📢 Your product here
WhichPhoneToBuy

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S24

The Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max comes out ahead on 6 counts and the Samsung Galaxy S24 on 5.

Which should you buy?

Pick the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max for

  • Bigger battery: 4,685 vs 4,000 mAh (17% more)
  • Faster wireless charging: 25 W vs 15 W
  • Bigger screen: 6.9" vs 6.2"
  • Longer optical zoom: 5× vs 3×
  • More storage: up to 1 TB vs 512 GB
  • Newer: launched September 2024

Pick the Samsung Galaxy S24 for

  • Lighter: 168 g vs 227 g (59 g less)
  • Thinner: 7.6 mm vs 8.3 mm
  • More compact: 16 mm shorter
  • Brighter display: 2,600 vs 2,000 nits peak
  • More RAM: up to 12 GB vs 8 GB

Size comparison

The Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max is 16 mm taller, 7 mm wider, 0.7 mm thicker and 59 g heavier than the Samsung Galaxy S24. Its screen is 0.7" larger.

  • Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max163 × 77.6 × 8.25 mm
  • Samsung Galaxy S24147 × 70.6 × 7.6 mm

Specs side by side

LaunchApple iPhone 16 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S24
AnnouncedSeptember 9, 20241January 17, 20241
ReleasedSeptember 20, 2024January 31, 20241
Launch price$1,199—
BodyApple iPhone 16 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S24
Size163 × 77.6 × 8.3 mm147 × 70.6 × 7.6 mm
Thickness8.3 mm7.6 mm (better)
Weight227 g168 g (better)
Frametitaniumaluminum
Backtextured matte glassmatte glass1
Water resistanceIP68IP681
ColoursBlack Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert TitaniumCobalt Violet, Amber Yellow, Onyx Black, Marble Gray
DisplayApple iPhone 16 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S24
Size6.9"6.2"
TypeSuper Retina XDR OLEDDynamic AMOLED 2X
Resolution1320 × 2868 (better)1080 × 23401
Refresh rate120 Hz120 Hz
Peak brightness2,000 nits2,600 nits (better)
ProtectionCeramic ShieldCorning Gorilla Glass Victus 21
Performance and softwareApple iPhone 16 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S24
ChipsetA18 ProSamsung Exynos 2400 (worldwide); Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (North America, East Asia)
CPU6-core (2 performance + 4 efficiency)Exynos: Deca-core (1x3.2GHz Cortex-X4 & 2x2.9GHz Cortex-A720 & 3x2.6GHz Cortex-A720 & 4x1.95GHz Cortex-A520); Snapdragon: Octa-core (1x3.3 GHz Cortex-X4 & 5x3.2 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.3 GHz Cortex-A520)1
Process—4 nm1
Ships withiOSAndroid 14 with One UI 6.11
OS updates—7 years (to Jan 2031)1
Security updates—7 years (to Jan 2031)1
MemoryApple iPhone 16 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S24
RAM8 GB8 GB / 12 GB (better)
Storage256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB (better)128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB
CamerasApple iPhone 16 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S24
Rear48 MP Main, OIS 12 MP Telephoto (5× optical), OIS 48 MP Ultrawide50 MP Main, OIS 10 MP Telephoto (3× optical) 12 MP Ultrawide
Main camera48 MP50 MP
Optical zoom5× (better)3×
Front12 MP12 MP
Video4K Dolby Vision at 120 fps—
BatteryApple iPhone 16 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S24
Capacity4,685 mAh1 (better)4,000 mAh1
Wired charging—25 W
Wireless charging25 W (better)15 W
Reverse wireless—Yes1
ConnectivityApple iPhone 16 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S24
5GYesYes1
Wi-FiWi-Fi 7 (802.11be)Wi-Fi 6E1
Bluetooth5.35.31
NFCYesYes1
USBUSB-C, USB 3 (up to 10Gb/s)USB-C 3.2 (5Gbps)1
eSIMYesYes1
Satellite messagingYes—
FeaturesApple iPhone 16 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S24
Fingerprint—ultrasonic under-display1
Stereo speakers—Yes1

Highlighted: the better value where one is clearly better. Sources for each phone are listed on the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S24 pages.

Quick answers

Is the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max bigger than the Samsung Galaxy S24?
The Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max is 16 mm taller, 7 mm wider, 0.7 mm thicker and 59 g heavier than the Samsung Galaxy S24. Its screen is 0.7" larger.
Which has the bigger battery, the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max or the Samsung Galaxy S24?
The Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max has the bigger battery: 4,685 mAh against 4,000 mAh. Real battery life also depends on the chip and screen.

More comparisons