Iphone 12 Pro Max or Galaxy Note 20 5G Ultra for fly drones

[zeusfl]

I have been waiting for Apple's announcement and finally they did it today. Waiting for upgrade my iPhone X Max for a new phone.
In my case I own 4 iPad, 3 iPhone iWatch so to switch to Android ( I own 2) is hard because the FaceTime with my daughter and family but.. to fly drones is another story.

Here is the deal.

iPhone 12 Pro Max offer 6.7 inches screen size when Galaxy Note 20 5G Ultra offer 6.9 inches
iPhone 12 Pro Max offer 1200 nits peaks and 800 nits max brightness sustainable vs Galaxy Note 20 5G Ultra offer 1500 nits and XXX max brightness.

Cameras:
iPhone 12 Pro Max offer 12 Megapixels only (that sucks) vs Galaxy Note 20 5G Ultra offer 108 Megapixels in the wide angle lens.

Connectors:
iPhone 12 Pro Max offer the stupid lighting connector when Galaxy Note 20 5G Ultra offer USB-C

Pros from the Galaxy:

• Offer slot for expand the storage memory
• Better USB-C connector
• Bigger Screen
• More nits
• Cheaper
• Better camera specs

Pros from the iPhone

• DJI better support
• Better interaction between devices (in my case)
• Keep better the value
• Bullet proof hardware and software
• Better camera software
• Better lens with the 1.6 aperture (awesome for low light)

Is really hard to decide what phone get thinking on the drones hobby. For one side I have dedicated iPads for this, but they are not bright enough or too big. For the other one there are more software for Android.
What do you think guys?

 

[lannes]

Purely for drone flying, the one which can maintain the highest brightness levels for longer.
Peak brightness doesn't work when you need it for at least 20minutes.

 

[lilewis]

It's my understanding that 5G isn't widely available yet and in some places the 5G signal isn't as fast as advertised. So I think I'm going to live with my IphoneX until I hear better reports on the 5G issues

 

[zeusfl]

In my area, the 5G is available luckily. I currently own an iPhone X Max. The iPhone 11 was not too much difference for me so I skipped, but this one has sufficient upgrades to justify an upgrade. But honestly, I am still thinking of the Note 20S Ultra because is bigger and probably brightness. I need to see both sides by side.

 

[maelstrom]

It's my understanding that 5G isn't widely available yet and in some places the 5G signal isn't as fast as advertised.

I think it’s also fair to say that most people still don’t really use 4G to its full capability. In the places where my iPhone reverts to 3G (more common than you’d think in the UK), I often don’t even notice.

 

[Johnmcl7]

Although I only use Android devices myself and have had no issues with them and DJI products, it sounds like an Android device would be a poor choice as it's not going to work well with your Apple devices and I'd think you would find working with an Android device frustrating when you're used to Apple devices.

12MP is a good resolution for a phone sized sensor and should be seen as a plus, the Samsung 108MP and other super high pixel counts on small sensors are primarily there for marketing. Megapixels do not necessarily mean better image quality and noticeably most full frame cameras (which have sensors vastly bigger than phones) have mostly stopped around the 25MP mark and the very highest is just over 60MP. Speaking as a Samsung fan I would fully expect the iphone camera to be one of the best out there.

 

[Gratton]

I don't know about the other Mavics but the Mini can't be made to not charge an android phone while plugged into the RC without rooting it. I have the Galaxy S20+ and like it but it is a consideration. Since you're already firmly in the Apple family, I'd say stick with it.

mikeg

 

[Formula E]

I was just thinking about how 12 Max Pro will fit within Mavic 2 controls. Currently, use iPhone 10, and makes a snug fit within the controller. Very use to the sticks at this point. Mocked the i12PM size it feels terrible haha.

Between the battery life and sensor stabilization, I think my hand is forced to have the bigger device. (plenty more pros and con to list)

But yeah I think the ability to talk to your other devices and the security/software/hardware pros are astronomical. The rest is just competing over phone specs which is less important nowadays in top tiers like this.

Cheers!

 

[anotherlab]

I have been waiting for Apple's announcement and finally they did it today. Waiting for upgrade my iPhone X Max for a new phone.
In my case I own 4 iPad, 3 iPhone iWatch so to switch to Android ( I own 2) is hard because the FaceTime with my daughter and family but.. to fly drones is another story.

Here is the deal.

iPhone 12 Pro Max offer 6.7 inches screen size when Galaxy Note 20 5G Ultra offer 6.9 inches
iPhone 12 Pro Max offer 1200 nits peaks and 800 nits max brightness sustainable vs Galaxy Note 20 5G Ultra offer 1500 nits and XXX max brightness.

[extra stuff clipped out]

Is really hard to decide what phone get thinking on the drones hobby. For one side I have dedicated iPads for this, but they are not bright enough or too big. For the other one there are more software for Android.
What do you think guys?

The Note 20 Ultra does not have 1500 nits in real-world brightness. But it's very readable in sunlight, by far the brightest phone to use outside that I have ever owned. I've been using it with my M2P and it works great. It's not going to fit in the RC holder if you have it in a case, but that's an easy fix. The biggest drawback is not the screen brightness, but the nearly 2:1 aspect ratio. The 4:3 ratio from the tablets works better, plus anything that embiggens the image is a plus. If you are looking for a bright tablet, the Samsung Tab Active models are designed to be used outside. I have the Tab Active2 and it's almost as bright as the Note 20.

One other thing to consider. The Note 20 and iPhone 12 have OLED screens. If you drive them at full brightness for an extended time, you will wear out the screen. The Tab Active2 (and I assume the Active3) are backlight LCD.

 

[DroneToJoy]

What are the nits for the tab 2 or 3?

 

[anotherlab]

What are the nits for the tab 2 or 3?

I haven't seen measurements for the Tab Active3, but the Active2 was about 425 cd/m2 (nit). The Note 20 Ultra is brighter, but the Active2 was readable in sunlight.

When you read cd/m2 (nit) values for a screen, you have to know those conditions are. The Note 20 Ultra can go hit 1600, but it's with 1% of the screen being used, in daylight, with auto-brightness on. For something like a DJI Go screen, it will peak at 1100-1200, which is still very high. To get an idea of how those numbers can be measured, check out DisplayMate's test results for the N20U.

 

[DroneToJoy]

What are the nits for the tab 2 or 3?

I haven't seen measurements for the Tab Active3, but the Active2 was about 425 cd/m2 (nit). The Note 20 Ultra is brighter, but the Active2 was readable in sunlight.

When you read cd/m2 (nit) values for a screen, you have to know those conditions are. The Note 20 Ultra can go hit 1600, but it's with 1% of the screen being used, in daylight, with auto-brightness on. For something like a DJI Go screen, it will peak at 1100-1200, which is still very high. To get an idea of how those numbers can be measured, check out DisplayMate's test results for the N20U.

Thank you for the detailed inputs. Really appreciated. The link is very useful taking the ratings given.

 

[robwas]

The Note 20 Ultra does not have 1500 nits in real-world brightness. But it's very readable in sunlight, by far the brightest phone to use outside that I have ever owned. I've been using it with my M2P and it works great. It's not going to fit in the RC holder if you have it in a case, but that's an easy fix. The biggest drawback is not the screen brightness, but the nearly 2:1 aspect ratio. The 4:3 ratio from the tablets works better, plus anything that embiggens the image is a plus. If you are looking for a bright tablet, the Samsung Tab Active models are designed to be used outside. I have the Tab Active2 and it's almost as bright as the Note 20.

One other thing to consider. The Note 20 and iPhone 12 have OLED screens. If you drive them at full brightness for an extended time, you will wear out the screen. The Tab Active2 (and I assume the Active3) are backlight LCD.

I was just about to chime in regarding the aspect ratio of phones but you beat me to it. those large elongated screens on most new cell phones really provide little space for the app and you just get large black bars on each side. Very good observation. Still trying to find out of the Samsung Active Pro 10.1 actually runs a 64 bit version of Android, I emailed Samsung but they haven't replied yet. Once you factor in the need for 64 bit OS's with the FLY app your choices for anything with a large usable screen space really dwindle down to few choices.

 

[DroneToJoy]

I was just about to chime in regarding the aspect ratio of phones but you beat me to it. those large elongated screens on most new cell phones really provide little space for the app and you just get large black bars on each side. Very good observation. Still trying to find out of the Samsung Active Pro 10.1 actually runs a 64 bit version of Android, I emailed Samsung but they haven't replied yet. Once you factor in the need for 64 bit OS's with the FLY app your choices for anything with a large usable screen space really dwindle down to few choices.

I'm beginning too agree. I noticed in direct sunlight all phone screens still really struggle to display clearly - especially when the sun is above and shining directly on the display.

Interesting that when I took my wife's low end Samsung tablet out (can check the model of needed) in direct sun i could actually see the airmap fine, maybe a softer image, but much easier on the eye and still fairly clear. I think that it may be the case to find a small tablet that has a backlit screen option design rather than high end nits specifications.

Any idea on this approach?