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The PerfectRec phone team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize a larger screen and superior overall camera quality, the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is an excellent choice; it boasts a significant lead in photo and video capabilities and has a longer battery life. However, the Samsung Galaxy S23 offers commendable camera performance at a more affordable price point, with a more compact design that could be more comfortable for some users to handle. The Samsung Galaxy S23 also has features like a 3.5mm headphone jack and expandable storage through an SD card slot, which are not available on the iPhone. Consider your budget and whether the additional features and camera enhancements of the iPhone 15 Pro Max justify the higher cost to you. Additionally, keep in mind that the iPhone operates on iOS and the Galaxy S23 on Android, which could influence your app preferences and user experience. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
- Best in class for taking photos
- Best in class for recording videos
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class display quality
- Best in class performance
Advantages of the Samsung Galaxy S23
- The Samsung Galaxy S23 has no clear advantages over the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Key differences
Overall Camera Quality
10.0
8.3
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has best in class overall camera quality, while the Samsung Galaxy S23 has very good overall camera quality.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max boasts the superior selfie camera quality and an overall better software experience for photography, dynamic range, and low light performance compared to the Samsung Galaxy S23. The iPhone 15 Pro Max also offers a higher level of camera versatility and microphone quality for both photo and video, which can be especially important for content creators or those seeking high-quality multimedia capabilities.
Photo Quality
10.0
8.3
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max takes best in class photos, while the Samsung Galaxy S23 takes very good photos.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is recognized for superior selfie quality, excelling in high-resolution photos, providing an exceptional software experience, offering great dynamic range, and performing impressively in low light conditions. While the Samsung Galaxy S23 also takes excellent selfies, it slightly lags behind the iPhone 15 Pro Max in these areas, which contributes to the distinction in the quality of photos produced by these devices.
Video Quality
10.0
7.8
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max takes best in class videos, while the Samsung Galaxy S23 takes good videos.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max delivers top-tier video quality thanks to its superior video stabilization, dynamic range, and low-light performance, alongside a strong video software experience. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S23, while offering excellent video quality overall, excels particularly in microphone quality which can be crucial for clear audio capture.
Battery
9.8 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has 9.8 hours of battery life. The Samsung Galaxy S23 has 8 hours of battery life.
Screen Size
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has a screen size of 6.7 inches and the Samsung Galaxy S23 is 6.1 inches.
Cost
$1,100
$700
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has a price of $1,100 and the Samsung Galaxy S23 costs $700.
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How the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S23 compare to other phones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S23 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $700 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Apple | Samsung | |
Operating System | |||
Operating System | iOS | Android | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 22, 2023 | February 17, 2023 | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 6.7" | 6.1" | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2796 x 1290 | 2340 x 1080 | |
Variable refresh rate | |||
Variable refresh rate | Yes | No | |
Pixels Per Inch | |||
Pixels Per Inch | 460 | 422 | |
Display Type | |||
Display Type | OLED | OLED | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | A17 | SD8G2 | |
Internal Storage | |||
Internal Storage | 256 GB | 128 GB | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
CAMERA | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Overall Camera Quality Score | |||
Overall Camera Quality Score | 10/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Photos Score | |||
Photos Score | 10/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Videos Score | |||
Videos Score | 10/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Rear Cameras | |||
Rear Cameras | Main, Ultrawide, Super Telephoto | Main, Ultrawide, Telephoto | |
Main Camera | |||
Main Camera | 48 megapixels + OIS | 50 megapixels + OIS | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.8 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 4441 mAh | 3900 mAh | |
Wireless Charging | |||
Wireless Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Wireless charging Speed | |||
Wireless charging Speed | 15 W | 15 W | |
Reverse wireless charging | |||
Reverse wireless charging | No | Yes (4.5 watts) | |
PHYSICAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Size | |||
Size | 6.3" x 3.02" | 5.76" x 2.79" | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.80 oz | 5.93 oz | |
Back Material | |||
Back Material | Glass | Glass | |
Stereo Speakers | |||
Stereo Speakers | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Dual SIM | |||
Dual SIM | Yes | Yes | |
Bluetooth Version | |||
Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.3 | |
A2DP | |||
A2DP | Yes | Yes | |
WiFi Version | |||
WiFi Version | 6e | 6e | |
NFC | |||
NFC | Yes | Yes | |
US 5G Bands | |||
US 5G Bands | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 77, 78, 79, 258, 260, 261 (SA/NSA/Sub6)1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)1, 7, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 | |
OTHER FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Biometric unlock | |||
Biometric unlock | Face unlock | Face unlock, Fingerprint sensor: Under Display | |
Unlockable Bootloader | |||
Unlockable Bootloader | No | No | |
Color | |||
Color | Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium, White Titanium, Black Titanium | Pink Gold, Phantom Black, Cream, Lavender, Green, Lime, Graphite | |
Stock Android | |||
Stock Android | N/A | No | |
SD Card | |||
SD Card | No | No | |
Shopping
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Guide
Mark Spoonauer | September 2023
"The iPhone 15 Pro Max is a powerful flagship phone that delivers upgrade-worthy features, including a lighter and more compact titanium design, a bigger 5x zoom and a useful Action button. The A17 Pro chip is the fastest around and enables console-quality gameplay, while the battery lasts an epic 14 hours."
Samsung Galaxy S23
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Dig into reviews and images
The Verge
Allison Johnson | February 2023
"The 6.1-inch S23 is the best reasonably sized Android phone on the market in the US, partly because almost every other Android phone sold here is gigantic. But it’s also a really good device, with a battery that gets through a full day more comfortably than its predecessor. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset responsible for some of that battery performance improvement is slightly different — and slightly faster — than the 8 Gen 2 in other Android flagships."
Get a great deal on the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max or the Samsung Galaxy S23
About Apple
The tech giant called Apple is synonymous with the most popular smartphone in the world: the iPhone. Known for their build quality and aesthetics, as well as for their excellent integration between hardware and software, iPhones have defined the smartphone industry ever since their conception and they continue to do so by setting new industry standards. Apple's own operating system, called iOS, is known for its simplicity and ease of use, and the company tends to complement it well by creating devices with some of the most powerful processing hardware available in the mobile world. The iPhone is also known for its robust ecosystem of accessories, as it facilitates a very seamless experience when interacting with other Apple products, more so than most of its competitors.
About Samsung
Samsung is one of the most recognizable names in the smartphone industry, standing as the undisputed best-selling brand of Android smartphones in the United States for many years now. Samsung is known for offering a variety of smartphones in all available price points, as well as for implementing cutting-edge technology and innovative features in their flagship devices, ones that often shape the market going forward. The company offers its own unique spin on Android, called One UI, which focuses on offering a multitude of features and is heavily customizable, according to user preference.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec phones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest phone information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
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About the phone team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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