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Updated January 10, 2024·
If a higher-quality camera is important to you, the iPhone 15 Pro Max offers slightly better still photo and video quality than the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. However, the Galaxy S23 Ultra provides longer battery life, and it also features a slightly larger screen, which could be beneficial for media consumption and productivity. Both phones are at a premium price point and share similar attributes like OLED displays, glass bodies, and high refresh rates, but the iPhone runs on iOS, while the Galaxy uses Android, which might influence your app selection and user experience. In terms of charging and accessories, both support wireless charging, but only the Galaxy S23 Ultra offers reverse wireless charging. Despite these differences, the overall performance of both devices is top-notch, so your choice might come down to your preference for camera quality, battery life, operating system, and screen size. 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 performance
Advantages of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Best in class battery life
Key differences
Overall Camera Quality
10.0
9.2
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has best in class overall camera quality, while the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has excellent overall camera quality.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max leads with top-notch selfie quality, excelling in software for both photos and videos, which is essential if selfies and consistent, user-friendly camera performance are priorities. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, while also having excellent selfie capabilities, edges ahead with its camera versatility, including a substantially powerful telephoto lens, making it a strong contender for users prioritizing diverse photography options.
Video Quality
10.0
8.0
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max takes best in class videos, while the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra takes very good videos.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is recognized for its superior video capabilities mainly because of its exceptional software experience, stabilization, dynamic range, and low-light performance, along with top-notch microphone quality. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra also offers excellent video qualities with slightly lower performance in these areas, but its powerful telephoto lens with 10x optical zoom and integrated stylus add to its video shooting versatility.
Cost
$1,100
$1,200
$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 Ultra costs $1,200.
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Key similarities
Photo Quality
10.0
9.5
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra both have best in class photos.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max offers the best software experience for photography and the highest selfie quality, making it the top choice for users prioritizing self-portraits and intuitive camera software. In comparison, while the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra also provides very high-quality photography and excellent selfie capabilities, it slightly trails the iPhone in these specific areas.
Battery
9.8 Hours
10.4 Hours
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has 9.8 hours of battery life. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has 10.4 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 Ultra is 6.8 inches.
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How the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra compare to other phones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $1,200 | ||
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" | 6.8" | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2796 x 1290 | 3088 x 1440 | |
Variable refresh rate | |||
Variable refresh rate | Yes | Yes | |
Pixels Per Inch | |||
Pixels Per Inch | 460 | 501 | |
Display Type | |||
Display Type | OLED | OLED | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | A17 | SD8G2 | |
Internal Storage | |||
Internal Storage | 256 GB | 256 GB | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
CAMERA | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Overall Camera Quality Score | |||
Overall Camera Quality Score | 10/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Photos Score | |||
Photos Score | 10/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Videos Score | |||
Videos Score | 10/10 | 8.1/10 | |
Rear Cameras | |||
Rear Cameras | Main, Ultrawide, Super Telephoto | Main, Ultrawide, Telephoto, Super Telephoto | |
Main Camera | |||
Main Camera | 48 megapixels + OIS | 200 megapixels + OIS | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.8 Hours | 10.4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 4441 mAh | 5000 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" | 6.43" x 3.07" | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 7.80 oz | 8.25 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, 270 | |
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 | Green, Phantom Black, Cream, Lavender, Graphite | |
Stock Android | |||
Stock Android | N/A | No | |
SD Card | |||
SD Card | No | No | |
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Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
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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 Ultra
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Android Authority
Ryan Haines | March 2023
"The Galaxy S23 Ultra doesn’t just want a place at the top right now; it expects to stay there. Samsung’s excellent update commitment and connectivity standards will keep its flagship feeling fresh for years to come, and the high-end materials will put up with more than their share of wear and tear. It might be more than most users need in terms of size, power, and cost, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a glaring weakness."
Get a great deal on the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max or the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
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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Phones evaluated
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About the phone team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Phones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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