Galaxy S24 Ultra vs iPhone 16 Pro Max
Short answer: pick the Galaxy S24 Ultra if you want the S Pen, more zoom options (3x and 5x), a 200MP camera, 45W charging and dual SIM flexibility. Pick the iPhone 16 Pro Max if you want the best video recording, iOS, longer resale value and strong battery life. Both are top flagships; the choice mostly comes down to Android vs iPhone and whether you will use the S Pen.
Updated 21 October 2026
Design and build
Both use titanium frames and are big phones. The S24 Ultra is a 6.8 inch flat-screen slab with sharp corners and a built-in S Pen, weighing 232 g. The iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 6.9 inch screen, rounded corners and weighs 227 g.
The S24 Ultra uses Corning Gorilla Armor, which is anti-reflective and really helps in sunlight. The iPhone uses Ceramic Shield. Both are IP68. The iPhone has the Action Button and Camera Control; the Samsung has the S Pen for notes, signatures and precise editing.
Display
The S24 Ultra has a 6.8 inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel at QHD+ (1440 x 3120), 1–120Hz, up to 2600 nits peak. The iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 6.9 inch Super Retina XDR OLED (2868 x 1320) with ProMotion up to 120Hz and about 2000 nits outdoors.
Both screens are excellent. The Samsung is sharper on paper and its anti-reflective glass makes outdoor viewing easier.
Performance and chipset
The S24 Ultra uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4 nm) in every market, with 12GB RAM. The iPhone 16 Pro Max uses the A18 Pro (3 nm) with 8GB RAM. Both handle any game or app easily. iPhones generally hold up better in very long gaming sessions thanks to efficient chips and game optimisation, while the S24 Ultra gives more multitasking freedom with split screen and DeX.
Cameras
The S24 Ultra has four rear cameras: 200MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 50MP 5x periscope and 10MP 3x telephoto, plus a 12MP selfie camera. The iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 48MP main, 48MP ultra-wide and 12MP 5x telephoto, plus a 12MP front camera.
For zoom, the Samsung is more flexible and its 10x hybrid shots are very good. For video, the iPhone is better, with 4K 120fps Dolby Vision and very consistent colours between lenses. The S24 Ultra can record 8K 30fps. Photo quality is top level on both; Samsung images look brighter, iPhone images look more natural.
Battery and charging
The S24 Ultra has a 5000 mAh battery with 45W wired and 15W wireless charging. The iPhone 16 Pro Max has a roughly 4685 mAh battery, Apple-rated at up to 33 hours of video playback, with up to 25W MagSafe charging. Both easily last a full day. The Samsung charges faster with a 45W adapter. Neither comes with a charger in the box.
Specs side by side
- Chipset: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy vs A18 Pro
- RAM: 12GB vs 8GB
- Display: 6.8 inch QHD+ 120Hz AMOLED vs 6.9 inch 120Hz OLED
- Main camera: 200MP vs 48MP
- Zoom: 3x + 5x telephoto vs 5x telephoto
- Ultra-wide: 12MP vs 48MP
- Battery: 5000 mAh vs about 4685 mAh
- Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless vs 25W MagSafe
- Stylus: S Pen built in vs none
- Weight: 232 g vs 227 g
- Launch software: Android 14, One UI 6.1 vs iOS 18
Software and updates
Samsung promises seven years of OS and security updates for the S24 Ultra, and it has Galaxy AI tools such as Circle to Search, Live Translate and photo editing. The iPhone runs iOS with Apple Intelligence and usually gets six or more years of updates. Learn more about Samsung's line-up in our Galaxy series guide (Samsung Galaxy Series Explained: Which One Should You Buy?).
Non PTA and SIM notes in Pakistan
Both are Non Custom box pack international variants in our stock. A Non PTA phone 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. Wi-Fi and all features work normally.
SIM setup depends on the variant: many S24 Ultra units are single nano-SIM plus eSIM, and some Asian variants have dual nano-SIM. US iPhone 16 Pro Max models are eSIM only; most others have a nano-SIM plus eSIM. Ask us which variant is in stock before ordering.
Who should buy which
Buy the Galaxy S24 Ultra if you love Android, want the S Pen, take lots of zoom photos, or want faster charging.
Buy the iPhone 16 Pro Max if you already use an iPhone, record a lot of video, or want strong resale value. If you want Samsung's newest Ultra instead, read our S25 Ultra vs S24 Ultra comparison (Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Galaxy S24 Ultra).
