Newsletter
Apple announced its new smartphones recently. The iPhone 15 series arrived, and at the time of writing this article, the devices are on pre-order, and even some reviews are out. Now, we will compare the most powerful new to the best Samsung has to offer, but keep in mind this comes rather early into iPhone 15 Pro Max usage. In this article, we’ll compare the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.
These two devices are the best the two companies have to offer, that’s for sure. They’re both flagship-grade devices, and some of the most popular handsets out there. We’ll first list out their specifications, and will then compare them across a number of categories. Those categories include design, display, performance, and more.
Specs
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs iPhone 15 Pro Max, respectively
– Screen size:
6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display (curved, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1,750 nits)
6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion (flat, 120Hz, HDR10, 2,000 nits)
– Display resolution:
3088 x 1440
2796 x 1290
– SoC:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Apple A17 Pro
– RAM:
8GB/12GB (LPDDR5X)
8GB
– Storage:
256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 4.0)
256GB/512GB/1TB (NVMe)
– Rear cameras:
200MP (f/1.7, multi-directional PDAF, OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 120-degree FoV), 10MP (telephoto, 70mm, f/2.4 aperture, 3x optical zoom), 10MP (periscope, 230mm, 10x optical zoom)
48MP (f/1.78 aperture, second-gen sensor-shift OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 120-degree FoV, macro photography), 12MP (telephoto, f/2.8 aperture, 5x optical zoom)
– Front cameras:
12MP (f/2.2 aperture)
12MP (f/1.9 aperture) + TrueDepth
– Battery:
5,000mAh
4,422mAh
– Charging:
45W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless (charger not included)
20W wired, 15W wireless, reverse wired charging (charger not included)
– Dimensions (unfolded):
163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9mm
159.9 x 76.7 x 8.25mm
– Weight:
234 grams
221 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3
– Security:
In-display fingerprint scanner (ultrasonic)
Advanced facial scanning
– OS:
Android 13 with One UI
iOS 17
– Price:
$1,199
$1,199
– Buy:
Samsung
Apple
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Design
Frames on both devices are made out of metal, but not the same metal. The Galaxy S23 Ultra utilizes aluminum for its frame, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max opted for titanium. The two phones also look considerably different, actually. The Galaxy S23 Ultra has flat tip and bottom sides, while its left and right sides are curved. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has curved sides all around, with chamfered edges. Its front and back sides are completely flat, unlike what the Galaxy S23 Ultra has to offer.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s display is slightly curved, while the bezels are thin, and a display camera hole is centered up top. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a flat display, with thin, uniform bezels, and a pill-shaped cutout at the top. Their camera sections on the back also look considerably different. Apple’s device has a camera island back there, while each of the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s cameras sticks out of the backplate on its own.
Samsung’s flagship comes with a stylus, which is tucked away in the bottom-right corner. Not even their buttons are on the same side. All of Samsung’s are on the right, while only the power/lock button is on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. On the opposite side, you’ll notice the volume up and down buttons, and also the Action Button. Both devices do have a Type-C port, as Apple finally made the switch.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is a bit taller, a bit wider, and a bit thicker too. On top of that, it’s also a bit heavier at 234 grams, compared to 221 grams. It does have a 0.1-inch larger display, though, so that is to be expected. Both smartphones offer IP68 certification for water and dust resistance.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Display
The Galaxy S23 Ultra features a 6.8-inch QHD+ (3088 x 1440) Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. That display is curved, and it has a 120Hz refresh rate. HDR10+ content is supported, and the display goes up to 1,750 nits of brightness at its peak. The display aspect ratio is 19.3:9, and the panel is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the flip side, has a 6.7-inch 2796 x 1290 LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display. That display is flat, and has a 120Hz refresh rate. Dolby Vision is supported here, as is HDR10 content. This panel goes up to 2,000 nits of brightness at its peak, and has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The Ceramic Shield glass protects this panel.
Are the displays any good, though? Well, yes, they are excellent actually. They’re not only immensely bright, but also have excellent viewing angles, and vivid colors. The blacks are also deep, and the touch response is good too. The iPhone 15 Pro Max’s display gets a bit brighter, technically, but not by much. Both are very bright, which is great to see. You can’t go wrong here, basically.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Performance
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Qualcomm’s most powerful SoC at the moment. That is a 4nm processor. The phone also includes up to 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and UFS 4.0 flash storage. The iPhone 15 Pro Max comes with the Apple A17 Pro SoC, a 3nm chip. It is also equipped with 8GB of RAM, and NVMe storage.
Both of these phones are immensely powerful, to say the least. The Apple A17 Bionic inside the iPhone 15 Pro Max is technically more capable gaming-wise. It’s also more powerful based on benchmarks, and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 will essentially be a more direct competitor to it. Still, these are some of the most powerful mobile chips on the market at the moment, and they’re both great.
The Apple A17 Pro is a best of a processor, it’ll be a force to be reckoned with. It can run some console-level games, actually, which is truly impressive, and it even supports ray tracing. Regardless of what you’re doing on your Galaxy S23 Ultra, the phone can handle it, and the same will be the case with the iPhone 15 Pro Max. That includes the most demanding games you’ll find in their respective app stores.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Battery
There is a 5,000mAh battery inside the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the flip side, includes a 4,422mAh unit. Apple’s iPhones usually need less battery juice for the same level of performance, though that gap has been narrowing. The Galaxy S23 Ultra offers extraordinary battery life, so it will be interesting to see how will the iPhone 15 Pro Max compete, as we don’t have conclusive battery info yet. The iPhone 14 Pro Max doesn’t even come close to what the Galaxy S23 Ultra offers.
Getting over the 8-hour screen-on time mark on the Galaxy S23 Ultra is not a problem at all. In fact, we were able to go above and beyond that on a single charge. We’re a bit skeptical about what the iPhone 15 Pro Max will offer in that regard, but thus far, we know that the phone offers better battery life than its predecessor, noticeably. The iPhone 13 Pro Max offered outstanding battery life, but the same cannot be said for the iPhone 14 Pro Max, so… we’ll see.
When it comes to charging, the Galaxy S23 Ultra supports 45W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. The iPhone 14 Pro Max supports 20W wired, 15W wireless, and even reverse wired charging. Qi2 will be supported once everything gets certified. The Galaxy S23 Ultra does charge up faster, while neither phone ships with a charger in the box.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Cameras
You will find four cameras on the back of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, and three on the back of Apple’s flagship. A 200-megapixel main camera is backed by a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (120-degree FoV) on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. A 10-megapixel telephoto camera (70mm, 3x optical zoom) is also included, as is a 10-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (230mm, 10x optical zoom).
The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, has a 48-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (120-degree FoV), and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera (120mm, tetraprism lens, 5x optical zoom). This handset also includes a LiDAR scanner on the back. Now, the Galaxy S23 Ultra does a great job with photos and videos. There are some downsides here, but for the most part, the images do end up looking sharp, detailed, and well-balanced. It does a great job in low light too, and with HDR.
As far as the iPhone 15 Pro Max goes, well, it does a better job than its predecessor. The iPhone 14 Pro Max did a great job, aside from some issues with blowing out the highlights from time to time. HDR has been the weakest point of iPhones for years, as Apple was very careful not to overprocess images, and that’s something you need to do in such conditions The iPhone 15 Pro Max does have a larger sensor, and it does things a bit differently. The improvement with highlights is obvious, though it’s still not excellent. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is still better in that regard. In every other way, however, the iPhone 15 Pro Max does a great job. The phone also allows you to change the focus after you take the image (if you tap beforehand or it detects a person/cat/dog in an image), and also control the background blur (without shooting in Portrait Mode), which is a nice touch. The Galaxy S23 Ultra shots do look more processed in comparison, overall.
Ultrawide cameras on both phones are really good, though they cannot compete with the main ones. Both phones do a good job keeping the color profile between them in check, though the iPhone 15 Pro Max does a better job in that regard. When it comes to zoomed-in shots, the iPhone 15 Pro Max can compete now thanks to its 5x zoom lens, but the Galaxy S23 Ultra still does a better job for the most part, with everything over 3x. The iPhone 15 Pro Max does a better job with video recording, though the light flares are still very much a thing in low light, despite Apple’s new lens coating.
Audio
Both of these phones have a set of stereo speakers, and provide good sound. The Galaxy S23 Ultra offers really good sound output, and based on initial impressions of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, its performance will be similar to the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which is a good thing.
Neither phone has an audio jack, however, so you’ll have to opt for their Type-C ports… if you want to connect your headphones via a wire. If you plan on going wireless, you’ll be glad to know that they both offer Bluetooth 5.3.