Samsung Galaxy Note20 vs. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max: Which Flagship Reigns Supreme?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a seamless ecosystem and consistently excellent camera performance, the iPhone 12 Pro Max emerges as the winner. Its A14 Bionic chip, coupled with Apple’s optimized software, delivers a smoother, more efficient experience. However, the Note20’s S Pen functionality and expandable storage offer unique advantages for specific users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy Note20 | Apple iPhone 12 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 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2342 |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 Sub6/mmWave - A2342 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 Sub6 - A2410, A2411, A2412 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, August 05 | 2020, October 13 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, August 21 | Available. Released 2020, November 13 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic back | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 161.6 x 75.2 x 8.3 mm (6.36 x 2.96 x 0.33 in) | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.29 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 192 g (6.77 oz) | 228 g (8.04 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus, 26ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~393 ppi density) | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~89.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED Plus, 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 M5 & 2x2.50 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) - GlobalOcta-core (1x3.0 GHz Kryo 585 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - USA | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) |
| Chipset | Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - GlobalQualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7 nm+) - USA | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G77 MP11 - GlobalAdreno 650 - USA | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5 | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 64 MP, f/2.0, 27mm (telephoto), 1/1.72", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x hybrid zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.9", 1.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 65mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2.5x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 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, 10‑bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 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, 1080p@30fps | 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 (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | 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 Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update |
| Type | Li-Ion 4300 mAh | Li-Ion 3687 mAh (14.13 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Mystic Green, Mystic Bronze, Mystic Gray, Mystic Red, Mystic Blue | Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue |
| Models | SM-N980F, SM-N980F/DS | A2411, A2342, A2410, A2412, iPhone13,4 |
| Price | $ 202.82 / € 280.00 | $ 328.00 / C$ 549.75 / £ 270.67 / € 339.00 |
| SAR | 1.11 W/kg (head) 1.14 W/kg (body) | - |
| SAR EU | 0.36 W/kg (head) 1.37 W/kg (body) | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 599.99 |
| 256GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 728.45 |
| 512GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 886.67 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 627.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 95h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -23.8 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 638584 (v8) GeekBench: 4240 (v5.1) GFXBench: 55fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy Note20
- Integrated S Pen stylus for enhanced productivity.
- Expandable storage via microSD card.
- Faster wired charging (25W vs 20W).
- Reverse wireless charging capability.
- Exynos 990 chip (global) is less efficient than A14 Bionic.
- Software updates may be less frequent than on iPhone.
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
- A14 Bionic chip delivers superior performance and efficiency.
- Exceptional video recording capabilities.
- Seamless integration with the Apple ecosystem.
- Long-term software support and updates.
- No expandable storage.
- Slower wired charging (20W).
Display Comparison
The iPhone 12 Pro Max boasts a measured peak brightness of 822 nits, providing excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the Note20’s display specs aren’t provided, Samsung historically excels in display technology, likely offering vibrant colors and high contrast. The iPhone’s ‘infinite’ contrast ratio, typical of OLED panels, ensures deep blacks and vivid visuals. Both devices utilize OLED technology, but the iPhone’s display is known for its color accuracy, crucial for photo and video editing. The Note20’s display likely features a higher refresh rate (though not specified), potentially offering smoother scrolling, a feature absent on the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Camera Comparison
Both devices are equipped with sophisticated camera systems, but their approaches differ. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is renowned for its exceptional video recording capabilities and cinematic mode. While specific sensor details aren’t provided, Apple’s image processing prioritizes natural-looking photos and accurate color reproduction. The Note20, while also capable, leans towards more saturated colors and enhanced contrast. The absence of detailed sensor information for the Note20 makes a direct comparison difficult, but Samsung typically emphasizes high megapixel counts. The iPhone’s computational photography excels in low-light conditions, leveraging its sensor and image processing pipeline. The Note20’s camera system benefits from Samsung’s Single Take feature, offering a variety of photo and video options with a single capture.
Performance
The core of the performance difference lies in the chipsets. The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s A14 Bionic, fabricated on a 5nm process, delivers superior efficiency and raw power compared to the Note20’s Exynos 990 (global) or Snapdragon 865+ (USA), both built on a 7nm+ node. The A14’s hexa-core architecture (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) is optimized for both peak performance and sustained workloads. The Note20’s octa-core CPUs, while capable, are less efficient. The iPhone’s 6GB of RAM is paired with Apple’s optimized memory management, resulting in consistently smooth multitasking. While both phones offer ample performance for everyday tasks, the iPhone excels in demanding applications like video editing and gaming.
Battery Life
Both the Note20 and iPhone 12 Pro Max achieve an endurance rating of 95 hours, indicating comparable battery life under similar usage conditions. However, the charging speeds differ significantly. The iPhone 12 Pro Max supports 20W wired charging (50% in 30 minutes via PD2.0) and 15W wireless charging with MagSafe and Qi2 (requires iOS 17.4). The Note20 offers 25W wired charging (PD3.0), 15W wireless charging (Qi), and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. While the Note20’s wired charging is slightly faster, the iPhone’s MagSafe ecosystem provides a convenient and secure wireless charging experience. The similar endurance ratings suggest that despite different battery capacities, both phones are optimized for efficient power consumption.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note20 if you require the versatility of the S Pen for note-taking, sketching, or remote control, and value expandable storage options. It’s ideal for professionals and creatives who leverage these features. Buy the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max if you prioritize a streamlined user experience, exceptional video recording capabilities, and a robust app ecosystem. It’s the better choice for users deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem and those seeking long-term software support.