Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
The Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max scores 9.2 in our rating, and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra scores 8.3. The Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max leads in performance, camera, battery and value for money, while the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is ahead in design and software support. The Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max is the newer phone, announced Sep 9, 2026.
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Key differences
Why choose the Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max
- Bigger battery 5,567 mAh vs 5,000 mAh
- Bigger screen 6.9 inches vs 6.8 inches
- Brighter screen 3,000 nits vs 2,600 nits
- Lower launch price $1,299 vs $1,299.99
- Newer model Sep 9, 2026 vs Jan 17, 2024
- Faster wireless charging 25 W vs 15 W
Why choose the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
- Longer optical zoom 5× vs 4×
- Lighter 233 g vs 249 g
- Thinner 8.6 mm vs 8.75 mm
- Higher-resolution video 8K@30 vs 4K@120
- Higher screen resolution 1440 × 3120 px vs 1320 × 2868 px
- Sharper display 505 ppi vs 460 ppi
PhoneRanked scores
Calculated from specs, relative to phones from the same year and price range. How we rate phones
Spec
Apple iPhone 18 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Overall
9.2
8.3
Display
8.5
8.4
Performance
9.4
7.4
Camera
8.7
8.4
Battery
8.0
6.2
Design
8.3
8.6
Software support
7.4
9.2
Value for money
6.7
4.8
Display
Spec
Apple iPhone 18 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Size
6.9 inches
6.8 inches
Type
OLED, Super Retina XDR
OLED, Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Resolution
1320 × 2868 px
1440 × 3120 px
Pixel density
460 ppi
505 ppi
Refresh rate
120 Hz
120 Hz
Adaptive refresh
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Peak brightness
3,000 nits
2,600 nits
HDR
HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision
HDR10+
Protection
Ceramic Shield 2
Corning Gorilla Armor
Performance
Spec
Apple iPhone 18 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Process
2 nm
4 nm
Max CPU clock
4.93 GHz
3.39 GHz
GPU
Apple 7-core GPU
Adreno 750
RAM
12 GB
12 GB
Storage
256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB
256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB
microSD slot
✕ No
✕ No
Cameras
Spec
Apple iPhone 18 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Main camera
48 MP, f/1.48
200 MP, f/1.7, 1/1.3"
Optical stabilization
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Ultrawide
48 MP
12 MP
Telephoto
48 MP, 4× optical, periscope
50 MP, 5× optical, periscope
Optical zoom
4×
5×
Rear cameras
3
4
Rear video
4K@120
8K@30
Front camera
18 MP
12 MP
Front video
4K@60
4K@60
Battery and charging
Spec
Apple iPhone 18 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Capacity
5,567 mAh
5,000 mAh
Battery type
Li-Ion
Li-Ion
Wired charging
—
45 W
Wireless charging
25 W
15 W
Reverse wireless
✕ No
✓ Yes
Charger in box
✕ No
✕ No
Design and build
Spec
Apple iPhone 18 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Dimensions
163.4 × 78 × 8.75 mm
162.3 × 79 × 8.6 mm
Thickness
8.75 mm
8.6 mm
Weight
249 g
233 g
Form factor
Bar
Bar
Frame
Aluminum
Titanium
Back
Glass
Glass
Water resistance
IP68
IP68
Fingerprint
None
Under-display ultrasonic
3D face unlock
✓ Yes
✕ No
SIM
eSIM only
Nano-SIM + eSIM
Colors
Black, Silver, Glacier, Burgundy
Titanium Gray, Titanium Black, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow, Titanium Blue, Titanium Green, Titanium Orange
Connectivity and features
Spec
Apple iPhone 18 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
5G
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 7
Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth
6.0
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
—
IR blaster
✕ No
—
Software
Spec
Apple iPhone 18 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
OS at launch
iOS 27
Android 14
Interface
—
One UI 6.1
OS updates
—
7 years
Security updates
5 years
7 years
Launch and price
Spec
Apple iPhone 18 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Announced
Sep 9, 2026
Jan 17, 2024
Released
Sep 18, 2026
Jan 31, 2024
Status
Released
Discontinued
US launch price
$1,299
$1,299.99
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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