TechPhonesiPhonesSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: which flagship is best?The flagship battle between Android and Apple – but which device is the best option?When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
TechPhonesiPhonesSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: which flagship is best?The flagship battle between Android and Apple – but which device is the best option?When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
The flagship battle between Android and Apple – but which device is the best option?
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
When it comes to thebest phonesyou can buy, there are two names that will instantly spring to mind. For years now, theiPhonehas done battle with topSamsung phones, pitting against each other in terms of hardware and software to offer the best all-round package.
In 2023, the latest handsets from both brands look set to continue that battle. We already know theiPhone 14 Pro Maxfairly well. Released in September 2022, the model won widespread acclaim from consumers, even leading to a shortage around Christmas.
TheSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultrais the Korean tech giants' answer. It’s a similar format – a large handset with top specs and a healthy price tag to match. The S23 Ultra represents the absolute pinnacle ofSamsung’s phone manufacturing capabilities – but is it better than the Pro Max? Let’s find out.
Galaxy S23 Ultra vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Price
Let’s start with arguably the most important aspect of any handset – cost. TheiPhone14 Pro Max starts at £1,199 / $1,099 / AU$1,899. That nets you 128GB of storage space, which is upgradable in increments, up to the 1TB model, which will set you back £1,749 / $1,599 / AU$2,769.
Today’s best Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max dealsSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra$919ViewSee all pricesApple iPhone 14 Pro Max$27.78ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max dealsSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra$919ViewSee all pricesApple iPhone 14 Pro Max$27.78ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max dealsSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra$919ViewSee all pricesApple iPhone 14 Pro Max$27.78ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max deals
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra$919ViewSee all pricesApple iPhone 14 Pro Max$27.78ViewSee all prices
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra$919ViewSee all prices
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra$919ViewSee all prices
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
$919View
$919
$919
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Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max$27.78ViewSee all prices
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max$27.78ViewSee all prices
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
$27.78View
$27.78
$27.78
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We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Galaxy S23 Ultra vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Design & Display
The iPhone design is legendary at this point, having retained a very similar appearance since theiPhone 11range released in 2019. One notable difference for the iPhone 14 Pro Max is the front-facing camera cut-out. Previously using a notch of varying size, the Pro Max is among the first to feature theDynamic Island– utilising a smaller pill-shaped notch and using software to animate notifications around it.
The display on the iPhone is a 6.7-inch OLED Super Retina XDR panel. It has a resolution of 2796x1290 at 460 pixels per inch, featuresApple’s ProMotion adaptive refresh rate for speeds as high as 120Hz and 2,000 nits of peak brightness, for outdoor viewing.
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The S23 Ultra has a slightly larger 6.8-inch display, topped with the new Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. That should add an extra degree of durability, with Corning claiming it can survive drops from twice as high as the leading competitors. That sits atop an AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1,750 nits of peak brightness.
The Samsung Galaxy design is just as distinctive as the iPhone at this point – particularly the Ultra models, which have always had a distinct identity compared to their base models. And while there’s a gentle reworking of the formula here – mainly on the edges, where curves have been redesigned for a comfier hold – it’s very familiar for Samsung fans.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Camera
The camera on the iPhone 14 Pro Max is a four-sensor array. The main sensor is a 48MP wide-angle unit, with a 12MP ultrawide camera and two 12MP telephoto lenses along side it. The camera features a 6x optical zoom, a dedicated macro mode and a Portrait mode with advanced control over background blur.
Both handsets feature a 12MP front-facing camera, and both are capable of shooting RAW images – the iPhone at either 12MP or 48MP and the Samsung at 50MP.
Galaxy S23 Ultra vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Performance & Battery
Apple don’t list the capacity of their batteries, but they claim the unit in the Pro Max is good for 29 hours of video playback. When we tested it, we found that to be about right, with more regular usage levels returning around 48 hours of life.
The S23 Ultra uses the same 5,000mAh battery as the previousSamsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, which managed around 17 hours of battery life in our video playback test, and lasted well over a day in normal use.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Verdict
Make no mistake – these are two incredible phones and neither represents a poor choice. Which one you prefer will likely come down to which operating system you’re more entrenched in. Users who already own aniPad, aMacBookand/or anApple Watchwill find more value in the iPhone, and vice versa.
If I had to pick one base on specs alone, though, I’d have to go for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. It’s insanely close, but the Samsung seems to just offer a smidge more bang-for-your-buck in a few key areas.
Today’s best Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max dealsSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra$919ViewSee all pricesApple iPhone 14 Pro Max$27.78ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max dealsSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra$919ViewSee all pricesApple iPhone 14 Pro Max$27.78ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max dealsSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra$919ViewSee all pricesApple iPhone 14 Pro Max$27.78ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max deals
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra$919ViewSee all pricesApple iPhone 14 Pro Max$27.78ViewSee all prices
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra$919ViewSee all prices
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra$919ViewSee all prices
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
$919View
$919
$919
See all prices
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max$27.78ViewSee all prices
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max$27.78ViewSee all prices
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
$27.78View
$27.78
$27.78
See all prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
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