Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S20
The Quick Answer
Both flagships deliver excellent performance but excel in different areas.
The Verdict
Both flagships deliver excellent performance but excel in different areas. iPhone 12 Pro Max dominates with its Super Retina XDR OLED display at 1200 nits brightness and the powerful A14 Bionic chip, which still ranks among the fastest processors available. Its camera system shines for computational photography and video stabilization, particularly with Dolby Vision HDR recording at 4K@60fps. However, the 226g weight and 60Hz display feel dated compared to competitors. Galaxy S20 counters with a lighter 163g build, 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 3200x1440 resolution, and superior raw camera specs: 64MP telephoto with 3x hybrid zoom and 8K video recording capability. The larger 4000mAh battery and faster 25W charging provide practical advantages for daily use. S20's 12GB RAM versus iPhone's 6GB matters less due to iOS optimization, but Android flexibility appeals to power users. Display refresh rate and screen resolution favor Samsung significantly at this size. Camera performance depends on use case: iPhone excels at video and night mode, Samsung offers superior zoom and megapixel count. Price-wise, both are premium devices at similar costs, though the S20 offers more RAM and faster charging. iPhone 12 Pro Max wins for video creators and ecosystem enthusiasts, while Galaxy S20 suits those prioritizing display smoothness and zoom capabilities.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max if…
- →Large 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display
- →Sensor-shift OIS exclusive to Pro Max
- →Excellent battery life for an iPhone
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S20 if…
- →Compact flagship with 120Hz QHD+ AMOLED
- →5G support across all S20 models
- →12 GB RAM was generous
Category Scores
Pros & Cons
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
Pros
- Large 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display
- Sensor-shift OIS exclusive to Pro Max
- Excellent battery life for an iPhone
- Dolby Vision HDR video recording
- 5G support across sub-6 and mmWave
Cons
- No 120Hz ProMotion display
- Heavy at 226 g
- 60Hz refresh rate felt dated in 2020
- Lightning port
- No charger included in the box
Samsung Galaxy S20
Pros
- Compact flagship with 120Hz QHD+ AMOLED
- 5G support across all S20 models
- 12 GB RAM was generous
- microSD card slot
- Lightweight at 163 g
Cons
- 120Hz required FHD+ resolution at launch
- $999 base price was a $100 increase
- Slow 25W charging
- 64 MP telephoto hybrid zoom not as sharp as optical
- 8K video was impractical due to file sizes
Full Specifications
| Spec | Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S20 |
|---|---|---|
| Software | iOS 14 | Android 10, One UI 2.1 |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 226 g | 163 g |
| Material | Stainless steel frame, Ceramic Shield front | Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass 6 |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Dimensions | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4 mm | 151.7 x 69.1 x 7.9 mm |
| Camera | ||
| Main camera | 12 MP, f/1.6, sensor-shift OIS | 12 MP, f/1.8, OIS |
| Front camera | 12 MP TrueDepth, f/2.2 | 10 MP, f/2.2 |
| Video | 4K@60fps, Dolby Vision HDR | 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps |
| Telephoto | 12 MP, f/2.2, 2.5x optical zoom | 64 MP, f/2.0, 3x hybrid zoom |
| Ultrawide | 12 MP, f/2.4 | 12 MP, f/2.2 |
| Memory | ||
| RAM | 6 GB | 12 GB |
| Storage options | 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB | 128 GB |
| Battery | ||
| Capacity | 3687 mAh | 4000 mAh |
| Charging | 20W wired | 25W wired |
| Wireless charging | 15W MagSafe | 15W wireless |
| Display | ||
| Size | 6.7 inches | 6.2 inches |
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED | Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
| Resolution | 2778 x 1284 | 3200 x 1440 |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 120Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 1200 | 1200 |
| Processor | ||
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz + 4x1.8 GHz) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz + 3x2.42 GHz + 4x1.8 GHz) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (4-core) | Adreno 650 |
| Chipset | Apple A14 Bionic | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 |
| Connectivity | ||
| 5G | ||
| NFC | ||
| USB | Lightning | USB-C 3.2 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.0 |
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