Smartphones & Tablets | January 28, 2024
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Screen | 6.7-inch LTPO OLED panel, 2796 x 1290-inch resolution, 2000 nits peak brightness, 120 Hz | 6.8 inches of Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology, resolution 1,440 x 3,088 pixels, maximum brightness of 1,750 nits, 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate, 240 Hz sampling rate, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection |
| Main camera | – Main sensor with 48-megapixel wide-angle lens and f/1.78 focal aperture – Secondary sensor with 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens and f/2.2 focal aperture, 120º viewing angle –12-megapixel telephoto lens with f/2.2 focal aperture 1.78 and 5x optical zoom | – 200 MP main sensor, f/1.7, 23mm, 1/1.3″, 0.6µm, PDAF, Laser AF, OIS – 10 megapixel telephoto sensor with f/2.4 focal aperture and 3x optical zoom – Telephoto sensor with 10 periscope megapixel with f/2.4 focal aperture and 10x optical zoom – 12 megapixel ultra-wide-angle sensor with f/2.2 aperture |
| Selfie camera | 12 megapixel main sensor with f/1.9 focal aperture | 12 megapixel main sensor with f/2.2 focal aperture |
| Internal memory | 256GB, 512GB and 1TB | 256, 512 GB or 1TB UFS 3.1 type |
| Extension | – | Not available |
| Processor and RAM memory | Apple A17 Pro | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 4-nanometer eight-core 8 or 12 GB RAM |
| Battery | – | 5,000 mAh with 45W fast charging, 10W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging |
| OS | iOS 17 | Android 13 under One UI 5.1 |
| Connections | 4G LTE, 5G SA and NSA, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS + GLONASS, NFC, USB-C, UWB | 5G, 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6/6E, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS + GLONASS, Beidou and Galileo, NFC and USB type C |
| SIM | Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM) | Dual nano SIM + eSIM |
| Design | Titanium design, Ceramic Shield front and textured matte glass back Colors: black, white, blue, natural IP68 water and dust protection | Glass and metal construction Colors: black, white, green and lavender IP68 protection Recycled materials |
| Dimensions and weight | 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.3 mm and 221 grams | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm and 233 grams |
| Featured Features | NFC for mobile payments, Face ID, LiDAR sensor, satellite connection, IP68 water and dust protection, double stereo speaker,… | Under-screen ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, AKG stereo speakers, software face unlock, IP68 grade water resistance… |
| Release date | Starting September 22 | Available |
| Price | From 1219 euros | From 1400 euros |
The prices mentioned in the article may vary over time, so, we analyze the differences as of the publication date. Furthermore, specifications may vary depending on the market.
If you’ve been following Apple’s presentation, you’re probably wondering which Samsung phone from the 2023 catalog compares to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Yes, the comparison between the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is almost obligatory to answer this question.
Which one is better? iPhone 15 Pro Max or Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra? To help you with this task, we will compare the main aspects of these phones.
One of the main novelties of the iPhone 15 Pro Max is related to its design. This model introduces a titanium design on the edges with brushed or polished finishes. In addition to looking spectacular, it makes the device more durable and lightweight.
A thinner frame, slightly rounded edges, and a textured finish are other design details you’ll notice. So, while it still maintains the style we already know, it has a series of design features that set it apart from previous generations.
And let’s not forget that in this design change, the traditional silent mode button changes to a customizable action button. While it can still have its previous function, you can also assign it a series of additional functions, such as turning on the flashlight, opening the camera, recording a voice note, among other possibilities.
And yes, it also integrates the famous Dynamic Island. Moving on to the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s screen, we find a 6.7-inch OLED LTPO Super Retina XDR panel with a resolution of 2796 x 1290 pixels, a 120Hz refresh rate, and up to 2000 nits of maximum brightness for outdoor use (1000 nits in normal use and 1600 nits for HDR content).
As has been the case since the iPhone 13 Pro models, this model integrates ProMotion, Apple’s “adaptive” technology that automatically adjusts the refresh rate according to the type of content you are viewing on the screen. For example, it can increase the refresh rate to 120Hz if maximum graphics performance is required or lower it if not needed to prioritize power savings.
Moving on to the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, it features a premium design with several noteworthy details. The edges are made of aluminum and have a matte finish that blends well with the rest of the design and the chosen colors.
If you look at the dimensions in the technical specs, you’ll see that it’s a large phone, although with its linear style and subtle curves, it might seem even larger in your hands. An important detail is that both the front and rear are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
As you can see, there is no camera module on the back since the sensors protrude directly from the body of the phone. Setting aside the design, and moving on to the screen features, it has a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED panel with a resolution of 3088 x 1040, a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, and a maximum brightness of 1750 nits.
The refresh rate is also adaptive, and while it doesn’t reach the 2000 nits of the iPhone, you won’t have any trouble viewing content in bright sunlight. Even at minimum brightness, the screen performs well.
Perhaps for some users, the curved screen may be a nuisance, but this can easily be resolved with a case to eliminate the small shadow that often appears on these panels.
The A17 Pro chip was one of the highlights of Apple’s presentation, so you may have guessed that the iPhone 15 Pro Max has one of the best processors on the market.
Taking a quick look at its features, it is the first chip built on a 3-nanometer architecture, with a new 6-core CPU that is up to 10% faster, and a 6-core GPU that is up to 20% faster than the previous generation processor.
All these numbers translate into more performance, efficiency, and speed. And of course, this will be reflected in several key aspects of the device. For example, it has cores dedicated to gaming and video codecs that provide new features that take multimedia content and gaming to another level, such as native support for Ray Tracing.
Continuing with the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s configuration, users can choose from 256GB, 512GB, and up to 1TB of storage. The amount of RAM for this model has not been mentioned yet, so we will have to wait for that detail.
And of course, we cannot forget that Apple has said goodbye to the Lightning connector and replaced it with a USB-C connector, which comes with all the benefits such as versatility and much faster data transfer thanks to USB 3.2 Gen 2.
If you take a look at the technical specs, you’ll see that it has the usual connections, in addition to 5G, and adds some noteworthy details such as compatibility with WiFi 6E and satellite connectivity, which will also be available shortly.
Moving on to the processor of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, we find nothing less than Qualcomm’s best high-end offering with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It is built on a 4-nanometer architecture, with eight cores with a maximum frequency of 3.2 GHz.
Its CPU is up to 35% faster than the previous generation, and the GPU is up to 25% faster. An important point to note is that it integrates a “cognitive ISP” that directly affects photo and video processing, as it performs these tasks in real-time.
In this Samsung model, the CPU clock speed has been increased to 3.36 GHz, and as for the GPU, it goes up to 719 MHz. If you’re the type who checks various benchmarks to assess processor performance, you may have noticed that this overclocking can become counterproductive for sustained performance.
But setting aside all these specifications, the processor in this Samsung model delivers excellent performance, is fluid, and exceeds expectations in terms of performance.
Continuing with the configuration, this model comes in versions of 8GB/256GB, 12GB/512GB, and 12GB/1TB of RAM and internal storage. It also has a comprehensive set of connections, and several commonalities with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, such as excellent stereo sound and IP68 protection.
Apple has not revealed details about the battery of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but it has illustrated its battery life with a series of data, such as providing up to 95 hours of audio playback, 29 hours of offline video playback, and about 25 hours of streaming video.
This means that you can expect a full day of battery life without any problems. Of course, this will depend on your habits and phone settings.
As for fast charging, Apple mentions that you can get up to 50% charge in half an hour with a 20W charger. Alternatively, if you prefer to use MagSafe technology, you can enjoy wireless charging of up to 15W, or 7.5W with Qi chargers, although this model should also be compatible with the Qi2 standard.
Turning to the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, it features a 5000mAh battery with 45W fast charging and 15W wireless charging. So, this model also offers excellent battery life, even with intensive use.
According to Samsung’s estimates, the battery can provide up to 99 hours of audio playback and about 26 hours of video playback, among other data. So yes, it can easily last you a full day and perhaps even a bit more.
Continuing this comparison between the Samsung Galaxy S23 and the iPhone 15 Pro Max, let’s go over the camera setup.
On the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the rear module features three cameras, with the standout feature being the new periscope system for telephoto shots. Breaking down its specifications, we have:
Yes, there are many specifications, but as summarized by Apple’s team, with this combination of sensors, you can achieve up to 7 different focal lengths: macro and 13mm from the ultra-wide-angle, 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm from the primary sensor, and 48mm and 120mm from the telephoto lens.
This opens up a range of possibilities for capturing any shot you can imagine, not to mention the professional possibilities that this sensor module can provide. And of course, to understand what the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s camera system can offer, we must not forget that it integrates the A17 Pro chip.
For example, with this iPhone model, you can capture 48-megapixel photos in HEIF format, an option that was previously only possible in RAW format.
Now, let’s take a look at the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s camera system, which features a camera module with two telephoto lenses with outstanding focal lengths and a 200-megapixel sensor:
As you can see, this model also offers a wide range of possibilities with an impressive sensor configuration. Even if you don’t fully understand all the specifications mentioned, you can achieve a lot by using the camera functions.
For instance, beyond the standard 12, 50, and 200-megapixel auto shots, in Pro mode, you can capture 12 and 50-megapixel photos in RAW format and 12 and 50-megapixel photos in Expert RAW mode.
We have already seen that the iPhone 15 Pro Max has significant changes in design, processor, and camera system, among other aspects.
So, there are many outstanding details, in addition to having an excellent display and a good battery. Special mention goes to the A17 Pro processor as one of the main highlights, the integration of a USB-C connector with USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface that opens up a range of possibilities, and the new system for the five-fold telephoto lens.
It is a very complete model that not only stands out for its performance in all aspects but also combines professional-level features.
And while we have all the specifications and virtues of the iPhone 15 Pro Max fresh in memory due to Apple’s recent presentation, we cannot deny that Samsung’s proposal with the Galaxy S23 Ultra is also among the top models of 2023.
It has a good display, excellent performance powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and a camera system with dual telephoto lenses and a sensor of up to 200 megapixels. And yes, it can also provide you with excellent battery life with its 5000mAh capacity.
And a detail we cannot forget is the prices of the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which undoubtedly will be the final detail to confirm your decision in this comparison.
Considering that both models start from the 256GB version, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a price of around 1400 euros, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max can be reserved for about 1470 euros.
Of course, these prices may change over time, and there will surely be offers that allow you to save a few euros.
