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Galaxy S10 Plus vs. iPhone XS Max, Pixel 3 XL: All specs compared

See how Samsung's behemoth Galaxy S10 Plus stacks up against its Apple and Android rivals spec by spec.

Patrick Holland Managing Editor
Patrick Holland has been a phone reviewer for CNET since 2016. He is a former theater director who occasionally makes short films. Patrick has an eye for photography and a passion for everything mobile. He is a colorful raconteur who will guide you through the ever-changing, fast-paced world of phones, especially the iPhone and iOS. He used to co-host CNET's I'm So Obsessed podcast and interviewed guests like Jeff Goldblum, Alfre Woodard, Stephen Merchant, Sam Jay, Edgar Wright and Roy Wood Jr.
Expertise Apple, iPhone, iOS, Android, Samsung, Sony, Google, Motorola, interviews, coffee equipment, cats Credentials
  • Patrick's play The Cowboy is included in the Best American Short Plays 2011-12 anthology. He co-wrote and starred in the short film Baden Krunk that won the Best Wisconsin Short Film award at the Milwaukee Short Film Festival.
Patrick Holland

Editor's note, March 13, 2019: Our Galaxy S10 Plus review and our Galaxy S10E review are both now live. Keep reading for more about the Galaxy S10, S10 E, S10 Plus and Galaxy S10 5G. And here's more about the Galaxy Fold, Samsung's first foldable phone.  

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The Galaxy S10 Plus in all its newness.

Angela Lang/CNET

On Wednesday at its Unpacked event in San Francisco, Samsung launched the Galaxy S10 Plus -- the larger brother to the Galaxy S10. The phone was one of four new phones announced including the Galaxy S10 5G and the "cheaper" S10E. Unlike the Galaxy Fold, none of these phones fold in half. The Galaxy S10 Plus has a 6.4-inch AMOLED screen with two front-facing cameras housed in a double hole-punch cut-out that Samsung calls the Galaxy O display. Like the Galaxy S10, it has a fingerprint reader built under the display, but unlike the smaller Galaxy, the S10 Plus has dual cameras on the front for selfies.

The Galaxy S10 Plus is -- on paper -- the most powerful Android phone. But it has to contend with Apple's iPhone XS Max with its blazing fast A12 processor. It's also up against the Google Pixel 3 XL , which has one of the best cameras on any phone today and is $100 cheaper.

Check out our spec chart below to see how these top dollar phones compare.

Galaxy S10 Plus vs. iPhone XS Max, Pixel 3 XL specs


Samsung Galaxy S10 PlusiPhone XS MaxGoogle Pixel 3 XL
Display size, resolution 6.4-inch AMOLED; 3,040x1,440-pixels6.5-inch Super Retina OLED; 2,688x1,242 pixels6.3-inch "flexible" OLED; 2,960x1,440 pixels
Pixel density 522ppi458ppi522ppi
Dimensions (Inches) 6.20 x 2.92 x 0.31 in 6.2 x 3.0 x 0.3 in6.2 x 3 x 0.3 in
Dimensions (Millimeters) 157.6 x 74.1 x 7.8 mm157.5 x 77.4 x 7.7 mm158 x 76.7 x 7.9 mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams) 6.17 oz.; 175 g7.3 oz; 208 g6.5 oz; 184 g
Mobile software Android 9.0 with Samsung One UIiOS 12Android 9 Pie
Camera 12-megapixel (wide-angle), 16-megapixel (ultra wide-angle), 12-megapixel (telephoto)Dual 12-megapixel12.2-megapixel
Front-facing camera 10-megapixel, 8-megapixel7-megapixel with Face IDDual 8-megapixel
Video capture 4K4K4K
Processor Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855Apple A12 BionicQualcomm Snapdragon 845 (2.5GHz octa-core)
Storage 128GB, 512GB, 1TB64GB, 256GB, 512GB64GB, 128GB
RAM 8GB, 12GBNot disclosed4GB
Expandable storage Up to 512GBNoneNone
Battery 4,100mAhNot disclosed, but Apple claims it will last 90 min. longer than iPhone X3,430 mAh
Fingerprint sensor In-screenNone (Face ID)Back cover
Connector USB-CLightningUSB-C
Headphone jack YesNoNo
Special features Wireless PowerShare; hole punch screen notch; water resistant (IP68); Fast Wireless Charging 2.0Water-resistant (IP68); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging; Face ID; MemojiIPX8, wireless charging support, Pixel Buds USB-C headphones in the box
Price off-contract (USD) $1,000$1,099 (64GB), $1,249 (256GB), $1,449 (512GB)$899 (64GB); $999 (128GB)
Price (GBP) £899£1,099 (64GB), £1,249 (256GB), £1,449 (512GB)£869 (64GB); £969 (128GB)
Price (AUD) AU$1,499AU$1,799 (64GB), AU$2,049 (256GB), AU$2,369 (512GB)AU$1,349 (64GB); AU$1,499 (128GB)

Galaxy S10, S10 Plus, S10E: Every camera lens and curve

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Watch this: Galaxy S10 vs. iPhone XS: How do they compare?