iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: A Comprehensive Comparison

s24-ultra-vs-15-pro-max
Exploring iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Is Samsung’s flagship smartphone for 2024, the Galaxy S24 Ultra , equipped with the capabilities to surpass Apple’s premium offering? Let’s conduct a thorough comparison against the iPhone 15 Pro Max to determine which smartphone reigns supreme.
Design and Colour: –
Lets dive into phones specifications: -
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Detailed specifications
- Release date of iPhone 15 Pro Max: 12 September 2023
- Release date Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: 24 January 2024
iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
Dimensions: | 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.25 mm | 162.3 x 79 x 8.6 mm |
Weight: | 221 g | 232 g |
Front: | Gorilla Glass, Ceramic Shield front | Glass front (Corning Gorilla Armor) |
Back: | Gorilla Glass, Textured matte glass | glass back (Corning Gorilla Armor) |
Frame: | Titanium frame (grade 5) | Titanium frame (grade 2) |
SIM: | Single SIM (Nano-SIM and/or eSIM) or Dual SIM (Nano-SIM/eSIM, dual stand-by) | Nano-SIM and eSIM/ Dual eSIM or Dual SIM (2 Nano-SIMs and eSIM, dual stand-by) |
iPhone 15 pro max: | Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium |
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: | Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow, Titanium Blue, Titanium Green, Titanium Orange |
iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
Type: | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak) |
Size: | 6.7 inches, 110.2 cm2 | 6.8 inches, 113.5 cm2 |
Resolution: | 2796-by-1290 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio | 1440-by-3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio |
Contrast ratio: | 2,000,000:1, Always-on display | 2,000,000:1, Always-on display |
Protection: | Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating | Corning Gorilla Armor |
iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
Chipset: | Apple A17 Bionic (3 nm) | Qualcomm SM8650-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm) |
CPU: | 6-core CPU with (2 performance and 4 efficiency cores) | 8-core (1x3.39GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x3.1GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.9GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.2GHz Cortex-A520) |
GPU: | Apple 6-core graphic card, New 16-core Neural Engine | Adreno 750 (1 GHz) |
iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
RAM: | 8 GB | 12 GB |
Card slot: | No | No |
Internal: | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB |
iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
Operating System: | IOS 17, upgradable | Android 14, One UI 6.1 |
iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
Cameras: | Three cameras: Main, Ultra Wide, and Telephoto cameras | Four cameras: Main, Wide, periscope Telephoto, and ultrawide cameras |
Main camera: | 48MP Main: 24 mm, ƒ/1.78 aperture, second‑generation sensor‑shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super‑high‑resolution photos (24MP and 48MP) | 200 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.3", 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS |
Ultra wide: | 12MP Ultra Wide: 13 mm, ƒ/2.2 aperture and 120° field of view, 100% Focus Pixels | 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
Telephoto: | 12MP 2x Telephoto (enabled by quad‑pixel sensor): 48 mm, ƒ/1.78 aperture, second‑generation sensor‑shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels | 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom |
Periscope Telephoto: | - | 50 MP, f/3.4, 111mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.52", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom |
Features: | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
Video quality: |
4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps 720p HD video recording at 30 fps |
8K video recording at 24 fps, 30 fps. 4K video recording at 30 fps, 60 fps, 120 fps. 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps, 60 fps, 120 fps. |
iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
Front TrueDepth camera: | 12MP camera, ƒ/1.9 aperture, 23mm (wide), SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor), Retina Flash | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), dual pixel PDAF |
Video recording quality: |
Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps ProRes video recording up to 4K at 30 fps (1080p at 30 fps for 128GB storage) Slow motion video support for 1080p at 120 fps Cinematic video stabilization (4K, 1080p, and 720p) |
4K video recording at 30 fps, 60 fps. 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps. |
Features: | HDR, Cinematic mode (4K@24/30fps) | Dual video call, Auto-HDR, HDR10+ |
iPhone 15 pro max: | Built-in stereo speaker, Built-in microphone |
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: | Built-in stereo speaker, Built-in microphone, 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG |
iPhone 15 pro max: | Rated IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes) under IEC standard 60529 |
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: | Rated IP68 dust/water resistant (maximum depth of 1.5 meters up to 30 min |
iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
Video playback: | Up to 29 hours, Up to 25 hours (streaming) | Up to 30 hours |
Audio playback: | Up to 95 hours | Up to 95 hours |
Battery: | Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery (4352 mAh) | Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery (5000 mAh) |
Battery charging: |
MagSafe wireless charging up to 15W Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter Fast-charge capable: Up to 50% charge in around 30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher (available separately). |
Wireless charging up to 15W Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter 45W Fast-charge capable: Up to 65% charge in around 30 minutes. |
Face ID, LiDAR Scanner, Barometer, High-g Accelerometer, Proximity sensor,High dynamic range gyro, Dual ambient light sensor
Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving)
Second-generation Ultra Wideband chip
Samsung Galaxy S24 UltraAccelerometer, Barometer, Geomagnetic sensor, Gyro sensor, Hall sensor, Light Sensor, Proximity sensor, Ultrasonic Fingerprint sensor
iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
WLAN: | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMO, dual-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 |
GPS: | GPS, with GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, and NavIC | GPS, with GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
NFC: | Yes with reader mode | Yes with reader mode |
USB: | USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort | USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort 1.2, OTG |
Emergency SOS via satellite: | Yes, SMS sending/receiving via satellite in case of emergancy | No |
A new button introduced in iPhone 15 models: The Action button features: -
Silent mode, Focus, Camera, Flashlight, Voice Memo, Translate15, Magnifier, Shortcut, or Accessibility
Latest prices: -
you can explore the latest prices here ⇗
Design and Display of iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: -
Many users found the curved screen of the S23 Ultra unfavorable. Fortunately, Samsung addressed this concern with the S24 Ultra, adopting a flat display akin to that of the iPhone. This not only enhances its premium appearance but also reduces the likelihood of unintended touches, improving usability.
In the latest iteration, Samsung has chosen a titanium frame, similar to Apple's iPhone 15 Pro models. Unlike Apple, Samsung's emphasis was not on reducing the device's weight but rather on enhancing its durability. While the iPhone may feel slightly lighter, the disparity is scarcely noticeable unless both devices are held side by side.
The S24 Ultra boasts a spacious 6.8-inch 1440p Dynamic AMOLED screen with an adaptive refresh rate ranging from 1 to 120Hz. In contrast, the iPhone 15 Pro Max features a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display, also capable of a 1 to 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.
Despite the iPhone's marginally lower resolution at 1290p, discerning the variance becomes nearly impossible at this screen size. Both displays deliver outstanding performance, ensuring satisfaction regardless of your choice.
However, the S24 Ultra stands out with its remarkable peak screen brightness of 2,600 nits, exceeding the iPhone 15 Pro Max's 2,000 nits. Therefore, if you frequently find yourself outdoors, particularly in direct sunlight, Samsung's flagship becomes the preferred option due to its brighter screen.
The Camera performance of iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: -
Let's delve into the detailed camera performance of both the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and the iPhone 15 Pro Max:
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Main Camera (200MP):
- With its high-resolution sensor, this camera excels at capturing incredibly detailed photos, especially in well-lit conditions.
- You can anticipate sharpness, clarity, and the ability to crop without significant loss of quality.
- However, it's worth noting that file sizes can be substantial, and low-light performance may not match that of lower-resolution sensors.
Ultra-Wide Camera (12MP):
- Ideal for capturing expansive landscapes, architectural marvels, and group shots.
- Distortion correction ensures straight lines, even at the edges of the frame, maintaining good dynamic range and color accuracy.
Telephoto Camera (10MP):
- This camera offers 3x optical zoom, allowing you to zoom in on your subject without compromising quality.
- Particularly useful for portraits and distant objects, aided by optical image stabilization (OIS) to reduce blur.
Periscope Camera (50MP):
- The periscope lens provides an impressive 5x optical zoom, making it perfect for wildlife photography, capturing the moon, or zooming in on distant details.
- Night mode performance is commendable, ensuring quality shots even in low-light conditions.
Front Camera (12MP):
- Selfies taken with this camera are sharp and well-exposed.
- Portrait mode effectively creates pleasing background blur, even in low-light environments.
Overall:
- The versatile camera system is well-suited for various photography scenarios.
- It boasts excellent dynamic range and color science, with impressive night mode capabilities.
iPhone 15 Pro Max: Main Camera (48MP):
- This camera takes a balanced approach, delivering good detail and color accuracy across a variety of lighting conditions.
- Smart HDR technology enhances highlights and shadows, contributing to its overall performance.
Ultra-Wide Camera (12MP):
- Ideal for capturing wide scenes, making it perfect for creative compositions.
- Distortion correction ensures straight lines, maintaining good dynamic range.
Telephoto Camera (12MP):
- Offers 3x optical zoom, providing closer shots with natural-looking background blur in portrait mode.
- Performs decently in low-light conditions.
Front Camera (12MP TrueDepth):
- Excellent for selfies and facial recognition purposes.
- Night mode for selfies adds to its appeal, along with portrait mode featuring advanced bokeh effects.
Overall:
- Consistent color science is observed across lenses, ensuring a cohesive image output.
- Deep Fusion technology enhances detail, contributing to overall image quality.
- While night mode is effective, it may not be as advanced as some competitors.
In Summary:
- If your priority lies in extreme zoom capabilities and high megapixel counts, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the ideal choice.
- However, for those seeking a more balanced approach, excellent software integration, and a seamless ecosystem, the iPhone 15 Pro Max stands out.