Design
The Samsung Galaxy S20 and the iPhone 11 are both premium devices, but they differ in terms of design. The Galaxy S20 is mostly glass, with a curved back and a slightly narrower body than we’re used to, making it relatively compact. It weighs 163 grams, making it feel featherweight in comparison to the iPhone 11’s 194 grams. Both phones are well constructed, with Gorilla Glass on the front and back, but the Galaxy S20 is visually a little bland while the iPhone 11 has a slick matte finish. The iPhone 11 has a square camera module, but the cameras don’t actually fill it. Both phones have IP68 water and dust resistance ratings and neither has a headphone jack.
Display
The Galaxy S20 has a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with a resolution of 3200 x 1440 and a pixel density of 563ppi. It has HDR10+ certification and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 6. The iPhone 11 has a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina HD LCD display with a resolution of 1792 x 828 and a pixel density of 326ppi. It has Dolby Vision and HDR10 certification and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass.
Performance
The Galaxy S20 is powered by the Exynos 990 chipset and 8GB of RAM. It has 128GB of internal storage which can be expanded up to 1TB via a microSD card. The iPhone 11 is powered by the A13 Bionic chipset and 4GB of RAM. It has 64GB of internal storage which is not expandable.
Camera
The Galaxy S20 has a triple rear camera setup consisting of a 12MP main sensor, a 64MP telephoto lens and a 12MP ultra-wide lens. It also has a 10MP front-facing camera. The iPhone 11 has a dual rear camera setup consisting of a 12MP main sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide lens. It also has a 12MP front-facing camera.
Battery
The Galaxy S20 has a 4,000mAh battery which supports 25W fast charging and 15W wireless charging. The iPhone 11 has a 3,110mAh battery which supports 18W fast charging and 7.5W wireless charging.
Software
The Galaxy S20 runs on Android 10 with Samsung’s One UI 2.0 skin on top. The iPhone 11 runs on iOS 13.
Design and Materials
When it comes to design and materials, the Samsung Galaxy S20 and the iPhone 11 are fairly evenly matched. Both devices feature a sleek, modern aesthetic, with the S20 boasting a glass back and the iPhone 11 featuring a more durable aluminum body. The S20 also has a larger display, measuring 6.2 inches compared to the iPhone 11’s 5.8 inches.
Display
The narrative changes when it comes to the display. The Galaxy S20 has a clear advantage over the iPhone 11, with its larger and brighter display. The S20’s display has a consistent brightness level of close to 800 nits, while the iPhone 11’s is 625 nits. The S20 also uses OLED technology, which allows for deeper contrast levels than the iPhone 11’s LCD display. Furthermore, the S20 has a Quad HD+ resolution, giving it over three times the number of pixels than the iPhone 11’s resolution. This makes the S20’s screen significantly sharper and more detailed than the iPhone 11’s.
HDR 10 Support
The Samsung Galaxy S20 also has the advantage of natively supporting HDR 10 content, while the iPhone 11 does not. This means that the S20 is capable of displaying a wider range of colors and higher levels of contrast than the iPhone 11. This makes the S20’s display more vibrant and immersive than the iPhone 11’s.
120 Hertz Refresh Rate
The Samsung Galaxy S20 boasts a 120 Hertz refresh rate, twice that of the iPhone 11, making it the smoother and more responsive smartphone. This high refresh rate provides a surreal experience when navigating between apps on its dynamic AMOLED display.
Screen to Body Ratio
The S20’s screen to body ratio of 88% is far superior to the 79% of the iPhone 11, thanks to its thinner borders and lack of a large forehead. Samsung has also toned down the curvature of the S20’s display, sacrificing some of the aesthetic appeal but not affecting the functionality.
Internal Performance
The iPhone 11 is not at all compromised in terms of internal performance, featuring the same A13 Bionic chip and four gigs of RAM as the top tier iPhone 11 Pro Max. The lower screen resolution of the iPhone 11 may even result in better performance for games and apps.
Camera
The camera situation between the Samsung Galaxy S20 and the iPhone 11 is much simpler than when comparing higher-end models. Both phones feature a 12-megapixel main camera, however, the S20 is equipped with a brand new sensor that is almost 1.7 times larger than the iPhone’s. This should result in less noise and more detail in both low-light and bright conditions. This is an important point for Samsung, as one of their camera’s weaknesses has been low-light video, but the S20 should be able to turn this into a relative strength.
RAM and Processor
The Galaxy S20 offers 8 or 12 gigs of RAM, which is the fastest RAM available on a smartphone, combined with the fastest chip seen on an Android device. The iPhone 11 has less pixels to push, meaning it can achieve higher gaming frame rates.
Software
The optimization of iOS, combined with the fact that the iPhone has far fewer pixels to push, means that more often than not it will get higher gaming frame rates. Furthermore, the quality of the software is becoming more important than the hardware when it comes to the end image.
Price
The Samsung Galaxy S20 is priced at around $999, while the iPhone 11 is priced at around $699. This makes the iPhone 11 a more affordable option for those who are looking for a high-end phone.
Camera Specifications
The Samsung Galaxy S20 and the iPhone 11 both feature triple rear cameras, with a wide-angle lens, an ultra-wide-angle lens, and a telephoto lens. The Galaxy S20 has a 12MP wide-angle lens, a 64MP telephoto lens, and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens. The iPhone 11 has a 12MP wide-angle lens, a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 12MP telephoto lens.
Video Quality
The Samsung Galaxy S20 has the edge in video quality, as it can shoot 8K video, which is four times the resolution of the iPhone 11’s 4K video. However, 8K video is not as useful as it sounds, as most people do not have an 8K monitor to watch the footage back on.
Lens Switching
The Galaxy S20 also has an advantage when it comes to switching between lenses, as the transitions are much smoother than on the iPhone 11. The iPhone 11 has been able to switch between lenses quickly since its launch, but the Galaxy S20 has improved on this.
Zoom Camera
The Galaxy S20 has a zoom camera, which can do hybrid optical zoom at three times and super resolution zoom up to 30 times. This is more advanced than the iPhone 11, which can only do digital zoom. Samsung calls this feature “Space Zoom”, but it is essentially a combination of optical magnification and cropping into the sensor, as the telephoto lens is a 64MP camera.
Overall Camera Quality
In most scenarios, the Samsung Galaxy S20 offers more versatility and better quality than the iPhone 11. The Galaxy S20 has higher resolution lenses, smoother transitions between lenses, and a more advanced zoom camera. However, the iPhone 11 is still a great choice for those who are looking for a good quality camera phone.
Hardware
The Samsung Galaxy S20 is equipped with a range of advanced hardware, including a powerful processor, more RAM, and improved cameras. The phone features a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a triple-camera setup with a 12MP main sensor, a 64MP telephoto lens, and a 12MP ultra-wide lens. It also has a 4,000mAh battery and supports 5G networks.
The iPhone 11, on the other hand, features a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina display with a 60Hz refresh rate, a dual-camera setup with a 12MP main sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 3,110mAh battery. It also supports 4G networks.
Software
The Samsung Galaxy S20 runs on Android 10 with Samsung’s One UI 2.0 skin on top. The interface is smooth and intuitive, and the phone has a range of useful features, such as the ability to take photos and videos with one button using the White and Ultra Wide cameras. It also has an improved Super Steady video mode and advanced AI capabilities.
The iPhone 11 runs on iOS 13, Apple’s latest mobile operating system. The interface is clean and easy to use, and the phone has a range of useful features, such as the ability to take portrait photos and videos with the dual-camera setup. It also has an improved Face ID system and support for Apple’s ARKit augmented reality platform.
Haptics
The Samsung Galaxy S20 features high-quality vibration motors, which have been further tuned to deliver a new level of tactility. The phone has a satisfying haptic feedback when navigating between home screens and opening applications.
The iPhone 11 also has haptic feedback when using the device, but it is not as satisfying as the Samsung Galaxy S20.
The iPhone 11 ships with a five watt charger, so you can expect the s20 to charge a lot faster.
Software Differentiators
Samsung has built Quick Share, their answer to Apple’s AirDrop, into their phones. The integration of 1080p video calling into the UI is incredibly good, and they have worked with Google to make it seamless. Although I still prefer the raw visuals of Google’s Pixel skin, Samsung’s OneUI is not far behind. The iPhone 11 software looks identical to every other iPhone, so there is not much to say about it.
Software Updates
The iPhone 11 can be expected to receive major updates for four to five more years, while the Samsung Galaxy S20 is a bit of a wild card. Its capacity is high at 4000 milliamp hours, which is 20 more than the iPhone, but battery life is something that will need to be tested in depth.
Display and Audio
The Samsung Galaxy S20 has a brighter display, larger size, higher resolution, and refreshes twice as fast. This will likely cause the battery to be drained faster. Both phones have fantastic audio with dual speaker setups and reasonably good bass.
Charging
The Samsung Galaxy S20 charges at 25 watts of power and ships with a 25 watt charger. The iPhone 11 ships with a five watt charger, so the S20 will charge a lot faster.
Storage Capacity
The Samsung Galaxy S20 starts with 128GB of expandable storage, which is generous compared to the 64GB non-expandable iPhone 11. For users who prefer to keep files stored locally, the S20 is a much safer option.
Connectivity
The S20 is a 4×4 MIMO phone, meaning it has four antennas for better signal and data bandwidth compared to the 2×2 iPhone 11. Additionally, the S20 has a 5G option, something no iPhone to date offers. This is a major advantage for those buying a phone now, as it will likely be in use until 2022 or 2023, and 5G may be a desirable feature by then.
Charging
Both phones support wireless charging, but the S20 has Fast Wireless Charging 2.0. It can also use the same charging coil to reverse charge a friend’s phone. The iPhone 11, however, ships with a 5 watt power brick, while the S20 can charge with 18 watts of power.
Security
The S20 has a more flexible security option with both face scanning and a secure ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. The iPhone 11 has Face ID, which is arguably as good or better than both of the S20’s security features combined.
Face Scanning
Face scanning has become a popular form of authentication for many smartphones, and the Samsung Galaxy S20 and iPhone 11 are no exception. The Galaxy S20 offers a face scanner that is 20 times more secure than its fingerprint scanner, making it a great choice for those who want extra security. On the other hand, the iPhone 11 offers a simpler, more seamless solution with its face scanning technology.
Pricing
The pricing structure of the Samsung Galaxy S20 and iPhone 11 varies depending on the region. In the UK, the base model of the S20 is reasonably priced, but the 5G version pushes the price up. This makes the S20 a great value for 95-97% of users, regardless of their ecosystem. However, in the US, the price gap between the two phones is larger, making it a matter of personal preference.
Comparison
For those who are still undecided, it is worth checking out the comparison between the S20 Ultra and the iPhone 11 Pro Max. This comparison should help users make an informed decision about which phone is the best fit for them.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 has a clear advantage over the iPhone 11 when it comes to display quality. The S20’s larger and brighter display, coupled with its OLED technology and Quad HD+ resolution, make it far superior to the iPhone 11’s LCD display. Furthermore, the S20’s native support for HDR 10 content makes it even more vibrant and immersive than the iPhone 11.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 and the iPhone 11 are both powerful smartphones with advanced hardware and software features. The Samsung Galaxy S20 has a more powerful processor, more RAM, improved cameras, and a higher refresh rate display. It also has a range of useful features, such as the ability to take photos and videos with one button using the White and Ultra Wide cameras. The iPhone 11 has a dual-camera setup, improved Face ID system, and support for Apple’s ARKit augmented reality platform. The Samsung Galaxy S20 has better haptic feedback than the iPhone 11.