Galaxy S23 Ultra vs iPhone 15 Pro Max
Short answer: buy the iPhone 15 Pro Max for the faster A17 Pro chip, a lighter titanium body, USB-C with fast data, top video quality and Apple Intelligence support. Buy the Galaxy S23 Ultra for the 200MP camera with 10x zoom, the built-in S Pen and a local SIM that works without PTA tax. Both are still strong flagships in 2026.
Updated 24 October 2026
Design and build
The S23 Ultra uses an Armor Aluminium frame, curved screen edges and a built-in S Pen, and weighs 234 g. The iPhone 15 Pro Max uses a titanium frame with a textured matte glass back and flat edges, and weighs 221 g. Both are IP68.
The iPhone feels lighter and more balanced, and it adds the Action Button in place of the old mute switch. The Samsung is taller and its S Pen is a unique tool for notes, signatures and photo editing.
Display
The S23 Ultra has a 6.8 inch QHD+ (1440 x 3088) AMOLED at 1 to 120Hz with 1750 nits peak. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 6.7 inch LTPO OLED (1290 x 2796) with ProMotion from 1 to 120Hz, Always-On display, Dynamic Island and up to 2000 nits outdoors.
The iPhone is brighter in the sun and has a flat screen. The Samsung is sharper and its curved edges look sleek, but they can catch accidental touches.
Performance and chipset
The iPhone 15 Pro Max uses the A17 Pro, built on a 3 nm process, with a 6-core GPU and hardware ray tracing. The S23 Ultra uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (4 nm). The A17 Pro is faster, especially in single-core tasks and console-style games.
In daily use both feel very quick. For long gaming sessions in summer, both can get warm; the iPhone 15 Pro Max ran warm in early reviews, though later updates improved it.
Cameras
The S23 Ultra has a 200MP main camera, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP 3x telephoto and 10MP 10x periscope. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 48MP main camera, 12MP ultra-wide and a 12MP 5x tetraprism telephoto.
At 5x both are close, but the Samsung's dedicated 10x lens wins for very far zoom. The iPhone wins for video, with 4K 60fps Dolby Vision, ProRes recorded to external drives over USB-C, and spatial video. For portraits and skin tones many people prefer the iPhone's natural look.
Battery and charging
The S23 Ultra has a 5000 mAh battery with 45W wired, 15W wireless and reverse wireless charging. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 4441 mAh battery with fast wired charging (about 50% in 30 minutes), 15W MagSafe and Qi2.
Both last a full day of heavy use. The Samsung charges faster. Our used iPhone 15 Pro Max units have 95 to 99% battery health, which keeps battery life close to new.
Specs side by side
- Chipset: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (4 nm) vs A17 Pro (3 nm)
- Display: 6.8 inch QHD+ 120Hz curved vs 6.7 inch 120Hz LTPO, Always-On
- Main camera: 200MP vs 48MP
- Zoom: 10MP 3x + 10MP 10x vs 12MP 5x tetraprism
- Battery: 5000 mAh vs 4441 mAh
- Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless vs fast wired, 15W MagSafe, Qi2
- Port: USB-C 3.2 vs USB-C (USB 3, up to 10 Gbps)
- Stylus: built-in S Pen vs none
- Frame: Armor Aluminium vs titanium
- Weight: 234 g vs 221 g
- Launch software: Android 13, One UI 5.1 vs iOS 17
Software and updates
The S23 Ultra launched with Android 13 and was promised four Android upgrades, and it has Galaxy AI features. The iPhone 15 Pro Max launched with iOS 17, supports Apple Intelligence and is likely to be supported for longer, since it is newer and Apple keeps iPhones updated for many years.
Non PTA and SIM notes in Pakistan
Our iPhone 15 Pro Max units are used Non PTA phones with 95 to 99% battery health. A Non PTA iPhone is not registered with PTA's DIRBS, so a local SIM works only for a limited time unless you register it and pay the PTA tax. US units are eSIM only. See how to register a mobile with PTA (How to Register Your Mobile with PTA (DIRBS Guide)).
Our Galaxy S23 Ultra is a Non Custom box pack unit that is PTA Patch Approved, so a local SIM works normally.
Who should buy which
Buy the iPhone 15 Pro Max if you want a lighter titanium phone, the fastest chip here, Apple Intelligence and top video.
Buy the Galaxy S23 Ultra if you want 10x zoom, the S Pen and a SIM that works without PTA tax. For newer Samsung options, see Galaxy S23 Ultra vs S24 Ultra (Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Galaxy S24 Ultra).
