If you are looking for a new smartphone, you might be wondering which one is better for you: the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus or the Apple iPhone XS Max. These are two of the most popular and powerful flagship phones in the market, and they have a lot to offer in terms of design, performance, camera, features, and price. However, they also have some differences and drawbacks that you should consider before making your decision.

In this article, we will compare and contrast the S10 Plus vs iPhone XS Max in various aspects, such as design and display, performance and battery, camera and audio, features and extras, and price and value. We will also give you our recommendation on which phone is better for you based on your needs and preferences. By the end of this article, you will have a clear idea of the pros and cons of each phone, and you will be able to make an informed choice. Let’s get started!

Design and Display

• The S10 Plus has a 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with a resolution of 1440 x 3040 pixels and a pixel density of 526 ppi. The iPhone XS Max has a 6.5-inch Super Retina OLED display with a resolution of 1242 x 2688 pixels and a pixel density of 458 ppi. Both displays support HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, but the S10 Plus has a higher resolution and pixel density than the iPhone XS Max.

• The S10 Plus has a glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), a glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), and an aluminum frame. The iPhone XS Max has a glass front (Corning-made glass), a glass back (Corning-made glass), and a stainless steel frame. Both phones are IP68 dust/water resistant, but the iPhone XS Max can withstand up to 2 m of water for 30 min, while the S10 Plus can withstand up to ( 1.5 m of water for 30 min) .

• The S10 Plus has a hole-punch design for the front-facing cameras, while the iPhone XS Max has a notch design for the front-facing camera and the Face ID sensors. The S10 Plus has an in-display fingerprint scanner, while the iPhone XS Max has Face ID as the main biometric authentication method.

• The S10 Plus measures 157.6 x 74.1 x 7.8 mm and weighs 175 g (or 198 g for the ceramic version). The iPhone XS Max measures 157.5 x 77.4 x 7.7 mm and weighs 208 g. The S10 Plus is slightly thinner and lighter than the iPhone XS Max, but both phones have similar dimensions and are considered large and heavy devices.

Performance and Battery

•  The S10 Plus has two variants of processors: 

the Exynos 9820 (8 nm) for EMEA/LATAM regions, and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) for USA/China regions. The iPhone XS Max has the Apple A12 Bionic (7 nm) processor for all regions. The Exynos 9820 has an octa-core CPU with ( 2 x 2.7 GHz, 2 x 2.3 GHz, and 4 x 1.9 GHz cores). The Snapdragon 855 has an octa-core CPU with ( 1 x 2.84 GHz), ( 3 x 2.42 GHz), and ( 4 x 1.78 GHz) cores. The A12 Bionic has a hexa-core CPU with ( 2 x 2.5 GHz) and ( 4 x 1.6 GHz) cores. The S10 Plus has a higher CPU speed than the iPhone XS Max, but the iPhone XS Max has a smaller semiconductor size and a higher memory bandwidth than the S10 Plus.

•  The S10 Plus has three options of memory and storage: 

8 GB RAM + 128 GB ROM, 8 GB RAM + 512 GB ROM, and 12 GB RAM + 1 TB ROM. The iPhone XS Max has three options of memory and storage: ( 4 GB RAM + 64 GB ROM), ( 4 GB RAM + 256 GB ROM), and ( 4 GB RAM + 512 GB ROM). The S10 Plus has more RAM and storage than the iPhone XS Max, and also has an external memory slot that supports up to 512 GB microSD cards. The iPhone XS Max does not have an external memory slot.

• The S10 Plus runs on Android 9.0 (Pie), which is upgradable to Android 12, and has the One UI 4.1 skin on top. The iPhone XS Max runs on iOS 12, which is upgradable to iOS 17.3. Both operating systems have their own advantages and disadvantages, such as customization, security, app compatibility, etc. The S10 Plus supports regular wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, which lets you charge other Qi-equipped devices. The iPhone XS Max supports regular wireless charging and Apple Pay.
• The S10 Plus has a 4100 mAh battery, which can last up to 21 hours of talk time, 15 hours of web browsing, or 18 hours of video playback. The iPhone XS Max has a 3174 mAh battery, which can last up to 25 hours of talk time, 13 hours of web browsing, or 15 hours of video playback. The S10 Plus has a larger battery capacity than the iPhone XS Max, but the iPhone XS Max has a longer talk time than the S10 Plus. Both phones support fast charging and wireless charging

Camera and Audio

• The S10 Plus has a triple camera setup on the rear, consisting of a 12 MP wide-angle lens with variable aperture (f/1.5 or f/2.4), a 12 MP telephoto lens with [ f/2.4] aperture, and a 16 MP ultra wide-angle lens with [ f/2.2 aperture]. The iPhone XS Max has a dual camera setup on the rear, consisting of a 12 MP wide-angle lens with [ f/1.8] aperture and a 12 MP telephoto lens with [ f/2.4 aperture]. Both phones have optical image stabilization and optical zoom (2x) for both lenses, and digital zoom (10x) for the wide-angle lens. The S10 Plus has an advantage over the iPhone XS Max in that it can capture a wider field of view with its ultra wide-angle lens, which is useful for landscapes and group shots.

• The S10 Plus has a dual camera setup on the front, consisting of a 10 MP wide-angle lens with f/1.9 aperture and an 8 MP depth sensor with [ f/2.2] aperture. The iPhone XS Max has a single camera setup on the front, consisting of a 7 MP lens with [ f/2.2] aperture. Both phones have depth sensing capabilities for portrait selfies, but the S10 Plus has a higher resolution and a wider aperture than the iPhone XS Max for the front-facing cameras.

• Both phones can record 4K video at 24, 30, or 60 fps, and 1080p video at 30, 60, 120, or 240 fps. Both phones also support { HDR10 } and Dolby Vision for enhanced video quality. The S10 Plus has a feature called Super Steady that uses the ultra wide-angle lens and software stabilization to reduce shakes and jitters in videos, especially in action scenes. The iPhone XS Max has a feature called Cinematic Video Stabilization that uses the wide-angle lens and optical stabilization to smooth out videos, especially in low-light conditions.

• Both phones have stereo speakers that deliver loud and clear sound, but the iPhone XS Max has a slight edge over the S10 Plus in terms of audio quality and speaker performance. The iPhone XS Max has a more balanced sound with better vocals and snaps, while the S10 Plus has a more distorted sound with more bass and treble. 

Features and Extras

• Both phones support wireless charging, but the S10 Plus has an additional feature called reverse wireless charging, which lets you charge other Qi-equipped devices by placing them on the back of the S10 Plus. The iPhone XS Max does not have this feature, but it supports Apple Pay, which is a secure and convenient way to make payments using your phone.

• Both phones have { face recognition } as a biometric authentication method, but they use different technologies. The S10 Plus has a feature called Face Unlock, which uses the front-facing camera to scan your face and unlock your phone. The iPhone XS Max has a feature called Face ID, which uses a 3D depth-sensing system to create a detailed map of your face and unlock your phone. Face ID is more secure and accurate than Face Unlock, but it also requires more space on the top of the screen, creating a notch.

• The S10 Plus has another biometric authentication method, which is an in-display  { fingerprint scanner}. This means that you can unlock your phone by placing your finger on the screen, where a sensor will read your fingerprint. The iPhone XS Max does not have a fingerprint scanner, as it relies on { Face ID} as the main biometric authentication method.

• Both phones are water resistant, but the iPhone XS Max has a higher rating than the S10 Plus. The iPhone XS Max has an ( IP68 rating ), which means that it can withstand up to 2 m of water for 30 min. The S10 Plus also has an ( IP68 rating ), but it can only withstand up to 1.5 m of water for 30 min. This means that both phones can survive splashes, rain, and accidental drops in water, but the iPhone XS Max can handle deeper and longer submersion than the S10 Plus.

• The S10 Plus has a feature that the iPhone XS Max lacks, which is a ( headphone jack). This means that you can use any standard wired headphones or earphones with the S10 Plus, without needing an adapter or a dongle.

Price and Value

The S10 Plus has a starting price of “ $999   for the { 128GB model }, while the iPhone XS Max has a starting price of “ $1,099 for the { 64GB model }. The S10 Plus offers more storage for a lower price than the iPhone XS Max, and also has an option to expand the storage with a microSD card. The iPhone XS Max does not have this option, and requires you to pay more for higher storage capacities.

• The S10 Plus and the iPhone XS Max both come with a standard one-year warranty that covers defects in materials and workmanship, but not accidental damage or wear and tear. Both phones also offer optional extended warranties that provide additional coverage and benefits. The S10 Plus has the Samsung Premium Care plan, which costs $11.99 per month and includes accidental damage protection, 24/7 technical support, and in-person service. The iPhone XS Max has the AppleCare+ plan, which costs $199 upfront or $9.99 per month and includes accidental damage protection, 24/7 technical support, and express replacement service.

• The S10 Plus and the iPhone XS Max both have good customer service ratings, according to various sources. Both phones have online support options, such as chat, email, forums, and FAQs, as well as phone support and physical service locations. The S10 Plus has the advantage of having more service locations, as it can be serviced at any authorized Samsung service center, as well as at uBreakiFix stores. The iPhone XS Max can only be serviced at Apple Stores or authorized Apple service providers.

• The S10 Plus and the iPhone XS Max are both high-end phones that offer a lot of features and performance for their price, but they also have some differences that may affect their value for money. The S10+ has a larger and sharper display, more RAM and storage, a headphone jack, an in-display fingerprint scanner, a triple rear camera, and reverse wireless charging. The iPhone XS Max has a more durable design, a more secure face recognition system, a faster processor, a better audio quality, and a longer talk time.