Samsung Note 20 Ultra 5G, a flagship masterpiece, was unveiled in August 2020. Keeping up with its rival, Apple introduced the iPhone 12 Pro Max as the ultimate premium smartphone in the iPhone 12 series just 2 months later, in October 2020.

1. Design and Handling Experience
A common aspect between Samsung Note 20 Ultra 5G and iPhone 12 Pro Max is their frosted glass back, which tends to leave fingerprints and sweat marks. However, users can mitigate this by using a protective case.
iPhone 12 Pro Max comes in 4 sophisticated, elegant colors: Pacific Blue, Gold, Silver, and Graphite. Meanwhile, opting for Samsung Note 20 Ultra 5G offers three mystical hues: Mystic Bronze, Mystic Silver, and Mystic Green. Both color palettes are very trendy and cater to the preferences of the majority of users.
The camera cluster design of Samsung Note 20 Ultra 5G resembles a familiar rectangular module, whereas the iPhone 12 Pro Max boasts a larger camera cluster design, surpassing even previous generations and standing as the largest within the iPhone 12 series.
Due to the curved design at the edges, the handling experience of the Samsung Note 20 Ultra 5G is much more comfortable compared to the square, stainless steel frame of the iPhone 12 Pro Max. When held in hand, both these products distinctly convey the prominence emanating from the position of the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
2. Display
iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G features a 6.7-inch display with a resolution of 1284×2778 pixels, equipped with an OLED panel for vibrant, vivid colors. Samsung Note 20 Ultra 5G boasts a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a size of 6.9 inches and a resolution of 2K+ (1440X3088) pixels.

Considering the display area, Samsung Note 20 Ultra 5G seems to have the upper hand with its small hole-punch display and nearly bezel-less design. Additionally, the screen refresh rate of Samsung Note 20 Ultra 5G is 120 Hz, while iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G only reaches 60 Hz.
However, iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G scores points for supporting 4K video playback and slightly brighter colors compared to Samsung Note 20 Ultra 5G.
3. Camera
The most noticeable change in the camera setup is perhaps demonstrated by the iPhone 12 Pro Max, featuring a triple camera system consisting of a 12 MP wide, 12 MP ultra-wide, and 12 MP telephoto lens. Additionally, this iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G is equipped with a LiDAR sensor for enhanced and novel experiences such as height measurement, professional portrait mode, and optical image stabilization for sharper, more impressive photos.
Showcasing no inferiority, Samsung Note 20 Ultra 5G also boasts a triple camera setup, including a 108 MP primary camera, two 12 MP auxiliary cameras, and a Laser AF sensor.
A small gesture to compare the image quality captured by the Samsung Note 20 Ultra 5G and the iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G cameras is to take photos in low-light conditions. At this point, colors captured through the lens of the iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G appear more authentic, vibrant, and capture more details than the Samsung Note 20 Ultra 5G.
4. Configuration
The configurations of Samsung Note 20 Ultra 5G and iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G both fall into the top-tier category. iPhone 12 Pro Max boasts the Apple A14 Bionic chip (5 nm) with 6GB of RAM and internal storage options of 128/256/512GB. Samsung Note 20 Ultra 5G leaves an impression with its Exynos 990 (7 nm+) chipset and 8GB of RAM, with internal storage options of 256/512GB.
5. Pricing
The current prices of Samsung Note 20 Ultra 5G and iPhone 12 Pro Max can be considered quite distinct.
Samsung Note 20 Ultra 5G is priced at 19,990,000 VNĐ.
iPhone 12 Pro Max:
- iPhone 12 Pro Max 128GB: 28,950,000 VNĐ.
- iPhone 12 Pro Max 256GB: 31,850,000 VNĐ.
- iPhone 12 Pro Max 512GB: 38,000,000 VNĐ.

Depending on preferences and financial circumstances, each individual will have their own perceptions and decisions. However, whether it's the iPhone 12 Pro Max or Samsung Note 20 Ultra 5G, both are flagship models worthy of investment.
