Two giants of the smartphone universe are locked in an eternal battle: both the iPhone 15 Pro Max, from Apple, and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, from Samsung, are the respective top-of-the-line smartphones of their brands. Each of them has interesting advantages and disadvantages compared to the other – and they will be discussed here.

All technical aspects will be covered and compared: it’s up to you to decide which flagship device is the most robust and suitable for your needs. The truth is that both are the best mobile devices that money can buy today, but that doesn’t mean that they are similar in certain aspects.

Technical sheets

Overall, both the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Galaxy S23 Ultra have similar hardware in some ways. However, there are a few things to consider when buying either of them:

Specifications	iPhone 15 Pro Max	Galaxy S23 Ultra
Screen	6.7'' XDR OLED 120 Hz, HDR10, 2,000 nits	6.8'' AMOLED 2X 120 Hz, HDR10+, 1,750 nits
Processor	A17 Pro	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB
RAM Memory	8 GB	12 GB
Battery	4,500 mAh	5,000 mAh
Camera	48 MP f/1.8 (main), 12 MP f/2.2 (ultrawide), 12 MP f/2.8 (5x telephoto) and 12 MP f/1.9 (front)	200 MP f/1.7 (main), 12 MP f/2.2 (ultrawide), 10 MP f/2.4 (10x telephoto) and 12 MP f/2.2 (front)
Weight	240g	228g
Size	160.8 x 78.1 x 7.7 mm	163.9 x 77.8 x 8.9 mm

Processor

The iPhone 15 Pro Max uses the new A17 Pro chip, the fastest chip ever developed by Apple and which consumes less battery than previous versions. For many years, the Apple device was known for its poor battery life - but that changed with the change in processor, which resulted in a considerable increase in battery life.

On the other hand, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, one of the best mobile processors in the world. It has an interesting difference over the others, which is being the first 5G processor with AI.

Second performance tests According to NanoReview, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 narrowly beats its opponent in games, but falls behind in performance and battery consumption. It is worth mentioning that the difference between the two is quite small; it could be said that there was a kind of technical tie in this sense.

Screen

Both have incredible displays, with very high resolution and very vivid colors (largely thanks to HDR technology). However, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is slightly ahead of the Galaxy S23 Ultra because it has a brighter screen: this is great in situations with strong external light.

This doesn't mean that the Galaxy S23 Ultra's screen is bad on sunny days: it's just that its competitor has a display that's a little more suited to the situation.

RAM Memory

The Galaxy S23 Ultra has more RAM than its competitor, which is great if you need to open multiple apps at the same time. RAM is used to ensure agility and speed in the system's operation: the more, the better.

However, the Android operating system tends to consume more RAM than the iPhone; perhaps that's why Samsung has put a little more memory in its device. Furthermore, while iOS, Apple's operating system, is designed to work exclusively on the iPhone, Android is capable of working on a variety of completely different hardware. In this case, it can be said that Apple's system is better optimized.

Cameras

This is purely a matter of personal taste, as both smartphones have simply incredible cameras, capable of capturing photos and videos in very high quality. What's more, their respective camera software is great and has several filters and fine adjustments to make the most of the lenses.

However, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is the only one that records videos in 8K resolution. In addition, the Samsung device has a greater zoom, which makes it better for taking photos from a distance than the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

In terms of quality, both work very well in any scenario: be it on sunny days, cloudy days or even at night.

Autonomy and battery

Both the S23 Ultra and the iPhone 15 Pro Max are capable of supporting up to 1 full day of heavy use. However, of course, this expectation may vary depending on how you use the device.

The big difference is in charging time: while the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 25W charger, the Galaxy S23 Ultra's is 45W. Therefore, the Apple device will spend much longer plugged into the socket until reaching 100%.

However, more isn't always better: the faster your battery charges, the shorter its lifespan. Just as you'll spend less time plugged in with your Samsung, you should also be aware that the battery's internal materials may wear out more quickly due to fast charging.

Operating system

Android is the most widely used operating system in the world. It is even possible to download programs outside of Google Play, an application for downloading programs to your cell phone. iOS is a more restricted system and does not allow anything to be downloaded outside of the App Store.

Limiting the installation of third-party software certainly reduces the chances of fraud and hacker attacks; however, it substantially reduces the user's freedom to do whatever they want with their own device. This is a very personal choice and should be made according to your needs.

Furthermore, the interfaces of the two systems are completely different. iOS users often have a hard time learning how to use Android and vice versa: there are some advantages and disadvantages in everyday use that must be considered.

For example, iOS automatically arranges icons from the bottom left corner of the screen onwards; on Android, you can arrange icons however you like on the screen. Apple's notification bar is quite different from its direct competitor's, too.

Both are quite easy to use, but migrating from one to the other can be a somewhat stressful and tiring task.

iPhone vs Galaxy: Which is the winner?

The truth is that both devices are big winners: very few smartphones are capable of competing with the top-of-the-line models from Samsung and Apple. They all have very similar technical characteristics, with some specific differences. What can weigh the most, in the end, is the adaptation to the operating system.

Choose the one that offers the best value for money and the usability features that you like the most. The S23 Ultra is usually a little cheaper than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but the difference is not that big.

Regardless of your choice, rest assured that you will have a great smartphone in your hands!