Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ vs. iPhone 11 Pro Max: The Smartphone Camera Battle

The newly-launched iPhone 11 Pro Max could be the most high-specification and more capable iPhone model available from Apple. But, how does the iPhone 11 Pro Max shape up when placed against Samsung Galaxy Note 10+, especially in the smartphone camera department?

Samsung revealed the Galaxy Note 10+ just a month ahead of Apple's annual iPhone event. The new flagship device features a much bigger screen than the previous Samsung Note models. It also boasts a rear triple-camera setup, which said to be similar to what was presented by Apple in the latest flagship iPhone 11 Pro Max.

Based on their specs listed on GSM Arena, both Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy Note+ used OLED panel for their screens, which means the two smartphones offer high levels of contrast and brightness. However, in terms of performance, Samsung Galaxy Note+ could be able to blow Apple out of the water with the impressive octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 mobile processor.

Galaxy Note 10+

In the video and photography areas, both devices provide Optical Image Stabilization on the Wide and Telephoto cameras, a 10x digital zoom feature, HDR. Both companies went down the same route and focus on the three-camera capabilities, which include the Wide, the Ultrawide and Telephoto lenses.

However, Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ does offer some extra features onboard, in the form of an additional VGA DepthVision camera, which allows better-augmented reality experiences and 3D AR mapping. Apple’s ARKit also offers similar purposes but Samsung's version may be more accurate and effective due to its ability to capture depth data rather than computing it from a live video feed from third-party sources.

In addition to that, Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ also brings a number of camera software features onboard. These include the new "Shot Suggestion" feature to assist users and the new "Artistic Live Filters." There’s also a new camera feature that will allow the user to post directly to Instagram posts and stories. The device also supports 4K video recording as well as HDR10+. The company also added a more advanced video stabilization and Live Focus Video features to allow users to capture Bokeh backgrounds in the video.

iPhone 11 Pro Max

Apple’s iPhone 11 Pro Max is known for its impressive camera output. In fact, the phone has taken the second spot, where it joined another second placer Samsung Galaxy Note+, in the recent DxOMark’s benchmark test. The iPhone 11 has achieved a net score of over 117 points for its rear camera output, beating the likes of Samsung Galaxy S10, Google Pixel 4, and Huawei P30 Pro.

According to the Gadget 360, the iPhone 11 Pro Max has just lagged four points behind the leaders -- Huawei Mate 30 Pro and the newly-released Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro or Mi Note 10 Pro. It also reported that the iPhone 11 Pro Max has been listed by DxOMark on their exhaustive report as one of the best phones in the market when it comes to color accuracy and exposure in all lighting conditions.

Apple’s iPhone 11 Pro Max does come out on top in some key areas, like the TrueDepth camera front. But, it falls behind the Korean tech behemoth in areas like the pixel density and rear camera depth sensing.

Overall, the Cupertino-based company has been able to maintain its position as a major player along with Samsung in the hotly contested global mobile market. The two companies will continue to dominate the smartphone battlefield, offering new smartphone features and technologies.