Samsung’s latest and greatest smartphones have arrived in the form of the Note 20 and the Note 20 Ultra, so AppleInsider compared their spectacular cameras with Apple’s own iPhone line to find the better snapper.
We were thrilled to get our hands on the new Note devices, with Samsung touting some amazing new upgrades for the cameras. Between the high resolution, incredible zoom, and 8K video, there was a lot to check out, so we hit the road to capture some stellar shots that show off the camera’s abilities.
While there are some sample images included in the piece, check out the video for all our test shots.
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A look at the specs
For this comparison, we’ll be taking a look at the Galaxy Note 20, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, as well as the iPhone 11 Pro. The iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max have the same lens setup, so photos taken with one will look the same as if shot on the other.
One thing to remember is the iPhones are now roughly a year old, with iPhone 12 inching closer to release. This is still a useful comparison, however, as the iPhone 11 line will be around for some time, and is still the most current iPhone to compare against.
Taking a closer look at the cameras, all devices sport a 12MP ultra-wide angle lens. It’s the other lenses where it gets interesting.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 sports a 12MP wide-angle lens as well as a 64MP tele lens. Those two lenses combined are able to offer 3X hybrid zoom as well as a maximum of 30X digital zoom.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is packed with a 108MP wide-angle lens alongside a 12MP tele lens. It is able to obtain 5X optical zoom and 50X digital zoom.
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has a 12MP ultra-wide, 108MP wide, and 12MP tele
It is good to see that Samsung listened to its audience and pulled back from the 100X “super zoom” offered with the S20 line. Photos produced at 100X were grainy at best, and largely unusable.
Apple’s iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max both have 12MP wide and 12MP tele leness with 2X optical zoom and 10X digital zoom.
Photo tricks
Portrait mode, 108MP mode, live focus, panorama,
It seems each year there are more and more facets to these cameras just in the stock camera apps let alone with third-party apps can pull off. We don’t want to spend too much time on all of these, but wanted to give some general impressions of our time using them.
Both phones still include a portrait-like shooting mode, which Apple calls Portrait mode and Samsung calls Live Focus. These haven’t changed much since the last phones we tested.
Samsung still leans towards the “fun” side with effects such as swirls of the background as well as the normal blur. Apple has focused very much on replicating real-world lighting effects and as a general rule creates a more polished looking picture.
Which is better depends on which style you prefer.
Panoramas shot with each device yield different sized photos
Panoramas are also a common shooting mode. We took a few sample pics across the phones and did our best to keep the same speed each time, yet, the photos ended up entirely different sizes.
The iPhone’s picture was the widest while the Note 20 was the most compact, and the Note 20 Ultra was somewhere in between. I prefer the wider look to these, because the more compact the image, the more distortion is apparent in tighter shots.
The wider shots also lend themselves more to large prints.
The final special feature we wanted to touch on was the impressive 108MP mode of the Note 20 Ultra. While it has that many megapixels packed onto the sensor, by default it shoots in a much more reasonable size, but User have the option to enable that massive 108MP resolution if they choose.
When we tested this, it didn’t make a huge amount of difference. Not much extra detail was picked up in the shot and you could zoom in a bit more, but at that point you may as well have just used the optical zoom offered by the phone to begin with.
Every day shooting
For your normal, everyday shots, these cameras compared quite well. Samsung still has the slightly oversaturated look it is known for, and in some shots, this worked out OK.
The water images we took looked actually more true to life than the slightly parred back shots found on the iPhone. In the flower shots you can see below, the flowers were so oversaturated they lost a bit of detail and contrast.
In low light shots, such as of our pup Mosby below, the iPhone managed to pull out a bit more detail. Mosby was photographed with a three-second shutter in night mode on all three devices, and the Samsung Note photos look good, but just not quite as crisp.
We also did a seven-second shutter of the night sky. The iPhone again was slightly brighter — though grainy — and the Note 20 photos were unusable with almost all black in the images.
The image of our toasted marshmallow porter shows how much better the iPhone nailed focus. The bubbles in the head were super sharp while the Samsung still seems to have issues with the autofocus.
This year, Samsung is using lasers to aid in the focus, but on this picture of a curved cup, the autofocus decided to focus on the front of the clear cup rather than the top ring, the beer’s head, or the toasted marshmallow.
In general, the focus system does seem improved over the Galaxy S20.
In this alley shot, the iPhone had better exposure
These flowers lacked contrast and were oversatured on both Note images
The Note’s focus was an issue here, focusing on the front left of the cup rather than the top
The iPhone had better performance here in low light with more detail on Mosby
Low light shot of an indoor lamp
Night sky looked good, though the Ultra skewed the white balance
The Note shots looked more true to life in this water shot
Tele capabilities
Where Samsung really shines is with the telescopic capabilities of its new devices. Both the Note 20 and the Note 20 Ultra blow away Apple in terms of picture quality.
Our far away subject shot at 1X for our zoom test
In our samples, we shot a lighthouse that was a significant distance away. Our iPhone photograph at 10X looked just okay, but the Note 20 at 10X was far better due to its hybrid zoom and higher resolution tele lens.
The 50X shot from the Note 20 Ultra was sharpest at that level, though it too started to lose definition.
iPhone zoomed to 50X compared to Note 20 Ultra at 50X is a no-brainer
When we were zoomed into 50X and looked at a target that far away, it became increasingly difficult for us to keep the subject in the shot, which makes this level of zoom useless in moving situations.
Note 20 at 30X compared to iPhone at 30X shows how far ahead Samsung is
We wanted to test the zoom capabilities once more, so we took some pics at a bevy of kites flying through the air. When zoomed to 50X, the iPhone’s pictures were a distorted mess, while the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra was very easy to discern what we were looking it.
It may not be sharp enough to do anything with, but in some situations, it can create very usable photos.
The Note 20 Ultra at 50X is even better than both
Apple’s pro cameras definitely start to look antiquated compared to these new incredible tele capabilities on Samsung’s latest phones.
Video
This camera comparison was particularly focused on the photo capabilities, but we have to at least mention video. We toyed around with this a bit and are so excited by the prospect of incredible 8K video recording coming to smartphones.
It is true that there aren’t many 8K TVs or monitors in people’s homes, but when shooting in 8K, you can crop in the video to still maintain at least 4K resolution. You’re limited to only 24 frames per second on the Notes but that is more than enough, making it a potentially invaluable tool for mobile filmmakers.
On iPhone, we are still limited to 4K at 60 frames per second. Fingers crossed we see improvements in this area on the upcoming iPhone 12.
So which is the better shooter?
Picking a winner here is hard. In everyday shots, we leaned a bit towards the iPhone the less saturated images, better focus, and better portrait mode. The overall tone of the image though can be adjusted after the fact, so if it is a white balance, contrast, or saturation issue, that can all be tweaked a bit after.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra
Samsung knocks it out of the park with the tele capabilities here. Some extreme zoom shots may be too distorted to be usable but even the 10X images look far better than the iPhone’s 10X images.
Apple very much needs to step up its game when it comes to the zoom. Apple’s strategy seems to be prioritizing your typical shots and the wide-angle lens, but if you want anything past 5X, the images very much begin to suffer in this comparison.
Where to buy
Pick up the Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra at these retailers starting at $999:
If you’d prefer the iPhone 11 Pro, these wireless carriers are offering special incentives on the device:
The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.
The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.
However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”
Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.
At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.
A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”
Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.
Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.
Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.
While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.
Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.
The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
