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iPhone 15 Pro Max
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the latest and the greatest smartphone in Apple’s lineup. The smartphone is powered by the latest Apple A17 Pro chipset, coupled with 8GB of RAM. It has a more refined Titanium chassis that makes it lighter and more comfortable, and it features a new periscope telephoto camera.
Pros- Beautiful, responsive and bright display
- Powerful A17 Pro chip with more memory
- Great camera upgrades and new telephoto sensor
- USB-C port and 30W charging
Cons- The titanium finish is slippery and a fingerprint magnet
- $100 more expensive than previous generation
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Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
$450 $1200 Save $750
The new Galaxy S23 Ultra is the go-to flagship from Samsung in 2023. It’s powered by the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, carries the same price tag as its predecessor, and has improved gaming and camera capabilities to let you capture the perfect moment.
Pros- Gorgeous display
- Excellent performance
- Great battery life
- S Pen
Cons- It’s expensive
- Charging should be much faster in 2023
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the best iPhone to date. It features the best camera array, the new and improved A17 Pro chip based on the 3nm process, a USB-C port for charging and transferring files, and various small refinements that make it an excellent flagship in 2023. Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra can also brag about a few firsts, and it’s already gained the best Android smartphone title for having a premium chip, an impressive camera setup, a long battery, and many advancements over its predecessor.
In this guide, we compared two of the best smartphones, the iPhone 15 Pro Max vs the Galaxy S23 Ultra. We compared their prices, availability, design, display, camera, battery, and charging technologies.
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iPhone 15 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra SoC Apple A17 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Display 6.7-inch, LTPO Super Retina XDR, OLED, 120Hz 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz RAM 8GB Up to 12GB Storage 256/512GB & 1TB Up to 1TB Battery 4422 mAh 5,000 mAh Operating System iOS 17 One UI 5.1 based on Android 13 Front camera 12MP, f/1.9 12MP f/2.2 Rear camera Primary: 48MP, f/1.8, 24mm, sensor-shift OIS | Ultrawide: 12MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120-degree FOV | Telephoto: 12MP, f/2.8, 120mm, PDAF 200MP primary f/1.7, 10MP periscope 10x optical zoom, 10MP f/2.4 telephoto, 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide Connectivity 5G, LTE, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC 5G, LTE Dimensions 6.30 x 3.02 x 0.33 in (159.9 x 76.7 x 8.3 mm) 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm Charge speed 30W wired, 15W MagSafe, 7.5W (Qi Wireless) 45W wired (0-65% in 30 mins) IP Rating IP68 IP68
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: Price & Availability
The base storage of the iPhone 15 Pro Max comes with 256GB, double that of the 14 Pro Max. However, the storage increase and the improved rear camera meant Apple bumped the price by $100. The iPhone 15 Pro Max costs $1,199, the 512GB goes for $1,399, and the 1TB model costs $1,599. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is available in four colors, Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, and Natural Titanium.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra also starts at the high $1,199 price tag. The base model gets you 8GB of memory and 256GB storage, while 12/512GB will cost you $1,380, and 12GB/1TB a whopping $1,620. It’s worth noting that Galaxy devices are often on sale, and users can often save up to $500 on the latest devices, or up to $1,000 during special events and by using trade-in programs. The Galaxy S23 Ultra comes in four colors, Phantom Black, Cream, Green, and Lavender, and four exclusive colors available from Samsung.com: Lime, Graphite, Sky Blue, and Red.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: Design & Display
In terms of looks, the two smartphones couldn’t be further away from each other. The iPhone line is still quite flat, while the Galaxy phone has more gentle curves around it. The new iPhone sports a slightly refined design, meaning it’ll now be less sharp on the edges, and more rounded. The Galaxy S23 Ultra has curved sides on all sides.
Regarding the dimensions, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is shorter, narrower, and lighter than the Galaxy. The iPhone 15 Pro Max measures 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.3 mm, while the Galaxy S23 Plus measures 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm. The iPhone weighs 221 grams thanks to its grade 5 Titanium chassis and glass sandwich, while the Galaxy weighs slightly more at 234 grams. The Galaxy is made of aluminium and glass.
The iPhone’s screen is protected by Ceramic Shield, while the Galaxy’s display is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The iPhone comes with a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR, LTPO OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate. It has a peak brightness of 2000 nits, making it easily visible outdoors. The Galaxy has a slightly larger 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, display with 120Hz refresh rate and 1750 nits of peak brightness. It’s fair to say, both displays will look great while outside, but the Galaxy’s panel is sharper at 1440 x 3088 than Apple’s 1290 x 2796 panel.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: Camera
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has the most advanced camera setup that Apple ever equipped their iPhones with, and the Pro Max also has a slightly better array than the standard iPhone 15 Pro. The device comes with the usual triple-camera setup. This consists of a 48MP, f/1.8, 24mm main sensor, a 12MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120-degree FoV ultrawide, and a 12MP, f/2.8, 120mm telephoto camera that’s capable of 5x optical zoom.
Compared to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the iPhone can do a decent job zooming in, but there are a few key areas where Samsung gets a few bonus points. The S23 Ultra features a 200MP, f/1.7, 24mm primary camera, a 12MP, f/2.2, 12mm, 120-degree FoV ultrawide, a 10MP f/2.4 telephoto camera capable of 3x optical zoom, and another 10MP, f/2.9, 230mm periscope telephoto sensor capable of 10x optical zoom.
Up until now, Samsung has been one of the best smartphone makers with the most impressive zooming capabilities on modern devices, and while the likes of HONOR, and OPPO tried to challenge it, the company is still holding its title remarkably well. The iPhone 15 Pro Max might not have the same 10x zooming feature, but pinching in is only half of the story, and the other half comes down to software optimizations such as sharpness, brightness, dynamic range, and a range of other factors that play a big role. We’ll have to wait for the full review and compare the results side-by-side, so let us know if that’s a comparison you’d like to see.
The front-facing camera on the iPhone is a 12MP f/1.9 sensor with PDAF and OIS. Samsung has a similar 12MP camera with f/2.2. It has Dual Pixel PDAF but lacks OIS, which could be crucial for vloggers and content creators.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: Battery
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 4,422 mAh battery, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra is equipped with a 5,000 mAh cell. Given the differences between the OS, hardware, and other software optimizations, it’s fair to say that both smartphones can provide a comfortable full day on a single charge. At the same time, more conservative users will be able to extend that even further.
Both smartphones come with USB Type-C ports, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra tops out at 45W wired and 15W wireless charging speeds. The phone also supports reverse wireless charging at 4.5W, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max only supports that via a wired connection. The iPhone also has slower charging speeds, and it can do 30W wired, 15W via MagSafe, and 7.5W via Qi chargers.
Neither of these devices are particularly fast by any stretch of the imagination. In a world where many phone manufacturers support 65W and more, both Samsung and Apple are behind. However, it’s worth noting that Samsung still offers more functionality and options, so we’d have to give points to the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: Which should you buy?
And when it comes to which you should buy, you should ask yourself. Which operating system and features suit you best? Some people might already be heavily invested in Apple’s ecosystem and devices, and so those who don’t want to switch to a new platform will have no choice but to stick with the iPhone. However, for those who are looking to try out something new, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra remains one of the best options in the Android world.
Both smartphones feature an impressive camera array, excellent software support, bright and responsive displays, flagship chipsets, and a battery that can last a full day on a single charge. If you’re due for an upgrade, you should stick with whichever operating system and device you find comfortable for your daily needs. For some, this will be the Galaxy, others, the iPhone.
You can’t go wrong with either, as both companies have worked extensively to improve their lineup. While the changes, compared to their predecessors, are marginal at best, there are some great small refinements and improvements in the current generation of smartphones.
