If you are looking for the best flagship smartphone of 2023, you might be wondering which one to choose between the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Both phones offer impressive specs, features, and performance, but they also have some differences that might sway your decision.
Choosing your next smartphone is no easy task, especially with so many high-end options. The iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra are leading the race this season.
Our head-to-head comparison cuts through the tech speak to give you clear insights into which phone might be your perfect match.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra Specs Comparison
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Network | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| Launch Date | 2023, September 12 | 2023, February 01 |
| Dimensions | 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.3 mm (6.30 x 3.02 x 0.33 in) | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) |
| Weight | 221 g (7.80 oz) | 234 g (8.25 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Corning-made glass), glass back (Corning-made glass), titanium frame (grade 5) | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Sim | Nano-SIM and eSIM – International Dual eSIM with multiple numbers – USA Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) – China | Nano-SIM and eSIM or Dual SIM (2 Nano-SIMs and eSIM, dual stand-by) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) Stylus (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | |
| Display Type | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| Display Size | 6.7 inches, 110.2 cm2 (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Display Resolution | 1290 x 2796 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Display Protection | Ceramic Shield glass | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Platform OS | iOS 17, upgradable to iOS 17.1.1 | Android 13, upgradable to Android 14, One UI 6 |
| Chipset | Apple A17 Pro (3 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| CPU | Hexa-core (2×3.78 GHz + 4×2.11 GHz) | Octa-core (1×3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2×2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2×2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3×2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (6-core graphics) | Adreno 740 |
| Memory Card Slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 1TB 8GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| NVMe | UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | 48 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 120mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.06", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF, 3D sensor‑shift OIS, 5x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) | 200 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.3", 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS 10 MP, f/4.9, 230mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, Cinematic mode (4K@24/30fps), 3D (spatial) video, stereo sound rec. | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 1080p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Front Camera | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", PDAF, OIS SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 3.5mm Jack | No | No |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | ||
| Wlan | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS, NavIC | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Infrared Port | No | No |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| Sensors | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Battery | Li-Ion 4441 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 5000 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min (advertised) 15W wireless (MagSafe) 7.5W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wired | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min (advertised) 15W wireless (Qi/PMA) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Colors | Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium | Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition |
| SAR | 1.07 W/kg (head) 1.11 W/kg (body) | 1.12 W/kg (head) 0.92 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.98 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) | 0.96 W/kg (head) 1.40 W/kg (body) |
| Price | ₹ 159,900 / $ 1,199.99 / £ 1,199.00 / € 1,416.00 | ₹ 95,397 / $ 818.00 / £ 819.99 / € 861.00 |
| Performance Tests | AnTuTu: 1487203 (v10) GeekBench: 7237 (v6.0) | AnTuTu: 1241531 (v9) GeekBench: 4927 (v5.1) GFXBench: 67fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra – Design and Display
The iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Galaxy S23 Ultra have similar designs, with glass backs, metal frames, and square camera modules. However, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a titanium frame, which makes it stronger and lighter than the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which has an aluminum frame. The iPhone 15 Pro Max also has a smaller notch on the screen, which houses the front camera and the Face ID sensors, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch OLED display, which offers bright and vivid colors, high contrast, and up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness. The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a slightly larger 6.8-inch OLED display, which also delivers vibrant colors, deep blacks, and up to 1,750 nits of peak brightness. Both displays have a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, which means they can adjust the refresh rate according to the content on the screen, to save battery and provide a smooth scrolling experience. Both displays also support HDR10+ for enhanced dynamic range.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a higher resolution and pixel density than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which means it can display sharper and more detailed images. However, the difference is not very noticeable to the naked eye, and both displays are excellent for watching videos, playing games, and browsing the web. The Galaxy S23 Ultra also has a curved edge display, which gives it a more immersive look, but some users might find it annoying, as it can cause accidental touches and reflections.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra – Camera Comparison
The iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Galaxy S23 Ultra are both excellent camera phones, but they have different strengths and weaknesses. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 48MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 12MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom. The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 200MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and two 10MP telephoto cameras with 3x and 10x optical zoom. Both phones can also use digital zoom to reach up to 100x magnification, but the quality is not very good at that level.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max takes more detailed and natural-looking photos than the Galaxy S23 Ultra, especially in daylight and low-light conditions. The iPhone 15 Pro Max also has better color reproduction, contrast, and dynamic range, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra tends to overexpose and oversaturate some scenes. The iPhone 15 Pro Max also has a new Action button, which lets you quickly switch between photo and video modes, and capture 24MP stills from 4K videos.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra, on the other hand, has a more versatile camera system, thanks to its dual telephoto lenses, which allow it to capture more zoomed-in shots than the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The Galaxy S23 Ultra also has a more powerful 200MP main camera, which can capture more details and textures in some situations, and a laser autofocus system, which helps it focus faster and more accurately. The Galaxy S23 Ultra also has a built-in S Pen, which can be used to control the camera remotely and edit photos and videos on the go.
Both phones have a 12MP front camera, which can take good selfies and supports portrait mode, night mode, and HDR. Both phones can also record 4K videos at up to 60fps, and support optical image stabilization, slow-motion, time-lapse, and cinematic modes. However, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has an edge over the iPhone 15 Pro Max in video recording, as it can also record 8K videos at 30fps, and has a Pro Video mode, which gives you more control over the settings and effects.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra – Performance, Battery Life, and Charging
The iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Galaxy S23 Ultra are both very fast and powerful phones, but they use different processors. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has the A17 Pro chip, which is Apple’s latest and most advanced chipset, based on a 3nm process. The Galaxy S23 Ultra has the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, which is Qualcomm’s flagship processor for 2023, based on a 4nm process.
Both chips are capable of handling any task or app you throw at them, from multitasking to gaming to AI. However, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a slight edge over the Galaxy S23 Ultra in terms of performance, as it scored higher in various benchmarks and tests. For example, the iPhone 15 Pro Max scored 7,439 in Geekbench 5, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra scored 4,112. The iPhone 15 Pro Max also scored 1,000,000 in AnTuTu, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra scored 900,000.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Galaxy S23 Ultra also have different amounts of RAM and storage. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has 8GB of RAM, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra has 8GB or 12GB of RAM, depending on the model. Both phones have 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of internal storage, which is plenty for most users.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Galaxy S23 Ultra have different battery capacities and charging speeds. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a battery that can last up to 29 hours of video playback, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery that can last up to 26 hours of video playback. Both phones have good battery life, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max is more efficient and can last longer on a single charge.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Galaxy S23 Ultra both support USB-C charging and wireless charging, but the Galaxy S23 Ultra has faster charging speeds than the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The Galaxy S23 Ultra can charge up to 45W with a compatible charger, and up to 15W wirelessly, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max can charge up to 20W with a compatible charger, and up to 15W wirelessly. The Galaxy S23 Ultra also supports reverse wireless charging, which lets you charge other devices by placing them on the back of the phone.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra – Software and Updates
The iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Galaxy S23 Ultra run on different operating systems and user interfaces. The iPhone 15 Pro Max runs on iOS 17, which is Apple’s latest and most advanced software, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra runs on Android 13 with One UI 5.1, which is Samsung’s custom skin on top of Google’s software.
Both iOS 17 and Android 13 have their advantages and disadvantages, and the choice between them depends on your personal preference and ecosystem. iOS 17 offers a more streamlined and secure experience, with features like Face ID, iMessage, FaceTime, AirDrop, and Siri. Android 13 offers a more customizable and flexible experience, with features like widgets, split-screen, Google Assistant, and Google Photos.
One UI 5.1 is one of the best Android skins, as it adds many useful features and enhancements to the stock Android experience, such as Edge Panels, Bixby Routines, Samsung DeX, and Samsung Pay. However, some users might find it too cluttered and bloated, and prefer a cleaner and simpler interface.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max also has an advantage over the Galaxy S23 Ultra in terms of software updates, as it will receive timely and consistent updates from Apple for at least five years, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra will receive updates from Samsung for only three years, and might face delays and bugs.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra – Special Features
The iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Galaxy S23 Ultra both have some special features that make them stand out from other phones. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a new MagSafe system, which lets you attach various accessories to the back of the phone, such as cases, wallets, chargers, and car mounts, using magnets. The iPhone 15 Pro Max also has a new Spatial Audio feature, which creates a 3D sound effect when you use AirPods or other compatible headphones, and a new ProRes video format, which lets you record and edit high-quality videos on the phone.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a new S Pen Pro, which is a stylus that can be used to write, draw, and control the phone with more precision and functionality. The S Pen Pro also has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, which lets you use it as a remote control, a laser pointer, and a microphone. The Galaxy S23 Ultra also has a new Under Display Camera (UDC) feature, which hides the front camera under the screen, and a new Director’s View mode, which lets you switch between different cameras and angles while recording a video.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra – Pricing and Availability
The iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1,099, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra starts slightly higher at $1,188, both with 128GB storage. Both are available through major retailers and carriers. Consider carrier deals, trade-in offers, and retailer promotions before making your decision, as they can significantly impact the final price. Remember, the best choice depends on your personal needs and budget, so weigh features, compare prices, and don’t forget potential savings!
Verdict: Which Phone Should You Buy?
The iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Galaxy S23 Ultra are both excellent phones, but they cater to different types of users.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the best choice for you if you value a more natural and detailed camera, a more efficient and longer-lasting battery, a more streamlined and secure software, and a more durable and lighter design.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is the best choice for you if you value a more versatile and powerful camera, a more customizable and flexible software, a more immersive and sharper display, and a more expandable and faster charging battery.
Ultimately, the decision depends on your personal preference, budget, and ecosystem.
