Galaxy S24 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max
Short answer: the iPhone 17 Pro Max is the newer and faster phone, with the A19 Pro, three 48MP cameras, 4K 120fps video, a brighter screen and 40W charging. The Galaxy S24 Ultra still offers the 200MP camera with 5x periscope zoom, the built-in S Pen, seven years of updates and a local SIM that works without PTA tax, usually at a much lower cost.
Updated 11 November 2026
Design and build
The S24 Ultra has a titanium frame, a flat 6.8 inch screen, Gorilla Armor glass and a built-in S Pen, and weighs 232 g. The iPhone 17 Pro Max uses an aluminium unibody with a Ceramic Shield back and a 6.9 inch screen, and weighs 231 g. Both are IP68.
The iPhone's new unibody design has a full-width camera plateau and better heat spreading. The Samsung is boxier with sharp corners. Both are large phones best used with two hands.
Display
The S24 Ultra has a 6.8 inch QHD+ LTPO AMOLED at 1 to 120Hz with 2600 nits peak and anti-reflective glass. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a 6.9 inch LTPO OLED (1320 x 2868) with ProMotion from 1 to 120Hz, Always-On display and up to 3000 nits outdoors.
Both are top-quality screens. The iPhone is brighter in harsh sun, while the Samsung is slightly sharper and supports the S Pen for writing and drawing.
Performance and chipset
The S24 Ultra uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4 nm). The iPhone 17 Pro Max uses the A19 Pro (3 nm) with a 6-core GPU that has Neural Accelerators, plus an internal cooling system.
The A19 Pro is clearly faster, especially in single-core tasks, AI features and console-style games. The S24 Ultra is still a very fast phone and handles PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact and editing apps smoothly.
Cameras
The S24 Ultra has a 200MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide, a 50MP 5x periscope and a 10MP 3x telephoto. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a 48MP main camera, a 48MP ultra-wide and a 48MP 4x telephoto that gives 8x optical-quality zoom.
For long zoom, the Samsung's 5x lens and 200MP sensor still do very well. For video, the iPhone leads with 4K 120fps Dolby Vision and ProRes RAW. The iPhone's 18MP Center Stage selfie camera is also better for video calls and group selfies.
Battery and charging
The S24 Ultra has a 5000 mAh battery with 45W wired and 15W wireless charging. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a battery of about 4823 mAh (larger on eSIM-only units) with 40W wired charging (about 50% in 20 minutes), 25W MagSafe and Qi2.2.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max has one of the longest battery lives of any phone in its year, and it now charges about as fast as the Samsung. Both easily last a full day.
Specs side by side
- Chipset: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4 nm) vs A19 Pro (3 nm)
- Display: 6.8 inch QHD+ 120Hz LTPO vs 6.9 inch 120Hz LTPO, Always-On
- Peak brightness: 2600 nits vs 3000 nits
- Rear cameras: 200MP + 12MP + 50MP 5x + 10MP 3x vs 48MP + 48MP + 48MP 4x
- Video: 4K 60fps vs 4K 120fps
- Front camera: 12MP vs 18MP Center Stage
- Battery: 5000 mAh vs about 4823 mAh
- Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless vs 40W wired, 25W MagSafe
- Stylus: built-in S Pen vs none
- Weight: 232 g vs 231 g
- Launch software: Android 14, One UI 6.1 vs iOS 26
Software and updates
The S24 Ultra gets seven years of Android and security updates from its January 2024 launch, with Galaxy AI. The iPhone 17 Pro Max launched with iOS 26 in September 2025 and supports Apple Intelligence; Apple typically supports Pro iPhones for six years or more, so it should be updated for longer.
Non PTA and SIM notes in Pakistan
Our iPhone 17 Pro Max is a Non PTA slightly used (100% battery health) unit. 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. Some country variants are eSIM only, so check before ordering. See PTA tax on iPhone 17 (PTA Tax on iPhone 17, 17 Air, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max and 17e in Pakistan (2026)).
Our Galaxy S24 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 17 Pro Max if you want the fastest chip, the best video, longer battery life and strong resale value.
Buy the Galaxy S24 Ultra if you want the S Pen, 200MP and 5x zoom cameras and no PTA tax worries at a lower total cost. For the newest Samsung, see iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Galaxy S26 Ultra (iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Galaxy S26 Ultra).
