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Comparing the iPhone 11 Pro Max, Galaxy Note10 and Pixel 4 XL
Don’t you love technology? One day your device is the latest and greatest, the next it’s obsolete.
One area where this rings true is cellphones. Just as you’re getting accustomed to your “new” iPhone or Android, manufacturers announce the next round of devices, full of features your current model lacks. Speaking of which, tap or click here to see how Google’s newest tech compares to Apple and Amazon.
Not to disappoint, over the last few months Apple, Google and Samsung have introduced the world to a plethora of smartphones, including the iPhone 11 Pro Max, Galaxy Note10 and the Pixel 4 XL. Curious to see how these three high-end mobile devices stack up against each other? Let’s take a closer look to see which reigns supreme.
Cameras
We all know the camera is one of the main selling points to a smartphone. While most rival professional equipment, others fall short.
The iPhone 11 Pro Max has increased its count to four 12MP cameras. One front-facing and wide, ultra-wide and telephoto cameras in the rear. Although the Pro Max has many useful photography features like the telephoto camera Night Mode and the ultra-wide lens that allows you to shoot 4x the image size, the lenses are a bit obtrusive.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note10 also boasts a multi-camera system, which includes two 12MP cameras (wide-angle and telephoto), and a 10MP selfie and 16MP ultra-wide angle camera; however, the camera sensors are the same as on the Galaxy S10, so there’s not much difference in the device’s shooting performance.
Where the Note10’s camera falls short, it excels at videography with a Live Focus mode, which allows you to add special effects and blur the background.
If you don’t need an ultra-wide camera, you could opt for Google’s Pixel 4 XL that houses a two-camera system. With a 16MP telephoto and a 12.2MP wide-angle camera, you won’t have any trouble taking a wide variety of shots. Image enhancement features including phase detection, optical and electronic image stabilization will help minimize blurring caused by camera shake.
Any smartphone’s camera can be enhanced and used as a digital single-lens reflex (DSLR), which means no lag and sharper shots. Tap or click here to learn how to use your phone’s camera like a DSLR.
Performance
Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 CPU, the Galaxy Note10 is considered one of the fastest Android phones. If you multitask, are into gaming or recording 4K video, you’ll appreciate the storage space and processing speed of the Note10’s 256GB storage, 8G RAM and UFS (Universal File Storage) 3.0.
Speaking of a need for speed, the iPhone 11 Pro Max might be your go-to with its proprietary A13 Bionic processor, which provides a 20% faster CPU and GPU operation over the iPhone XS Max. With this chipset, Apple continues to achieve a high performing device in spite of its meager 64GB (base model) of storage and 4GB RAM, which is considerably lower than its competitors.
Like the Note10, Google’s Pixel 4XL features the Snapdragon 855 processor and offers plenty of speed. Unlike its fellow Android competitor, the Pixel 4XL comes in with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage (base model). If you want additional storage, your only option is to upgrade to the next tier of 128GB as there is no MicroSD for expansion.
Biometrics
Gone are the days for Samsung’s iris scanner; however, the Galaxy Note10 continues to feature face recognition and an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. Last week, Samsung identified a security flaw in its fingerprint scanner that would allow anyone to unlock Note10. Tap or click here to learn more about this issue and how to protect your device.
The iPhone 11 Pro Max maintains Face ID with improvements in speed — it’s 30% faster — and its ability to recognize the user at varying distances and more angles.
Google’s Pixel 4XL Face Unlock is fast at recognition and will jump to whatever screen was last open. This replaces the fingerprint sensor and is the only biometric authentication. For those concerned with security, the lack of a second authentication method may be troubling.
Unique features
While all three phones are rated IP68 for splash, water and dust resistance, and have comparative battery capacity and screen sizes, there are a few unique features worth noting.
The Note10 is the only phone with a headphone jack, wireless Power Share (WPC Qi wireless charging) and the S Pen stylus, which allows you to jot down notes and turn them into readable and shareable text. In addition, with its DeX mode (desktop mode), the user can connect to and multitask on a PC or Mac (USB cable and DeX software required).
One feature that sets the Pixel 4XL apart from its competitors is its Motion Sense, powered by a radar-based technology developed by Google. This feature claims to be the fastest way to skip music tracks, silence calls and use Face Unlock.
Outside the addition of cameras on the iPhone 11 Pro Max, Apple focused on improving existing elements such as screen quality and battery life.
Bottom line
Although all three smartphones introduce upgrades and improvements over their predecessors, you will find missing elements in each, resulting in no clear winner. With prices hovering around $1,000 for each device, you need to ask yourself: will it be the cameras, performance or unique features that will get you to shell out the bucks?
Looking for more in-depth specs on these devices? Click or tap here to visit our official comparison chart.
Tags: Apple, Apple iPhone, battery, security
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