Every year, the tech world will be flooded with new flagship phones from the big smartphone manufacturers: Apple, Google, Samsung and in recent years, Chinese brands like OnePlus have joined the fight. With these many options, many are wondering whether it is better to get an Android phone or the iPhone? We have summarised the phones which we will be compared below.
| Phone Model | iPhone XS Max | Google Pixel 3 XL | Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus | Huawei P30 Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OS | iOS 12 | Android 9.0 (Pie) | Android 9.0 (Pie) | Android 9.0 (Pie) |
| Dimensions | 157.5 x 77.4 x 7.7 mm | 158 x 76.7 x 7.9 mm | 157.6 x 74.1 x 7.8 mm | 158 x 73.4 x 8.4 mm |
| Weight | 208 g | 184 g | 175 g / 198 g (ceramic) | 192 g |
| Screen size | 6.5 inches | 6.3 inches | 6.4 inches | 6.47 inches |
| Resolution | 1,242 x 2688 | 1440 x 2960 | 1440 x 3040 | 1080 x 2340 |
| CPU | A12 Bionic | Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 | HiSilicon Kirin 980 |
| RAM | 4 GB | 4 GB | 8/ 12 GB | 8 GB |
| Internal Storage | 64/ 256/ 512 GB | 64/ 128 GB | 128/ 512 GB/ 1 TB | 256/512GB |
| Battery | 3174 mAh | 3430 mAh | 4,100 mAh | 4,200 mAh |
| Price (SGD) | $1799/ $2039/ $2349 | $1399/ $1549 | $1398/ $1798/ $2198 | $1398/ $1698 |
Before we dive deeper into each individual flagship phone, we can see that across the board, these phones have very similar dimensions, screen sizes and weight. This seems to be what the market is driving towards, bigger screen and lighter phones.
Another thing you may notice is that the iPhone and Pixel’s battery capacity is significantly lesser than the rest of the phones. However, you have to understand that Apple and Google also create the OS for their respective device and hence, the battery can be optimised for efficiency despite the smaller capacity.
With that out of the way, we will now look at how each of these phones stacks up.
1. iPhone XS Max
The flagship iPhone XS Max runs on Apple’s own A12 Bionic chipset which is optimised for the iPhone. This makes up for the mere 4 GB of RAM.
Overall, the chipset helps to boosts the iPhone’s performance significantly giving it one of the best benchmark scores.
The highest storage you can purchase is 512 GB which should be more than anyone would need for a normal use case.
iPhone’s camera is very impressive too and Apple has definitely done a good job in this department. iPhone has the Apple logo attached to it, which gives your phone a premium branding.
Due to this, the iPhone is the priciest one on this list.
2. Google Pixel 3 XL
The Pixel 3 XL comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, which is not the newest one.
It comes with 4GB of RAM and the maximum storage is one of the lowest, up to only 128 GB and has no support for SD card. However, what stands out for the Pixel 3 XL is its superb camera software.
Compared to its competition which has more than 1 rear camera, the Pixel 3 XL only has 1. However, many experts still agree it has the best camera on any smartphone due to how the camera software processes the image.
Its night sight is also one of the best in the market. Also, Google Pixel 3 XL also offers true stock Android experience, with no bloatware or customisation from manufacturers.
Furthermore, the price of the Pixel 3 XL is on the lower end in this comparison.
3. Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
The Galaxy S10 Plus comes with a flexible OLED display and has one of the nicest screens in the market.
It also has the storage capacity in this list with the highest-end model having 1 TB of internal storage and also support up to 1 TB of expandable storage! That’s a massive 2 TB in total which many of our PC do not even have that much space.
It is supported by the Snapdragon 855 chipset and has up to 12 GB of RAM, so you can expect very high performance from your phone.
On the back, you can find that there are 3 rear cameras. It performs well in various scenarios tested, even in low light condition. However, all this comes with a hefty price tag for its high-end model which cost more than $2000.
It is still heartening to know the model with an internal storage of 128 GB, and 8 GB of RAM is almost the same price as the Pixel 3 XL.
4. Huawei P30 Pro
Next up, we have the Huawei P30 Pro. Like it’s competitor, the P30 Pro also comes with an OLED display, which seems to be the standard for a high-end smartphone.
Interestingly, it runs on it is on Kirin 980 processor and have 8 GB of RAM.
Just like Pixel 3 XL, the benchmark score is not impressive. However, it is still a fast phone for normal usage. Even if you are using it for gaming, it should be powerful enough to run the more graphic intensive games smoothly.
The P30 Pro also has 3 rear cameras and it rivals very well with the Pixel 3 XL in terms of camera score.
It offers up to 512 GB of internal storage and the price are also lower compared to the S10 Plus and iPhone.
Winner Takes All: Pixel 3 XL
If we have to choose one flagship model, we will choose the Pixel 3 XL. The storage capacity is very little, but it is sufficient for most people. Besides, all your photos can be uploaded to Google Photos for FREE. For those who take lots of photos, this means that not only you can enjoy “unlimited” storage, but also you get the best camera on the market now.
The benchmark results may be disappointing, but it still runs without a hitch after a long term of intensive usage by us. What differs Pixel 3 XL from its Android competition is that you get to enjoy the latest Android update first, so you get the newest features and even security updates first.
However, if you want a little of everything, get the Samsung S10 Plus. It has impressive storage and has one of the highest benchmark scores. It should be able to last you for a few years. The camera is also decent despite not being rated as one of the best.
What is your take on the best flagship phone to get in 2019? Let us know!
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