With the launch of the new iPhone XS Max, Apple is taking on Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9.
The new extra-large iPhone has a big, beautiful OLED (organic, light-emitting diode) display, impressive battery life, and a high-end camera – much like the Note 9, which was introduced last month.
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Both smartphones cost more than US$1,000, which seems to be the new standard price for high-end smartphones.
iPhone XS Max vs Galaxy Note 9
In fact, the two devices offer so many of the same features that they are neck and neck for the title of best smartphone on the market.
There are a few ways the iPhone XS Max beats the Galaxy Note 9.
Colour range
For one, the XS Max comes in three colours, while the Note 9 comes in only two.
The iPhone XS Max is available in gold, space grey and silver.
Buyers of the Galaxy Note 9 can choose between models in ocean blue or lavender purple – arguably a bit more fun than the iPhone XS Max’s hues.
Apple’s iOS 12 operating system
Out of the box, the iPhone XS Max will run iOS 12, the latest version of Apple’s smartphone operating system.
The new OS has grouped messaging tools to limit your screen time, personalised animated avatars called Memoji and a new feature called Siri Shortcuts.
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The Galaxy Note 9, on the other hand, runs Android 8.1 Oreo, which is already one generation old.
Yet in a lot of ways, the two phones are identical.
iPhone XS Max has the biggest display – just
They have almost the same-sized display – but not quite.
The displays on both the iPhone XS Max and the Galaxy Note 9 are among the largest available today.
The iPhone XS Max is bigger by a hair’s width: its display is 6.5 inches in length, while the Galaxy Note 9’s is 6.4 inches.
How do the phones weigh up?
The smartphones weigh about the same, too, though the iPhone XS Max is a tiny bit heavier.
The iPhone XS Max weighs 7.34 ounces (0.2kg), while the Galaxy Note 9 weighs 7.09 ounces.
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And their memory?
Both phones come with up to half a terabyte (TB) of memory.
The iPhone XS comes with more storage options, but both phones offer up to 512GB of space.
However, the Galaxy Note 9 does offer expandable storage of up to 512GB, meaning your phone could have up to 1 TB of total capacity if you get a card with 512GB of storage.
Both phones have top-of-the-line cameras
Both the Galaxy Note 9 and the iPhone XS Max have incredible, high-end cameras.
Here are some of the specs they share:
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Dual 12 megapixel wide-angle and telephoto lenses.
2x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom.
Portrait mode.
Customisable augmented-reality emoji.
Both phones also have a front-facing camera, which can take portrait-mode selfies and contain sensors for unlocking your phone with your face.
Both phones have smart assistants
Both the Galaxy Note 9 and the iPhone XS Max have built-in smart assistants – Bixby and Siri, respectively – to help with tasks like search queries, timers and messages
Neither smart assistant has reached the level of usefulness of Google Assistant or Amazon’s Alexa.
Still, they are there if you want them – Bixby can be activated by pressing a button on the left side of the phone, while Siri can be activated by pressing and holding the power button.
The Galaxy Note 9 offers a built-in stylus
As with other Note phones before it, the Galaxy Note 9 comes with a built-in stylus.
Called the S Pen, the stylus fits inside the phone and can be popped out at any time to take notes, draw, edit photos, or do more complex tasks such as booking travel arrangements.
New this year is Bluetooth Low Energy, which allows the S Pen to be used as a remote for presentations or for taking photos.
Headphones still work with a Galaxy Note 9
Unlike the iPhone XS Max, the Galaxy Note 9 sports a traditional headphone socket, so older wired headphones will still work with the phone without requiring a dongle.
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Galaxy Note 9’s battery lasts slightly longer
We have not been able to put the phones’ battery life to the test ourselves, but all signs point to the Galaxy Note 9 offering slightly longer battery life than the iPhone XS Max.
The Note 9 has a 4,000-mAh battery, while the iPhone XS Max has a 3,179-mAh battery.
Tests by the Tom’s Guide website found that the Note 9 managed 11 hours and 26 minutes of battery life, while the XS Max got 10 hours and 38 minutes.
Both phones offer wireless charging.
Galaxy 9 can be used as a desktop computer
One other way the Galaxy Note 9 beats the iPhone XS Max is through Samsung DeX, a feature that allows the phone to be used as a desktop computer.
The feature requires an HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) cable to connect the phone with a monitor.
Once connected, the phone will work as both the desktop operating system and a touchpad.
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Which phone is cheaper?
If you are worried about price, then the Galaxy Note 9 is a better deal.
Its cheapest model costs US$100 less than the lowest-priced iPhone XS Max.
The iPhone XS Max starts from US$1,099, while the Galaxy Note 9 starts at US$999.99.
But at the top end, the most expensive XS Max costs as much as US$1,449 – a little more than the corresponding Note 9, which can cost up to US$1,249.99.
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This article originally appeared on Business Insider.
