The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is one of the most versatile camera phones to date, but can the iPhone 11 Pro Max take off?
The Note 20 Ultra comes to this battle with three rear cameras, including a 108 megapixel main wide-angle camera, a 12MP ultra wide camera and a 12MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom and 50x Space Zoom. Samsung also includes a laser autofocus sensor along with a 10MP selfie shooter.
Apple’s iPhone 11 Pro Max responds back with a triple rear camera array consisting of 12MP wide camera, 12MP ultra wide camera and 12MP telephoto lens that can achieve 2x optical and 10x digital zoom. And this phone has some special photo features of itself, including Deep Fusion for better detail and Smart HDR of next gen.
We pitted these handsets against each other in various competition rounds in our Galaxy Note 20 vs iPhone 11 Pro Max camera face-off to see which is the best camera phone you can buy.
Galaxy Note 20 Ultra vs iPhone 11 Pro Max: Flower
The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra starts out strong with this comparison of a flower taken outside. The red in the blades is closer to real life, while the shot of the iPhone 11 Pro Max introduces more violin. The white balance also looks a bit better in the Note’s shot and I like the bokeh effect more.
To the credit of the iPhone, the white area of the flower pops a little more against the background, and the background is more in focus. But overall, the Note 20 wins this round.
Winner: Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
Galaxy Note 20 Ultra vs iPhone 11 Pro Max: Night mode
It is not a question of price here. The iPhone 11 Pro Max produces a brighter shot, because you can make the core look clearer like the fruit in it. The lemon and especially the apples below are less visible in the photo of Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
Winner: iPhone 11 Pro
Galaxy Note 20 Ultra vs iPhone 11 Pro Max: Pond
The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and iPhone 11 Pro Max both took detailed photos of this man-made pond with fish swimming across. However, the shrub on the right looks more natural in the shot of the iPhone and the stone has more gradations in color. The image of the Note 20 Ultra is brighter, though, and I love how the waterfall pops with greater contrast in Samsung’s pic.
Winner: Draw
Galaxy Note 20 Ultra vs iPhone 11 Pro Max: 10x zoom
This is where the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra pulls forward. It offers a 5x optical zoom and a 10x hybrid optical zoom that delivers a significantly sharper image than what the iPhone 11 Pro Max can collect with its 10x pure digital zoom. You can see more detail in the tree that streams this creek, as well as in the surrounding leaves and the pebbles in the foreground.
The iPhone 11 Pro Max fails to blow out some of the sunnier highlights that the Note 20 Ultra does, but overall Samsung’s more powerful optical zoom wins easily here.
Winner: Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
Galaxy Note 20 Ultra vs iPhone 11 Pro Max: Portrait
The Live Focus mode on the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is capable enough, as it provided a good bokeh effect on this portrait my daughter caught me in a park nearby. You can make out the stubble in my face, and my blue shirt pops.
The iPhone 11 Pro Max has a warmer portrait with overall brighter lighting, and you can see that it does a better job of processing the sunlight that jumps from my right arm. But the photo of the iPhone also looks a bit too hot. However, of the two shots, I would rather share the photo of the iPhone.
Winner: iPhone 11 Pro Max
Galaxy Note 20 Ultra vs iPhone 11 Pro Max: produce
This round is not so easy to call. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra delivers punchier colors in general, especially in the green, orange and red peppers. But again, the iPhone 11 Pro Max produces more natural tones along with more detail as you zoom in. There’s more of a shine on all the peppers in the iPhone recording, and the ivory in particular have more contrast versus the Note 20. The wooden cases also look sharper with the iPhone’s camera.
Winner: iPhone 11 Pro Max
Galaxy Note 20 Ultra vs iPhone 11 Pro Max: Selfie
Samsung’s phones have a tendency to have smooth faces, and that is certainly the case here with this Note 20 Ultra selfie. My face is a little too bright and somewhat washed off, as a softer beauty filter has been applied. The selfie of iPhone 11 Pro Max looks more realistic. In addition, the creek and grass in the background look sharper on the iPhone, with more detail in the highlights as well.
Winner: iPhone 11 Pro Max
Galaxy Note 20 Ultra vs iPhone 11 Pro: Special Features
The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has some special camera features that really stand out against the iPhone 11 Pro Max. The first is Space Zoom, which goes up to 50x. Check out this tweet to see how the Note 20 Ultra could have me zoomed in all the way at a fish market sign from across the main road. The iPhone 11 Pro just can not do this.
The power of 50x zoom. It’s kind of scary. # GalaxyNote20Ultra pic.twitter.com/LpGPCuzyzGAugust 18, 2020
The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra also benefits from having a 108MP main sensor. It’s really designed to be used when you’re outdoors, but it gives you a lot of creative freedom to hide in a photo after you’ve made it. The iPhone 11 Pro Max has a 12MP main sensor, so you can not get anything out of it.
The iPhone 11 Pro has a pretty cool photo feature of its own in Deep Fusion, which takes up a lot of exposures in quick succession before sifting through each pixel-by-pixel to produce an optimal result.
It’s not a dramatic difference, but you can see that Deep Fusion delivers more texture and detail in the hoodie, shirt and in the surrounding faux brick wall. You can also make more out of the stubble of the subject with Deep Fusion on.
Galaxy Note 20 Ultra vs iPhone 11 Pro Max: Judgment
The iPhone 11 Pro Max wins more rounds in this price competition and in general it has included better visible images in different lighting conditions. The iPhone tends to deliver more realistic colors, while the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra lends itself to more saturated tones, so you can set the preference depending on your taste. I personally love the iPhone 11 Pro for portraits and selfies, and the Night mode is more effective.
Where the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra pulls forward is with its 108MP sensor (which is great for cutting after the fact) and especially its more powerful zoom. The iPhone 11 Pro Max just may not go as far as the Samsung, although the upcoming iPhone 12 Pro could narrow that gap with a phone that cuts closer.
This Galaxy Note 20 Ultra vs iPhone 11 Pro Max face-off is very close, but overall the iPhone wins for image quality and the Note for its versatility.
