iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung S23 Ultra: which phone is better?

Imagine you’re choosing between two top-tier smartphones: the iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. As you’ll see in our iPhone 15 Pro Max review, the iPhone’s sleek titanium design, its handy Action button, and the power of its A17 Pro chip. Visualize its upgraded camera and the convenience of USB-C charging. Now, you’ll see in our Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review, our best in camera phones and the best Android out there. It offers an impressive 200MP camera, dual telephoto zoom lenses, a stunning display, and even comes with an optional built-in S Pen. Both iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra were put through rigorous testing to help you make the best choice. The decision is yours!

Key Takeaways

• Price: Both phones start at $1,199 in the US, but vary elsewhere. iPhone 15 Pro Max 1TB is $1,599, Samsung S23 Ultra 1TB is $1,619.99.
• Design: Both phones are dust and water resistant (IP68). iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch OLED screen, Samsung S23 Ultra has a 6.8-inch AMOLED screen.
• Cameras: Samsung S23 Ultra has a 200-MP main camera and two zoom cameras, iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 48-MP main camera and a 5x zoom camera. Both take great photos.
• Performance: iPhone 15 Pro Max has the new A17 Pro chipset, Samsung S23 Ultra has the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy. Both are super fast.
• Battery: iPhone 15 Pro Max lasts up to 29 hours of video playback, Samsung S23 Ultra lasts a day and a half of normal use. Samsung S23 Ultra charges faster at 45W, iPhone 15 Pro Max charges at 20W.
• Features: Samsung S23 Ultra has an optional S Pen and multi-window. iPhone 15 Pro Max has the Action button and Dynamic Island. Both have cool extras.

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung S23 Ultra: spec

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung S23 Ultra: price and availability

The iPhone 15 Pro Max, launching on September 22, starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,199 for the 256GB model. Want more storage? It’ll cost ya – the 1TB model is $1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,899.

Now, let’s talk Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. It’s already out and the 256GB model is priced at $1,199.99 / £1,249 / AU$1,949. So, in the US, it’s a tie. But in the UK and Australia, Samsung’s a bit pricier and cheaper, respectively.

For the big spenders, the 1TB model is $1,619.99 / £1,599 / AU$2,649. That’s more in the US, same in the UK, and less in Australia compared to iPhone.

One thing to note – you might snag the Galaxy S23 Ultra for less than list price since it’s been out for a bit. But don’t count on a price drop for the iPhone 15 Pro Max anytime soon.

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung S23 Ultra: design and display

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a slightly bigger and sharper 6.8-inch AMOLED screen with 120Hz, 500ppi, and 1,750 nits brightness. The Galaxy S23’s screen is curved, while the iPhone’s is flat.

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung S23 Ultra: cameras

The Samsung S23 Ultra has a 200-MP main camera, two zoom cameras (3x and 10x), and a wide-angle camera. It takes colorful and zoomed photos that I enjoy when traveling.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 5x zoom camera, but no 3x zoom camera. It uses part of the 48-MP main camera for 2x zoom. Its 5x zoom camera is better in low light than the Galaxy’s 10x zoom camera. It also has a wide camera. It uses Smart HDR 5 to improve the photos and can turn any photo into a portrait.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Samsung S23 Ultra take realistic and beautiful photos. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is better than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but we don’t know if the iPhone 15 Pro Max can beat it.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max records better videos than the Samsung S23 Ultra because it has Dolby Vision HDR and ProRes. It can also save 4K videos at 60 fps externally. They both have a 12-MP selfie camera.

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung S23 Ultra: video capabilities

The Samsung S23 Ultra makes great videos. It stabilizes them and shows contrast well. It can record 8K videos, which are very fast and high quality. The iPhone 15 Pro Max supports 4K videos, which are good but lower quality. It has features like ProRES, Log, and external saving in some modes. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is good at making videos too. It has more brightness, colors, and details. But the Samsung S23 Ultra can zoom more and stay clear. It also has better sound, especially in windy places.

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung S23 Ultra: performance

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is very powerful with its new A17 Pro chipset. It’s better than the A16 Bionic in other iPhones like the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max , and it can compete with the best Android phones.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has the best Android chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy. It’s a bit faster than the normal Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra might have more RAM than the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple didn’t say how much RAM it has, but leaks say 8GB. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has 8GB or 12GB, depending on the storage.

We think the iPhone 15 Pro Max is faster overall, but we need to test it more. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is also very fast, and our review said it has “exceptional performance”.

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung S23 Ultra: battery life

The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a battery that lasts for 29 hours of video, 25 hours of streaming, or 95 hours of audio. That’s the same as the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery that lasts for a day and a half with normal use, or a day with heavy use.

Both phones have good batteries, but we don’t know which one is better yet. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra charges faster, with 45W charging. The iPhone 15 Pro Max charges slower, with around 20W charging.

Both phones have wireless charging at 15W, but the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra can also charge other devices wirelessly at 4.5W.

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung S23 Ultra: speaker test

The iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Samsung S23 Ultra have hybrid stereo speakers that sound rich and clear. They have a bottom speaker and an earpiece that make a stereo effect. The speakers change with the phone’s position, and the earpiece is always the left channel when the phone is upright.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max has excellent sound quality like other iPhones. It has crisp and balanced sound with some bass. The Galaxy is almost as good as the iPhone, but it has less bass and mid-range, which you may not notice. Both phones have speakers that most users will like.

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung S23 Ultra: special features

he Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has an S Pen for notes, sketches, and photo edits. It also has mult-window to run two apps at once. It’s good for multitasking.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra has One UI 5.1 software with cool features. Bixby Text Call can answer calls for you and let you send messages by voice.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max has more special features. The Action button lets you do many things with shortcuts, like mute calls, launch camera, or use magnifier. You can make your own shortcuts too.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max also has Dynamic Island. It shows live alerts and activities on the screen. You can check Uber or change Spotify without leaving other apps. More apps are using it.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max has iOS 17 features as well. Standby mode makes your iPhone an alarm clock and smart display. NameDrop makes it easy to share contact info with other iPhones.

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung S23 Ultra: verdict

The iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Samsung S23 Ultra are both amazing phones with great screens, power, and cameras. The Galaxy S23 Ultra proves it in real life.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max might be faster and more premium, and it has a brighter screen. But the Galaxy S23 Ultra has more cameras, more zoom, and more RAM. It also has an S Pen for extra features.

The prices are close, but you can find the Galaxy S23 Ultra cheaper sometimes. Both phones have pros and cons, and the best one depends on what you like.