iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Which flagship could be better?
Samsung/AppleThe iPhone 16 Pro Max is around the corner. What you might be wondering is how it might stack up against the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. We’ve compared all of the rumors about the handset to compare the iPhone 16 Pro Max vs the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
The Samsung Galaxy Ultra and iPhone Pro Max lineups include some of the most high-end smartphones you can get. If you’re into Android, the newest Galaxy S24 Ultra is likely your go-to pick. Meanwhile, iPhone users might be waiting until September to get the 16 Pro Max.
Currently, Samsung’s $1,300 Galaxy S24 Ultra is the priciest non-folding phone in Samsung’s lineup. Its highlights include new AI features and tweaks to its cameras.
The S24 Ultra will soon face tough competition from the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which is shaping up to be a solid smartphone. It’s rumored to bring upgraded cameras, a larger display, and battery. A new Apple silicon chip will also be in tow for rapid performance.
Expected price
Apple- iPhone 16 Pro Max Price— $1200 (expected)
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra— $1300
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra starts at $1300 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage version. The iPhone 15 Pro Max costs $1,200, so we’d expect the iPhone 16 Pro to cost the same. This means the upcoming iPhone could be $100 cheaper than Samsung’s top flagship.
We won’t be surprised if Apple raises the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s price. Nikkei Asia reported that Apple invested more in producing the iPhone 15 than the iPhone 14 models. However, it decided to cover these extra costs itself, keeping the prices the same. Apple might have to raise prices with the iPhone 16 to avoid impacting its overall revenue.
Specs
| | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (rumored) |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4nm) | Apple A18 Pro (3nm) |
| RAM | 12GB LPDDR5X (max) | 8GB LPDDR5 (max) |
| Battery | 5000mAh | 4676mAh |
| Charging | 45W | 25.5W |
| Display | 6.8-inch AMOLED | 6.9-inch OLED |
| Cameras | 200+12+50+10, 12MP front. Quad camera with 5x optical zoom | 48+ 48+ 12. Triple camera system with 5x optical zoom. |
| Price | Starting at $1,299 | Starting at $1,199 |
The S24 Ultra supports 45W wired charging while the iPhone 16 Pro Max may stick to 25.5W. Storage options on both Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max should remain the same— 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.
Design & display
SamsungThe iPhone 16 Pro Max should feature a design similar to its predecessor, while the Galaxy S24 Ultra retains the S23 Ultra’s look. There were initial rumors that Apple is exploring a new design for the iPhone 16 Pro Max, but a recent dummy leak says otherwise.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra features a titanium body, and if the iPhone 15 Pro Max is any indication, the iPhone 16 Pro Max might follow suit. A news aggregator suggests the iPhone 16 Pro Max will use a heavily polished titanium more akin to the stainless steel material used in previous Pro iPhones.
Apple is reportedly looking to bump up the screen size of the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Instead of a 6.7-inch liquid retina display, the iPhone may get a 6.9-inch panel. That’s an inch larger than Galaxy S24 Ultra’s 6.8-inch LTPO AMOLED panel.
The Elec claims that Apple plans to use a new micro-lens OLED display for the iPhone, promising better brightness and less power drain. Another report from the South Korean publication suggests the phone’s bezels might get thinner, all thanks to Border Reduction Structure (BRS) tech.
Tipster Ice Universe backs up reports that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will have super thin bezels. According to the leaker, the iPhone 16 Pro Max measures 163.024mm × 77.575mm × 8.26mm.
The leaker also says that the bezels around the entire display will be just 1.153mm. This makes them thinner than the ones on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, which are 1.55mm. If you include the metal frame around the edge of the phone, the total bezel size for the iPhone 16 Pro Max is supposedly only 2.146mm, compared to 3.38mm for the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Cameras
AppleBoth iPhones and Samsung Galaxy Ultras are known for their killer cameras. Samsung upped the ante with their latest S24 Ultra, and Apple might be following suit with the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Leaks hint at a major camera upgrade for the 16 Pro Max. These include a new 48-megapixel ultrawide lens with a Sony IMX903 main sensor and a brand new super telephoto periscope camera. If these rumors pan out, expect better zoom capabilities on the new iPhone. Apple could also add a capture button on the iPhone to give it a DSLR-like 2-stage release feature.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max may also get a new anti-reflective optical coating technology that could reduce artifacts like lens flare and ghosting, improving image quality.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra keeps the same huge 200MP sensor as the S23 Ultra but adds a new 50MP periscope camera with 5x optical zoom and tiny 0.7-micron pixels. The other two cameras are the same as the S23 Ultra: a 12MP ultrawide and a 10MP telephoto with optical zoom.
Performance
SamsungThe iPhone 16 Pro Max could use the A18 Pro chip, while the S24 Ultra features a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 under the hood. Both these chips are quite powerful, but Apple’s silicon has always managed to one-up Qualcomm.
The A17 Pro chip, which powers the iPhone 15 Pro Max, boasts a 15% higher CPU clock speed and a higher GPU frequency compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. It outperforms the Qualcomm chip in Geekbench, scoring 35% higher in single-core tests, according to Nanoreview. The A18 Pro will only widen this gap further.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max’s A18 Pro chip is expected to be significantly faster than both Apple’s A17 Bionic chip and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. Leaked benchmark tests suggest a roughly 10% improvement in multi-core performance for the A18 Pro.
Single-core performance is also expected to be better, with reports indicating a maximum score of 3,570 for the A18 Pro compared to 2,890 for the A17 Bionic. For comparison, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 scores around 2,300 points in Geekbench’s single-core test.
Battery life
SamsungThe iPhone 16 Pro Max is rumored to receive a slight boost in battery capacity. The current iPhone 15 Pro Max comes with a 4441 mAh battery, while the forthcoming model is expected to be equipped with a 4676 mAh battery, according to leaker Majin Bu. By comparison, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra packs a 5000mAh battery.
In battery tests, such as the one conducted by Tom’s Guide, the Galaxy S24 Ultra managed to offer a screen time of 16 hours and 45 minutes. While it’s hard to predict the screen time of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, the iPhone 15 Pro Max offers around 14 hours on a single charge. The iPhone 16 Pro Max might last longer, considering it is rumored to have a larger battery.
Audio quality
The Galaxy S24 Ultra received a good audio quality rating in tests conducted by DxoMark, earning a score of 139. It delivers very good performance overall, with deep and powerful bass, stable timbre, and dynamic performance at all volumes.
Since the iPhone 16 Pro Max is not yet official, its audio quality remains unknown. However, the iPhone 15 Pro Max outperformed the S24 Ultra in DxoMark’s testing, scoring 143 points.
AI features & software updates
AppleAI is making waves this year. Samsung rolled out the Galaxy S24 Ultra packed with loads of AI features, and Apple confirmed at WWDC 2024 that it will do the same.
Apple announced a new suite of AI features with iOS 18, called Apple Intelligence. These features will be available only to iPhones featuring an A17 Pro chip or above, meaning the iPhone 16 Pro Max will be a natural contender.
Apple Intelligence features include improved photo editing, an AI-powered Siri with better control over apps, AI generation of custom emojis, quick summaries of text content, and more. The S24 Ultra is already loaded with numerous AI features like circle-to-search, live translation, and more.
In terms of software updates, Samsung promises seven years of updates with the S24 Ultra, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max may get five years of updates.
Which one should you buy?
You should get the Galaxy S24 Ultra if you’re looking for a top-notch Android phone. But if you’re open to switching to an iPhone, or if your current iPhone is a bit older, then waiting for the iPhone 16 Pro Max might be a good call. It’s expected to be a solid upgrade over the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
That said, if you already have the 15 Pro Max, there’s no need to rush out and buy the new Samsung or iPhone right away. You can get at least another year out of your current phone before upgrading.