iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: Evaluation of the powerful ones in 2023

We’re pitting the latest flagships from Apple and Samsung against each other by comparing the iPhone 15 Pro Max Vs Galaxy S23 Ultra.

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Galaxy S23 Ultra

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, unveiled at the Wonderlust conference, are Apple’s best iPhones to date. Equipped with the world’s first three-nanometer processor and a titanium body, these devices redefine the notion of a premium product.

Apple’s new-generation Pro iPhones come with enhanced cameras that can easily be placed on the list of the best phones in terms of photography. However, in the mobile market, they face fierce competition from a contender known as the Galaxy S23 Ultra. For many years, Samsung’s leading companies have outperformed many of their rivals in the fields of photography and video.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max represents the first major redesign for Apple’s phones since the unveiling of the iPhone 12 in 2020. Apple aims to compensate for declining iPhone sales in recent seasons with its new phones. One smart move the company has made to compete in the market is not changing the price of the iPhone in the new generation. Many industry analysts have predicted that the price of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will increase.

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will recognize the Galaxy S23 Ultra as a competitor. Samsung is likely to unveil its next flagship phone in the winter of 2023. Until then, the Galaxy S23 Ultra will compete with the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: Comparison of Specifications

Are you curious about the iPhone 15 Pro Max versus Galaxy S23 Ultra specifications? Here are the important ones in brief:

	iPhone 15 Pro Max	Galaxy S23 Ultra
Size, weight	159.9 x 76.7 x 8.25 mm	163.3 x 78 x 8.9 mm
Screen	6.7″ OLED 120Hz ProMotion	6.8″ Dynamic AMOLED 1440 x 3088 pixels 120Hz
Processor	A17 Pro 3nm	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
RAM, Storage	256GB ($1,199) 512GB ($1,399) 1TB ($1,599)	8GB + 256GB 12GB + 512GB 12GB + 1TB LPDDR5X
Cameras	48MP main 12MP ultra 12MP 6X zoom 12MP front	200MP main 12MP ultra-wide 10MP 3X zoom 10MP 10X zoom 12MP front
Battery	4,422mAh	5000 mAh
Charging	USB-C 20W wired MagSafe	USB-C 45W wired 15W wireless charging  Reverse wireless charging

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: Comparing the design

With the iPhone15 Pro Max, Apple has undergone significant design changes for its phones. For the first time in the history of the iPhone, we see a product made from titanium. Titanium not only increases the body’s strength but also reduces its weight by 19 grammes.

Apple has completely abandoned the flat edges, and the iPhone now uses a structure reminiscent of the MacBook. In this type of design, the advantages of the device are flat alongside the screen, but as you move towards the back, they become slightly curved. The design of the iPhone 15 Pro Max makes this phone fit better than the previous generation.

Another significant change in the appearance of the iPhone 15 Pro Max can be seen on the left edge, where there is no longer a volume rocker and Apple has opted for a pressure-sensitive button called the Action Button. The action button on the iPhone 15 Pro Max is customizable, similar to the Apple Watch Ultra 2.

With the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple has finally embraced European standards and welcomed the USB-C port. The other three models of the iPhone 15 also feature the same port, with the distinction that the USB-C in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max achieves much higher transfer speeds. Samsung has been using the USB-C port in its phones for years.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra hasn’t seen many changes between generations. We’re still dealing with a device that uses a glass back and front panel adorned with a distinctive design. One of the standout features of the Galaxy S23 Ultra compared to the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the use of the S Pen. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is one of the best-designed phones on the market.

Thanks to the use of titanium, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is lighter than the Galaxy S23 Ultra (221 grammes vs. 234 ams). The 19-gramme weight loss of the iPhone 15 Pro Max compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max may not be very noticeable, but this level of weight reduction is quite rare for large flagship phones. Rumours suggest that the Galaxy S24 Ultra will also feature a titanium frame, similar to the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are available in colours such as titanium black, titanium white, titanium blue, and titanium atural. The “Titanium Natural” colour resembles gold.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra comes in colours including black, green, cream, and pale ile. Naturally, this phone also offers a range of other colours available only through Samsung’s official website.

It’s worth noting that neither of the flagship phones from Apple nor Samsung comes with a charging adapter.

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: Display Differences

The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is equipped with a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display featuring ProMotion technology, which boasts a variable refresh rate ranging from 1 to 120 Hz. Apart from reducing the screen notch and reintroducing the Dynamic Island, there are no other visible changes in the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s display.

This isn’t necessarily a drawback, as this phone’s brightness and display quality have been strong points, as noted in the review of the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Meanwhile, Samsung’s flagship phone comes with a 6.8-inch display with a circular cutout at the top for the selfie camera. This design approach lends the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s display a sleeker and more attractive appearance.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s display features a variable refresh rate (ranging from 1 to 120 Hz), similar to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The screen achieves QHD+ resolution and offers ample brightness in certain scenarios; however, the screen brightness of the Galaxy S23 Ultra is not as vivid as that of the iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Apple uses Face ID technology for authentication, while Samsung has moved the fingerprint sensor under the screen in addition to facial recognition. In a review of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, it was found that the fingerprint sensor on this phone is accurate and fast. It’s worth noting that Apple’s Face ID system is considered more secure than Samsung’s facial recognition system.

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: Performance and software

When it comes to processing power, the new Apple phone outperforms the flagship Samsung device. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is equipped with the A17 Pro processor, the world’s first processor with three-nanometer technology. The cutting-edge 3-nanometer lithography comes with high manufacturing costs, but the high price of the CPU unit hasn’t raised the cost of the new generation of iPhones.

One of the significant changes that occurred on the chip in the iPhone 15 Pro Max was the redesign of the graphics unit. The graphics processor in Apple’s new phone is incredibly powerful, to the point where it can easily run games like Resident Evil Village, Resident Evil 4, Death Stranding, and Assassin’s Creed: Mirage.

Samsung has used the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor with four-nanometer technology in the Galaxy S23 Ultra. This processor has witnessed a significant generational leap, making the Galaxy S23 Ultra more powerful than the iPhone 14 Pro Max in some aspects.

Experts at phonearena praised the processing power of this phone during their review of the Galaxy S23 Ultra. However, it’s possible that the iPhone 15 Pro Max could be the leader in terms of processing power in the Samsung lineup. We will discover the truth of this matter later.

Apple’s flagship in the previous generation had 6 gigabytes of RAM, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max, like the Galaxy S23 Ultra, comes equipped with 8 gigabytes of RAM. Naturally, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has even more RAM in other configurations.

Apple’s iPhone devices offer significant software and hardware integration, so an iPhone with 8 gigabytes of RAM handles any task with ease. Of course, the 12 gigabytes of RAM in the Galaxy S23 Ultra shine in multitasking scenarios.

Thanks to the Android operating system, the Galaxy S23 Ultra offers a wider range of features, such as multitasking and screen splitting, and through DeX, it provides a desktop-like experience. When you add the S Pen to the equation, you’ll see that the Galaxy S23 Ultra handles more tasks simultaneously compared to the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Apple offers the base configuration of the iPhone 15 Pro Max with 256 gigabytes of storage, and this phone is also available in configurations of 512 gigabytes and 1 terabyte (these three configurations are priced at $1199, $1399, and $1599, respectively).

The Galaxy S23 Ultra was launched with the same storage options as the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The price of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in configurations of 256 gigabytes, 512 gigabytes, and 1 terabyte is $1199, $1299, and $1399, respectively. Unlike the base configuration, the latter two configurations come with 12 gigabytes of RAM.

Apple will launch the iPhone 15 Pro Max with the iOS 17 operating system, and it’s likely that the phone will receive at least five new versions of iOS by 2028. The Galaxy S23 Ultra will be updated to the latest version of Android until 2027 (for a duration of four years). Samsung has stated that the Galaxy S23 Ultra will receive security updates until September 2028.

iOS 17 significantly changes the phone’s apps, messages, and FaceTime and includes improvements to maps and Siri. The new Journal app makes daily tasks easier, and the StandBy app allows you to use your iPhone as a smart display.

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: Comparison of cameras

In recent years, smartphones have significantly focused on the photography and videography experience, leading to a shrinking camera market. As phones have evolved, fewer people today are interested in buying a separate professional camera.

Both the iPhone and Galaxy have had a lot to say about their cameras. While Samsung likes to play with numbers, Apple focuses more on computational photography. Like the previous generation, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is equipped with a 48-megapixel camera, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra uses a 200-megapixel camera.

For the first time in iPhone history, Apple allows buyers of the iPhone 15 Pro Max to change the default focal length of the main camera. This camera defaults to capturing 24-megapixel photos.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the first Apple phone equipped with a periscope lens. This lens enables a five-fold optical zoom. When Apple unveiled its new phones, it did not mention the term “periscope” at all and simply stated that the telephoto camera for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max relies on a “four-post design.”

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is equipped with a new version of the Apple Photonic Engine and supports HDR technology better. Apple has created a dedicated account for the capabilities of the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s camera. This phone records depth data even when taking regular photos, so you can easily turn the image into a portrait. Night photography has also been improved on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

On paper, the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s camera is much better than the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The new flagship Samsung phone uses a main camera with a resolution of 200 megapixels and is equipped with a 1.3-inch ISOCELL HP2 sensor.

In well-lit environments, the Galaxy S23 Ultra combines the adjacent four-pixel units to capture detailed 50-megapixel photos. When there’s not enough light, the Galaxy S23 Ultra switches to a cluster of 16 adjacent pixels and produces a 12.5-megapixel image.

The most significant change in the camera system of the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the use of a periscope mechanism in the telephoto lens.

Thanks to this lens, the iPhone offers a 5x optical zoom and a 25x digital zoom for the first time. As for zoom capabilities, the iPhone doesn’t have much to say because the Galaxy S23 Ultra achieves a 10x optical zoom and a 100x digital zoom.

While the Galaxy S22 Ultra used a 40-megapixel selfie camera, Samsung lowered the resolution of the selfie camera in the Galaxy S23 Ultra to 12 megapixels, but this change did not result in a decrease in image quality.

The selfie camera on the Galaxy S23 Ultra is better in some areas. Currently, we don’t know if the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a new selfie camera or not, but it’s likely that we will see the same 12-megapixel selfie camera from the iPhone 14 Pro Max in this phone.

Experts mentioned in their review of the previous generation of Apple’s flagship that the selfie camera on the iPhone 14 Pro captures clearer and more detailed images of the subject’s face, but the skin tone in the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s image looks slightly more natural.

Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max can record ProRES video at 4K and 60 frames per second, but the Galaxy S23 Ultra is also capable of recording 8K video.

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: Charging

Apple did not mention the battery capacity at the unveiling event of the new iPhone models, but reviews indicate that the battery of the iPhone 15 Pro Max has not seen any changes compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max (with a capacity ranging from 4200 to 4300 milliampere-hours).

However, the use of a low-power processor with a three-nanometer process may lead to improved charging performance for Apple’s new device.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a larger battery (5000 milliampere-hours) and provides excellent charging despite the large screen and powerful hardware.

In the Zoomit charging test (screen brightness at 200 nits, wireless connections turned off, and speaker muted), the Galaxy S23 Ultra was able to play video for 24 hours and 10 minutes, which is better than the Galaxy S22 Ultra. However, it still doesn’t match the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Xiaomi 12 Pro, which can play movies for over 31 hours.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra charges faster than the iPhone 15 Pro Max thanks to its 45-watt power delivery support. Interestingly, Apple did not increase the charging speed of the iPhone in the new generation. In the case of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, unlike the iPhone 14 Pro Max, it uses a USB-C port based on the USB 3 standard.

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Galaxy S23: differences

• Display sizes: 6.7-inch (iPhone 15 Pro Max) vs. 6.8-inch (Galaxy S23 Ultra).

• Apple A17 Pro (3nm) versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 4nm

• Snapdragon 8 Generation 2 for the Galaxy (Galaxy S23 Ultra)

• Main camera sensors: 48MP (iPhone 15 Pro Max) versus 200MP (Galaxy S23 Ultra).

• 5.0X optical zoom on the iPhone 15 Pro Max against 3X, 10X optical zoom on the Galaxy S23 Ultra

• Support for the S Pen stylus (Galaxy S23 Ultra)

• 5,000mAh (Galaxy S23 Ultra) versus 4,422mAh (iPhone 15 Pro Max)

• Charging speeds of 20W (iPhone 15 Pro Max) versus 45W (Galaxy S23 Ultra)

• Face ID on the iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. Ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint scanner on the Galaxy S23 Ultra

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Galaxy S23: Summary and Final Verdict

The iPhone 15 Pro Max appears to be a significant evolutionary step for Apple, adding several upgrades to the company’s well established and very popular portfolio. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, will almost certainly perfect all of the essential features of the ordinary user’s phone experience: camera, performance, battery life, and design.

Fortunately, despite speculations of a price increase, the new iPhone is exactly the same price as its predecessors. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, which starts at $1,199 for the entry-level model, will be one of the best-valued big iPhones ever offered. It’s a strong contender for the greatest iPhone yet.

In the meanwhile, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is very probably the greatest Android phone on the market right now. It finds an excellent mix between accessible features, technology, camera adaptability, and overall value, despite a starting price of $1,199. With so many discounts and deals accessible practically all of the time, you should be able to discover the finest Samsung phone for a reduced price.