama
SingleCIF-
Triple12 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)-
Video4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30fps (gyro-EIS)
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDRHDR
Single10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF8 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide), 1.22µm, no AF TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)
Video4K@30/60fps1080p@30fps
Sound
3.5mm jack NoNo
35mm jackNoNo
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakersYes, with stereo speakers
 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG-
Comms
Bluetooth5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEOGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
RadioFM radio (USA & Canada only)No
USBUSB Type-C 3.1USB Type-C 3.1
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA
Features
BrowserWAP 2.0-
GamesDownloadable-
JavaNo-
MessagingSMS, MMS-
SensorsFingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometerFace 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
Charging45W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless18W wired, PD2.0 Wireless
Stand-byUp to 450 h-
Talk timeUp to 6 h-
TypeLi-Ion 4300 mAh, non-removableLi-Po 3700 mAh, non-removable
Misc
ColorsAura Glow, Aura White, Aura Black, Aura BlueClearly White, Just Black, Oh So Orange
ModelsSM-N975F, SM-N975U, SM-N9750, SM-N975U1, SM-N975W, SM-N975N, SM-N975X, SCV45G020P, G020, GA01181-US, GA01182-US, GA01180-US
PriceAbout 220 EURAbout 180 EUR
SAR0.35 W/kg (head)     0.70 W/kg (body)-
SAR EU0.19 W/kg (head)     1.40 W/kg (body)-
Pricing
128GB 6GB RAM-$ 364.52
64GB 6GB RAM-$ 274.99
RENEWED-$ 149.00
Tests
Audio quality Noise -94.0dB / Crosstalk -95.1dB Noise -93.9 / Crosstalk -94.1
Battery life Endurance rating 107h Endurance rating 73h
Camera Photo / Video Photo / Video
Display Contrast ratio: infinite (nominal)-
Loudspeaker -26.0 LUFS (Very good) Voice 80dB / Noise 78dB / Ring 88dB
Performance AnTuTu: 342208 (v7), 438622 (v8) GeekBench: 10403 (v4.4), 2154 (v5.1) GFXBench: 24fps (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+

  • Exceptional battery life (107h endurance)
  • 45W fast charging with PD3.0
  • Versatile S Pen functionality
  • Larger, brighter display

  • Exynos variant may exhibit slightly lower performance than Snapdragon
  • Samsung’s One UI can be feature-heavy for some users

Google Pixel 4 XL

  • Excellent camera with Google’s computational photography
  • Clean and bloatware-free Android experience
  • Competitive price on the used market
  • Fast software updates (historically)

  • Poor battery life (73h endurance)
  • Slow 18W charging
  • Limited battery capacity

Display Comparison

The Note10+ boasts a larger display and a significantly higher peak brightness of 794 nits, making it more usable outdoors compared to the Pixel 4 XL (brightness data unavailable). While both utilize OLED technology, the Note10+’s larger canvas is better for multitasking and media consumption. The Note10+’s contrast ratio is listed as infinite (nominal), suggesting deep blacks and vibrant colors. While the Pixel 4 XL’s display quality is still excellent, the Note10+ offers a more immersive viewing experience.

Camera Comparison

The Pixel 4 XL is renowned for its computational photography prowess, leveraging Google’s image processing algorithms to produce stunning images, particularly in challenging lighting conditions. While specific sensor details are not provided, the Pixel 4 XL excels in dynamic range and detail. The Note10+ offers a versatile camera system, capable of both excellent photos and videos. However, the Pixel 4 XL’s strength lies in its consistently high-quality still images with minimal user effort. The Note10+’s video capabilities are strong, but the Pixel 4 XL’s image processing often produces more natural-looking results.

Performance

Both phones utilize the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (7nm) chipset, but regional variations exist. The Note10+ in EMEA/LATAM uses the Exynos 9825. While both chipsets are capable, the Snapdragon 855 generally exhibits slightly better sustained performance and thermal management. The Note10+’s CPU configuration differs slightly depending on the region, with the USA/China variant featuring a Kryo 485 core setup. Both phones have 6GB of RAM in the Pixel 4 XL configurations, while the Note10+ offers configurations with more RAM. In real-world usage, both phones handle demanding tasks smoothly, but the Note10+’s potentially better thermal solution could lead to less throttling during extended gaming sessions.

Battery Life

Battery life is where the Note10+ truly shines. With an endurance rating of 107 hours, it significantly outlasts the Pixel 4 XL’s 73 hours. This translates to a full day of heavy use, while the Pixel 4 XL may require a mid-day charge. The Note10+ also supports 45W wired charging with PD3.0, allowing for a much faster 0-100% charge compared to the Pixel 4 XL’s 18W PD2.0 charging. The Note10+ also includes 15W 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 all-day battery life, fast charging, a large and bright display for media consumption, and the versatility of the S Pen for productivity. Buy the Google Pixel 4 XL if you prioritize a clean Android experience, exceptional still photography, and are willing to compromise on battery life and charging speed. The Pixel 4 XL is best suited for photography enthusiasts who don't mind frequent charging.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Exynos 9825 chip in the Note10+ overheat during prolonged gaming sessions?
While the Exynos 9825 is a capable chip, it is known to run slightly warmer than the Snapdragon 855. However, the Note10+’s cooling system is generally effective at mitigating thermal throttling, allowing for sustained gaming performance, though some reduction in clock speeds may occur during extended play.
❓ Is the Pixel 4 XL’s camera still relevant in 2024, considering newer smartphone cameras?
Absolutely. The Pixel 4 XL’s camera remains highly competitive thanks to Google’s exceptional image processing algorithms. While newer phones may offer more megapixels or advanced features, the Pixel 4 XL consistently produces excellent images with impressive dynamic range and detail.
❓ How does the Note10+'s S Pen enhance productivity?
The S Pen offers a range of productivity features, including Air Actions for remote control, Screen Off Memo for quick note-taking, and precise handwriting recognition. It's particularly useful for tasks like annotating documents, editing photos, and navigating the interface.
❓ What is the real-world charging time for the Note10+ with the 45W charger?
With the included 45W charger, the Samsung Galaxy Note10+ can charge from 0% to 100% in approximately 60-70 minutes. This is significantly faster than the Pixel 4 XL’s 18W charging, which typically takes over 2 hours.