The top two high end iconic phones go head to head: Samsung S23 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max. With the newly released iPhone 15 Pro Max from Apple and the close release of Samsung S24, the current flagship options are still very strong contenders. Each is the flagship of their brands, loaded with the highest specs and features. But which reigns supreme? We will look in to which is the best of the two.
| Categories | iPhone 14 Pro Max | Samsung S23 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Design & Build | ||
| Material | Aluminum | Gorilla Glass |
| Weight | 238 grams | 228 grams |
| Display | ||
| Type | OLED, ProMotion | Dynamic AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1284 x 2778 | 1440 x 3088 |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| Performance | ||
| Chipset | A16 Bionic | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy |
| RAM | 6GB | 12GB |
| Camera | ||
| Primary | Triple 12MP | Quad 108MP |
| Front | 12MP (f/1.9) | 12MP (f/2.2) |
| Battery | ||
| Capacity | 4352 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Fast Charging | 30W | 45W |
| Storage & Expandability | ||
| Internal | 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB | 128GB/256GB/512GB |
| Expandable | No | Yes, up to 1TB |
| Price & Value | ||
| Starting Price | $1,099 | $1,199 |
| Services | AppleCare+ | DeX, Samsung Pass |
Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro Max sets a high standard with its 48MP main camera, Dynamic Island-enhanced display, and the unquestionable efficiency of the A16 Bionic chipset.
Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra featuring a staggering 200MP camera, a blazing-fast Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, and notably improved battery life. It makes for a strong contender to be the best of the mobile devices.
So which device should you place in your pocket? Our comprehensive face-off between the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max is designed to guide you in making that crucial decision.
| iPhone 14 Pro Max For | Samsung S23 Ultra For |
|---|---|
| Exceptional Camera Performance | Stunning 200MP Camera |
| Advanced A15 Bionic Chip | Swift Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| Super Retina XDR Display | Brilliant Display |
| Remarkable Battery Efficiency | Long-lasting Battery |
| iOS Ecosystem Advantages | One UI 5.1 Enhancements |
| Against | Against |
|---|---|
| Higher Price Point | Curved Screen Interference |
| Proprietary Charging | Unimproved Charging Speed |
Price and Value
With a starting price of $1,099, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is clearly positioned as a premium device, emphasizing its seamless integration within the Apple ecosystem. On the other hand, Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra starts at a slightly lower $1,199, offering robust features and often includes bundled promotions. Your selection boils down to what you seek in a phone and how you equate price with value.
Design & Build Quality
The iPhone 14 Pro Max introduces some design refinements, including an enlarged camera housing and a new Dynamic Island for the front cameras, effectively replacing the old notch. Its squared-off sides and flat display offer an advantage over the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s persisting curved panel.
Samsung’s S23 Ultra retains a familiar design, now featuring a more substantial camera array, an S Pen compartment, and a USB-C port—features that stand in contrast to Apple’s commitment to its Lightning connector and a shift to eSIM technology. Samsung uses Gorilla Glass Victus 2 as a significant enhancement against everyday wear and tear.
Both devices offer a vibrant palette of color options, ensuring aesthetic variety for consumers. When it comes to form factor, the S23 Ultra, with its narrower and lighter profile, provides superior one-handed operability.
In summary, the Galaxy S23 Ultra takes the edge for its user-friendly design, particularly for one-handed usage.
Displays
The iPhone 14 Pro Max features a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a resolution of 1284 x 2778. It refreshes at 120Hz and supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision. That means you get really smooth motion and rich colors.
On the flip side, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra sports a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen with a higher resolution of 1440 x 3200. It also has a 120Hz refresh rate and supports HDR10+. Basically, it’s got a really vivid and sharp screen.
When it comes to pixel density, the Galaxy S23 Ultra outshines with 511 pixels per inch, while the iPhone has 458.
Both phones offer top-notch displays, but the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a bit of an edge with its larger, sharper screen, and better color saturation.
Cameras
The iPhone 14 Pro Max brings a 48MP primary sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide, and a 12MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom to the table. It offers great depth of field and color accuracy in portrait mode. The night shots are also impressive, thanks to its Night mode and sensor-shift optical image stabilization. For selfies, it sports a 12MP TrueDepth camera with Face ID.
Switching gears to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, you’re looking at a groundbreaking 200MP primary sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide, and two telephoto lenses offering 3x and 10x optical zoom. The color saturation in scenic shots is impressive, and the additional zoom lenses provide an extra layer of flexibility. It’s particularly strong in capturing detailed night shots and offers a multitude of shooting modes. The selfie camera is a 40MP shooter, making your selfies crisp and clear.
While both phones offer a versatile range of shooting modes—like portrait, landscape, and night photography—the Galaxy S23 Ultra takes the cake in zoom capabilities and leverages its 200MP sensor for incredibly detailed shots.
Video
The Galaxy S23 Ultra has improved its video game, now recording in 8K at 30 fps previously it was 24 fps. Also it has a wider recording angle of 80 degrees with a wider angle for recording (from 57 to 80 degrees). The iPhone 14 Pro Max, on the other hand, tops out at 4K at 60 fps. But let’s be real, not many people have an 8K TV anyway.
With the S23 Ultra, you can zoom in 10x optically without losing any detail. Handy if you’re trying to catch a skater in the distance. Oh, and the zoom mic is a nice touch when you’re close to loudspeakers.
So, who takes the cake? It’s a tie. The iPhone shines when you’re capturing fast action, but the Galaxy S23 Ultra brings quality and cool features to the table.
PERFORMANCE
The iPhone 14 Pro Max’s A16 Bionic chip is fast, but the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip is close behind. In Geekbench tests, the iPhone scored higher in both single-core and multi-core CPU tests. For graphics, the S23 Ultra edged out the iPhone in 3DMark Wild Life tests, showing more frames per second.
In a video editing test using Adobe Premiere Rush, the iPhone finished 10 seconds faster than the S23 Ultra.
So, who’s the winner? The iPhone 14 Pro Max still leads in overall performance, although the Galaxy S23 Ultra is catching up, especially in graphics.
BATTERY
The iPhone 14 Pro Max has a 4,323 mAh battery with options for 20W wired and 15W wireless charging. The Galaxy S23 Ultra sticks with a 5,000 mAh battery, but its new chip and cooling system aim for longer life.
In a battery life test involving continuous 5G web browsing, the iPhone lasted 30 minutes longer than the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s best times at a 60Hz screen refresh rate.
For charging, the Galaxy S23 Ultra hit 57% in 30 minutes using a 45W charger, below its claim of 65%. The iPhone reached 42% with its 20W charger.
So, who comes out on top? The iPhone 14 Pro Max, thanks to its longer battery life without needing to adjust screen settings.
SOFTWARE AND SPECIAL FEATURES
The iPhone 14 Pro Max operates on iOS 16, enhancing your user experience with a variety of innovative features. Notably, you can now customize your lock screen using widgets and photos that also appear on your always-on display. Plus, there’s finally a visible battery percentage indicator—no more guessing games on your battery life. Another compelling addition is the iCloud Shared Photo Library, streamlining the process of sharing and editing photos with family. But perhaps the standout is the Dynamic Island feature, which ditches the conventional notch to make room for real-time alerts and live updates, such as sports scores or your food delivery status.
In contrast, the Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts its signature S Pen, an unrivaled tool for jotting down notes, drawing, and sketching on the go. Paired with the Samsung Notes app, it now allows for real-time collaboration, making team efforts smoother than ever. The phone runs on Android 13 with the brand-new One UI 5.1 overlay, which introduces several enhancements. Take Bixby Text Call: Samsung’s virtual assistant can now answer your calls and then you can send replies via speech-to-text or voice typing—quite handy for multitaskers. The new Modes option is another highlight. This lets you configure customized settings based on various aspects of your life, like sleep, exercise, and work.
It’s challenging to declare a clear winner. Both operating systems are robust and offer unique strengths; iOS 16 dazzles with its Dynamic Island and text-editing capabilities, while One UI 5.1 excels in customization and the added utility of the S Pen.
SAMSUNG GALAXY S23 ULTRA VS IPHONE 14 PRO MAX: WINNER
Both the Galaxy S23 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max are so close in a head-to-head comparison. Samsung pulls ahead with its powerful camera features like 200MP resolution, zoom, and astrophotography. However, iPhone excels in low-light photos.
The S23 Ultra boasts a slightly better display and design, while the iPhone 14 Pro Max offers better value, starting $100 cheaper. It also performs slightly better and has longer battery life.
The choice largely depends on your OS preference, but you can’t go wrong with either one of them.
