Samsung has recently launched the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. It is an ultra-high-end, true flagship phone of the Android world. It goes head to head against one of the most popular ultra-high-end phones in the market, the iPhone 11 Pro Max. Both of these smartphones come with cutting-edge camera features but which one is the best for photography? Find it out here.
A popular YouTuber, SuperSaf, has compared front and rear cameras of the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, revealing some interesting facts. But before we start with results, here are detailed specifications of cameras of both smartphones.
| Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Front camera | 12MP, f/2.2, 23mm, 4K60FPS video | 10MP, f/2.2, 26mm, dual-pixel PDAF, 4K60FPS video |
| Primary camera | 12MP, f/1.8, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, dual-pixel PDAF, OIS, 4K60FPS video | 108MP, f/1.8, 26mm, 1/1.33-inch sensor size, laser-assisted PDAF, OIS, 4K60FPS video |
| Zoom Camera | 12MP, f/2.0, 52mm, dual-pixel PDAF, OIS, 4K60FPS video | 12MP, f/3.0, 120mm, PDAF, OIS, 4K30FPS video |
| Ultrawide camera | 12MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 4K60FPS video | 12MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 4K30FPS video |
iPhone 11 Pro Vs Galaxy Note Ultra Camera: Video Comparison
iPhone 11 Pro Vs Galaxy Note Ultra: Main camera
Starting with the image quality of the primary camera at the rear, both, the iPhone 11 Pro Max as well as the Galaxy Note20 Ultra, performed exceptionally well in daylight scenes. Cameras on both smartphones captured bright and detailed images with accurate colors and great dynamic range. These phones probably took one of the best daylight images in the smartphone industry. However, as there was no clear winner, it was a tie between both smartphones in this scenario.
As for the image quality with the primary cameras in the low light conditions, it was, once again, a tie, as cameras on both phones took excellent images in auto mode and night mode. The primary camera of the iPhone 11 Pro Max, however, took the crown when it came to video recording as it offered sharper-looking videos with smoother motion and a better dynamic range compared to the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
Winner:
Daylight – Tie
Lowlight – Tie
Video – Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone 11 Pro Vs Galaxy Note Ultra: Ultrawide camera
Moving on to the ultrawide cameras, the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra beats the iPhone 11 Pro Max in daylight by offering images with a better dynamic range. When it comes to lowlight conditions, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra takes a clean sweep as it offers much brighter images, which has been possible with its night mode. The ultrawide camera of the iPhone 11 Pro Max, unfortunately, doesn’t come with night mode. It does, however, takes a swing at the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra by offering 4K60FPS video recording, which the latter lacks.
Winner:
Daylight – Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
Lowlight – Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
Video – Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone 11 Pro Vs Galaxy Note Ultra: Zoom camera
Coming to the zoom cameras, it is a totally different story for both smartphones, as the iPhone 11 Pro Max features a 2x optical zoom camera, whereas, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra features a 5x optical zoom camera. As you might have guessed, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra clearly beats the iPhone 11 Pro Max by offering images with significantly better image quality at the same zoom levels. The zoom camera of the iPhone 11 Pro Max, however, offers a 4K60FPS video recording option, which the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra misses out on.
As you might know, portrait images require a 2x optical zoom camera for the best results. Since the iPhone 11 Pro Max has the very feature, it offers excellent portrait images. As the Galaxy Note20 Ultra lacks a 2x optical zoom camera, it makes use of the primary camera to take portrait images, by using the cropped portion of the sensor. As a result, the portrait images on the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra doesn’t come out as good as that of the iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Winner:
Daylight – Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
Lowlight – Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
Portrait mode – Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Video – Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone 11 Pro Vs Galaxy Note Ultra: Front camera
It is a clear tie between the front-facing cameras of the iPhone 11 Pro Max and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, as both of them capture equally good photos in daylight as well as lowlight conditions. Selfie cameras on both phones offer a 4K60FPS video recording option as well, which is perfect for casual vlogging.
Winner:
Daylight – Tie
Lowlight – Tie
Video – Tie
As it is evident to you, there is no clear winner here. While the iPhone 11 Pro Max beats the Galaxy S20 Ultra in video quality from primary, ultrawide, and zoom cameras, and portrait images, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra takes a jibe at the iPhone 11 Pro Max in terms on image quality from the ultrawide and zoom cameras. So, it all depends on what feature do you use the most. If imaging is more important to you than videos, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is the one for you. Although, if you click portrait images and record videos most of the time, the iPhone 11 Pro Max should be top on your list. That being said, you cannot go wrong with either of these phones as they offer exceptionally well photography skills.
Our Take:
One of the main points to be noted here is that while the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is new to the market, the iPhone 11 Pro Max is a year-old smartphone. The true competitor to the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra will be the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which is expected to launch sometime next month. It will be interesting to see which of the two smartphones offers the best imaging performance.
