Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G vs. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max

Phone Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G and Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max. Compare sizes, cameras, batteries, memory, and other important specifications and features to easily choose the right phone for you. Our goal is to help you uncover differences between the products and find the phone that will best fit your needs.

Phone Specifications Comparison

Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G vs. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
Product Type Smartphone Smartphone
Manufacturer Model Number SM-N986B/DS A2411
Form Factor Touch Touch
Height 164.8 mm 160.8 mm Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G has greater height than Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Width 77.2 mm 78.1 mm Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has greater width than Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G.
Depth 8.1 mm 7.4 mm Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max is narrower than Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G.
Weight 208 g 226 g Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G is lighter than Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G.
Body Colour Mystic white | Mystic black | Mystic bronze Graphite | Silver | Gold | Pacific blue
Body Material - Surgical‑grade stainless steel, textured matt glass
Protection Dustproof, splashproof, water-resistant Dustproof, splashproof, waterproof
Waterproof (Water-resistant) Yes Yes Both phones are waterproof.
IP rating IP68 IEC 60529 IP68
Repairability Index - 6.9 (out of 10)
SAR Value 1.47 W/kg (body), 0.338 W/kg (head), 3.29 W/kg (limb) 0.99 W/kg (body), 0.99 W/kg (head), 3.85 W/kg (limb)
Integrated Components Heart rate sensor -
Connector Type USB Type-C - 24 pin USB-C Lightning
SIM Card Type (Size) Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM) Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM)
SIM Card Qty Dual-SIM Dual-SIM
SIM Card Configuration Details Nano SIM + nano SIM/microSD -
DISPLAY Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
Display Type OLED display OLED display
Display Technology Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X Super Retina XDR Display
Screen Size (Display Size) 6.9" 6.7" Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G has larger screen size than Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) 3088 x 1440 pixels 2778 x 1284 pixels Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G has better screen resolution than Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Display Format QHD+ -
Pixel Density 496 ppi 458 ppi Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G has better pixel density than Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Max Brightness - 800 cd/m²
Colour Depth 16.7 million colours -
Contrast Ratio - 2000000:1
HDR Yes Yes Both phones have HDR.
HDR Technology HDR10+ HDR10
Display Enhancement Technology - Dolby Vision
Display Refresh Rate 120 Hz -
Display Features Edge Screen, AOD(Always On Display), Edge Lighting, Video Wallpaper True Tone display, Wide colour display (P3), Haptic touch, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), 1200 nits max brightness (HDR)
Display Protection (Screen Protector) - Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, Ceramic Shield
PROCESSOR Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
Processor Type (CPU) Samsung Apple A14 Bionic
Clock Speed 2.73 GHz -
Processor Core Qty 8-core 6-core Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G has higher processor core quantity than Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max.
64-bit Architecture Yes - Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G has 64-bit architecture.
MEMORY Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
RAM LPDDR5 SDRAM - 12 GB -
Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) 256 GB 128 GB Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G has more internal memory than Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max.
User Memory 221.6 GB -
Supported Flash Memory Cards (Expandable Memory) microSDHC, microSDXC - up to 1 TB -
CAMERA Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
MAIN CAMERA
Number of Main Cameras 3 3
Sensor Resolution 108 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G has better camera resolution than Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Sensor Size 1/1.33" -
Lens Type Wide-angle lens Wide-angle lens
Lens Aperture F/1.8 F/1.6 Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has better lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G.
Lens Construction - 7-element
Field of View (FoV) 79 degree(s) -
Pixel Size 0.8 μm 1.7 μm Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has larger camera pixel size than Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G.
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Sensor-shift OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) Both phones have optical image stabilization.
Focus Adjustment Automatic Automatic
Laser Auto Focus Yes -
Minimum Focal Length (Focal Distance) - 26 mm
Optical Zoom 5x 5x Both phones have the same optical zoom.
Digital Zoom 50x 12x Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G has better digital zoom than Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Self-Timer Delay Yes -
Special Effects HDR, Grid Line Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono
HDR Mode - Smart HDR 3
Camera Modes Panorama, Slow motion mode, HYPERLAPSE, Live Focus mode, Super Slow-mo, Flowers, Greenery, Trees, Sky, Beaches, Watersides, Snow, Backlit, Text, Motion Photos, Food, Face, Baby, Person, Dog, Cat, People, Sunset, Sunrise, City, Waterfall, Scenery, Stage, Vehicles, Drinks, Animal, Shoes, Indoor, Clothes, Night view, Live focus video, Night, Mountain, Pro Video mode, Single Take, Pro Video Burst mode, Panorama, night mode, low-light shots, Live Photos, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos, Time Lapse (Night mode), Apple ProRAW
Face Recognition (Face ID) Face detection Face recognition Both phones have face detection.
Light Source High CRI LED flash True Tone LED flash
Video Resolutions 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps, Super slow motion video 1280 x 720 (720p) at 960 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 240 fps, 7680 x 4320 (8K) at 24 fps 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 30 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 24 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 240 fps
Camera Features (Functions) Quick Launch, Playback zoom, Phase Detect Auto-Focus (PDAF), blink detection, VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilisation), Tracking AF, Video location tags, location tags, Hyperlapse video support 1080p, Scene Optimiser, Full view, Flaw detection, Shot suggestions, blur detection, HDR10+ recording, Floating shutter button, Super steady, Zoom-In Mic, Space Zoom, Take 33MP still photos while playing 8K video, AR Doodle, 50x Super Resolution Zoom, HEVC (High Efficiency Video coding) support, Microphone Control (Pro Video only) Sapphire crystal lens cover, Cinematic video stabilisation, Cinematic video stabilisation, Playback zoom, geotagging, Stereo Recording, Continuous autofocus video, 8MP still photos recording 4K video, Time‑lapse video with stabilisation, Slow Sync, Advanced red-eye correction, HEIF image capture, Audio zoom, 100% Focus Pixels, QuickTake video, Extended dynamic range for video at 60 fps, Deep Fusion, Dolby Vision HDR video recording up to 60 fps, Smart HDR 3 with Scene Detection, Sensor-shift optical image stabilisation for video, Digital zoom up to 7x for video
SECOND CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (2nd Camera) 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same second camera resolution.
Lens Type (2nd Camera) Telephoto lens Ultra wide-angle lens
Lens Aperture (2nd Camera) F/3.0 F/2.4 Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has better second camera lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G.
Lens Element Qty (2nd Camera) - 5-element
Field of View (2nd Camera) 20 degree(s) 120 degree(s) Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has larger second camera lens field of view than Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G.
Pixel Size (2nd Camera) 1 μm -
Minimum Focal Length (2nd Camera) - 13 mm
Camera Features (2nd Camera) - 5-piece lens, Lens correction
THIRD CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (3rd Camera) 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same third camera resolution.
Lens Type (3rd Camera) Ultra wide-angle lens Telephoto lens
Lens Aperture (3rd Camera) F/2.2 F/2.2 Both phones have the same lens aperture of the third camera.
Field of View (3rd Camera) 120 degree(s) -
Pixel Size (3rd Camera) 1.4 μm -
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) - Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has optical stabilisation of the third camera.
Minimum Focal Length (3rd Camera) - 65 mm
Camera Features (3rd Camera) - 6-piece lens, Focus Pixels
FRONT CAMERA
Number of Front Cameras 1 1
Sensor Resolution (Front) 10 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has better front camera resolution than Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G.
Lens Aperture (Front) F/2.2 Ƒ/2.2 Both phones have the same front camera lens aperture.
Field of View (Front) 80 degree(s) -
Pixel Size (Front) 1.22 μm -
Focus Adjustment Automatic -
Special Effects (Front) - Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono
HDR Mode (Front) - Smart HDR 3
Camera Modes (Front) Timer mode, wide selfie mode, selfie mode, Live Focus mode, AR Emoji, selfie focus, Live focus video Burst mode, Live Photos, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos, Time Lapse (Night mode), Smart HDR 3 with Scene Detection
Face Recognition (Face ID) - Face recognition Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has face detection.
Light Source (Front) - Retina Flash
Video Resolutions (Front) - 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 24 fps
Camera Features (Front) Dual Pixel AF Auto image stabilisation, Animoji, Memoji, TrueDepth camera, Cinematic video stabilisation, Extended dynamic range for video at 30 fps, QuickTake video, Time‑lapse video with stabilisation, Lens correction, Deep Fusion, HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 30 fps
BATTERY AND CHARGING Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
Battery Capacity (Battery Size) 4500 mAh -
Fast Charging Technology Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, Adaptive Fast Charging, Power Delivery 3.0 Apple fast charging technology, Apple MagSafe wireless charging Both phones have fast charging technology.
Wireless Charging Yes Yes Both phones can be charged wirelessly.
Wireless Charging Standards WPC, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare Qi
Talk Time 1440 minutes -
Run Time Details Active online usage (LTE): up to 15 hrs
Active online usage (Wi-Fi): up to 16 hrs
Playback (wireless video): up to 19 hrs
Playback (wireless audio): up to 75 hrs
Talk (4G): up to 1440 min
Playback (video): up to 20 hrs
Playback (streamed video): up to 12 hrs
Playback (audio): up to 80 hrs
Battery Technology Lithium Ion Lithium Ion
CELLULAR Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
Technology WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM CDMA2000 1X / GSM / WCDMA (UMTS)
Mobile Broadband Generation 5G 5G Both phones have the same mobile network generation.
Operating System Android 10 iOS 14
User Interface One UI 2.5 -
Intelligent Assistant Bixby Siri
Payment Technology Samsung Pay Apple Pay
Navigation GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS
COMMUNICATIONS Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
Data Transmission GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, 5G NR FR1 EDGE, EV-DO, HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, VoLTE, FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, VoWiFi, Gigabit LTE, LAA, 5G NR FR1
2G Band 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM, 800 CDMA2000 1X, 1900 CDMA2000 1X
3G UMTS Band Band 1, Band 2, Band 4, Band 5, Band 8 Band 1, Band 5, Band 8, Band 10, Band 25
3G UMTS Frequency 2100, 1900, 1700, 850, 900 2100, 850, 900, 1700 EAWS, 1900
4G LTE Band Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 13, Band 17, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 32, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 66 Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 13, Band 17, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 30, Band 32, Band 34, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 42, Band 46, Band 48, Band 66
4G LTE Frequency FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700c, FDD 700b, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3 FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700c, FDD 700b, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 2300 WCS, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2000, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, TDD 3500, TDD 5150, TDD 3600, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3
5G NR Band N1, n3, n5, n7, n8, n28, n77, n78, n40 N1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n77, n78, n79, n40, n25, n12
5G NR Frequency FDD 2100, FDD 1800, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700APT, TDD TD 3700, TDD TD 3500, TDD 2300 FDD 2100, FDD 1900PCS, FDD 1800, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 800, FDD 700APT, TDD TD 2600, TDD TD 2500, FDD AWS-3, TDD TD 3700, TDD TD 3500, TDD TD 4500, TDD 2300, FDD 1900, n12
Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax IEEE 802.11ax
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth 5.0
NFC Yes Yes Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments.
Ultra-Wideband (UWB) - Yes Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has UWB wireless technology.
Messaging Services SMS, MMS -
MEDIA Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
Supported Digital Audio Standards WAV, WMA, AAC, PCM, AMR, MP3, FLAC, XMF, OGG, MIDI, APE (Monkey's Audio), M4A, DSF, DSD, MXMF, OGA, 3GA, AWB, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DFF, MID, DSD64, DSD128 Audible, MP3, FLAC, Apple Lossless, AC-3, AAC-LC, LPCM, HE-AAC, Audible AAX, Audible AAX+, protected AAC, EAC3, HE-AAC v2
Supported Digital Video Standards MKV, FLV, AVI, WMV, ASF, 3GP, M4V, WebM, 3G2, MP4 M-JPEG, H.264, HEVC, MPEG-4 Part 2, HEIF
Sound Enhancements Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Surround sound, Acoustic Overload Point, stereo speakers tuned by AKG, Dolby Digital sound Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Dolby Digital sound
Video Enhancements - HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10
FEATURES Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
Phone Functions Speakerphone, voice control, call timer, conference call, flight mode, voice dialing, vibrating alert Speakerphone, voice control, call timer, conference call, flight mode, voice dialing, vibrating alert
Sensors Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, barometer, gyro sensor, hall sensor, geomagnetic sensor Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, 3-axis gyro sensor, digital compass, barometer, LiDAR scanner
Security Devices Fingerprint reader (under display), face recognition Face recognition
Security Technology - Face ID
Additional Phone Features MIMO technology, Screen mirroring, Screen Write, Smart Select, Fast Charging, Samsung KNOX, High AOP Mic, Smart View, Live message, Screen off memo, Samsung DeX support, Bixby Vision, Secure Folder function, Dual Audio, Bixby Routines, Intelligent Performance Enhancer, AR Doodle, PENUP AirDrop function, Audio zoom function, MIMO technology, Wi-Fi Calling, iBeacon microlocation, QuickType keyboard, Night Shift, Apple TV support (2nd or later), Raise to wake, Next-generation Neural Engine, Express Transit cards with power reserve, 4K HDR AirPlay Mirroring, FaceTime HD (1080p), RTT/TTY compatible
OTHERS Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
Included Accessories Power adapter, SIM card removal tool, USB-C cable, S Pen, Earphones (USB Type-C) with sound by AKG Lightning to USB-C cable
Compliant Standards VDE, IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible), SGS IEC 60529 IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible)
Max Depth of Water Resistance 1.5 m 6 m
Max Operating Temperature - 35 °C
Min Operating Temperature - 0 °C
Humidity Range Operating - 5 - 95% (non-condensing)
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