Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max
Short answer: buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max for the best video, very long battery life, 40W charging, a brighter screen and strong resale value. Buy the Galaxy S25 Ultra for the 200MP camera with 5x periscope zoom, the built-in S Pen, seven years of Android updates and a local SIM that works without PTA tax. Both are top flagships with very fast chips.
Updated 11 November 2026
Design and build
The S25 Ultra has a titanium frame, a flat 6.9 inch screen with rounded corners, Gorilla Armor 2 anti-reflective glass and a built-in S Pen. It weighs 218 g and is 8.2 mm thin. The iPhone 17 Pro Max uses an aluminium unibody with a Ceramic Shield back and a 6.9 inch screen, and weighs 231 g at 8.75 mm. Both are IP68.
The Samsung is lighter and slimmer. The iPhone's unibody spreads heat well and has a wide camera plateau across the back.
Display
The S25 Ultra has a 6.9 inch QHD+ (1440 x 3120) LTPO AMOLED with 1 to 120Hz and 2600 nits peak. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a 6.9 inch LTPO OLED (1320 x 2868) with ProMotion from 1 to 120Hz, Always-On and up to 3000 nits outdoors.
The iPhone gets brighter in direct sun, while the Samsung is sharper and its anti-reflective glass cuts glare. Both are among the best phone screens available.
Performance and chipset
The S25 Ultra uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm). The iPhone 17 Pro Max uses the A19 Pro (3 nm) with Neural Accelerators in the GPU and a vapour chamber cooling system.
Both are extremely fast. The A19 Pro leads in single-core speed and AI tasks; the Snapdragon is very strong in multi-core work and gaming. Either phone runs PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact and video editing with ease.
Cameras
The S25 Ultra has a 200MP main camera, a 50MP 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 with 8x optical-quality zoom.
The Samsung offers more zoom options and stays sharper at long range. The iPhone leads in video with 4K 120fps Dolby Vision and ProRes RAW, and its 18MP Center Stage front camera is better for selfies and video calls. Both record 4K 120fps on the rear camera.
Battery and charging
The S25 Ultra has a 5000 mAh battery with 45W wired, 15W wireless and reverse wireless charging. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a battery of about 4823 mAh (larger on eSIM-only units) with 40W wired (about 50% in 20 minutes), 25W MagSafe and Qi2.2.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max usually lasts longer and charges wirelessly faster. Both get through a full heavy day easily, even with long load shedding.
Specs side by side
- Chipset: Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy vs A19 Pro
- Display: 6.9 inch QHD+ 120Hz LTPO vs 6.9 inch 120Hz LTPO, Always-On
- Peak brightness: 2600 nits vs 3000 nits
- Rear cameras: 200MP + 50MP + 50MP 5x + 10MP 3x vs 48MP + 48MP + 48MP 4x
- Front camera: 12MP vs 18MP Center Stage
- Video: 8K 30fps, 4K 120fps vs 4K 120fps, ProRes RAW
- 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: 218 g vs 231 g
- Launch software: Android 15, One UI 7 vs iOS 26
Software and updates
The S25 Ultra gets seven years of Android and security updates from its January 2025 launch, with Galaxy AI and Gemini. The iPhone 17 Pro Max launched with iOS 26 in September 2025 and supports Apple Intelligence; Apple usually supports Pro models for six years or more. Both will stay current for a long time.
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 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 S25 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 for video, battery life, iOS and resale value.
Buy the Galaxy S25 Ultra for zoom, the S Pen, a lighter body and a lower total cost without PTA tax. For Samsung's newest Ultra, see iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Galaxy S26 Ultra (iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Galaxy S26 Ultra).
