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Christopher Hebert/IDG

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Contents

The phones

Design

Display

Battery

Charge

Performance

His

Biometrics

Camera

Price

Show more

It's time to compare Apple iPhone to leading Android handsets, and the race should be tight. From the launch of

first foldable phone

to the rise of

5G

,

dual screens

,

cascading displays

, and

cameras, cameras, cameras

, 2019 delivered a dizzying array of new features. Apple may have surprised everyone with a price drop for its entry-level phone, but can it compete with the best of Android? Let's go over the main specs and find out.

(Learn more about our favorite Android phones and how we test them in our guide to

best android phones

.)

The phones

Three phones rival the iPhone 11 this year:

Samsung Galaxy S10+:

I have chosen

this model

as it is cheaper than the official flagship Note 10+. Plus, compared to the S10, it's a) only $100 more, and b) equipped with a much bigger battery.

Google Pixel 4XL:

the

the latest pixel phone

has a long list of issues, but it's Google, so it gets the green light. Plus, it has a better screen and bigger battery than the smaller one.

OnePlus 7T:

OnePlus is on the rise. The two phones released in the US in 2019, the 7 Pro and 7T, raised expectations of what an affordable model can deliver.

The new 7T

offers great specs and a lower price than the iPhone 11.

Design

While Samsung has pushed design boundaries with an impressive reimagining of the Galaxy S10, the iPhone is starting to feel a bit stale. It's more symmetrical than the other phones here, but the notch, thick bezels and screen-to-body ratio leave a lot to be desired. It's also the thickest of the lot at 8.3mm.

The giant square camera has a polarizing look, and it makes the iPhone 11 wobble when it rests on a table. The camera bump matches the color of your chosen handset, and while the new purple and green are nice, the glossy back picks up fingerprints early and often. Rumors suggest that Apple might gut the notch and make other changes for the iPhone 12. Hopefully, that's the case.

Christopher Hebert/IDG

The Pixel 4 XL (left) and iPhone 11 have very similar camera styles.

If the iPhone 11 is bland, the Pixel 4 XL is just blah. It loses last year's notch for a prominent forehead, small chin and chunky side bezels. Like Apple, Google has added a square camera array to the top left corner, but the Pixel4's bump is black regardless of body color.

I like Google's choice of materials though. Luxurious frosted glass now covers the entire back of the phone and resists fingerprints, scratches and smudges. The brushed aluminum sides echo the frosted look and the color options, which add orange this year to the black and white classics, are attractive. I love the colored accent button. If Google decides to take smartphone design seriously, it needs to start with the materials and work backwards.

Christopher Hebert/IDG

The Pixel4's orange power button remains my favorite feature about Google's design.

Samsung's S10+ continues to refine the look of the Galaxy. The top and bottom bezels are barely shards, bringing the screen-to-body ratio to nearly 90 per cent, but that feels more prominent because the edges of the screen drape over the sides. The rear of the S10+ is equally pleasing, with a horizontal camera array placed against a glass available in fantastic colours. Yes, it's a fingerprint magnet, but so is the back of the iPhone. And unfortunately, the lack of bezels leads to visual and functional issues that Samsung isn't ready to fix yet.

The odd thing is the selfie camera. Lacking enough bezel to hide the sensors, Samsung opted for a "punch hole" camera literally built into the screen, peering through a black circle in the top right corner. Its off-center location and awesome design make it an eyesore.

Christopher Hebert/IDG

Surprisingly, the iPhone 11 (far right) is slightly thicker than the other phones here, but only by a tenth of a millimeter.

The OnePlus 7T may not have the pop-up selfie camera and edge-to-edge display of the OnePlus 7 Pro, but its tiny "teardrop" notch, thin bezels, and thin body steal the show. Like the iPhone, the metal sides match the color of your choice (blue or silver), showcasing the all-black front nicely. The bezels aren't much thicker than the S10+, and I prefer the flat, infinity-screen look of the S10+.

If the new trend is to highlight the camera bump rather than trying to hide it, the advantage still goes to OnePlus. The 7T's giant circular camera array is unique, and it's the only phone here that can sit on a table without wobbling. I hope it remains a design element on future OnePlus phones.

Winner:

OnePlus 7T

display

With bezels this thin in all but the Pixel 4 XL, the screen grabs your attention. All of the OLEDs here are provided by Samsung, while the iPhone 11 uses an LG LCD display. They all feature HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and are amazingly calibrated right out of the box.

Christopher Hebert/IDG

The OnePlus 7T (bottom) has the smallest camera cutout.

Mentioned in this article

Samsung Galaxy S10+

Read the PCWorld review

$850.00

MSRP $850.00

See

on

Samsung

But they're not created equal, especially when it comes to refresh rates. The standard is 60Hz, which is the default for all four phones, but the OnePlus 7T and Pixel 4 both offer 90Hz options. fast, especially on the 7T. Google is somewhat blocking the Pixel4XL by limiting this feature to screen brightnesses above 75%, although an upcoming software update will fix this.

Screen speed isn't the only area where the 7T excels. The quad HD Galaxy S10+ may win for sharpness and vibrancy, but the 7T is still bold, bright and easy on the eyes. Like the iPhone 11, the OnePlus 7T's screen is a testament to what you really need in a phone. It's "only" Full HD, has no curved edges and lacks ambient and always-on options, but it still makes a strong impression.

Christopher Hebert/IDG

The iPhone 11, OnePlus 7T, Galaxy S10+, and Pixel 4 XL (from left to right) all have top-notch screens.

As the only LCD of the bunch, and a 720p to boot, the iPhone 11 loses depth. The blacks of an LCD cannot match those of an OLED, which is especially evident when activating the new iOS dark mode.

Apple has done a fantastic job with calibrating the iPhone 11 screen. Colors are rich and vibrant, although I would like an always-on or ambient option, especially at night when the whole screen needs to be lit. switch on to check the time.

When it comes to brightness, the iPhone 11 shines, although the 7T was just a bit better. However, in my tests with a simple white background, the 7T was also the most inconsistent.

Maximum brightness (nits)

OnePlus 7T:

825< /p>

iPhone 11:

765

Galaxy S10+:

715

Pixel 4XL:

650

I'm confident to say that Google delivered its best display in the Pixel 4 XL, but that's mainly because those before it were so disappointing. It still has Google's signature monotony and a general lack of punch when left in natural mode. But even when switched to Boosted, the Pixel 4 XL just has a flatter feel compared to the other phones here.

Christopher Hebert/IDG

The OnePlus 7T (right) beat the iPhone 11 when it comes to brightness

The Pixel 4 looks particularly dull when placed next to the Galaxy S10+. But to be fair, most phone screens are. The Galaxy S10+ pretty much set or broke all display records. There aren't enough adjectives or superlatives to describe how gorgeous the S10+'s display is. My only wish is for a higher refresh rate and I have to assume that comes with the S11.

Winner:

Samsung Galaxy S10+

Battery

Every phone has a respectable battery, but the S10+ clearly stands out on paper:

Galaxy S10+:

4100mAh

OnePlus 7T:

3800mAh

Pixel 4XL:

3700mAh

iPhone 11:

3142mAh p>

The real-world results don't quite match up though. In my testing and real-world use, the S10+ beat its competition, but not by much, while the iPhone 11 far surpassed its capability. The only one that consistently struggled to get through a full day of use was the Pixel 4 XL. The iPhone 11 and 7T benefit from their lack of an always-on display, but some (including me) will miss this feature.

Christopher Hebert/IDG

The iPhone 11 (left) has the best battery life, but not by much.

The Pixel 4 XL was the most disappointing. The same operating system property that gives Apple a ridiculous edge should propel the Pixel 4 XL to heights never seen by other Android phones, but reality doesn't hold up. The lack of optimization is extremely frustrating.

For example, I played a two-hour movie at maximum brightness with all ambient and adaptive brightness toggles turned off, and here's how much battery each phone used: p>

OnePlus 7T:

17%

iPhone 11:

19%

Galaxy S10+:

19%

Pixel4XL:

21%

The results are pretty close, but those percentage points add up over the course of a day, especially since most people won't be using their phones to watch videos for 10 hours straight. And watch what happened when I ran the same video a second time with auto and adaptive brightness enabled for all three phones, tracking battery drain:

iPhone11:

13%

OnePlus 7T:

18%

Galaxy S10+:

19%

Pixel 4 XL:< /p>

20%

Apple's advantage kicks in when iOS starts working its magic. Even with a significantly smaller battery, the iPhone 11 is able to outlast any of the phones here. All four handsets have lots and lots of pixels to power here, so lower brightness is definitely your friend. At the end of the day, the iPhone 11 still had the most juice left - and the Pixel 4 XL was still the closest to red - but either phone should get you through a day of normal use.

Christopher Hebert/IDG

With huge screens and lots of pixels, the OnePlus 7T (left), Galaxy S10+ (center) and Pixel 4 XL (right) all have giant batteries.

It's hard to crown a champion here, so I'll say this: the iPhone 11 and Galaxy S10+ will last the longest, the OnePlus 7T is just a tick below, and the Pixel 4 XL will keep you constantly worried. But if battery life is your deciding factor for any phone, go for the iPhone 11.

Winner:

iPhone 11/Galaxy S10+

Loading

We no longer have to wait hours to charge our phones, as long as you have the right charger. With a dead phone and the charger included in the box, here's how much juice you'll have after an hour of charging:

OnePlus 7T:

100%

Pixel4XL:

77%

Galaxy S10+:

74%

iPhone 11:

33%

Two things here: the OnePlus 7T's incredible Warp Charge and the iPhone's not-incredible 5W charger. While Apple's "Pro" phones get an 18W fast USB-C charger, the iPhone 11 still comes with a 5W Lightning-based jack. So if you're buying one, you'll want to get a much bigger third-party charger.

Speaking of big, the OnePlus 7T's Warp Charge 30T is by far the biggest of the bunch, taking the best of two outlets when plugged in - and you'll be using it every day, because the OnePlus 7T is the only phone here that lacks wireless charging. The other three phones all offer it, although the maximum speeds vary slightly:

Galaxy S10+:

12W

Pixel 4XL:

11W

iPhone11:

7.5W

Ironically, the iPhone11 wirelessly charges faster than with its included charger. Some people might scoff at wireless charging as a reason to buy a phone, but I would struggle without it. So the OnePlus 7T loses major convenience points, even with the stellar Warp Charge.

Winner:

Galaxy S10+

Read on for performance comparisons and more.

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