iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Galaxy S25 Ultra
Short answer: the Galaxy S25 Ultra is the newer and more powerful phone, with the Snapdragon 8 Elite, a 6.9 inch QHD+ screen, a 200MP main plus a 50MP ultra-wide and 50MP 5x periscope, 4K 120fps video, a 5000 mAh battery, 45W charging, the S Pen and seven years of updates. The iPhone 15 Pro Max costs less as a used Non PTA phone and still offers excellent video, iOS, Apple Intelligence and strong resale value.
Updated 24 October 2026
Design and build
Both use titanium frames and IP68. The iPhone 15 Pro Max weighs 221 g, with rounded edges, a matte glass back, Ceramic Shield and the Action button. The S25 Ultra weighs 218 g, with rounder corners than older Ultras, a flat screen, Corning Gorilla Armor 2 and a built-in S Pen.
The S25 Ultra is slimmer at 8.2 mm vs 8.25 mm and slightly lighter despite its bigger screen. Gorilla Armor 2 is anti-reflective, which helps in bright sunlight.
Display
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 6.7 inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED at 1290 x 2796, 1-120Hz, with Always-On display, Dynamic Island and up to 2000 nits outdoors. The S25 Ultra has a 6.9 inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X at QHD+ (1440 x 3120), 1-120Hz, with up to 2600 nits peak.
The Samsung screen is bigger, sharper and brighter. Both are smooth and excellent for video.
Performance and chipset
The iPhone uses the A17 Pro (3 nm, 6-core GPU). The S25 Ultra uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm, Adreno 830), with CPU speeds up to 4.47 GHz.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite is one generation newer and very fast in games and multitasking, and it handles long PUBG sessions well. The A17 Pro is still a flagship chip and handles everything smoothly, but it is the older of the two.
Cameras
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 48MP main, 12MP ultra-wide and 12MP 5x tetraprism telephoto. The S25 Ultra has a 200MP main with OIS, 50MP ultra-wide, 50MP 5x periscope and 10MP 3x telephoto. Both have a 12MP front camera.
The S25 Ultra gives more detail, sharper ultra-wide shots and more zoom flexibility, and it records 4K at 120fps and 8K at 30fps. The iPhone records 4K 60fps with very consistent colours, ProRes and spatial video. For natural-looking video, many still prefer the iPhone.
Battery and charging
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 4441 mAh battery, charges to about 50% in 30 minutes with a 20W adapter and supports 15W MagSafe and Qi2. The S25 Ultra has a 5000 mAh battery with 45W wired, 15W wireless and reverse wireless charging. Both use USB-C.
The S25 Ultra lasts longer and charges faster. On a used iPhone, check battery health; see our iPhone battery health guide (iPhone Battery Health: How to Check It and What Is Normal).
Specs side by side
- Chipset: A17 Pro vs Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
- Display: 6.7 inch 120Hz LTPO OLED vs 6.9 inch QHD+ 120Hz AMOLED
- Peak brightness: 2000 nits vs 2600 nits
- Main camera: 48MP vs 200MP
- Ultra-wide: 12MP vs 50MP
- Zoom: 5x telephoto vs 3x + 5x telephoto
- Video: 4K 60fps vs 4K 120fps, 8K 30fps
- Battery: 4441 mAh vs 5000 mAh
- Charging: fast wired (about 50% in 30 min), 15W MagSafe vs 45W wired, 15W wireless
- Stylus: none vs S Pen built in
- Weight: 221 g vs 218 g
- Launch software: iOS 17 vs Android 15, One UI 7
Software and updates
Samsung promises seven years of OS and security updates for the S25 Ultra from its 2025 launch, with Galaxy AI features built in. The iPhone 15 Pro Max launched in 2023, supports Apple Intelligence and should get several more years of iOS updates, but the S25 Ultra will be supported for longer.
Non PTA and SIM notes in Pakistan
Our iPhone 15 Pro Max units are used Non PTA phones with original IMEIs and 95–99% battery health shown on the page. Our Galaxy S25 Ultra stock is Non Custom box pack. 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. Read how to check PTA status (How to Check PTA Status of Any Mobile Phone).
The S25 Ultra has a nano-SIM plus eSIM, with dual nano-SIM on some variants. US iPhone 15 Pro Max units are eSIM only; most others have nano-SIM plus eSIM.
Who should buy which
Buy the Galaxy S25 Ultra if you want the newest chip, the best zoom and ultra-wide, the S Pen, faster charging and the longest update life in a brand new box pack phone.
Buy the iPhone 15 Pro Max if you prefer iOS, want natural video and Apple Intelligence at a lower cost, or care about resale value. To compare Samsung's generations, read Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Galaxy S24 Ultra (Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Galaxy S24 Ultra).
