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Galaxy Note 10 vs iPhone XS Max vs Pixel 3 XL: We compare specs, prices, features

How does the Note 10 stack up when compared to the competition?
Written by Jason Cipriani, Contributing Writer

On Wednesday, Samsung revealed the 2019 addition to the Galaxy Note 10. Make that additions. This year, there are three different Note 10 models. Samsung is differentiating the Note 10 lineup to attract different users, consumers, and enterprises alike, based on price point and feature set.

Also: Galaxy Note 10, Note 10 Plus, and Note 10 Plus 5G: Prices, deals, and more

With updates to Apple's iPhone and Google's Pixel phone on the horizon, I thought it would be good to compare how the new Note 10 and Note 10 Plus compare to the almost year-old iPhone XS Max and Pixel 3 XL. The result? Pretty favorably.


Note 10Note 10 PlusiPhone XS MaxPixel 3 XL
Starting Price$949 (at Samsung)$1,049 (at Samsung)$1,099 (at Apple)$599 (on Amazon, launched at $899)
Operating SystemAndroid 9 Pie with One UIAndroid 9 Pie with One UIiOSAndroid Pie (soon to be Q)
ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 855Qualcomm Snapdragon 855Apple A12 BionicQualcomm Snapdragon 845
Memory8GB12GB4GB4GB
Storage256GB256GB/512GB64GB/256GB/512GB64GB/128GB
External StorageNoYesNoNo
Display6.3-inch FHD+ AMOLED 2,280x1,080 HDR10+ Certified6.8-inch Quad HD+ AMOLED 3,040×1,440 HDR10+ Certified6.5-inch Super Retina HD OLED 2,688x1,242 HDR10 display6.3-inch QHD+ OLED 2,960x1,440 HDR Support
Rear Camera16MP Ultra Wide f2.2, 12MP Wide-angle f1.5/f2.4, 12MP Telephoto f2.116MP Ultra Wide f2.2, 12MP Wide-angle f1.5/f2.4, 12MP Telephoto f2.1, DepthVision Camera (VGA)12MP wide-angle f1.8, 12MP Telephoto f2.412MP dual-pixel f1.8
Front Camera10MP f2.210MP f2.27MP f2.28MP wide-angle f2.2, 8MP normal FOV f1.8
ConnectivityWi-Fi 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0 LE, ANT+, NFC, MSTWi-Fi 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0 LE, ANT+, NFC, MSTWi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFCWi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 LE, NFC
Battery3,500mAh4,300mAh3,174mAh3,430mAh
Charging portUSB-CUSB-CLightningUSB-C
AuthenticationUltrasonic fingerprint sensor, face recognitionUltrasonic fingerprint sensor, face recognitionFace IDFingerprint sensor
Dimensions71.8 x 151.0 x 7.9mm, 168g77.2 x 162.3 x 7.9mm, 196g77.4 x 157.5 x 7.7mm, 208g76.7 x 158 x 7.9mm, 184g

One thing that stood out to me is that the iPhone XS Max is the heaviest of the four devices, outweighing the smaller Note 10 by exactly 40g. It's even heavier than the Note 10 Plus, despite being smaller.

Another point of comparison is the Pixel 3 XL's memory and storage capacities. As Android devices go, 4GB of memory isn't a lot, and likely leads to some of the performance issues users have reported since its launch. As for storage, 64GB is OK, but Google is alone in offering 128GB of storage. Apple goes up to 256GB, which is Samsung's starting point.

Lastly, it's not included in the chart above, but not a single one of these phones has a headphone jack. Apple started the trend with the iPhone 7, and now, after years of mocking Apple, Samsung has done the same. 

It will be interesting to revisit this comparison after the Pixel 4 and iPhone 11 (or whatever Apple ends up calling it) are available later this year. Apple usually updates the iPhone in September, with Google following a few weeks later in October.

On paper, at least, the Note 10 Plus appears to be the best deal out of the four -- if a big screen and expandable storage are a priority for you.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10: in pictures

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