Apple iPhone 8 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
The Verdict
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ decisively outperforms the iPhone 8 Plus across nearly every dimension. Starting with display quality, the Note 10+ features a stunning 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen with 3040x1440 resolution and 1200 nits brightness, compared to the iPhone's 5.5-inch 1920x1080 IPS LCD at 625 nits. Performance differences are substantial: the Snapdragon 855 paired with 12GB RAM vastly outpaces the A11 Bionic with 3GB RAM, particularly for multitasking and demanding apps. Camera capabilities heavily favor Samsung, offering a versatile quad-camera system including ultrawide and ToF depth sensor versus Apple's dual setup. Battery capacity nearly doubles (4300mAh vs 2691mAh) with faster 45W charging. Software maturity slightly favors iPhone, but the Note 10+ delivers superior overall capability. At $300 more, Samsung provides substantially better specs and features, making it the clear winner for serious smartphone users.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Apple iPhone 8 Plus if…
- →Wireless charging added to iPhone for the first time
- →Portrait Lighting effects for depth photography
- →Powerful A11 Bionic chipset
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ if…
- →S Pen with air gesture controls and Bluetooth LE
- →Gorgeous 6.8-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED display
- →45W super fast charging for rapid top-ups
Category Scores
Pros & Cons
Apple iPhone 8 Plus
Pros
- Wireless charging added to iPhone for the first time
- Portrait Lighting effects for depth photography
- Powerful A11 Bionic chipset
- True Tone display technology
- Touch ID still preferred by many users
Cons
- Dated thick-bezel home button design
- Large bezels waste screen real estate
- Glass back cracks easily
- No headphone jack
- Overshadowed by iPhone X launch
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
Pros
- S Pen with air gesture controls and Bluetooth LE
- Gorgeous 6.8-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED display
- 45W super fast charging for rapid top-ups
- 12 GB RAM handles multitasking effortlessly
- Versatile quad-camera system with ToF depth sensor
Cons
- 60Hz display when competitors were moving to high refresh rates
- No headphone jack — a first for the Note series
- Exynos variant has weaker GPU performance than Snapdragon
- Glass back is slippery and fragile without a case
- Samsung software updates have ended
Full Specifications
| Spec | Apple iPhone 8 Plus | Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ |
|---|---|---|
| Software | iOS 11 | Android 9 (One UI 1.5) |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 202 g | 196 g |
| Material | Aluminum frame, glass back | Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass front and back |
| IP rating | IP67 | IP68 |
| Dimensions | 158.4 x 78.1 x 7.5 mm | 162.3 x 77.2 x 7.9 mm |
| Camera | ||
| Main camera | 12 MP, f/1.8, OIS | 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS |
| Front camera | 7 MP, f/2.2 | 10 MP, f/2.2 |
| Video | 4K@60fps | 4K@60fps, Super Steady |
| Telephoto | 12 MP, f/2.8, 2x optical zoom | 12 MP, f/2.1, 2x optical zoom |
| Depth | — | VGA ToF 3D sensor |
| Ultrawide | — | 16 MP, f/2.2 |
| Memory | ||
| RAM | 3 GB | 12 GB |
| Storage options | 64 GB, 256 GB | 256 GB, 512 GB |
| Battery | ||
| Capacity | 2691 mAh | 4300 mAh |
| Charging | 18W wired (adapter sold separately) | 45W wired |
| Wireless charging | 7.5W Qi | 15W, Wireless PowerShare |
| Display | ||
| Size | 5.5 inches | 6.8 inches |
| Type | Retina IPS LCD | Dynamic AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3040 x 1440 |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 60Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 625 | 1200 |
| Processor | ||
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x2.39 GHz + 4x1.7 GHz) | Octa-core |
| GPU | Apple GPU (3-core) | Adreno 640 / Mali-G76 MP12 |
| Chipset | Apple A11 Bionic | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 / Exynos 9825 |
| Connectivity | ||
| 5G | ||
| NFC | ||
| USB | Lightning | USB-C 3.1 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.0 |
Related Comparisons
This comparison is based on verified manufacturer specifications covering display, performance, camera, battery, and build quality. Scores are generated by analyzing specs across weighted categories on a 10-point scale. Learn more about our methodology.
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