Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G vs. Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max: Which 2020 Flagship Still Reigns?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user, the iPhone 11 Pro Max emerges as the more consistently reliable device. Its superior battery endurance (102h vs 87h) and optimized A13 Bionic chip provide a smoother, longer-lasting experience. While the S20 Ultra boasts a brighter display and faster charging, the iPhone’s overall refinement wins out.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 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 - SM-G988B | 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 | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 40, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - SM-G988B | - |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ 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, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 29, 30, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2161, A2220 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, February 11 | 2019, September 10 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, March 06 | 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 | 166.9 x 76 x 8.8 mm (6.57 x 2.99 x 0.35 in) | 158 x 77.8 x 8.1 mm (6.22 x 3.06 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 222 g (7.83 oz) | 226 g (7.97 oz) |
| - | 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 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~511 ppi density) | 1242 x 2688 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.9 inches, 114.0 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.5 inches, 102.9 cm2 (~83.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1400 nits (peak) | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M5 & 2x2.50 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) - GlobalOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - USA | Hexa-core (2x2.65 GHz Lightning + 4x1.8 GHz Thunder) |
| Chipset | Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - GlobalQualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) - USA | Apple A13 Bionic (7 nm+) |
| GPU | Mali-G77 MP11 - GlobalAdreno 650 - USA | 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 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM | 64GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM, 512GB 4GB RAM |
| - | 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 | 108 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 48 MP, f/3.5, 103mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 4x optical zoom, 10x hybrid zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, f/1.0, (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 | 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, HDR, stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", 0.7µm, 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 |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 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 |
| - | 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 5000 mAh | Li-Ion 3969 mAh, non-removable (15.04 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Cosmic Grey, Cosmic Black, Cloud White | Matte Space Gray, Matte Silver, Matte Gold, Matte Midnight Green |
| Models | SM-G988, SM-G988U, SM-G988U1, SM-G9880, SM-G988B/DS, SM-G988N, SM-G988B, SM-G988W, SCG03 | A2218, A2161, A2220, iPhone12,5 |
| Price | € 227.11 / $ 184.00 / £ 335.00 | $ 233.00 / C$ 369.75 / £ 226.95 / € 249.00 |
| SAR | 0.94 W/kg (head) 0.95 W/kg (body) | 1.16 W/kg (head) 1.17 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.32 W/kg (head) 1.56 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 -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 S20 Ultra 5G
- Brighter display for outdoor visibility
- Faster wired and wireless charging
- More flexible Android operating system
- Lower battery endurance
- Potential for Exynos overheating
- Software processing can be overdone
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
- Exceptional battery life
- Optimized A13 Bionic performance
- Consistent and reliable camera quality
- Slower charging speeds
- Less flexible iOS ecosystem
- Lower peak display brightness
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G features a display capable of reaching 894 nits of peak brightness, noticeably exceeding the iPhone 11 Pro Max’s 820 nits. This translates to better visibility in direct sunlight. While both displays offer excellent quality, Samsung’s higher peak brightness is a tangible advantage for outdoor use. The iPhone 11 Pro Max, however, boasts an 'infinite' contrast ratio, delivering deep blacks and vibrant colors, a hallmark of Apple’s OLED technology. Neither device specifies refresh rate, but both are 60Hz panels.
Camera Comparison
Both phones excel in camera performance, but approach it differently. Both are capable of Photo and Video. The S20 Ultra’s camera system, while boasting more megapixels (not specified in data), relies heavily on software processing. The iPhone 11 Pro Max prioritizes natural-looking images with accurate color reproduction. The S20 Ultra’s larger sensor (implied by its 'Ultra' designation) allows for better low-light performance, but can sometimes produce over-sharpened images. The iPhone’s video recording is consistently praised for its stability and dynamic range. The lack of detail regarding specific lens apertures and sensor sizes beyond the main sensor makes a precise comparison difficult.
Performance
The performance landscape is more nuanced. The iPhone 11 Pro Max’s Apple A13 Bionic (7nm+) is a hexa-core chip known for its efficiency and single-core performance. The S20 Ultra 5G comes in two variants: the Exynos 990 (Global) and the Snapdragon 865 (USA). The Snapdragon variant, with its Cortex-A77 cores, offers a performance edge over the Exynos version. However, the A13 Bionic consistently outperforms both Exynos and Snapdragon in real-world tasks and benchmarks, due to Apple’s tight hardware-software integration. The S20 Ultra’s 4GB of RAM (versus the iPhone’s 4GB) is a potential bottleneck, especially with Android’s more memory-intensive nature.
Battery Life
Battery life is where the iPhone 11 Pro Max truly shines. Its endurance rating of 102 hours significantly surpasses the S20 Ultra 5G’s 87 hours. While the S20 Ultra offers significantly faster charging – 45W wired with PD3.0 versus the iPhone’s wired PD2.0 and 50% in 30 minutes – the iPhone’s superior efficiency means you’ll spend less time tethered to a charger. The S20 Ultra also includes 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, features absent on the iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G if you need a display with maximum brightness for outdoor visibility and prioritize the fastest possible charging speeds. It’s ideal for users who frequently capture photos and videos and appreciate the flexibility of Android. Buy the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max if you prefer a consistently smooth and efficient experience, exceptional battery life, and a mature, well-integrated ecosystem. It’s the better choice for users who value simplicity and long-term software support.