Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
VS
Head to head
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $610 | $1,299 |
| Our rating | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| Battery | 4,441 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | — | 45W |
| RAM (max) | 8 GB | 12 GB |
| Storage (max) | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| Screen size | 6.7 in | 6.8 in |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Main camera | 48 MP | 200 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 221 g | 234 g |
| Released | Sep 2023 | Feb 2023 |
Summary: Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is ahead on weight (lower is lighter). Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is ahead on battery, ram (max), screen size, main camera.
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs. If budget matters more than the extra capability, Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is the cheaper option.
Display
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, Always-On display, Dynamic Island | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits (peak) |
| Size | 6.7 inches | 6.8 inches |
| Resolution | 2796 x 1290 pixels (~460 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels |
| Brightness | 1000 nits (typical), 1600 nits (peak HDR), 2000 nits (peak outdoor) | — |
| Protection | Ceramic Shield glass | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Features | — | Always-on display, adaptive refresh rate (1Hz-120Hz) |
Platform
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOS 17, upgradable to iOS 17.5.1 (or later) | Android 13, One UI 5.1 (upgradable to newer Android versions) |
| Chipset | Apple A17 Pro (3 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (4 nm) |
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x3.78 GHz + 4x2.11 GHz) | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (6-core graphics) | Adreno 740 |
| Neural Engine | 16-core | — |
Memory
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 1TB 8GB RAM (NVMe) | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| Type | — | UFS 4.0 |
Main Camera
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Triple | 48 MP, f/1.78, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS; 12 MP, f/2.8, 120mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.06", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF, 3D sensor-shift OIS, 5x optical zoom; 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF | — |
| Features | TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth), Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama), ProRes, Cinematic mode, 3D (Spatial) video | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama, Expert RAW |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps) | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Quad | — | 200 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.3", 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS; 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom; 10 MP, f/4.9, 230mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom; 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
Selfie Camera
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Single | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", PDAF, OIS | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Features | SL 3D (depth/biometrics sensor), HDR, Cinematic mode | Dual video call, Auto-HDR, HDR10+ |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
Battery
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Li-Ion 4441 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 5000 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | Fast charging, MagSafe wireless charging | 45W wired (PD3.0, 65% in 30 min advertised), 15W wireless (Qi/PMA), 4.5W reverse wireless |
Body
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.3 mm (6.30 x 3.02 x 0.33 in) | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm |
| Weight | 221 g (7.80 oz) | 234 g |
| Build | Titanium frame, Ceramic Shield front, textured matte glass back | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| SIM | Nano-SIM and eSIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM and/or eSIM) |
| Water & Dust Resistance | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) | — |
| Other | — | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins), Stylus (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) |
Comms
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e), tri-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS, NavIC | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
Launch
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023, September 12 | February 1, 2023 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, September 22 | Available |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max or Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra?
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra — 4,441 mAh for the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max versus 5,000 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Which has more RAM, Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max or Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra?
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra — 8 GB for the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max versus 12 GB for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Which is lighter, Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max or Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra?
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max — 221 g for the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max versus 234 g for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Which is newer, Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max or Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra?
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max — Sep 2023 for the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max versus Feb 2023 for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Is the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max or the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra rated higher?
We rate the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max 9/10 and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 9/10.