Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max scores 7.6 in our rating, and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra scores 7.8. The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max leads in performance, design and value for money, while the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is ahead in camera and software support. The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is the newer phone, announced Sep 12, 2023.
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Key differences
Why choose the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
- Brighter screen 2,000 nits vs 1,750 nits
- Lower launch price $1,199 vs $1,199.99
- Newer model Sep 12, 2023 vs Feb 1, 2023
- Lighter 221 g vs 234 g
- Thinner 8.25 mm vs 8.9 mm
- Satellite messaging
Why choose the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Bigger battery 5,000 mAh vs 4,422 mAh
- Bigger screen 6.8 inches vs 6.7 inches
- Longer optical zoom 10× vs 5×
- More RAM 8 GB / 12 GB vs 8 GB
- Higher-resolution video 8K@30 vs 4K@60
- Higher screen resolution 1440 × 3088 px vs 1290 × 2796 px
PhoneRanked scores
Calculated from specs, relative to phones from the same year and price range. How we rate phones
Spec
Apple iPhone 15 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Overall
7.6
7.8
Display
8.2
8.1
Performance
7.6
6.8
Camera
8.3
8.7
Battery
5.9
5.9
Design
8.7
8.3
Software support
3.5
6.9
Value for money
4.7
4.4
Display
Spec
Apple iPhone 15 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Size
6.7 inches
6.8 inches
Type
OLED, Super Retina XDR
OLED, Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Resolution
1290 × 2796 px
1440 × 3088 px
Pixel density
460 ppi
500 ppi
Refresh rate
120 Hz
120 Hz
Adaptive refresh
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Peak brightness
2,000 nits
1,750 nits
HDR
HDR10, Dolby Vision
HDR10+
Protection
Ceramic Shield
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Performance
Spec
Apple iPhone 15 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Process
3 nm
4 nm
Max CPU clock
—
3.36 GHz
GPU
Apple 6-core GPU
Adreno 740
RAM
8 GB
8 GB / 12 GB
Storage
256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB
256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB
Storage type
—
UFS 4.0
microSD slot
✕ No
✕ No
Cameras
Spec
Apple iPhone 15 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Main camera
48 MP, f/1.78
200 MP, f/1.7
Optical stabilization
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Ultrawide
12 MP
12 MP
Telephoto
12 MP, 5× optical, periscope
10 MP, 10× optical, periscope
Optical zoom
5×
10×
Rear cameras
3
4
Rear video
4K@60
8K@30
Front camera
12 MP
12 MP
Front video
4K@60
4K@60
Battery and charging
Spec
Apple iPhone 15 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Capacity
4,422 mAh
5,000 mAh
Battery type
Li-Ion
Li-Ion
Wired charging
—
45 W
Wireless charging
15 W
15 W
Reverse wireless
✕ No
✓ Yes
Charger in box
✕ No
✕ No
Design and build
Spec
Apple iPhone 15 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Dimensions
159.9 × 76.7 × 8.25 mm
163.4 × 78.1 × 8.9 mm
Thickness
8.25 mm
8.9 mm
Weight
221 g
234 g
Form factor
Bar
Bar
Frame
Titanium
Aluminum
Back
Glass
Glass
Water resistance
IP68
IP68
Fingerprint
None
Under-display ultrasonic
3D face unlock
✓ Yes
✕ No
SIM
eSIM only
Dual Nano-SIM + eSIM
Colors
Natural Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium, Black Titanium
Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime, Sky Blue, Red
Connectivity and features
Spec
Apple iPhone 15 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
5G
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6E
Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth
5.3
5.3
USB
USB-C 3.x
USB-C 3.x
NFC
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
3.5 mm jack
✕ No
✕ No
Stereo speakers
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Satellite
✓ Yes
✕ No
IR blaster
✕ No
✕ No
Software
Spec
Apple iPhone 15 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
OS at launch
iOS 17
Android 13
Interface
—
One UI 5.1
OS updates
—
4 years
Security updates
—
5 years
Launch and price
Spec
Apple iPhone 15 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Announced
Sep 12, 2023
Feb 1, 2023
Released
Sep 22, 2023
Feb 17, 2023
Status
Discontinued
Discontinued
US launch price
$1,199
$1,199.99
Green marks the stronger value in a row. Specs come from official manufacturer data, cross-checked with established tech media; each phone page lists its sources. Report an error
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