Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S24 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 S24 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $610 | $899 |
| 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 | 232 g |
| Released | Sep 2023 | Jan 2024 |
Summary: Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is ahead on weight (lower is lighter). Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is ahead on battery, ram (max), screen size, main camera.
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy S24 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 S24 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, Always-On display, Dynamic Island | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak) |
| Size | 6.7 inches | 6.8 inches, 113.3 cm2 (~88.5% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 2796 x 1290 pixels (~460 ppi density) | 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~505 ppi density) |
| Brightness | 1000 nits (typical), 1600 nits (peak HDR), 2000 nits (peak outdoor) | — |
| Protection | Ceramic Shield glass | Corning Gorilla Armor |
Platform
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOS 17, upgradable to iOS 17.5.1 (or later) | Android 14, One UI 6.1 (upgradable to Android 15, One UI 7, with 7 years of OS updates) |
| Chipset | Apple A17 Pro (3 nm) | Qualcomm SM8650-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4 nm) |
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x3.78 GHz + 4x2.11 GHz) | Octa-core (1x3.39 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x3.1 GHz Cortex-A78 & 2x2.9 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (6-core graphics) | Adreno 750 |
| Neural Engine | 16-core | — |
Memory
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 1TB 8GB RAM (NVMe) | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| Storage Type | — | UFS 4.0 |
Main Camera
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S24 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 |
| 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@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 1080p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Quad | — | 200 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.3" sensor, 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS; 50 MP, f/3.4, 111mm (periscope telephoto), 5x optical zoom, PDAF, OIS; 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto), 3x optical zoom, PDAF, OIS; 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" sensor, 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
Selfie Camera
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S24 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 S24 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Li-Ion 4441 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 5000 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | Fast charging, MagSafe wireless charging | 45W wired (1-65% in 30 min), 15W wireless (Qi/PMA), 4.5W reverse wireless |
Body
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.3 mm (6.30 x 3.02 x 0.33 in) | 162.3 x 79 x 8.6 mm (6.39 x 3.11 x 0.34 in) |
| Weight | 221 g (7.80 oz) | 232 g (8.18 oz) or 233 g (8.22 oz) |
| Build | Titanium frame, Ceramic Shield front, textured matte glass back | Glass front (Corning Gorilla Armor), glass back (Corning Gorilla Armor), titanium frame |
| SIM | Nano-SIM and eSIM | — |
| Water & Dust Resistance | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
| Stylus | — | S Pen, 2.8ms latency |
Comms
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S24 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/7, 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, DisplayPort, OTG |
Launch
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023, September 12 | January 17, 2024 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, September 22 | Available. Released January 31, 2024 |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max or Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra?
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra — 4,441 mAh for the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max versus 5,000 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Which has more RAM, Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max or Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra?
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra — 8 GB for the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max versus 12 GB for the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Which is lighter, Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max or Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra?
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max — 221 g for the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max versus 232 g for the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Which is newer, Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max or Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra?
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra — Sep 2023 for the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max versus Jan 2024 for the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Is the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max or the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra rated higher?
We rate the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max 9/10 and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 9/10.