iPhone Xs Max vs. Galaxy Note 9: Battle of the Big-Screen Phones

[andkullyev]

It should be noted that Note 9 actually has slightly bigger screen (in surface area) than Xs Max

6.4 inches, 103.2 cm2 vs 6.5 inches, 102.9 cm2

 

[andkullyev]

After reading 2 articles it seems obvious that this site can't be trusted. A quote from XR review, trying to convince you get more expensive XS instead:

the starkest difference between the iPhone XR and the iPhone XS boils down to the display. To keep costs down on the XR, Apple opted for an LCD panel instead of the OLED screen it's used on all other iPHone X models.

"The result is the iPhone XR simply can't show the vibrant colors and deeper blacks that an OLED phone is capable of. While the iPhone XR's display was able to show 123.4 percent of the sRGB color gamut in our testing, that's well behind the results we've seen from OLED-based phones. The Note 9, for example, posts an sRGB score of 224 percent."

XS actually showed EXACTLY SAME 123% as XR, but that was never mentioned, instead it was assumed that any OLED screen would have 224%, and difference is very important (even though it wasn't there)!

Now comparing XS vs Note 9 that difference (this time actually present) somehow doesn't matter to the point that screen is rated as win for XS.

Both times comparison tipped toward XS.

 

[bwonan]

I would say the pictures are subjective. The note 9 may have not got the white building contrast perfect but the signs and all on the little shack in front.....no contest.....

 

[ron.finnerty]

I think the samsung phones claiming ip68 waterproof is a crappy lie. Phone carriers do not honor warranty repair for the annoying "'phone cant charge, either the charging port or cable has gotten wet" so phone runs s out of power, or reboots sporadically on it's own while charging. It happens with many different cords in driest weather, no moisture present, checked with moisture meter. Tech support solution is remove all apps reset to factory and reload everything that doesn't solve the wet connector issue. I wonder if my wife and I would have bricks if we ever actually emerged the phone in any water even a few drops deep let alone with champagne poured on them. Ip68 on samsung phones is vs. Dont give them credit for marketing fantasy lies.

 

[phange]

My only major criticism is screen quality. No offense, but a higher resolution, larger OLED screen without a notch should win by default.

 

[cajunrph]

Sorry but I’m gonna have to agree with the others and call bias bs on this. Never have I ever read a review that gave the display category to Apple over Samsung. Evergone knows, even Apple fanboy sites, that Samsung makes the best displays and saves the best for their phones. Dispire having a greater resolution, trouncing the iPhone in the color test and no notch among among other things you give the display category to Apple based on a manual brightness setting. The only “win” Apple had in the display category. Apple’s camera win is on shaky ground. Mostly what I saw was software related. At a minimum this should have been a tie if the display catagory was fair to a win for Samsung with some minor tweaking of the camera app. Android is meant to be tweeked from stock settings. Apple is mean to be best for most out of the box. Therefore tweet the Samsung camera app and iPhone as well and get back with us.

I’ll not argue on performance. Apple got a head start on SOC and Qualcomm and Android have been struggling to keep up. Apple will be the king here for a while. If not for the tendency of Androids to slow down after a while they’d trounce iPhones. Yet the tendency of Android to slow down is a main reason many go back to the walled garden of iOS.

Again much bias here and Tom’s deserves better.

 

[billzilla]

I've owned three iPhones and this article is insanely biased. The camera comp is nonsense, you don't give exif data (exposure and related settings). The defaults? Default app settings? Even these samples don't look remotely similar but where you claim the iPhone retains shadows it looks the opposite. The colors and highlights of the heavily orange tinged XS shits look awful. That's no way to compare camera output... Sorry, this article is not credible.

 

[seschu01]

Please stop reviewing products you are truly bad at this. You posted no metrics on weights to arrive at your decisions but instead just gave arbitrary numbers. I actually do have both phones. The Apple phone is a hot mess. Inconsistent charging and no true dual sim functionality are huge deal breakers. However if you are in the Apple ecosystem, hands down stay Apple. That is not because the phone is any better, only that you are tied to the ecosystem.

What is the value score of a product that can expand up to 1 TB with a SD card (not 512 like you stated, you really need to be more accurate)?

What is the value of being on the road and being able to plug your phone into a TV at a hotel and pull out a fold-able keyboard and have a full office experience if needed (or play Fortnite)?

Essentially you need to list everything each phone is capable of performing and give it a score. For those items the iPhone can perform that the Note 9 can't (or Vice-Versa) you list and score those as well. Now just add up all the score results and divide by the total number of testable features and you arrive at a real metric. At the end of the day it boils down to features and price for most folks.

I am not sure if there is anything that the Max does that the Note does not do, but maybe...potentially FaceID depth... Did you even talk about Samsung Pay which works virtually anywhere there is a card scanner (unlike Apple Pay which only works where they support it)? I guess you could mention how ApplePay can be hacked...

Not to mention you awarded Apple wins in Security, oh the eye rolling was real. What makes the Note 9 face ID less secure exactly? You can indeed use bio metrics for payments on the Note 9, apparently you didn't set this up properly (or at all). From an IT security perspective I have fingerprint bio-metrics, facial ID, Iris scanning, and security code protection. What does Apple offer again?

How is the iPhone display better than the Note? The numbers don't prove that at all. Higher resolution, pixel density, real-world useage outdoors. I suppose it wins a point for being .1 inch bigger, but then you have to deal with that notch.

The ONLY areas where Apple wins would be processor power and potentially some camera shots (and that is a hard maybe at best). If you are doing camera comparisons don't forget to mention how apple prettifies its images. Sorry, but no. I don't need face smoothing. By the way, photography is part science, part subjective. Not all eyes are created equal. What you see is NOT the same as what somebody else sees in regards to hue, color saturation, etc. Scoring images should be a side by side comparison using a machine to test the results.

Bottom line is anyone can can just throw together a review, be honest and have some integrity. Your review should simply be stated "I like the Apple and here is why!".

 

[snowmean]

For what exactly iPhone gain 3 points on special features? Animojies? SRSLY?

 

[srichardelliottjr]

I have used both phones extensively; I have the Note 9 512 GB model in black and the iPhone Xs Max 256 model in space gray. I like both phones; however, I think the Note 9 has a better screen, while the iPhone Xs Max has a better all around experience. The cameras are equivalent regarding daily use, with the caveat the Note 9 takes excellent photos especially in low-light, but the iPhone is better with portrait. I enjoy the Apple "ecosystem," using a Mac/iPhone/iPad/Airpods is seamless. That said, I tend to switch back to the Note 9 every other week or so to get a different perspective and keep things fresh. Note 9 wins at battery life, screen resolution, and video viewing and most importantly above all it does not have the ugly notch. For as much as I love the iPhone, I can't stand the notch, for some, it may disappear, but for me, it stays and bothers me daily. I sincerely hope that it is a temporary design and we can figure out how to move away from it in the future. I'm not sure Samsung's new strategy of the "o" in the screen is going to cut it. It may be even more intrusive than a notch. I think a small bezel on top to house cameras and speakers is perfectly acceptable for most people. The good news is that we all have a choice and can pick what we like.

 

[reico747]

To MDH2006: This brightness display is useful to those who want to choose how bright they want their phones. The Note 9 is just too bright for my eyes indoors, and I can't change that. And yes, I'm a little dissapointed that apple dropped their headphone jack so you can't charge and listen to music at the same time. BUT... this lightning jack provides a wider range of sound variable change either directly from the smartphone, or manually!
Okay, now for MY PERSONAL thoughts...
I do not care about speed when it gets past a certain point to where I do not notice. It is very helpful to have a faster internet connection like the Note 9. I, myself currently own the XR, and I would be happy to admit that the battery life is the best I've ever had. Although it only lasts a few minutes longer than the Note 9, that does not make all the difference. I like it because of the camera. Just as good as the XS MAX, but does not have lossless zoom. Touch ID lacks, but is amazingly slow compared to Face ID. I like the idea of both phones, not saying that one's batter. I just prefer apple because it would be hard for my brain to switch over to the different setup. The other reason why I have an XR instead of a Note 9 is because of the price and color.

PS: The XR comes from $499 and White, Black, Blue, Yellow, Coral, and (Product)RED.

 

[nathanlopez34]

Sorry but I also think that this review is somehow biased toward Apple.
I currently owned both devices.
iPhone XS Max 256Gb since October 2018, and Note 9 Alpine white 128gb since December 2018.
I have been an early adopter of Android and Nexus Phone and moved to IOS and iPhone devices (in order 7 > 7+, 8+, X, XS Max).
Personally that notch is annoying me. I always notice it when watching video or in certain apps not optimized. Plus IOS does not take advantage of the extra screen (e.g. the huge gap below the keyboard which is unused or the lack of multi-windows capability). Android and the Note 9 are way better at that. Face ID is surely more secure than Face/Iris recognition on Samsung but you have the choice to use it or not. I use the fingerprint scanner and it is faster than Face ID as you still have to slide on the screen to unlock after face recognition (Not even mentioning the Smart Unlock option). Speed wise, talking from my own tests Note 9 does open and switch between apps, 90% of the time, faster then XS max. Sure, overtime that may change although lets wait and see with upcoming One UI. Last but not least, I'm really disappointed with the quality of the Iphone XS Max camera, to the point were I had to bring it back for an exchange under warranty as a lot of "point and shoot" pictures came out blurry and with lack of details. After replacement, I notice similar issue with the replacement unit Apple gave me. I have the feeling that the iPhone X camera was better and therefore I think that the Smart HDR option (even when disabled) may be ruining the experience.
Overall, there is no such things as a perfect phone. These two devices are in my opinion the 2 best phablets on Android (excluding the Pixel 2 XL for this humongous notch) and IOS.