In late 2019 and early 2020, the three biggest smartphone makers put out phones that would rightly be classed as ‘super-premium’ handsets; Apple, Samsung and Huawei now all have luxury handsets packed full of top-end specs and impressive features.
The iPhone 11 Pro Max was the first, launched by Apple in September 2019 to top its iPhone 11 range. Although it has specs pretty similar to the iPhone 11 Pro, a few tweaks including a bigger screen make it Apple’s top-end device.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra came next, topping the Galaxy S20 series of phones released in February 2020. It’s even more premium than the Galaxy S20 Plus, with a huge display and some seriously impressive camera specs.
Finally, there’s the Huawei P40 Pro Plus, the top-end model of the Huawei P40 series, which takes the best features of the P40 Pro and builds on them, especially in terms of camera specs.
So how do these handsets stack up, which one is best for you, and which one is the best overall? We’ll run you through them so you can work that out for yourself.
Huawei P40 Pro Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra vs iPhone 11 Pro Max price and availability
The iPhone 11 Pro Max (Image credit: TechRadar)
If you’re a US phone fan, you’re going to have to rule out buying the Huawei P40 Pro Plus because Huawei phones generally don’t come to the country, and we wouldn’t expect that to be any different with this device.
Outside the US, the phone will cost €1,399 (approximately $1,500 / £1,300 / AU$2,500). For now we don’t have exact pricing in different regions, but this Euro price suggests it will be pretty pricey.
The other two phones come in a variety of storage options and prices, but the storage they have in common is 512GB of storage, and depending on your region one or the other is more expensive.
This variant of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra costs $1,599 / £1,399 / AU$2,249 and the iPhone 11 Pro Max comes in at $1,449 / £1,499 / AU$2,499, so in the US the Galaxy phone is pricier, but elsewhere the iPhone is. Generally, though, they’re about even.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra also comes in a 128GB version at $1,399 / £1,199 / AU$1,999, while you can get the iPhone 11 Pro Max in 64GB and 256GB for $1,099 / £1,149 / AU$1,899 and $1,249 / £1,299 / AU$2,149 respectively. Therefore the iPhone can also be the cheapest if you don’t mind that low storage size.
Design and display
If you know iPhones you know the iPhone 11 Pro Max design, as they don’t change that much – there’s a rather big notch and thick bezel on the front, but the back is pretty plain, other than an Apple logo.
This back has a matte glass design, which feels smooth and premium in the hand, and you can get it in green, gray, gold or silver versions. The iPhone is a big handset as despite being the smallest in terms of screen size, it isn’t in terms of actual body size, with dimensions of 158 x 77.8 x 8.1mm and a weight of 226g.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (Image credit: Future)
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is the biggest phone, with dimensions of 166.9 x 76 x 8.8mm but only a 220g weight.
On the front this phone has rather slim bezels, a curved screen, and a punch-hole cut-out in the top center for the front-facing camera, then around the back there’s a huge camera bump to house the myriad lenses.
In between those two phones is the Huawei P40 Pro Plus, which is 158.2 x 72.6 x 9mm, and has the same 226g weight as the iPhone.
The Huawei phone has a similar front to the Samsung phone in that it has a curved screen, nearly no bezels, and a cut-out front camera, but this cut-out is much bigger than the S20 Ultra’s as it has two lenses, and it’s also on the left of the device rather than the center.
On the back there’s a camera bump to the top left which isn’t as big as the S20 Ultra’s, but is still pretty large.
While the Huawei P40 Pro Plus and Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra have a USB-C port, the iPhone 11 Pro Max is dragging its heels with Apple’s own Lightning port.
In terms of displays, the iPhone 11 Pro Max has a 6.5-inch 1242 x 2688 OLED screen, slightly smaller than the Huawei P40 Pro Plus’ 6.58-inch 1200 x 2640 OLED panel and the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra’s 6.9-inch 1440 x 3200 Dynamic AMOLED display.
If you can get over its large size, the Galaxy S20 Ultra has the highest resolution and best display of the three, and its 120Hz refresh rate helps with that. The Huawei P40 Pro Plus has a 90Hz screen but the iPhone is stuck on the ‘standard’ 60Hz.
Huawei P40 Pro Plus (Image credit: Huawei)
Camera and battery life
Cameras are the true testing ground of these premium handsets.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra leads the pack, at least on paper, with a 108MP f/1.8 main, 48MP f/3.5 periscope (for 4x optical, 10x hybrid and 100x digital zoom), 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide, and 3D Time-of-Flight (ToF) camera.
Then, the Huawei P40 Pro Plus has a 50MP f/1.9 main, 8MP f/4.4 periscope (for 10x optical zoom), 8MP f/2.4 telephoto (for 3x optical zoom), 40MP f/1.8 ultra-wide, and 3D ToF camera. Combined this phone’s two zoom lenses allow for 100x digital zoom.
Finally, the iPhone 11 has three 12MP snappers, specifically a f/1.8 main, f/2.0 telephoto (for 2x optical zoom), and f/2.4 ultra-wide. On paper this phone looks the worst, but there’s a lot more to camera capabilities than hardware.
Each phone has its own post-processing software that uses AI to tweak photos, which also enables specific modes on each like portrait and night shooting.
For example, while the iPhone only has 12MP sensors so won’t take as high-res pictures, the Galaxy S20’s 108MP snapper doesn’t work as well in low-light situations as the iPhone’s dedicated night mode, so one is not clearly better than the other and it’s hard to make sweeping statements.
We also haven’t tested the Huawei P40 Pro Plus, so it’s hard to say which camera is ‘better’ right now, but check out our list of the best camera phones to see which of the phones we’ve tested we think is best at any given time.
As for the front-facing cameras, the Huawei P40 Pro Plus has a 32MP one (paired with a depth sensor), the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra has a 40MP one, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max has a 12MP one.
iPhone 11 Pro Max (Image credit: Future)
In terms of battery sizes, the iPhone 11 Pro Max comes last with a 3,969mAh power pack, lower than the Huawei P40 Pro Plus’ 4,200mAh and Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra’s 5,000mAh batteries. Due to the latter phone’s large size, though, it might burn through battery quite quickly.
The Samsung phone is also the fastest charger here, with 45W, which is faster than the Huawei’s 40W or the iPhone’s measly 18W. For wireless charging though, Huawei wins, as its phone also has 40W speeds for that, while the Galaxy only has 15W, and Apple hasn’t announced the iPhone’s wireless charging speed.
The Huawei and Samsung phones also have wireless power sharing, which lets you charge up other devices wirelessly on the handset. The P40 Pro Plus supports this at 27W while the Galaxy S20 Ultra only manages 9W.
Specs and features
Both the Huawei P40 Pro Plus and Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra run Android 10 and have a 5G modem to give them the next generation of connectivity.
The P40 Pro Plus is powered by a Kirin 990 chipset and the S20 Ultra uses either a Snapdragon 865 or an Exynos 990 (depending on where you are in the world).
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (Image credit: Future)
The iPhone 11 Pro Max is an iOS device on iOS 13, and it uses Apple’s A13 Bionic chipset, which seems to beat most Snapdragon scores in benchmark tests, despite it being a little older. It isn’t a 5G phone though.
RAM isn’t as good on the iPhone though, at only 4GB, compared to 8GB in the Huawei phone and either 12GB or 16GB in Samsung’s handset.
There are perks to both iOS and Android, and fans of one rarely change to the other, but there’s something worth remembering: the Huawei P40 Pro Plus doesn’t have Google Apps, including the Play Store. So you’re going to be stuck with the relatively few apps Huawei offers in its AppGallery.
Takeaway
It’s hard to say which phone is ‘best’, because it comes down to what you’re looking for in a handset. This is especially true when comparing the different operating systems, as people tend to be dedicated fans or naysayers; an iOS user might find Android a poor experience and vice versa.
Each phone has its benefits: the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra has a great screen, while the Huawei P40 Pro Plus has impressive camera hardware (at least on paper – we haven’t fully tested it yet) and the iPhone 11 Pro Max’s camera software is fantastic.
So depending on what you’re looking for in a handset, each of these may or may not scratch your itch. Well, that’s unless you’re looking for a phone that isn’t eye-wideningly expensive, but then you shouldn’t be looking at big-name flagships.
Although no one likes a know-it-all, they dominate the Internet.
The Internet began as a vast repository of information. It quickly became a breeding ground for self-proclaimed experts seeking what most people desire: recognition and money.
Today, anyone with an Internet connection and some typing skills can position themselves, regardless of their education or experience, as a subject matter expert (SME). From relationship advice, career coaching, and health and nutrition tips to citizen journalists practicing pseudo-journalism, the Internet is awash with individuals—Internet talking heads—sharing their “insights,” which are, in large part, essentially educated guesses without the education or experience.
The Internet has become a 24/7/365 sitcom where armchair experts think they’re the star.
Not long ago, years, sometimes decades, of dedicated work and acquiring education in one’s field was once required to be recognized as an expert. The knowledge and opinions of doctors, scientists, historians, et al. were respected due to their education and experience. Today, a social media account and a knack for hyperbole are all it takes to present oneself as an “expert” to achieve Internet fame that can be monetized.
On the Internet, nearly every piece of content is self-serving in some way.
The line between actual expertise and self-professed knowledge has become blurry as an out-of-focus selfie. Inadvertently, social media platforms have created an informal degree program where likes and shares are equivalent to degrees. After reading selective articles, they’ve found via and watching some TikTok videos, a person can post a video claiming they’re an herbal medicine expert. Their new “knowledge,” which their followers will absorb, claims that Panda dung tea—one of the most expensive teas in the world and isn’t what its name implies—cures everything from hypertension to existential crisis. Meanwhile, registered dietitians are shaking their heads, wondering how to compete against all the misinformation their clients are exposed to.
More disturbing are individuals obsessed with evangelizing their beliefs or conspiracy theories. These people write in-depth blog posts, such as Elvis Is Alive and the Moon Landings Were Staged, with links to obscure YouTube videos, websites, social media accounts, and blogs. Regardless of your beliefs, someone or a group on the Internet shares them, thus confirming your beliefs.
Misinformation is the Internet’s currency used to get likes, shares, and engagement; thus, it often spreads like a cosmic joke. Consider the prevalence of clickbait headlines:
You Won’t Believe What Taylor Swift Says About Climate Change!
This Bedtime Drink Melts Belly Fat While You Sleep!
In One Week, I Turned $10 Into $1 Million!
Titles that make outrageous claims are how the content creator gets reads and views, which generates revenue via affiliate marketing, product placement, and pay-per-click (PPC) ads. Clickbait headlines are how you end up watching a TikTok video by a purported nutrition expert adamantly asserting you can lose belly fat while you sleep by drinking, for 14 consecutive days, a concoction of raw eggs, cinnamon, and apple cider vinegar 15 minutes before going to bed.
Our constant search for answers that’ll explain our convoluted world and our desire for shortcuts to success is how Internet talking heads achieve influencer status. Because we tend to seek low-hanging fruits, we listen to those with little experience or knowledge of the topics they discuss yet are astute enough to know what most people want to hear.
There’s a trend, more disturbing than spreading misinformation, that needs to be called out: individuals who’ve never achieved significant wealth or traded stocks giving how-to-make-easy-money advice, the appeal of which is undeniable. Several people I know have lost substantial money by following the “advice” of Internet talking heads.
Anyone on social media claiming to have a foolproof money-making strategy is lying. They wouldn’t be peddling their money-making strategy if they could make easy money.
Successful people tend to be secretive.
Social media companies design their respective algorithms to serve their advertisers—their source of revenue—interest; hence, content from Internet talking heads appears most prominent in your feeds. When a video of a self-professed expert goes viral, likely because it pressed an emotional button, the more people see it, the more engagement it receives, such as likes, shares and comments, creating a cycle akin to a tornado.
Imagine scrolling through your TikTok feed and stumbling upon a “scientist” who claims they can predict the weather using only aluminum foil, copper wire, sea salt and baking soda. You chuckle, but you notice his video got over 7,000 likes, has been shared over 600 times and received over 400 comments. You think to yourself, “Maybe this guy is onto something.” What started as a quest to achieve Internet fame evolved into an Internet-wide belief that weather forecasting can be as easy as DIY crafts.
Since anyone can call themselves “an expert,” you must cultivate critical thinking skills to distinguish genuine expertise from self-professed experts’ self-promoting nonsense. While the absurdity of the Internet can be entertaining, misinformation has serious consequences. The next time you read a headline that sounds too good to be true, it’s probably an Internet talking head making an educated guess; without the education seeking Internet fame, they can monetize.
TORONTO – A new survey says a majority of software engineers and developers feel tight project deadlines can put safety at risk.
Seventy-five per cent of the 1,000 global workers who responded to the survey released Tuesday say pressure to deliver projects on time and on budget could be compromising critical aspects like safety.
The concern is even higher among engineers and developers in North America, with 77 per cent of those surveyed on the continent reporting the urgency of projects could be straining safety.
The study was conducted between July and September by research agency Coleman Parkes and commissioned by BlackBerry Ltd.’s QNX division, which builds connected-car technology.
The results reflect a timeless tug of war engineers and developers grapple with as they balance the need to meet project deadlines with regulations and safety checks that can slow down the process.
Finding that balance is an issue that developers of even the simplest appliances face because of advancements in technology, said John Wall, a senior vice-president at BlackBerry and head of QNX.
“The software is getting more complicated and there is more software whether it’s in a vehicle, robotics, a toaster, you name it… so being able to patch vulnerabilities, to prevent bad actors from doing malicious acts is becoming more and more important,” he said.
The medical, industrial and automotive industries have standardized safety measures and anything they produce undergoes rigorous testing, but that work doesn’t happen overnight. It has to be carried out from the start and then at every step of the development process.
“What makes safety and security difficult is it’s an ongoing thing,” Wall said. “It’s not something where you’ve done it, and you are finished.”
The Waterloo, Ont.-based business found 90 per cent of its survey respondents reported that organizations are prioritizing safety.
However, when asked about why safety may not be a priority for their organization, 46 per cent of those surveyed answered cost pressures and 35 per cent said a lack of resources.
That doesn’t surprise Wall. Delays have become rampant in the development of tech, and in some cases, stand to push back the launch of vehicle lines by two years, he said.
“We have to make sure that people don’t compromise on safety and security to be able to get products out quicker,” he said.
“What we don’t want to see is people cutting corners and creating unsafe situations.”
The survey also took a peek at security breaches, which have hit major companies like London Drugs, Indigo Books & Music, Giant Tiger and Ticketmaster in recent years.
About 40 per cent of the survey’s respondents said they have encountered a security breach in their employer’s operating system. Those breaches resulted in major impacts for 27 per cent of respondents, moderate impacts for 42 per cent and minor impacts for 27 per cent.
“There are vulnerabilities all the time and this is what makes the job very difficult because when you ship the software, presumably the software has no security vulnerabilities, but things get discovered after the fact,” Wall said.
Security issues, he added, have really come to the forefront of the problems developers face, so “really without security, you have no safety.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2024.
As online shoppers hunt for bargains offered by Amazon during its annual fall sale this week, cybersecurity researchers are warning Canadians to beware of an influx of scammers posing as the tech giant.
In the 30 days leading up to Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, taking place Tuesday and Wednesday, there were more than 1,000 newly registered Amazon-related web domains, according to Check Point Software Technologies, a company that offers cybersecurity solutions.
The company said it deemed 88 per cent of those domains malicious or suspicious, suggesting they could have been set up by scammers to prey on vulnerable consumers. One in every 54 newly created Amazon-related domain included the phrase “Amazon Prime.”
“They’re almost indiscernible from the real Amazon domain,” said Robert Falzon, head of engineering at Check Point in Canada.
“With all these domains registered that look so similar, it’s tricking a lot of people. And that’s the whole intent here.”
Falzon said Check Point Research sees an uptick in attempted scams around big online shopping days throughout the year, including Prime Days.
Scams often come in the form of phishing emails, which are deceptive messages that appear to be from a reputable source in attempt to steal sensitive information.
In this case, he said scammers posing as Amazon commonly offer “outrageous” deals that appear to be associated with Prime Days, in order to trick recipients into clicking on a malicious link.
The cybersecurity firm said it has identified and blocked 100 unique Amazon Prime-themed scam emails targeting organizations and consumers over the past two weeks.
Scammers also target Prime members with unsolicited calls, claiming urgent account issues and requesting payment information.
“It’s like Christmas for them,” said Falzon.
“People expect there to be significant savings on Prime Day, so they’re not shocked that they see something of significant value. Usually, the old adage applies: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
Amazon’s website lists a number of red flags that it recommends customers watch for to identify a potential impersonation scam.
Those include false urgency, requests for personal information, or indications that the sender prefers to complete the purchase outside of the Amazon website or mobile app.
Scammers may also request that customers exclusively pay with gift cards, a claim code or PIN. Any notifications about an order or delivery for an unexpected item should also raise alarm bells, the company says.
“During busy shopping moments, we tend to see a rise in impersonation scams reported by customers,” said Amazon spokeswoman Octavia Roufogalis in a statement.
“We will continue to invest in protecting consumers and educating the public on scam avoidance. We encourage consumers to report suspected scams to us so that we can protect their accounts and refer bad actors to law enforcement to help keep consumers safe.”
Falzon added that these scams are more successful than people might think.
As of June 30, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre said there had been $284 million lost to fraud so far this year, affecting 15,941 victims.
But Falzon said many incidents go unreported, as some Canadians who are targeted do not know how or where to flag a scam, or may choose not to out of embarrassment.
Check Point recommends Amazon customers take precautions while shopping on Prime Days, including by checking URLs carefully, creating strong passwords on their accounts, and avoiding personal information being shared such as their birthday or social security number.
The cybersecurity company said consumers should also look for “https” at the beginning of a website URL, which indicates a secure connection, and use credit cards rather than debit cards for online shopping, which offer better protection and less liability if stolen.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2024.
