Crystal Cox/Business Insider
- I typically use an iPhone, but after temporarily switching to Samsung's Galaxy S20 I found several advantages that Samsung offers over Apple.
- Samsung's new phone stands out for its ultra-fast display, edge-to-edge design, and amusing camera features.
- Plus, like all Android phones, the Galaxy S20's software generally offers more customization and personalization.
- Some of those perks come at a trade-off, however. The Galaxy S20 has a more subtle camera cutout than the iPhone, but Apple's facial recognition tech is generally perceived as being more secure.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
If you never leave the house without AirPods in your pocket and an Apple Watch on your wrist, it's probably going to take a lot of convincing to get you to consider any smartphone that's not an iPhone.
One of Apple's biggest advantages is how well its ecosystem of products works together, surely an asset that helps secure its installed base of more than 900 million iPhone owners as loyalists.
I usually fall into that category - while I occasionally switch to Android devices for a couple of weeks or months at a time, I've used the iPhone as my primary smartphone of choice for years.
Whether an iPhone or an Android device like the Galaxy S20 is best for you depends on a variety of factors, including how much you're willing to spend, what features matter to you most, and what software ecosystem you feel most comfortable in.
But switching to one of Samsung's latest smartphones, the Galaxy S20 Ultra, has served as a reminder of the key ways in which Apple and Samsung - 2 of the world's most popular phone vendors - differentiate themselves. While the iPhone 11 Pro stands out for its sharp camera, lower price compared to the S20 Ultra, and lighter design, Samsung's top-of-the-line smartphone has an ultra-fast screen, a massive display that truly feels like it extends from edge-to-edge, and a fun camera feature I've come to appreciate.
It's also worth keeping in mind, however, that some of my favorite things about the S20 require certain trade-offs. You can turn up the refresh rate, but you may have to sacrifice battery life and screen resolution, for example.
Here's a closer look at the characteristics that stood out to me the most after regularly using an iPhone for years.