Now that Samsung has finally revealed the Galaxy Note 10 line-up, we’re starting to see a lot of comparisons with other flagship devices. In this article we will pit the Galaxy Note 10 vs the iPhone XS Max. We will include both the Note 10 and the Note 10 Plus.
The most obvious difference between the handsets is the size of the screen. At 6.5 inches, the iPhone XS Max is positioned firmly between the Note 10 at 6.3 inches and the Note 10 Plus at 6.8 inches. Samsung used a Full HD+ AMOLED display for the standard Note 10 model and a quad HD+ AMOLED display for the 10 Plus. Apple used a Retina HD OLED display for the iPhone XS Max.
Another obvious difference between the Galaxy Note 10 and the iPhone XS Max is the price. Unsurprisingly, Apple’s phone is the most expensive, despite being in the middle in terms of size. The Note 10 is priced at $949 and the Note 10 Plus is priced at $1,049, while the iPhone XS Max is priced at $1,099.
The Note 10 has 8 GB of RAM, while the Note 10 Plus has 12 GB of RAM. However, Apple is believed to be lagging Samsung in this area with only 4 GB of RAM. The iPhone XS Max comes in variants with 64 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB of storage, while the Note 10 comes in 256 GB and the 10 Plus comes in 256 GB and 512 GB variants. The only one of the three handsets which offers a microSD slot for added storage is the Note 10 Plus.
Apple also lags Samsung in terms of the camera. The Note 10 and Note 10 Plus both have a 16-megapixel ultra-wide lens, a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens, although the 10 Plus adds a DepthVision Camera as well. The iPhone XS Max has a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens. The Note 10 and 10 Plus each have a 10-megapixel front-facing camera, while the iPhone XS Max as a 7-megapixel front-facing camera.
Apple also lags behind in battery size with the iPhone XS Max’s estimated 3,174 mAh battery (which has not been confirmed by the company), compared to the Note 10’s 3,500 mAh battery and the Note 10 Plus’ 4,500 mAh battery. Both Note 10 models also retained the fingerprint sensor, but with the iPhone XS Max, Apple ditched its Touch ID fingerprint sensor in favor of its Face ID facial scanner. Both Note models also have facial recognition support, but time will tell whether Samsung has caught up to Apple in terms of the quality of its facial recognition technology.
The question consumers will have to ask themselves is whether the differences between the Galaxy Note 10 vs the iPhone XS Max are enough to make it worth the $100-$50 extra Apple charges. In some ways, on paper, Apple is lagging behind Samsung, although the company is preparing to launch its next iPhone line-up within the next couple months, so this could change. We especially expect improvements in the camera this year, with Apple potentially offering a triple-lens model.
