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Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

The iPhone 16 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra are two of the most powerful smartphones on the market right now, each representing the pinnacle of their respective brands’ technology. Apple and Samsung have consistently raised the bar in performance, design, and innovation, and their latest flagship models are no exception.

Whether you are loyal to iOS or Android, both phones offer a premium experience with cutting-edge features. Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro Max boasts its state-of-the-art A18 Bionic chip, while Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra, known as one of the most powerful Android smartphones, features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, built specifically for Galaxy.

There’s seamless integration between the impeccable camera system and the Apple ecosystem. But how do they stack up against each other in real-world use? In this comparison, we’ll dive into the strengths and weaknesses of each, helping you decide which is right for your needs.

Specs Comparison

Here’s a quick look at the essentials. For more in-depth information, check out the full iPhone 16 Pro Max and Galaxy S24 Ultra review

iPhone 16 Pro Max	Galaxy S24 Ultra
Size : 163 x 77.6 x 8.5 mm	Size : 162.3 x 79 x 8.6 mm
Weight : 227 g	Weight : 232 g
Display : 6.9 inches, Pro Motion technology	Display : 6.8 inches, Dynamic LTPO AMOLED
Processor : Apple A18 Pro (3 nm)	Processor :Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-4 nm
SKUs : 256GB / 8GB , 512GB/8GB, 1TB/8GB	SKUs : 256GB / 12GB, 512GB/12GB, 1TB/12GB
Cameras : 48 MP main, 48 MP ultrawide, 12 MP periscope telephoto	Cameras : 200 MP Main , 12 MP ultra, 50 MP 5X Zoom, 10 MP 3X Zoom
Selfie : 12 MP (wide)	Selfie : 12 MP (wide)
Battery : 4685 mAh	Battery : 5000 mAh
Charging : USB Type-C 3.2, 20 W wireed, 25 W (MagSafe)	Charging : USB Type-C 3.2, 45 W wireed, 15 W (MagSafe)
Colors : Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium.	Colors : Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow, Blue

Design and Size

Apple doesn’t change much in its appearance. They mostly make phones with the same design as previous models. If you thought the S24 Ultra was a bit outrageously huge at 6.8 inches, then Apple upped the ante with the 6.9-inch iPhone 16 Pro Max. I’ve been squeezing both into my jeans for too many days this past week, and I swear my belt was dangerously close to breaking point.

You’ve got the same dimensions, though, with pretty skinny bezels around the screen, so not much space is wasted. You’ll notice that the Samsung S24 Ultra screen feels bigger than the iPhone 16 Pro Max, but the 0.1-inch difference isn’t much — Samsung’s inches just feel smaller.

The iPhone is a bit more of a pocket hazard, thanks to its bulkier camera bump, but it has a bigger one. Of course, you’ve got a more rectangular finish on the S24 Ultra, as opposed to the iPhone’s rounded corners, which makes it slightly more comfortable to hold than Samsung’s bulkier design.

Neither of them is particularly suited for one-handed use, though. You’ve got the titanium frame, which is very stiff but delightfully light, and of course, glass on the front and back. Gorilla Glass versus Apple’s custom-made glass—both are tougher than a concrete Jason Statham. But while watching YouTube in my spare time, I saw a video where the glass on the back of the new iPhone broke from one corner after falling from just 2 meters. I haven’t seen such an issue with Gorilla Glass so far.

I’ve only had the iPhone for a few weeks, but no dents or scratches yet. However, I do prefer the frosted matte finish of the S24 Ultra’s frame, which is fingerprint-free. In contrast, after a bit of finger-picking, the iPhone 16 Pro Max becomes quite dirty.

And of course, they’re both IP68 water and dust-resistant, so can get seriously splashed, no worries. Just be careful with the iPhone 16 Pro Max, as I’ve found for example that if you enjoy a good bit of pirate metal in the shower while having a few bevys, some of that water can easily spray the speakers and mic. Port and bork them right up. But of course, these buggers are well-priced, so I wouldn’t be surprised.

Both phones are IP68 water and dust-resistant, so they can handle a good splash without worries. But be careful with the iPhone 16 Pro Max—if you enjoy blasting some pirate metal in the shower while sipping a few drinks, water can easily spray into the speakers and mic ports, and mess them right up. But of course, these buggers come at a premium price, so I wouldn’t be surprised.

As for color options, well, they’re about as exciting as a Netflix documentary on watching paint dry when it comes to the iPhone 16 Pro Max. This is a real shame, considering there are so many bright and bold options for the regular iPhone 16 and the Plus model. In contrast, Samsung offers a more colorful selection for the S24 Ultra, especially if you check out the exclusives on its website.

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Display And Audio

No matter which high-priced, large-sized smartphone you choose, you’ll be showing off a nearly 7-inch display with serious swagger. Better AMOLED vs OLED—Samsung’s display is extremely sharp, boasting just over 500 pixels per inch, with Apple not far behind at 460 ppi. Of course, you’ve got that Dynamic Island on the iPhone, which is a deal breaker for some. I just think the floating turd is kind of ugly and gets in the way when you go full-screen for your movies, your games, etc.

But phones offer ample HDR10 streaming support, with excellent contrast and bright, punchy colors. Samsung’s default color settings are a bit more vibrant, but if you prefer a more natural output, you can scale it down—something you can’t customize as much on the iPhone. Both phones can automatically adjust their tones based on ambient light, creating a warmer, more eye-friendly experience in the evening.

Both phones have screens capable of hitting 120Hz. There’s been some controversy surrounding the iPhone 16 Pro Max recently, with various people online suggesting that iOS maxes it out at 80Hz. All I know is it looks perfectly smooth to my tired old eyes, just like the good old OneUI on the S24 Ultra. It’s certainly a clear step up from the iPhone 16, which still tops out at 60Hz—surprisingly.

However, the S24 Ultra stands out with its brighter display, better outdoor visibility, and Gorilla Glass Armor coating, which is anti-reflective and makes a huge difference. The iPhone has a more reflective screen in comparison. That’s not much of an issue here in Blighty, where we’re about to be plunged into perpetual darkness for the next few months, but if you’re lucky enough to live somewhere with real sunlight, the S24 Ultra is worth considering.

Audio

You’ve got a stereo speaker setup, and it’s fantastic on both the S24 Ultra and the iPhone 16 Pro Max. If you do a quick side-by-side test, starting with the iPhone and then the S24 Ultra at maximum volume, you’ll notice the Galaxy S24 Ultra is a bit louder. However, the iPhone offers slightly better clarity when you crank it up to the max. Of course, neither the iPhone 16 Pro Max nor the S24 Ultra has a headphone jack, so it’s all about Bluetooth. But don’t worry, I’ve found Bluetooth streaming to be just fine.

Performance & gaming

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is powered by Apple’s own A18 Pro chipset, while Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 powers the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Everyday tasks run smoothly on both phones and if you’re a gamer, you’ll be happy with either of these devices at high detail settings for games like Genshin Impact or Wuthering Waves.

Everything runs well when properly optimized. However, I found that the iPhone can be a bit picky when you enable Metal in the display settings—so I’d suggest turning it off if you want a truly silky-smooth experience.

Both phones manage to stay pretty cool over time. Even if you’re gaming for more than an hour, frame rates remain stable, and while the phones can get a little warm to the touch, they never get uncomfortably hot.

Camera

Galaxy S24 Ultra vs iPhone 16 Pro Max Camera Comparison

The big new feature on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, aside from its lack of true innovation, is the fresh camera button—or camera knob, or whatever Apple wants to call it, though they seem reluctant to admit it’s a button. This feature allows you to load the camera faster, which is handy, but I find the positioning quite awkward. It’s placed so far along the edge that you have to stretch to reach it—unless you’ve got massive fingers. You can also zoom in and out, but I prefer the on-screen buttons. They’re faster and far less awkward to use.

The overall camera experience on these smartphones is different as well. Both phones cover the basics, with plenty of toggles to adjust aspect ratios and more. You can change modes by flicking down, and you’ve got all the standard features like portrait mode, night mode, panorama, etc. However, the S24 Ultra offers more bonus modes, which can either be a blessing or a bit of a pain, depending on your perspective.

Both phones can shoot RAW images for post-editing, but the Samsung S24 Ultra has a dedicated Pro mode where you can adjust settings like shutter speed, white balance, and more. In contrast, the manual controls on the iPhone 16 Pro Max aren’t as direct. The iPhone relies more on different filters to adjust the overall vibe of your shots.

Main Camera

In terms of hardware, you’ve got a 200MB main sensor on the S24 Ultra versus the 48MB that Apple slapped on the iPhone. The S24 Ultra tends to produce brighter shots in cloudy or overcast conditions thanks to extra pixel binning. Both phones enhance darker areas with high dynamic range, but the iPhone sometimes oversaturates the image, while the S24 Ultra maintains fresher, more balanced tones. Samsung performs better in bright light, capturing finer details, and excels in low-light conditions as well.

Check out the level of detail in these side-by-side shots, where the iPhone’s image misses much of the finer action.

Both are very good at older portrait shots, offering a fully customizable depth of field. For zoom capabilities, the S24 Ultra shines with a 10MP sensor offering 3x optical zoom and a 50MP sensor providing 5x optical zoom.

On the iPhone 16 Pro Max, you get a single telephoto shooter with a 12MP sensor and 5x optical zoom. As a result, the S24 Ultra is better for short-range zoom in portrait shots and other scenarios, packing more detail into every frame, thanks to Samsung’s AI sharpening engine. The S24 Ultra also captures more detail and accurate tones when zooming in at greater distances. However, zooming too close to the 100x maximum level causes images to blur prematurely.

Zoom Quality

Additionally, the S24 Ultra features a 12MP ultrawide camera, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 48MP ultrawide camera. So I was hoping that the iPhone would win in low light, but sadly it didn’t. Sammy still produces brighter, cleaner images that show more colors.

Ultra-wide Camera

And oh yeah, upfront, you’ve got a 12MP selfie shooter on both the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the Galaxy S24 Ultra. In both cases, they capture too much detail on my pale, haggard face.

You can record up to 4K Ultra HD video using the front-facing camera on both handsets, though the Galaxy S24 Ultra allows you to do so at 60 frames per second, while the iPhone, sadly, maxes out at 30fps. And then, if you want to shoot a good bit of home video action, here on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, you can bump the resolution up to 8K at 30 frames per second, although frankly, I don’t know anyone who’s got an 8K TV yet.

If you bump it to 4K, you get 30 or 60 frames per second. Here on the iPhone, it tops out at 4K Ultra HD resolution, but you can now boost that up to 120 frames per second, which is nice if you want to slow down the action a bit in post-processing. But of course, to change the resolution and frame rate, you have to do it in the camera settings for some bloody reason, not actually in the camera app.

If you bump it to 4K you get 30 or 60 frames per second Here on the iPhone it tops out at 4K Ultra HD resolution, but you can now boost that up to 120 frames per second, which is nice if you want to slow down the action a bit in post-processing. But of course to change the resolution and frame rate you have to do it in the camera settings for some bloody reason, not actually in the camera app.

Android vs iOS

As for software, of course, it’s iOS vs. Android, a topic that hasn’t caused an untold amount of rage online for years now.

The good news is, whatever your choice, you’re future-proof with any of these massive blowers. The Samsung S24 Ultra comes with 7 years of guaranteed OS and security updates, and Apple always offers years of support with its iPhones, so it won’t become an expensive paperweight any time soon. And iOS is slowly offering Android levels of customization, so now you can move app icons wherever you want on your desktop, and you can change their color.

You get similar features in both, including good old contactless payments, of course, smart home control, lots of automation capabilities, health tracking, and tons of security and privacy features. Of course, a feature exclusive to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the S Pen stylus, which is bang on its bottom. It’s especially great for scribbling or signing docs and works for sketching if you’ve got distinctly more artistic abilities than I do.

Security

If you want to play with your pocket pal, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has an in-display fingerprint sensor. It’s an ultrasonic effort, so it takes an accurate 3D map of your thumb, making it responsive and highly accurate, even when your hand is slightly moist. The iPhone still doesn’t have an in-display fingerprint sensor for some reason, but both phones offer face unlock.

In both cases, it’s nice and nippy as well, so if I tap the power button at the same time, they unlock simultaneously. And of course, you can use your biometrics for contactless payments, etc.

Battery Life and Charging

You’ve got a 5000mAh capacity cell inside the mighty Galaxy S24 Ultra and a slightly smaller 4685mAh capacity cell in the iPhone. Now, I tested both with a downloaded video at one brightness setting, and they consistently drained at just under 5% per hour. But of course, unless you’re stuck on a plane with zero reception, endlessly watching TV box sets or movies on repeat, isn’t that very representative of real-life usage?

I’ve found that when using these smartphones as actual smartphones, the S24 outperforms the Apple in an hour or two of screen time at the right time. The S24 Ultra has quite a bit left in the tank at the end of a long, busy day, whereas with the iPhone 16 Pro Max, I often have battery wear, especially if I’ve made liberal use of the camera.

For battery charging, just bang a cable into the S24 Ultra, and you’ve got 45 watts of charging support. While there are some claims that the iPhone 16 Pro Max can match it at 45 watts, I’ve seen it do about 30 watts regardless of the charger you’re using. I’ve tried the Anker effort, the Apple charger, the MacBook charger, and all sorts included. I found that the regular Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra can go from empty to full in less than 80 minutes, compared to over 100 minutes with the iPhone.

But the iPhone is the winner if you want to ditch those cables and go wireless. You’ve got just 15 watts of charging here versus 25 watts via MagSafe on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra with its old Qi standard shenanigans.

Which one should you buy?

The Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max are two powerhouse phones, but it’s a no-brainer for me—it’s got to be Samsung. Although the S24 Ultra is heavy and expensive, it offers a lot for the price. With superior battery life, fast charging, customization options, and the S Pen, its versatility is hard to ignore. While I prefer more compact handsets, the feature-packed S24 Ultra makes the bulk worth it.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max lacks some of the S24 Ultra’s features. Ultimately, it depends on your needs, but for gaming, photography, and more, I’d recommend the S24 Ultra. However, if you’re an iOS fan, then the iPhone is still a solid choice.

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Alvi Hosain

I am a tech enthusiast with over 1.5 years of experience in phone reviews and gadgets. Passionate about making technology easier for everyone, I focus on creating smartphone reviews and detailed tech guides. Whether exploring the latest devices or providing tips on how to get the most out of your gadgets, I love helping others navigate the world of technology. Known among my friends for solving phone-related problems, I enjoy discussing technology and staying up-to-date with the latest industry trends.