iPhone 12 Pro Max vs Samsung S20 Ultra vs Samsung Note 20 Ultra Comparison: Everything You Need to Know

The introduction of the iPhone 12 lineup by Apple on October 13, 2020, has complicated things a bit the high-flying Samsung flagships. With the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max, the premium 6.9-inch Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and Samsung Note 20 Ultra have some serious competition on the table. The iPhone features the decisive 5G connectivity, an improved camera setup, and the powerful A14 Bionic processor. But how does iPhone’s best stack up against Android’s greatest? This article takes a quick look!

Part 1. iPhone 12 vs Galaxy S20 Ultra vs Note 20 Ultra: Specs & Featurese

Part 2. iPhone 12 vs Galaxy S20 Ultra vs Note 20 Ultra: Design & Color

While the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and Samsung Note 20 Ultra are well-designed phones, they offer nothing new in particular. At the front, they boast a Dynamic AMOLED display with a camera punch hole at the top center. These big-screen beasts also offer a sleek phablet feel available in Cloud White, Cosmic Black, and Cosmic Grey. However, Note 20 Ultra adds in two more color options – Aura Red and Cloud Blue.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max applies a similar design pattern by borrowing from its predecessors. The boxy design aesthetics are strikingly similar to the iPhone 5, iPhone SE, and iPad Pro. It features fewer bezels with more screen compared to the iPhone 11 Pro Max. Also, it comes with a Ceramic Shield at the front and back.

Apple claims that the iPhone 12 is now 4x more drop-resistant. As for the colors, I personally like the blue iPhone 12 Pro Max, as it's sleeker, conservative, and unique. If you like your phone classy, you can opt for the gold iPhone 12 Pro Max. Of course, you can get this phone in Silver and Graphite colors, as well.

Part 3. iPhone 12 vs Galaxy S20 Ultra vs Note 20 Ultra: Display

The display is one area where Samsung phones really shine. Well, these two phones keep that tradition with their reliable 6.9-inch Dynamic OLED displays protected by Gorilla Glass Victus. Also, they offer an excellent screen-to-body ratio, with the S20 boasting 89.9%, whereas the Note 20 settles for 89.5%. These numbers are significantly bigger than the 87.5% of the iPhone 12 Pro Max. It’s also worth remembering that the Note 20 Ultra and S20 Ultra boast one of the highest screen resolutions currently at 3200 x 1440p.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max display is no slouch, either. The phone provides an equally big 6.7-inch Super Retina OLED display and powerful pixel resolution at 2778 x 1284p. As I’ve said earlier, the iPhone 12 Pro Max spots a Ceramic Shield display that Apple says is even more robust than the Gorilla Glass Victus on the Samsung phones. Interestingly, the display brightness churns out at 800 nits, which is more than the 662 nits you’ll get on the S20 Ultra. So overall, the iPhone 12 Pro Max display holds its own perfectly against the two Samsung flagships.

Part 4. iPhone 12 vs Galaxy S20 Ultra vs Note 20 Ultra: Camera

When it comes to the Samsung Note 20 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra camera systems, you’ll get a massive 108MP rear main. These phones also come with a 12MP ultrawide. But it’s the S20 Ultra that boasts a bigger 48MP telephoto that supports 10x hybrid zoom and 4x optical zoom. However, it lacks the laser autofocus sensor for faster focusing, found on the Samsung Note 20 Ultra camera setting.

As for the front camera, the S20 Ultra features a sharper 40MP sensor that can shoot 4K videos at 60/30 frames per second. Now that’s significantly bigger than the Note 20 Ultra’s 10MP and iPhone 12 Pro’s 12MP, although both can take 4K videos, as well.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 12 Pro Max camera system proves that numbers don’t tell the real story. At the back, it packs a triple camera setup consisting of a 12MP wide, 120-degree ultrawide, and a telephoto that supports 12x digital zoom. You’ll also get a LiDAR scanner that produces 6x faster autofocus when in low-light areas. The Night Mode backs up this feature to enable 87% better low-light shots, according to Apple. Moreover, the Smart HDR 3 automatically refines contours, shadows, and highlights even at midday. If you add in the Apple ProRAW image format that will give you unmatched creative control, the two Samsung phones have some catchup to do.

Part 5. iPhone 12 vs Galaxy S20 Ultra vs Note 20 Ultra: Software & System

It’s vital to note that iPhones and Samsung phones run on completely different OS platforms. While the iPhone 12 Pro Max iOS 14 brings some notable upgrades, it’s the Google Assistant that outsmarts the Apple Siri in every way. For example, the new assistant comes with the convenient ‘Hold for Me’ feature for holding the line for you when calling a toll-free number. You can also launch apps, play music, search inside apps, and so on. Plus, the premium Snapdragon 865 chip on the Note 20 Ultra and S20 Ultra offers that extra oomph when playing games and browsing the net.

But that’s not to say that the iPhone 12 Pro Max is down and out. That’s because the A14 Bionic processor with the next-gen Neuro Engine is arguably the fastest smartphone chip currently. Apple claims it’s even faster than the Snapdragon 865 and most PC laptops. The A14 Bionic is Apple’s most advanced chipset that also controls things under the brand new iPad Air 4. It uses a 5nm process that makes it more efficient and faster. So, if you’re looking to play some 3D games and edit 4K videos, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the way to go.

Part 6. iPhone 12 vs Galaxy S20 Ultra vs Note 20 Ultra: Battery

When it comes to battery life, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra battery offers a massive 5,000mAh capacity. The Samsung Note 20 Ultra battery, on the other hand, packs a 4,500mAh capacity on its chassis. Both phones support 25W fast charging, although the S20 Ultra can go up to 45W. The two Samsung phones also support 4.5W of reverse wireless charging and 15W of Qi wireless charging.

As for the iPhone 12 Pro Max battery, you’ll get a smaller 3,687mAh capacity. However, users will still enjoy an impressive 80 hours of music play and 20 hours of video playback. Like the two Samsung phones, it supports 15W of Qi wireless charging. The iPhone 12 Pro Max can also achieve up to 50% of battery juice in 30 minutes via 20W of fast charging. Moreover, you can also juice up via the 15W MagSafe charger.

Part 7. iPhone 12 vs Galaxy S20 Ultra vs Note 20 Ultra: Storage & Price

All the Samsung models are already up for sale on various online stores. You can also make a pre-order for the iPhone 12 Pro Max on Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint.

Below is the complete breakdown of memory storage and prices for these premium smartphones:

• 6GB RAM iPhone 12 Pro Max price: 128GB/$1,099, 256GB/$1,199, 512GB/$1399
• 12GB RAM Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra price: 128GB/$1,399
• 16GB RAM Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra price: 512GB/$1,599
• 12GB RAM Samsung Note 20 Ultra price: 128GB/$1,299, 512GB/$1,499

Final Verdict

As the prices reveal, none of these are your typical smartphones. That’s because both models cross the $1000 price mark. That aside, the two Samsung phones come top in terms of battery life, display, and megapixel size. However, the brand new iPhone 12 Pro Max makes up ground with its top-of-the-line A14 Bionic processor and a camera system to match. So, it mostly depends on what you’re willing to pay and your favorite brand.

Pro Tip: After unboxing your new smartphone with those powerful earbuds bundled inside, it’s obvious that you’d need to upload some music files. Sadly, this can eat up a chunk of your storage space. Even worse, audio files come in different complicated formats that you may not be able to play them on your phone. Luckily, you can use Wondershare Online UniConverter to compress and convert music files to MP3, M4A, FLAC, OGG, and more. Below are the simple steps:

Step 1. Launch the Audio Compressor

Visit the website and then click Online Tools. Now click the Audio tab and then tap the Audio Compressor function.

Step 2. Upload audio

Next, drag and drop your music file on the Audio Compressor. Alternatively, tap Choose Files to open your local storage and upload sound files.

Step 3. Customize and compress audio

Open the Quality menu and choose a new bitrate or audio quality for your music file. Proceed to choose a new music format under the Format menu and then click Compress. No tap the Download link to extract your compressed audio file. It’s that easy!