#Galaxy S20 Ultra vs iPhone 11 Pro Max Test Comparison

#11

Rob, that’s location specific.

Subsidies are carrier specific and some people only can use one carrier due to coverage. In certain places, you’re correct that a voice line cost the same regardless and you could commit to a term and get a subsidy on a phone, so effectively your phone was “free” in return for a minimum term or paying an exit fee to move early.

However if you have a lot of network carrier options, usually you must pay more per month on average to get a subsidy so it is a form or hire purchase, and in those cases it can be lower 2 year cost to be a month-by-month and move between carriers. That has been what I have done mostly. In USA jumping between ATT, T-Mobile and their MVNOs.

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#12

I don’t know if this belongs here, and while I’m an Apple user I’m by no means an Apple fanboy. Still, one has to wonder:

  • Apple removes headphone jack. Everyone: “Absurd! Unthinkable! It’s time to move on from Apple!”
  • Other manufacturers remove headphone jack. Everyone: “It’s OK, I guess. Time to move to Bluetooth audio alright.”
  • Apple puts a notch on the screen. Everuone: “Ugly! Horrible! Terrible design!”
  • Other manufacturers put a noth on the screen. Everyone: “Well, it’s the only way to accomodate the cameras while still having a full frontal screen. We need the notch because of reasons.”
  • Apple puts all camera lens in an array on a square bump. Everyone: “Trypophobia! Horrendous! Who would want that?!”
  • Other manufacturers do the same. Everyone: “Meh. It’s there, I guess.”
  • Apple makes a $1000+ phone. Everyone: “No one will buy it! Too expensive! No justification!”
  • Other manufacturers release $1000+ phones. Everyone: “It’s the price of the tech. It has so much inside it must cost this much. Great value for money.”

Contrary to popular belief, Apple is not that much of an innovator. It usually improves on existant tech. But, sometime, it takes the lead, and whenever it happens, people freak out - remember not having a disc slot in a notebook?

We are at a moment where any high end tech, from any manufacturer, will be virtually the same - meaning, most likely more than enough for the average user. Also, durable. If you bought a phone in the last three to four years and took good care of it, it still probably works fine. As long as you can get the latest OS in your device and it works for you, I say keep the tech you have before upgrading.

4 Likes
#13

In perspective, I’m happy with £1000 for a phone.

#14

Well can you count each of those claims? How many complaints of each bullet?

I’d say that a phone is a set of compromises, the form factor calls for each component to be justified, e.g. the audio jack, removal allows something else improved like room for a bigger battery, or wireless charging.

The criticism of Apple is they didn’t when they removed audio jack then lower price. They deserve the most criticism as they keep prices high for no good reason other than Palo Alto Teslas are expensive.

I never complained about removing audio jack, nor the notch. I been using BT buds for years because the cable was a cause of phone accidents, and a notch comment is a sign of a small mind as we only truly see new and change and then blind so a notch becomes invisible after a while.

#15

I am fine with the audio jack going away, has given me freedom, to keep the smartphone in my backpack when i commute or go for trail walks, plus awesome wireless headsets (from Anker Soundcore :slight_smile: )

But the price jump each new model brings , for the minicular updates on slight features here and there is ridiculous… only talking for iPhones here… now with S20, Apple has whole new reason to hike the prices up again…

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#16

While this is generally true, they often get less credit because other manufacturers release their products more quickly. But one thing you need to give Apple more credit for is turning a technology mainstream. For example, wireless charging. Wireless charging technology existed in smartphones starting 2012, but Apple didn’t hop on until 2017 with iPhone 8/X. Before then, the wireless charging standard was still fragmented (remember Powermat?). Once Apple signed with Qi, the battle was over. Sure, Powermat is still around, but Qi is the universal standard.

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Apple planning over-the-air OS recovery for iOS devices based on iOS 13.4
#17

In general, I hate camera tests. All of the newer smartphones have great cameras. The biggest difference (the real difference) will be the person taking the pictures.

Until last year, my friend had a Galaxy Note 4. He took better pictures with that than pretty much anyone I know, even people with iPhone Xs Max. He has an eye for photography plus he knows how to use all the settings on his camera. He has since upgraded to a newer Note and … his photos don’t look any different than the older Note.

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#18

This is true… it’s the art of photography that makes the photos come to life!

#19

Wow, when you got it, don’t forget to share your thought here. Lol

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#20

:relaxed:he always shows some facts to users easily.

#21

You are the fan of oneplus!:smile:

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#22

Certainly will!

#23

True. Mobile payment also only really got mainstream when Apple released Apple Pay.

#24

This exactly what I do. Unless I see technical problems or the phone is not durable (let’s say the battery drains too quick) I will not go for an upgrade. I used go for the flagship but since the last time, I started to evaluate how much I get use of $1000 phone and I cannot justify the expense.
I’m still an Apple user, but the next time I upgrade I may go with 1 or 2 previous generations that way the cost is lower and the tech inside is still not that old.
I may even consider switching to Android but unsure at this time.

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#25

Data?

Sure it wasn’t Samsung Pay?

#26

I love Samsung Pay :sunglasses:

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#27

I haven’t found (*) any decent reports, on uptake of Apple vs Samsung vs Google mobile contactless payment systems, to know for sure how each grew, but I distinctly remember a period when there was Samsung pay working broadly and not yet Apple nor Google. So I feel it was probably Samsung who helped champion the idea.

As Android is about 2/3rds of the mobile market, I would not be surprised if Google Pay isn’t by now the most commonly used, probably Apple 2nd and Samsung 3rd.

** There is one report I found but its not free, and from the summary it seems highly country specific.

#28

Well, there’s a little of anecdote in my impression. Here in Canada, at least, where we had contactless credit cards for a while - meaning that virtually every retailer was already ready for payments via smartphones. Only a few banks provided the service - less than the “Big 5”, the five major banks in Canada - so even if you had a phone capable of doing it, you would have to also be a client of one of the few banks offering the service. As a result you wouldn’t see many people putting their smartphones to the machine to pay for stuff. Then Apple released Apple Pay, and within a week all Big 5 claimed they would support it, followed shortly after by most banks. Shortly after the new iPhone was in the streets, you could see people paying with their phones a lot more - iPhones and others.

But that story, as amusing as it is, is no data, I must agree. So here’s some - not from Canada, but still valid:



Check the data on the very last part of this infographic:

Apple Pay has more users than Samsung Pay - even if there are more Samsung phones than iPhones.

Check the number of countries where Samsung Pay, Apple Pay and Google Pay are accepted. Apple Pay is almost double Samsung Pay, that alone gives a clue about who could make it mainstream.

Again, according to the table in the article, Apple Pay has more than double the usage of Samsung Pay

If you are in the US, you might not have had the same impression - as I remember, it took a while for even credit card contactless payments to be a thing there, let alone upgrade all machines to accept smartphone contactless payments.

3 Likes
#29

I personally feel Apple pay is very useful application of iPhone, very handy and helpful.

using Apple Pay for almost 90% of times when I am out shopping, have reduced number of credit cards in my wallet from 6 to 1 …

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#30

Contactless payment is less prevalent in US than Europe (and Canada, apparently :innocent: ) so in California for example it was only Trader Joe’s I shopped in took it.

In UK everywhere takes contactless, many places have no minimum and so I hold my Wear OS watch to the terminal and it works in 90% of places. There is 30ukp limit but that’s ample for most shops.

But I have 3 LTE devices and 3 smartwatches and in one combination of use I am carrying my 8.4" phone in a big pocket / bag and interact just with my watch and BT buds til I am stationary.