Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Phone Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Compare sizes, cameras, batteries, memory, and other important specifications and features to easily choose the right phone for you. Our goal is to help you uncover differences between the products and find the phone that will best fit your needs.

Phone Specifications Comparison

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Product Type Smartphone Smartphone
Manufacturer Model Number A3106 SM-S918B/DS
Form Factor Touch Touch
Height 159.9 mm 163.4 mm Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has greater height than Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Width 76.7 mm 78.1 mm Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has greater width than Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Depth 8.25 mm 8.9 mm Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is narrower than Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Weight 221 g 233 g Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is lighter than Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Body Colour Black titanium | White titanium | Natural titanium | Blue titanium Lavender | Cream | Green | Phantom black
Body Material Textured matt glass, aerospace-grade titanium PET film, recycled glass, Armour Aluminium frame
Protection Dustproof, splashproof, waterproof Dustproof, splashproof, water-resistant
Waterproof (Water-resistant) Yes Yes Both phones are waterproof.
IP rating IEC 60529 IP68 IP68
Repairability Index 7.7 (out of 10) 8.2 (out of 10)
SAR Value - 1.398 W/kg (body), 0.963 W/kg (head), 2.95 W/kg (limb)
Connector Type USB Type-C - 24 pin USB-C USB Type-C - 24 pin USB-C
SIM Card Type (Size) Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM) Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM)
SIM Card Qty Dual-SIM Dual-SIM
DISPLAY Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Display Type OLED display OLED display
Display Technology Super Retina XDR Display with ProMotion Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Screen Size (Display Size) 6.7" 6.8" Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has larger screen size than Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) 2796 x 1290 pixels 3088 x 1440 pixels Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has better screen resolution than Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Display Format - QHD+
Pixel Density 460 ppi 500 ppi Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has better pixel density than Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Max Brightness 2000 cd/m² 1750 cd/m² Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has better display brightness than Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Colour Depth - 16.7 million colours
Contrast Ratio 2000000:1 3000000:1 Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has better display contrast ratio than Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.
HDR Yes Yes Both phones have HDR.
HDR Technology HDR10 HDR10+
Display Enhancement Technology Dolby Vision Vision Booster technology
Display Refresh Rate 120 Hz 120 Hz Both phones have the same refresh rate.
Touch Sampling Rate - 240 Hz
Display Features Always-on display, True Tone display, Wide colour display (P3), Haptic touch, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), Dynamic Island, 1600 nits max brightness (HDR), 2000 nits max brightness (outdoor) AOD(Always On Display), Video Wallpaper, 100% DCI-P3
Display Protection (Screen Protector) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, Ceramic Shield Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (scratch resistant glass)
PROCESSOR Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Processor Type (CPU) Apple A17 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Clock Speed - 3.36 GHz
Processor Core Qty 6-core 8-core Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has higher processor core quantity than Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.
MEMORY Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
RAM - LPDDR5 SDRAM - 8 GB
Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) 256 GB 256 GB Both phones have the same internal memory capacity.
User Memory - 216.6 GB
CAMERA Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
MAIN CAMERA
Number of Main Cameras 3 4
Sensor Resolution 48 Megapixel 200 Megapixel Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has better camera resolution than Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Lens Type - Wide-angle lens
Lens Aperture F/1.78 F/1.7 Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has better lens aperture than Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Field of View (FoV) - 85 degree(s)
Pixel Size 2.44 μm 0.6 μm Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has larger camera pixel size than Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Sensor-shift OIS second-generation (Optical Image Stabilisation) Dual OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) Both phones have optical image stabilization.
Focus Adjustment Automatic Automatic
Laser Auto Focus - Yes
Minimum Focal Length (Focal Distance) 24 mm -
Optical Zoom 5x -
Digital Zoom 25x -
Self-Timer Delay - Yes
Special Effects Photographic Styles Super HDR, face retouch, Grid Line, selfie colour tone
HDR Mode Smart HDR 5 Auto HDR mode
Camera Modes Burst mode, slow motion video, Panorama, Time-lapse mode, night mode, portrait mode, Live Photos, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos, Cinema mode, Macro video, Macro mode, Time Lapse (Night mode), Apple ProRAW, Night mode portraits, spatial video, log video recording Panorama, Slow motion mode, Pro mode, HYPERLAPSE, Super Slow-mo, Flowers, Greenery, Trees, Sky, Beaches, Watersides, Snow, Backlit, Text, Food, Face, Baby, Person, Dog, Cat, People, Sunset, Sunrise, City, Waterfall, Scenery, Stage, Vehicles, Drinks, Animal, Shoes, Indoor, Clothes, Night view, Portrait, Night, Motion Photo, Mountain, Filter mode, Single Take, Pro Video, Portrait video, Director's View, Expert RAW mode, My Filter mode, Astrolapse
Face Recognition (Face ID) Face recognition - Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has face detection.
Light Source Adaptive True Tone LED flash High CRI LED flash
Video Resolutions 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 30 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 24 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 25 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 240 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 25 fps 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 240 fps, Super slow motion video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 960 fps, 7680 x 4320 (UHD 8K) at 24fps, Hyperlapse 4K video support at 30 fps, Super Steady 1080p video support at 60 fps, 7680 x 4320 (UHD 8K) at 30fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) HDR10+ at 60 fps, Director's View 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps
Camera Features (Functions) Sapphire crystal lens cover, Cinematic video stabilisation, Cinematic video stabilisation, Playback zoom, geotagging, Stereo Recording, Continuous autofocus video, 8MP still photos recording 4K video, Time‑lapse video with stabilisation, Advanced red-eye correction, Panorama (up to 63MP), HEIF image capture, Audio zoom, 100% Focus Pixels, QuickTake video, HEVC (High Efficiency Video coding), Deep Fusion, Dolby Vision HDR video recording up to 4K at 60 fps, 2x optical zoom out, Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps, Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps, Photonic Engine, customisable default lens, ProRes video recording up to 4K at 60 fps with external recording, Academy Colour Encoding System, 10x optical zoom range, 5x optical zoom in Blink detection, QR-code scanner, RAW image capture, VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilisation), Tracking AF, Quick Share, Scene Optimiser, Lens smudge, Flaw detection, Shot suggestions, blur detection, HDR10+ recording, Super steady, backlighting detection, Quick Measure, Zoom-In Mic, HEIF image capture, Take 33MP still photos while playing 8K video, Single Take, AR Doodle, HEVC (High Efficiency Video coding) support, Auto framing, UW shape correction, Auto FPS, object eraser, Digital zoom up to 20x for video, High Bitrate, 360 Audio Recording
SECOND CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (2nd Camera) 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same second camera resolution.
Lens Type (2nd Camera) Ultra wide-angle lens Ultra wide-angle lens
Lens Aperture (2nd Camera) F/2.2 F/2.2 Both phones have the same second camera lens aperture.
Field of View (2nd Camera) 120 degree(s) 120 degree(s) Both phones have the same second camera lens field of view.
Pixel Size (2nd Camera) 1.4 μm 1.4 μm Both phones have the same second camera pixel size.
Minimum Focal Length (2nd Camera) 13 mm -
Camera Features (2nd Camera) Lens correction, 100% Focus Pixels, Quad Pixel sensor -
THIRD CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (3rd Camera) 12 Megapixel 10 Megapixel Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has higher resolution third camera than Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Lens Type (3rd Camera) Telephoto lens Telephoto lens
Lens Aperture (3rd Camera) F/2.8 F/4.9 Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has better third camera lens aperture than Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Field of View (3rd Camera) - 11 degree(s)
Pixel Size (3rd Camera) - 1.12 μm
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) 3D sensor-shift optical image stabilisation (OIS) - Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has optical stabilisation of the third camera.
Minimum Focal Length (3rd Camera) 120 mm -
Optical Zoom 5x 10x
Camera Features (3rd Camera) 100% Focus Pixels, Quad Pixel sensor, autofocus for video, tetraprism design 100x Super Resolution Zoom, Space Zoom
FOURTH CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (4th Camera) - 10 Megapixel
Lens Type (4th Camera) - Telephoto lens
Lens Aperture (4th Camera) - F/2.4
Field of View (4th Camera) - 36 degree(s)
Pixel Size (4th Camera) - 1.12 μm
Optical Zoom - 3x
FRONT CAMERA
Number of Front Cameras 1 1
Sensor Resolution (Front) 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same front camera resolution.
Lens Aperture (Front) F/1.9 F/2.2 Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has better front lens aperture than Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Field of View (Front) - 80 degree(s)
Pixel Size (Front) - 1.12 μm
Focus Adjustment Automatic Automatic
Special Effects (Front) Photographic Styles -
HDR Mode (Front) Smart HDR 5 -
Camera Modes (Front) Burst mode, slow motion video, Time-lapse mode, night mode, portrait mode, Live Photos, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos, Time Lapse (Night mode), Apple ProRAW, log video recording -
Face Recognition (Face ID) Face recognition - Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has face detection.
Light Source (Front) Retina Flash -
Video Resolutions (Front) 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 24 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 25 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 25 fps -
Camera Features (Front) Auto image stabilisation, Animoji, Memoji, TrueDepth camera, Cinematic video stabilisation, QuickTake video, Time‑lapse video with stabilisation, Lens correction, Deep Fusion, Dolby Vision HDR video recording up to 4K at 60 fps, Autofocus with Focus Pixels, Photonic Engine, Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps, ProRes video recording up to 4K at 60 fps, Academy Colour Encoding System 2PD AF
BATTERY AND CHARGING Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Battery Capacity (Battery Size) - 5000 mAh
Fast Charging Technology Apple MagSafe wireless charging Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, Adaptive Fast Charging, Samsung Super Fast Charging, Power Delivery 3.0 Both phones have fast charging technology.
Wireless Charging Yes Yes Both phones can be charged wirelessly.
Wireless Charging Standards Qi WPC, Qi, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare
Talk Time - 2940 minutes
Run Time Details Playback (video): up to 29 hrs
Playback (streamed video): up to 25 hrs
Playback (audio): up to 95 hrs
Talk (4G): up to 2940 min
Active online usage (LTE): up to 25 hrs
Active online usage (Wi-Fi): up to 25 hrs
Playback (wireless video): up to 26 hrs
Playback (wireless audio): up to 99 hrs
Battery Technology Lithium Ion -
CELLULAR Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Technology WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM
Mobile Broadband Generation 5G 5G Both phones have the same mobile network generation.
Operating System iOS 17 Android 13
User Interface - Samsung One UI 5.1
Intelligent Assistant Siri Bixby
Payment Technology Apple Pay Samsung Pay
Navigation GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, NavIC GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS
COMMUNICATIONS Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Data Transmission EDGE, HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, VoLTE, FDD-LTE, Gigabit LTE, LAA, 5G NR FR1, TD-LTE FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, 5G NR FR1
2G Band 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM
3G UMTS Band Band 1, Band 2, Band 5, Band 8, Band 10 Band 1, Band 2, Band 4, Band 5, Band 8
3G UMTS Frequency 2100, 1900, 850, 900, 1700 EAWS 2100, 1900, 1700, 850, 900
4G LTE Band Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 13, Band 17, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 30, Band 32, Band 34, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 42, Band 46, Band 48, Band 66, Band 53 Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 13, Band 17, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 32, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 66
4G LTE Frequency FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700c, FDD 700b, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 2300 WCS, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2000, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, TDD 3500, TDD 5150, TDD 3600, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3, Band 53 FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700c, FDD 700b, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3
5G NR Band N1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n70, n77, n78, n79, n40, n25, n12, n48, n26, n30, n14, n53 N1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n75, n77, n78, n40, n25, n12
5G NR Frequency FDD 2100, FDD 1900PCS, FDD 1800, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 800, FDD 700APT, TDD TD 2600, TDD TD 2500, FDD AWS-3, FDD AWS-4, TDD TD 3700, TDD TD 3500, TDD TD 4500, TDD 2300, FDD 1900, n12, TDD 3500, FDD 850, FDD 2300, n14, n53 FDD 2100, FDD 1900PCS, FDD 1800, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 800, FDD 700APT, TDD TD 2600, TDD TD 2500, FDD AWS-3, SDL DL 1500+, TDD TD 3700, TDD TD 3500, TDD 2300, FDD 1900, n12
Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11ax, Wi-Fi 6E IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.3 Bluetooth 5.3
NFC Yes Yes Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments.
Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Yes Yes Both phones have UWB wireless technology.
MEDIA Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Supported Digital Audio Standards AAC, MP3, FLAC, Apple Lossless, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus WAV, AAC, PCM, AMR, MP3, FLAC, XMF, OGG, MIDI, APE (Monkey's Audio), M4A, DSF, DSD, MXMF, OGA, 3GA, AWB, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DFF, MID, DSD64, DSD128
Supported Digital Video Standards H.264, HEVC, ProRes MKV, FLV, AVI, 3GP, M4V, WebM, 3G2, MP4
Sound Enhancements Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Dolby Digital sound, Spatial audio Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Surround sound, Dolby Digital sound, amplify ambient sound
Video Enhancements HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) -
FEATURES Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Sensors Proximity sensor, digital compass, barometer, magnetometer, LiDAR scanner, dual ambient light sensor, gyroscope with large dynamic range, high-g accelerometer Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, barometer, gyro sensor, hall sensor, geomagnetic sensor
Security Devices Face recognition Fingerprint reader (under display), face recognition
Security Technology Face ID -
Additional Phone Features MIMO technology, Wi-Fi Calling, iBeacon microlocation, QuickType keyboard, Apple TV support (2nd or later), Fast Charging, FaceTime audio, Apple MagSafe, Express Transit cards with power reserve, 4K HDR AirPlay Mirroring, FaceTime HD (1080p), RTT/TTY compatible, Voice isolation, 16‑core Neural Engine, Wide Spectrum microphone mode, Screen sharing, Portrait mode in FaceTime video, Optical zoom with rear‑facing camera, DisplayPort over USB Type-C, FaceTime call with SharePlay, Crash Detection, magnet array, alignment magnet, accessory identification NFC, Emergency SOS via satellite, thread networking technology, action button, Dual active eSIM support, StandBy, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, MetalFX Upscaling, second-generation Ultra Wideband chip S Pen multi-input, Air View, MIMO technology, Screen Write, notification flashlight, Smart Select, Three microphones, Samsung KNOX, Smart View, Live message, Screen off memo, Samsung DeX support, Bixby Vision, Secure Folder function, TalkBack, Dual Audio, Intelligent Performance Enhancer, Samsung Smart Switch, AR Doodle, PENUP, Bixby key, Bluetooth Scalable Codec, Samsung Knox Vault, DisplayPort over USB Type-C, dual stereo speakers tuned by Dolby Atmos, Samsung Seamless Codec, Samsung Wallet
OTHERS Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Included Accessories USB-C to USB-C cable (1 m) SIM card removal tool, S Pen, USB-C to USB-C cable
Compliant Standards IEC 60529 IP68, BFR-free, PVC-free, Beryllium-free, Mercury-free, HEARING AID M3/T4, Arsenic-free VDE, IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible), EcoLogo, IEC 61960, Carbon Trust
EPEAT Compliant Yes -
EPEAT Level EPEAT Gold -
Carbon Footprint 75 kg carbon emissions -
Product Recycled Content 20 % - recycled or renewable content -
Max Depth of Water Resistance 6 m 1.5 m
Max Operating Temperature 35 °C -
Min Operating Temperature 0 °C -
Humidity Range Operating 5 - 95% (non-condensing) -
Other projects: