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Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra comes out ahead on 6 counts and the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max on 2.

Which should you buy?

Pick the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max for

  • Faster wireless charging: 25 W vs 15 W
  • Cheaper at launch: $1,199 vs $1,300

Pick the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra for

  • Bigger battery: 5,000 vs 4,685 mAh (7% more)
  • Lighter: 218 g vs 227 g (9 g less)
  • Brighter display: 2,600 vs 2,000 nits peak
  • Higher-resolution main camera: 200 MP vs 48 MP
  • More RAM: up to 16 GB vs 8 GB
  • Newer: launched February 2025

Size comparison

The Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max is 9 g heavier than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

  • Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max163 × 77.6 × 8.25 mm
  • Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra162.8 × 77.6 × 8.2 mm

Specs side by side

LaunchApple iPhone 16 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
AnnouncedSeptember 9, 20241January 22, 20251
ReleasedSeptember 20, 2024February 7, 20251
Launch price$1,199 (better)$1,3001
BodyApple iPhone 16 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Size163 × 77.6 × 8.3 mm162.8 × 77.6 × 8.2 mm
Thickness8.3 mm8.2 mm
Weight227 g218 g (better)
FrametitaniumTitanium
Backtextured matte glass—
Water resistanceIP68IP68
ColoursBlack Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert TitaniumTitanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Whitesilver, Titanium Gray, Titanium Jadegreen, Titanium Jetblack, Titanium Pinkgold1
DisplayApple iPhone 16 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Size6.9"6.9"
TypeSuper Retina XDR OLEDDynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X
Resolution1320 × 28681440 × 3120 (better)
Refresh rate120 Hz120 Hz
Peak brightness2,000 nits2,600 nits (better)
ProtectionCeramic ShieldCorning Gorilla Armor 2
Performance and softwareApple iPhone 16 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
ChipsetA18 ProSnapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform for Galaxy
CPU6-core (2 performance + 4 efficiency)2x 4.47 GHz Oryon (Phoenix L) and 6x 3.53 GHz Oryon (Phoenix M)1
Process—3 nm1
Ships withiOSOne UI 7
OS updates—7 years (to Feb 2032)
Security updates—7 years (to Feb 2032)
MemoryApple iPhone 16 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
RAM8 GB12 GB / 16 GB (better)
Storage256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB
Card slot—No1
CamerasApple iPhone 16 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Rear48 MP Main, OIS 12 MP Telephoto (5× optical), OIS 48 MP Ultrawide200 MP Main 50 MP Ultrawide 50 MP Telephoto (5× optical) 10 MP Telephoto (3× optical)
Main camera48 MP200 MP (better)
Optical zoom5×5×
Front12 MP12 MP
Video4K Dolby Vision at 120 fps8K at 30 fps
BatteryApple iPhone 16 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Capacity4,685 mAh15,000 mAh (better)
Wired charging—45 W
Wireless charging25 W (better)15 W1
Reverse wireless—Yes
ConnectivityApple iPhone 16 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
5GYesYes
Wi-FiWi-Fi 7 (802.11be)Wi-Fi 7 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be tri-band)
Bluetooth5.35.41
NFCYesYes1
USBUSB-C, USB 3 (up to 10Gb/s)USB Type-C 3.2 (5Gbps)
Headphone jack—No1
eSIMYesYes1
Satellite messagingYes—
FeaturesApple iPhone 16 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Fingerprint—Ultrasonic under-display
Stereo speakers—Yes1
Stylus—Yes

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 S25 Ultra pages.

Quick answers

Is the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max bigger than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?
The Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max is 9 g heavier than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Which has the bigger battery, the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has the bigger battery: 5,000 mAh against 4,685 mAh. Real battery life also depends on the chip and screen.
Which was cheaper at launch?
The Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max launched at $1,199, against $1,300 for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (US launch prices; street prices drop over time).

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