I've been switching between Samsung's new Galaxy Note 10 and Apple's iPhone XS Max - here are the biggest differences I've noticed

Display quality

Both Apple's and Samsung's phones feature large, crisp screens capable of showing vibrant and rich colors, but there are some notable differences to be aware of.

On paper, the iPhone XS Max's screen is slightly larger and offers a higher resolution compared to the Note 10's display. The iPhone XS Max has 6.5-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2688 x 1242, while the Galaxy Note 10's display measures 6.3 inches with a resolution of 2280 x 1080.

The real question, however, is how they differ in everyday use, and the answer isn't that simple. In my side-by-side comparison, I found that the Note displayed punchier, deeper colors in some instances, but the iPhone's colors looked more genuine and balanced.

But the Note 10 features a screen that truly feels like it covers the entire face of the phone thanks to Samsung's "Infinity-O" display, which essentially makes it look like the company just punched a tiny hole through the top of the screen for the camera sensors. It's much less intrusive than the notch cutout found on the iPhone XS Max.

The Note 10's ultra-wide-angle camera vs. the iPhone's wide-angle camera

The biggest difference between the iPhone XS and Galaxy Note 10's cameras is the fact that Samsung's phone has three cameras while Apple's only has two. That gives the Note 10 a big advantage, since it can capture photos with a much wider range of view than the iPhone.

The Note 10 includes a 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera with a 123-degree field of view, a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera, and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera. The iPhone, by comparison, has two 12-megapixel cameras: one wide-angle and one telephoto.

Read more: Google's brand-new Android 10 update just launched, but the company is already thinking about what's next for Android 11

Check out the photos below to see the difference between the Note 10's ultra-wide-angle camera and the iPhone's wide-angle camera.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 ultra wide-angle

Apple iPhone XS wide angle

General camera performance

But when it comes to overall camera performance, it was the iPhone XS Max that reigned supreme based on my side-by-side testing. The iPhone XS Max's camera was able to capture colors that looked more realistic than the Note 10, and in some cases it offered crisper detail, too. The iPhone XS Max also performed better when taking photographs in dim conditions compared to the Note 10, which captured blurrier photos in the dark.

Take a look at the images below to see how they compare. In the first set of photos, you may notes that the cat's fur in the Note 10's photo looks a bit sharper, but the color is much more natural in the iPhone's picture. You'll also notice the roses in the low-light image are more detailed and clearer in the iPhone's image compared to the Note 10's.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10

iPhone XS Max

Samsung Galaxy Note 10

iPhone XS Max

Battery life

If you're looking for a smartphone that can last for a long time on a single charge, the Galaxy Note 10 and iPhone XS Max are both excellent candidates. Both phones offered similar battery life during my time using them, with the iPhone XS Max retaining 43% of its battery and the Galaxy Note 10 having 47% of its battery left after a full day of usage between the hours of about 7:45 a.m. and 11 p.m.

Of course, battery life will always vary depending on how you use your phone. But if you use your phone for basic tasks like I do, such as reading and sending emails, browsing social media, using work chat apps like Slack, streaming music, and occasionally watching YouTube videos, you can expect similar battery life.

Special features

Although I preferred the iPhone's camera over the Note 10's, Samsung's phone does offer a few perks that you can't find on any of Apple's smartphones.

Among the most notable is Samsung's S Pen stylus, which enables you to do things like take notes on screen and edit videos with better precision. I don't use the S Pen too often, but it did come in handy when I needed to keep track of reminders in a pinch, since I didn't have to unlock my phone to scribble down a few thoughts.

Plus, the Note 10 offers other convenient features, like an in-screen fingerprint scanner (which I found to be a faster and more reliable way to unlock my phone compared to Apple's Face ID) and a video-recording feature that makes sound from your surroundings less noticeable to better focus on the subject. And Samsung's software is better optimized for multitasking, since you can open more than one app on screen at once.

Apple, too, has a few special features that iPhone users will appreciate, especially when it comes to the device's software. Apple typically offers more granular and transparent privacy controls, and that's improving yet again when iOS 13 launches this fall. One such example is the new Sign In With Apple feature coming in iOS 13, which lets you log into websites and services without sharing your actual email address. Google is baking more privacy-oriented features in Android 10 as well, but it's unclear when that update will roll out to Samsung devices.

Overall thoughts

Samsung's Galaxy Note 10 and Apple's iPhone XS Max both excel in different ways. Both phones offer fast performance, high-quality screens, and long battery life, but there are a few important ways in which they differ.

The iPhone's camera generally performed better than the Note 10's, despite its lack of an ultra-wide-angle camera, and its screen displayed colors that seemed more genuine and accurate. Plus, Apple pushes its software updates to all compatible iPhone models at the same time, so you won't be waiting for months to get the latest features and privacy updates.

The Note 10, however, is much better for multitasking, given its stylus and ability to run more than one app simultaneously. Since it has both an in-screen fingerprint sensor and facial recognition, unlocking the phone and jumping right into the task at hand felt much more fluid and seamless. The Note 10's design also feels much more sleek and polished, particularly because it has a screen that truly feels like it stretches from edge-to-edge, since it doesn't feature a notch that's as noticeable as the iPhone's.