After the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S20 and the Xiaomi Mi 10 lineups, we think it is time to compare the most powerful variants of the flagship series from the hottest brands of the moment. If you are looking for the best Samsung flagship and you have no budget limits, then you should go for the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. The latest and most powerful Chinese handset of the moment is the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro, while iPhone 11 Pro Max is the best Apple mobile device. Through this comparison between their specifications, you can learn which one offers the highest number of advantages on the paper.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra vs Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro vs Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
| Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra | Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 158 x 77.8 x 8.1 mm, 226 g | 166.9 x 76 x 8.8 mm, 222 g | 162.6 x 74.8 x 9 mm, 208 g |
| DISPLAY | 6.5 inches, 1242 x 2688p (Full HD+), Super Retina XDR OLED | 6.9 inches, 1440 x 3200p (Quad HD+), Dynamic AMOLED 2X | 6.67 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED |
| PROCESSOR | Apple A13 Bionic, octa-core 2.65 GHz | Samsung Exynos 990, octa-core 2.73 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, octa-core 2.84 GHz |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, octa-core 2.84 GHz |
| MEMORY | 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 4 GB RAM, 256 GB – 4 GB RAM, 512 GB | 12 GB RAM, 128 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 512 GB – micro SD slot | 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 512 GB |
| SOFTWARE | iOS 13 | Android 10, One UI | Android 10, MIUI |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS |
| CAMERA | Triple 12 + 12 + 12 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.0 + f/2.4 12 MP f/2.2 front camera |
Quad 108 + 48 + 12 + 0.3 MP TOF, f/1.8 + f/3.5 + f/2.2 + f/1.0 40 MP f/2.2 front camera |
Quad 108 + 8 + 12 + 20 MP, f/1.7 + f/2.0 + f/2.0 + f/2.2 20 MP f/2.0 front camera |
| BATTERY | 3969 mAh, fast charging 18W, Qi wireless charging | 5000 mAh, fast charging 45W, Fast wireless charging 15W | 4500 mAh, fast charging 50W and fast wireless charging 30W |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Waterproof IP68, Face ID | Hybrid Dual SIM slot, reverse wireless charging 9W, waterproof IP68, 5G | Dual SIM slot, reverse wireless charging |
Design
You might find it very hard to make a decision after evaluating the design of these three handsets. I will share with you my personal thoughts about the aesthetics since most of the opinions on the design are subjective. Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is definitely a very elegant and futuristic design, but it has bigger dimensions and a huge camera module, that is why it would not be my choice. Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max is more compact and it comes with more premium materials (stainless steel for the frame), that is why it is my favorite choice. Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro is very elegant as well, it looks even more futuristic than both its rivals, but it has an inferior build quality and it lacks a certification for water resistance.
Display
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra wins the display comparison. It has a higher resolution (so a higher level of detail), a higher refresh rate and a better overall quality. And we are not the only ones saying this: the device has just been tested by DisplayMate which confirmed its amazing screen. Despite it lacks a high refresh rate, we give second place to the Super Retina XDR OLED display found on the iPhone 11 Pro Max. There is a silly and bigger notch, but it includes Face ID, so we can forgive it. Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro still comes with an astonishing display, especially for that price. You get just a Full HD+ resolution, but there is a 90 Hz refresh rate and a 180 Hz touch sampling rate, as well as HDR10+.
Hardware/Software
All of these devices feature top-tier hardware including the best Qualcomm’s and Apple’s chipsets, as well as an amazing software optimization. I had no chance to test the performances of the best Samsung device and Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro since they are still not available globally, but overall, you should not get big differences given that they all feature an amazing hardware department. Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro run Android 10 out of the box, while iPhone 11 Pro Max runs iOS. Note that S20 and Mi 10 support 5G connectivity, while iPhone 11 Pro Max does not.
Camera
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra wins the camera comparison as well, at least on the paper. It features up to 100x digital zoom (10x hybrid optical zoom) thanks to a 48 MP periscope lens, and it even comes with a huge 108 MP main sensor and an ultrawide lens. Even its front camera is top-notch with its 40 MP resolution. Even Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max are top-end camera phones, with the latter providing an astonishing quality when it comes to video recording. But unlike Samsung Galaxy S20 and Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro, the iPhone 11 Pro Max does not support 8K video recording.
Battery
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra has a huge 5000 mAh battery and it will likely last a lot more on a single charge. Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro should come right after with a 4500 mAh battery supporting the fastest charging technology (50W wired and 30W wireless). But you still get a great battery life with the iPhone 11 Pro Max, despite it has a battery capacity below 4000 mAh. In each case, you get wireless charging.
Price
Prices are the weakest points of these flagships. Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra has a starting price of €1349/$1399, Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro starts from €660/$712 (actually we only know its Chinese price, it will cost more globally) and iPhone 11 Pro Max is priced €1189/$1099 for its base variant with 64 GB of internal storage. Overall the most interesting and awesome device on the paper is the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. It offers an amazing camera department, a bigger battery, and a better display experience.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra vs Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro vs Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max: PRO and CONS
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
PROS
- Amazing cameras
- Waterproof IP68
- Huge battery
- Best display
- Ultrasonic fingerprint reader
CONS
- Price
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
PROS
- Awesome cameras
- Fastest wireless charging technology
- Fastest charging technology
- Good price
CONS
- Nothing particular
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
PROS
- Waterproof IP68
- Great build quality
- Face ID
- Nice cameras
CONS
- No 5G
