Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: Which is Better?
Jan. 18, 2024Galaxy S24 Ultra vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: Display and Design
The flagship also comes with the newCorning Gorilla Armoron top to protect it against falls. Most importantly, Samsung has decided to go with a flat display this year, going against the curved display trend of late. In addition, we also get to see apeak brightness of 2,500 nits.
Talking about the iPhone 15 Pro Max, it features a slightly smaller 6.7-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display. This display offers a lower resolution of 1290 x 2796 pixels when compared to the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Thepeak brightness also falls short of 500 nits,at 2,000 nits. Additional display specs include a 120Hz fast refresh rate, and 460 PPI, alongside Ceramic Shield on top.
Further, both smartphones come with an IP68 water-resistance rating, which is always a good thing design-wise. However, when it comes to the design of these two smartphones, it all comes down to your preference. While the Galaxy S24 Ultra has aboxy 79.0 x 162.3 x 8.6mm design, the iPhone 15 Pro Max hascircular edges on a 76.7 x 159.9 x 8.3 mm body, making it easy to hold without the edges digging into your skin.
Besides, both devices retain thelooksof their respective predecessors, having little to no changes on the design front. Moreover, both the Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max are heavy,weighing 232 and 221 grams, respectively.
On the display front, however, the on-paper specifications clearly reveal the Galaxy S24 Ultra to be a winner. Not only do you get a bigger display, but you also get to see a QHD+ one with more pixels. Outdoor visibility will also be better, thanks to more peak brightness on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. You will also feel safer accidentally dropping your phone now and then with the better Gorilla Glass Armor protection. Flat display edges further decrease the probability of breaking the screen.
One of the biggest upgrades with the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is its performance. The ultra flagship is powered by theSnapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. Now, this 4nm ARM-based chipset, with the 8 Gen 3 using a single core of the latestARMCortex-X4–basedprime coreclocked at up to 3.3GHz. Meanwhile, there are FiveARM Cortex-720-basedperformance cores clocked between 3.0-3.2GHz. Additionally, there are twoARM Cortex-520-basedefficiency cores as well, clocked at up to 2.3GHz.
On the other hand, the iPhone 15 Pro Max uses Apple’s latestA17 Pro processor. Now, this chipset isbased on the 3nm architecture, as compared to the4nm-based 8 Gen 3. Moreover, Apple does not rely on the latest Cortex X4 architecture. Instead, they make their own cores based on the ARM architecture. They have been doing this for years and have always been ahead in the performance department, as a result.
However, this time, with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the Galaxy S24 Ultra comes very close to beating the A17 Pro on the 15 Pro Max. The latter is just 3% faster, making it a super close call. Moreover, if youcomparethe Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 benchmarks with that of the A17 Pro, you will see that the numbers showcase barely any difference. It is understandable that Apple is still leading the race in the single-core department. However, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 has managed to surpass it when it comes to multi-core performance.
Now, although both smartphonesreallydo deliver top-level performance, the A17 Pro takes the lead in terms of slightly better performance and power efficiency.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra features aquad-rear camera setup. We get to see a200MP primary sensor with OISand an F 1.7 aperture. To accompany the primary sensor, there is also a dual telephoto sensor setup. One of these telephoto sensors features a 50MP quad-pixel autofocus sensor with OIS, 5x optical zoom capability, and an F 3.4 aperture.
When it comes to the second telephoto camera, it’s a 10MP sensor backed by OIS, 3x optical zoom and an F 2.4 aperture. Lastly, there is a 12MP ultra-wide-angle sensor with a 120-degree FOV and an aperture of F/2.2. As for the selfie shooter, there is a 12MP sensor at the front with an aperture of F/2.2.
Meanwhile, the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max comes with atriple rear camera setup. This setup includes a48MP wide-angleF/1.8 sensor thatdoubles down as the primary sensor. Additionally, there is a 12MP ultra-wide-angle F/2.2 secondary sensor. Finally, there is a tertiary12MP periscope telephoto f/2.8 sensor with 5x optical zoom.
When it comes to cameras, it goes without saying that the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s setup is stacked with all the best stuff. The Galaxy S23 Ultra already had commendable cameras. Now, with the better 50-megapixel telephoto sensor, one can only imagine the kind of output the Galaxy S24 Ultra has to offer.
However, it doesn’t end there. All of this superior camera hardware ispaired with AI features. These features include Nightography zoom for photos, AI multi-frame processing across all the zoom ranges, anddeep learning-based super-resolutionto the table.
Additionally, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is pretty solid in the videography department as well, featuring 100x Space Zoom,8K recording at up to60 FPS, Nightography video, and more. Meanwhile, theiPhone 15 Pro Max is limited to 4K recording at 60 FPS. Also, instead of12-bit HDR on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, you are limited to10-bit on the 15 Pro Max.
So, be it for photos or videos, the Galaxy S24 Ultra definitely has an edge over 15 Pro Max.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra retains the same5,000mAh batteryas last year’s Galaxy S23 Ultra. Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 Pro Max packs a 4,441mAh battery unit. Meanwhile, charging speeds have never been the strong suit of both brands. Where Samsung is capped out at offering45W fast chargingto its flagships,Apple can’t seem to go over 30Wof maximum power delivery.
You can call it a tie since, although the Galaxy S24 Ultra does offer a bigger 5000mAh battery, it also has a more power-hungry processor under the hood. Not to mention that 8 Gen 3 actually has lesser power efficiency cores than its predecessor. That does translate to more power, but battery life understandably takes a hit. So, in an ideal day-to-day scenario, both the battery units should come very close to delivering similar screen-on time.
As for connectivity, both flagships pack all that you need to smoothly get through on a daily basis. Talking about the S24 Ultra first, it comes with aUSB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1port, Bluetooth 5.3, and Wi-Fi 7.
On the other hand, the iPhone 15 Pro Max also boasts a USB Type-C port along with Bluetooth 5.3. However, you get to see a better3.2 Gen 2 porthere. It is a bummer that the Galaxy S24 Ultra is stuck with a slightly outdated Gen 1 port here. Whereas, the iPhone 15 Pro Max offers a slowerWiFi 6E instead of the WiFi 7 on the S24 Ultra.
So, yes, you win some and lose out on something else. It is mostly a tie here. But, Apple finally introducing a Type-C port and ditching the lightning port surely gives iPhones a new kind of leverage now. Especially since that was one of the major blockades that stood in the way of Android users shifting to iOS.
Last year, Google announced a whopping 7 years of software updates for its Pixel 8 series of devices. Looks like Samsung decided to not be left behind as this year, we get to see the Galaxy S24 series arrive with a similar promise. Yes, theSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra brings 7 years of software updatesupport with it. This includes major OS updates and security patches.
Then again, that is nothing new for the iPhones as they have always been known to get exceptional software update support. The good thing is that this new shift in terms of software updates for premium Android flagships makes going all out on an ultra flagship like the Galaxy S24 Ultra worth it.
This is probably the very first time in years that a top-of-the-line Android has been able to come super close to beating the latest and greatest iPhone in terms of sheer, raw performance at least on the specs sheet. One can only imagine where it goes from here. However, that is not the only area that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra manages to impress.
The barrage of AI features makes the entire device a lot more user-friendly than one may want to agree. Be it the live translation of calls, AI note assist, or Nightography Zoom, the possibilities are definitely broader with the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
It is the truestnext-gen“ultra” premium Android experience that money can quite possibly buy right now. The OneUI on top makes it all the more worth it, given that it is undoubtedly one of the best and most sought-after Android skins out there. Moreover, being equipped with significantly better cameras, the S24 Ultra is brave enough to not just go against but mop the floor with what is considered to be one of the best cameras in the smartphone world.
On top of all that madness, there are the 7 years of software update support that Samsung casually threw and hit the spot with, making the S24 Ultra rise a little and match up to Apple’s unparalleled software support.
However, only time will tell if Samsung can hold this spot for longer, given that the iPhone 16 series is already in the works. Right now, it does come down to your requirements and what you actually want from an ultra flagship smartphone. One thing is clear though; both the devices will exceed your expectations.
Sagnik is a tech aficionado who can never say “no” to dipping his toes into unknown waters of tech or reviewing the latest gadgets. He is also a hardcore gamer, having played everything from Snake Xenzia to Dead Space Remake.
