This year so far has been an exciting one for the smartphone industry. We saw the launch of many 5G smartphones and a couple of foldable phones. Samsung tasted grand success with the Galaxy S10 series, and is now gearing up to launch the next-gen Galaxy Note 10 in the second half of the year. The Note 10 will compete with Apple’s iPhone 11 series, which would launch around the same time. The Internet is already flooded with tons and tons of leaks about both the Note 10 and iPhone 11. In this Galaxy Note 10 vs iPhone 11 comparison, let’s compare the rumored specs and other details of the two phones before their official unveiling.
The Note line represents the best of what Samsung has to offer. It includes the best processor, multitasking features, and advanced camera capabilities available to Samsung. That coupled with Samsung’s strong presence across the globe would make the Galaxy Note 10 the biggest challenger to Apple’s iPhone 11 series.
In the last few years, Samsung has announced the Galaxy Note phones in August and launched them in late August or early September. Samsung hasn’t officially announced when it would introduce the Note 10, but we expect it to arrive in August. Apple has historically launched the iPhones in the first half of September.
How many models?
Earlier this year, the Korean company launched four different variants of the Galaxy S10. Something similar is going to happen with the Note line. According to the rumor mill, Samsung will launch a standard Galaxy Note 10 with a 6.28-inch display and a more expensive Galaxy Note 10 Pro with a larger 6.75-inch display. There would be 5G variants of each.
The Note 10 and Note 10 Pro would carry model numbers SM-N970 and SM-N975. Their 5G versions are said to have model numbers SM-N971 and SM-N976.
Apple’s 2019 iPhone line will look similar to last year. There would be a standard iPhone 11, a larger iPhone 11 Max, and an affordable iPhone 11R. The iPhone 11 and 11 Max would continue to use the OLED screen while the iPhone XR successor would stick to the LCD panel.
There will not be a 5G variant of the iPhone 11. Apple was working with Intel on 5G modems, but Intel wasn’t making significant progress. Apple has settled its legal disputes with Qualcomm. It is now expected to introduce the first iPhones featuring 5G modems from Qualcomm in 2020, according to Bloomberg.
Galaxy Note 10 vs iPhone 11: Design
Samsung’s Note line borrows a lot of design elements from the Galaxy S series. According to various leaks and concept renders, the Note 10 would borrow the Infinity-O display from Galaxy S10. It will have a notch-less and bezel-less design. The S10 has the hole-punch in the top-right corner of the screen to accommodate the selfie camera. But the Note 10 would move the hole-punch to the top-center for some reason.
Ice universe confirmed that this #GalaxyNote10 render is correct ?? https://t.co/jnBDhUh5Ka pic.twitter.com/GpA4x0UNP1
— Ben Geskin (@BenGeskin) May 29, 2019
On the back panel, it would have a vertically aligned triple camera setup. The Pro variant of Galaxy Note 10 is rumored to sport four cameras. For authentication and security, the device would feature an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor that is fast and secure.
As per Korean site ETNews, Samsung could ditch the physical buttons on the Note 10. If it happens, the device will rely on gestures and touch-based inputs for navigation. ETNews has also claimed that the Note 10 could be the first Samsung flagship to ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack.
The iPhone 11 line is going to look similar to last year’s models. Apple has reportedly planned major changes for the 2020 iPhones. The iPhone 11R is expected to feature dual cameras instead of a single lens. The other two models are rumored to sport a triple camera setup on the back. As per leaked renders, the cameras would be housed in a square bump.
https://twitter.com/OnLeaks/status/1106614078645116934?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1106614078645116934&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.valuewalk.com%2F2019%2F04%2Fiphone-11-max-triple-camera-setup%2F
According to Japanese blog Mac Otakara, the Cupertino company would increase the screen size of the iPhone 11 from 5.8-inch to 6.1-inch. If it happens, the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11R would have the same screen size. But the iPhone 11’s dimensions would still be slightly smaller because the OLED panel will allow Apple to reduce the bezels more than what’s possible with LCD panels.
Apple is reportedly increasing the screen size and form factor to make room for the triple camera system and a bigger battery. The display notch will still be there on the iPhone 11 series to accommodate the Face ID sensors. In the best case scenario, Apple could make the notch slightly smaller.
Galaxy Note 10 vs iPhone 11: Internal specs
The Note 10 series would run the same octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor that we have seen on many Android flagship models this year, including the Galaxy S10. In markets outside the US and China, Samsung would sell the device running its own Exynos 9820 processor. However, some reports suggest the Note 10 could feature an improved Exynos 9825 chipset.
Samsung has never skimped on RAM and storage, and there is no reason to believe the company would change it this time. The Note 10 is expected to be available in a wide range of configurations ranging from 6GB to 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of internal storage.
The Note 10 is also expected to come with a new and improved S Pen. Reports suggest the new S Pen will be fitted with a camera. Android Police unearthed a patent filing showing a selfie camera inside the stylus. Further, the patent showed a long S Pen, a perfect design to fit an optical zoom into the camera.
The iPhone 11 series would run Apple’s custom A13 processor, which would be even more powerful than A12. The A12 remains by far the most powerful processor available on smartphones. The enhanced power with the A13 would lead to better graphics performance and processing power. Apple is also expected to enhance the augmented reality experience with the iPhone 11 series.
It would be interesting to see whether Apple upgrades the RAM this year. Last year’s iPhone XR packed 3GB RAM while the other two models had 4GB RAM. Thanks to Apple’s ability to tightly integrate its software and hardware, the 3GB and 4GB RAM is sufficient to handle any task you throw at its devices. Unlike Samsung, the Cupertino company doesn’t offer external storage on its phones.
Galaxy Note 10 vs iPhone 11: Battery
Considering there would be four different models of Note 10 and three models of iPhone 11, we should expect a different battery size on each of them. What we do know is that both the Note 10 and iPhone 11 would offer wireless charging and Wireless PowerShare, which allows users to charge compatible devices and accessories by putting them on the back of the phone.
Charging speed is a significant upgrade for Note10.
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) May 29, 2019
According to reliable Twitter tipster Ice Universe, the Galaxy Note 10 Pro would pack a 4,500mAh battery, same as the Galaxy S10 5G. The Note 10 devices are expected to offer 25W or higher fast charging. According to SamMobile, the standard Note 10 would pack a 4,300mAh battery compared to 4,000mAh of last year’s Galaxy Note 9.
Noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities has predicted that Apple is going to increase the battery size of the iPhone 11 series. The standard iPhone 11 would pack a 20-25% bigger battery than the iPhone XS’ 2,658mAh. The iPhone 11 Max’s battery would be 10-15% larger than the iPhone XS Max’s 3,174mAh. The iPhone XR successor would also get a 5% bump in battery size compared to 2,942mAh of the iPhone XR.
The iPhone 11 series is rumored to ship with an 18W fast charger in the box. Though they will continue to rely on the Lightning connector, Apple will ship them with a USB-C to Lightning cable for the first time. It means you’ll no longer have to buy a separate fast charger and USB-C to Lightning cable to take advantage of fast charging.
Galaxy Note 10 vs iPhone 11: Camera
Samsung has been pushing the limits of smartphone photography in the last few years. We wouldn’t be surprised to see the Note 10 top the camera rankings when it comes out. According to the rumor mill, the standard Galaxy Note 10 and its 5G sibling would feature a triple camera on the back, similar to the Galaxy S10.
The Note 10 Pro and its 5G sibling would feature four cameras on the rear panel. The quad-camera setup would be similar to what we have seen on the Galaxy S10 5G, which is currently the world’s best smartphone camera. The fourth camera would be a 3D Time of Flight depth sensor. The S Pen stylus could also get a camera with an “optical zoom function.”
To be sure, Samsung Note10 will not use 64MP CMOS
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) May 9, 2019
Samsung recently launched a 64MP ISOCELL sensor, which sparked speculations that the sensor could be used in the Galaxy Note 10 series. But tipster Ice Universe reported that the sensor won’t appear on the Note 10. That’s not a bad thing because the Galaxy S10 5G doesn’t have a 48MP lens but it’s better than every 48MP smartphone camera out there. However, the 64MP lens on the Note 10 could have allowed Samsung to compete better with Chinese vendors in the megapixel war.
According to Bloomberg contributor Mark Gurman, the iPhone 11 and 11 Max would sport a triple camera setup on the back while the iPhone XR successor would feature dual cameras. The third lens is said to enable a wider zoom range and a larger field of view. Some reports claim the third lens would enhance the augmented reality experience.
And here’s what appear to be your next-generation iPhone XR colors (lavender purple and green instead of blue and coral) as @idanbo reported earlier this week: https://t.co/KQQ6JKmZg9 pic.twitter.com/7k3WZC2ZUi
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) May 14, 2019
As per the rumor mill, Apple will increase the selfie camera’s megapixel count from 7MP on current models to 10MP on the upcoming iPhone. Ming-Chi Kuo predicts the new iPhones would sport a 12MP selfie camera.
Price
Don’t expect these phones to be cheap. Even their cheapest models will be out of the reach of most consumers. The Galaxy Note 10 starting price should be similar to or higher than the Galaxy S10 Plus, which costs $999 for the base model and goes up to $1,600 for the highest storage variant. Last year’s Galaxy Note 9 was also priced at $999.
Last year’s iPhone XR had a starting price of $749 while the iPhone XS came with a price tag of $999. The iPhone XS Max starts at $1,099. In the last few quarters, the iPhone sales have been declining due to the lack of innovative features and their high price tag. Only the iPhone XR performed well in the US market, largely because of its affordability. So, Apple is unlikely to increase the prices of iPhones this year.
