Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max are two most advanced smartphones that users can get today. If you don’t have any special affinity toward Android or iOS devices, it could be a challenge to choose the best one for your personal preferences and requirements. Apple has announced four different iPhone 12 models, starting from the iPhone 12 mini with 5.4-inch display and the iPhone 12 Pro Max with 6.7-inch display. Two other versions are the regular iPhone 12 and the more capable iPhone 12 Pro with 6.1-inch display. If money isn’t really your concern, you may choose any of these high-end devices.
Price
Overall, Note 20 Ultra is more expensive than the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The 128GB Note 20 Ultra is sold for $1,299, compared to the 128GB iPhone 12 Pro Max at $1,099. The 512GB of Note 20 Ultra is $1,499, while the 512GB iPhone 12 Pro Max is $1,399. Your decision depends on your budget and the perceived value of these devices.
Display
If you prefer a bigger display, the Note 20 Ultra comes with 6.9-inch OLED display, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max has 6.7-inch OLED display. The Note 20 Ultra has higher pixel density at 496ppi and iPhone 12 Pro Max is only at 458ppi. It appears that Note 20 Ultra has better display with 120Hz refresh rate, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max is still at 60Hz.
Hardware
Latest Antutu benchmark results show that the Snapdragon 865+ chipset used by Note 20 Ultra is slightly faster than the Apple 12 Bionic chipset of iPhone 12 Pro Max. It’s safe to say that both chipsets are equal in performance for real-time situations. The Note 20 Ultra has 12GB RAM that offers excellent multitasking performance. Although the iPhone 12 Pro Max only has 6GB RAM, iOS is known for highly efficient RAM utilization.
Camera
Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has a primary camera with exceptionally high resolution at 108MP, accompanied by 12MP ultra-wide, 12MP telephoto and 10MP front-facing. iPhone 12 Pro Max looks more modest with 12MP primary, 12MP ultra-wide, 12MP telephoto and 12MP front-facing. If you prefer AR and XR capabilities, iPhone 12 Pro Max is a better solution with its LiDAR feature. Note 20 Ultra doesn’t have proper depth sensing capability, because it lacks the ToF sensor. However, Samsung’s most capable smartphone still locks to objects very quickly and accurately, with its laser autofocus. Both devices should deliver photos and videos at great quality. Even so, Note 20 Ultra’s photos are brighter, while iPhone 12 Pro Max produces slightly darker photos with better details.
Battery
Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has higher battery capacity at 4500mAh, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max only at 3687mAh. However, you shouldn’t think that the Note 20 Ultra has much longer battery life. Apple is known for its excellent power optimization, resulting in great battery performance. The iPhone 11 Pro Max could last for 20 hours when playing back videos non-stop and the new iPhone 12 Pro Max offers similar performance. The Note 20 Ultra has much shorter video playback duration at only 13 hours.
