Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission.Learn more.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra crushes iPhone 11 Pro Max in drop test

August 03, 2025

TheSamsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultramight beharder to repaircompared to the iPhone 11 Pro Max, but it sure does look more durable than the Apple flagship. Both phones are seen facing off in a drop test video by YouTube channelPhoneBuff, and the results are pretty clear. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra can take a fall like a champ while the iPhone 11 Pro Max struggles to keep it together… literally.

In the first round of the drop test, both the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and iPhone 11 Pro Max were dropped on their backs. Both suffer some visible damage to their glass backs, but the iPhone 11 Pro Max’s back panel shatters much more than the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra vs iPhone 11 Pro Max Drop Test

The Samsung flagship comes withCorning Gorilla Glass Victuson both the front and back compared to a custom Corning glass on the iPhone. Samsung and Corning claim that the new Victus glass is the toughest in the market, and it shows in the subsequent drop tests of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

In the next round, both phones were dropped on their corners. Such drops are pretty dangerous as they tend to weaken a phone’s casing as well as cause the screen and back panel to crack. In the case of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, the damage from the corner drop was just a tad more than the iPhone 11 Pro Max. It displayed some scuffing compared to minor scratches on the stainless steel corners of the iPhone. However, both phones remained intact after this test.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultravs iPhone 11 Pro Max Drop Test Back Panel

Related:Not loving the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series? These are the best alternatives

Round three and the bonus round was where the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra really shone. In these rounds, the phones were dropped face down. A cracked display could be lethal to a phone, sometimes rendering the touchscreen useless. In the case of the iPhone 11 Pro Max, the glass display cracked after the first drop while the Note’s screen only suffered minor scratches.

The Note 20 Ultra was then dropped 10 times from a height of over 1.5 meters (4.9 feet), and surprisingly, it survived all 10 drops. In contrast, the iPhone was a shattered mess with chunks of glass chipping off. It even lost its camera functionality after the 10-drop test but managed to retain its touch functions.

All in all, it looks like Samsung has one tough cookie on its hands with the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. You can check out the full drop test video of the phone embedded above.

Impressed by the physical performance of the Samsung flagship? Check out ourreview of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultrato know how well it does as a daily driver.

Thank you for being part of our community. Read ourComment Policybefore posting.