Samsung Galaxy S24 ultra vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max

Surely, we couldn’t miss the chance to compare the two main rivals in the world of smartphones – Samsung Galaxy vs. Apple iPhone. Since both brands have made their way to the market, they have tried to perform better than the other, offering users the latest updates in technology and innovations. Of course, by now you may already have your own opinions regarding two brands and their products but some people seek an answer to the question of how Samsung’s and Apple’s smartphones differ on the basis of their indicators. As such, we present to you the comparison of Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max. Find out how these two flagship smartphones differ in their design, performance, camera, storage, battery life, and other indicators. Let’s get started…

Design & size comparison:

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has an aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back. The phone is very large. Specifically, it is 162.3 mm high, 79 mm wide, and only 8.6 mm thick, and it weighs 232 g or 233 grams (8.18 oz). The S24 Ultra comes in seven colors Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow, Titanium Blue, Titanium Green, Titanium Orange. The design of the phone is a combination of stunning looks, durability, elegance, and modernity. The itanium frame (grade 2) frame will protect users from drops and resist impact. The product is heavier and larger; this makes it more substantial and comfortable to hold and work with. The available colors are versatile, so there will be something for each person. It is also a classic or more unique option that will satisfy both need.

iPhone 15 Pro Max

The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a frame of surgical stainless steel and a front cover of Ceramic Shield. The back is built of textured matte glass both to ensure its durability and style. The new phone is 159.9 in height, 76.7 in width, and 8.3 mm in thickness, and it weighs 221 grams (7.80 oz). The product is produced in four colors Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium. The structure of the iPhone 15 Pro Max is a representation of Apples product value. The steel titanium frame (grade 5), the glass back material, and the high protection of the product are the signs of quality and reliability. The glass feels more comfortable, while the phone is smaller and lighter than the other one. It will reassure the user, no matter the size.

Overall, both the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra are top-notch. In terms of sleek designs, quality, and materials, they are equivalent. Their differences are primarily due to size and weight. The amount is heavier and massive, while the iPhone is lighter and smaller. The products also differ in the materials used and the colors. We cannot say that one is better than the other as both are quite different. But the iPhone has a higher rating of water ingress protection, and modern phones are heavier, so this is also an important criterion.

Display comparison

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

The Galaxy S24 Ultra boasts a 6.8-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display with a resolution of 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio and a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. It supports HDR10+ and has a peak brightness of 1600 nits, providing vibrant colors and sharp visuals.

iPhone 15 Pro Max

The iPhone 15 Pro Max, meanwhile, features a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a resolution of 2796 x 1290 pixels 19.5:9 ratio and a up to 120Hz refresh rate. Its peak brightness reaches 2000 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in bright sunlight. The iPhone also includes True Tone and Dolby Vision support, enhancing the viewing experience. The iPhone’s larger camera cutout includes Apple’s FaceID for secure unlocking. Apple has also added useful features around this cutout with Dynamic Island.

Both displays are as premium as their makers can offer today. The differences in pixel density are minimal that nobody would be able to see. Both displays provide excellent contrast, brightness, and color quality.

Before we wrap this section up, we should mention a few issues with the Galaxy S24 Ultra display. There are a few issues with the Galaxy S24 Ultra display. At very low brightness levels, a slight graininess can be observed in dark settings. Samsung initially faced criticism for muted color rendition, even in Vivid mode, but this has been fixed with an update.

So, wrapping up this section, you’d get the Galaxy for the combination of the S-Pen, the built-in fingerprint sensor, and the smaller punch-hole selfie camera. You will go for the iPhone Pro Max if you lean into Dolby Vision content and the seamless Face ID and Dynamic Island functionality offered by iOS.

Battery life

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is powered by a Li-Ion 5000mAh, non-removable battery with 45W wired, 15W wireless & 4.5W reverse wireless fast charging availability. While the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a Li-Ion 4441mAh, non-removable with 15W wired, 15W wireless & 4.5W reverse wireless fast charging availability.

Despite the fact that the iPhone has a smaller battery, it outperformed the Galaxy S24 Ultra in our battery life test. It scored higher in all test scenarios except for voice calls. This resulted in an Active Use score of 16 hours and a minute for the iPhone 15 pro max, compared to 13 hours and 49 minutes for the Galaxy S24 ultra.

Both scores are excellent. It’s just the iPhone does better.

Charging speed

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra supports up to 45W wired, 15W wireless & 4.5W reverse wireless fast charging, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max maxes out at 15W wired, 15W wireless & 4.5W reverse wireless fast charging. And while both charging solutions are the fastest on the market, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the phone that recharges faster of these two.

Speaker test

The S24 Ultra and the iPhone 15 Pro Max both have hybrid stereo speakers. One speaker is at the bottom, and another at the top, which also functions as the best earpieces.

When we tests, both phones rated Very Good quality for loudness, with only a slight but noticeable difference in sound quality. There is minimal difference in the sound quality, minimal yet hearable. The iPhone is the one with richer mid-tones and vocals.

Performance

Things don’t improve for the S24 Ultra when it comes to raw computing power. The Apple A17 Pro chip is faster than the latest Snapdragon. While the S24 Ultra boasts 12GB of RAM, the two mobile operating systems have different RAM needs.

Still, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is still the fastest Android processor, so it will remain relevant for a long time. However, Apple’s CPU is faster than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in both single-core and multi-core tasks. The Galaxy S24 Ultra performs better in GPU-bound tests, as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 has superior graphics performance.

Samsung promises 7 years of major OS updates for the S24 Ultra, which is better than Apple’s typical 5-6 years of iOS updates.

The more extended software support means better value preservation overall. However, the big question is how well the hardware in a 7-year Android phone would keep up with the software in terms of performance. Longer software support means better value retention, whereas iPhones have already proven to be quite usable for years after launch without significant performance drops. So, for now, we’ll call this one a tie.

However, Samsung takes the lead by integrating Google’s latest mobile AI features into the S24 series. These include:

1. Circle to search.
2. Chat translations.
3. Generative AI message creation.
4. Webpage summarization.
5. Language interpreting for live calls or in-person conversations
6. Recorded speech transcribing and summarization.
7. Generative AI wallpapers and gallery edits, like content-aware fill or object moving and removal

Camera comparison

Moving into the main comparison between these two amazing photography and videography phones. The S24 Ultra’s camera system includes a new, large-sensor 5x telephoto camera, replacing the 10x module from the previous generation. It delivers excellent quality for both 5x and 10x zoom shots. The rest of the setup features a 200MP primary sensor that combines 16 pixels into 1, a 3x zoom camera, and an ultrawide camera with autofocus.

The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max also introduces a new 5x periscope telephoto camera. It has a familiar 48MP primary camera that captures 24MP photos and a 12MP ultrawide with AF. The iPhone has one less camera compared to the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Both phones offer lossless 2x zoom by cropping from their main cameras.

Photo Quality

Let’s start with the ultrawide and main cameras. The ultrawide cameras on both phones capture similar photos with identical detail levels, high contrast, and wide dynamic range. The iPhone produces better panoramic scene photos with more pleasing colors and less sharpening. For closer subjects, the Galaxy provides a more balanced look with natural-looking foliage and grass.

The Galaxy’s primary camera offers less artificial processing, making its photos more appealing compared to the iPhone’s. Samsung has improved its image processing algorithms this year, aiming for a more natural look, which pays off. Even though the iPhone’s color presentation is closer to reality, we prefer the S24 Ultra’s photos.

Both phones deliver high-quality 2x zoom thanks to their high-resolution main cameras. The details are comparable, but Samsung adds more sharpening to its 2x photos, making them appear more convincing than the iPhone’s.

While both phones excel in photography, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra stands out with its natural image processing and versatile camera system.