#SmartphonesFaceoff: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 v/s Apple iPhone X
What's the story
Samsung recently launched its most advanced smartphone ever, the Galaxy Note 9. And given how the phone fares against the top-end flagships, it is safe to say that Note 9 is the most powerful Android phone available today. However, there is one device, from another spectrum, that comes close to challenging the Note 9 - 2017's iPhone X. Here's our comparison.
Information
Price factor
Both the Apple iPhone X and the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 start at $1,000 for their respective 64GB and 128GB base models. However, the top-end iPhone X with 256GB storage costs $1,150 and the top-tier Galaxy Note 9 with 512GB storage is priced at $1,250.
Design
At a glance
The Note 9 retains the design of its predecessor - the Note 8. Hence, you get a display curved on both sides with slim but prominent top and bottom bezels. On the back, there is a dual camera setup and fingerprint sensor housed in a glass panel. On the other hand, iPhone X is hard to beat here with its trendsetting notch and bezel-less edge-to-edge design. Winner: iPhone X.
Display
All about the screen
The Note 9 sports a 6.4-inch QHD+ (2,960 x 1,440 pixels) Super AMOLED display with a pixel density of 516ppi and an aspect ratio of 18.5:9. On the other hand, the iPhone X features a 5.8-inch Super Retina AMOLED display with a resolution of 2,436 x 1,125 pixels (458ppi) and an aspect ratio of 19.5.9. Winner: Note 9 for its crisper display.
Primary Camera
For the shutterbugs
Note 9 sports a wide-angle dual pixel 12-megapixel sensor with a variable aperture (f/1.5-f/2.4), coupled with a 12-megapixel (f/2.4) telephoto sensor with 2x optical zoom and up to 10x digital zoom. The iPhone X gets a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens with an f/1.8 aperture, paired with a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture, with OIS on both lenses. Winner: Note 9 for better optics.
Selfie Camera
For the love of Selfies
The iPhone X gets a 7MP front TrueDepth camera with an f/2.2 aperture. Further, on the software front, Apple has offered Portrait mode with several lighting options to offer DSLR quality images. The Note 9 does seem to have a better setup with an 8MP f/1.7 sensor and AI-based enhancements. However, it's a very close-run and hence a tie.
Internals
All the important stuff
Note 9 gets a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor/Exynos 9810 chipset, paired with 6GB/8GB RAM and 128GB/512GB storage (supports up to 512GB microSD card). The iPhone X features Apple's A11 Bionic chipset, paired with 3GB of RAM and 64GB/256GB of non-expandable storage. And while both the chipsets are top-notch, it's a plus one to Note 9 for its extraordinary storage capabilities.
Battery & Connectivity
Staying connected
While both the phones support fast charging and also wireless charging, the 4,000mAh battery on the Note 9 gives it a clear advantage over iPhone X's 2,716mAh battery. Moreover, Note 9 comes with a new S Pen that can pair with the phone to offer various shortcuts and inbuilt DeX system whereas iPhone X clearly lacks on this front. Winner: Samsung Galaxy Note 9.
Our result
How things stack up!
The iPhone X is undoubtedly a great device with a trendsetting design. On the other hand, the Note 9 has clear advantages in terms of display, battery, storage, cameras and even additional connectivity with S Pen and DeX. Notably, Note 9 has released just recently while iPhone X is almost a year old now. But for comparison's sake, our winner is Note 9.