There’s a legitimate reason to have an Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max versus Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra face-off. Obviously, Samsung’s flagship smartphone set the tone for all other flagships in 2023 — proving it’s the top dog to beat thanks to its extra long battery life and class-leading set of cameras.
It’s no surprise that the Galaxy S23 Ultra is not only one of the best camera phones around, but also one of the best phones that money can buy in general. However, with rumors about the iPhone 15 Pro Max continuing to swirl, there’s no doubt that this is going to be the matchup that determines which phone will be crowned the champ for 2023.
Even though Apple has yet to confirm an actual announcement date for its iPhone 15 series, all signs point to a September 13 date according to the latest rumors. We’ll know then if Apple’s top flagship will come with a new action button, USB-C port, and a potentially higher price point. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is shaping up to match the Galaxy S23 Ultra in the camera department with perhaps a new periscope telephoto lens for a more even match against the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s mind-boggling 100x Space Zoom ability.
In this iPhone 15 Pro Max versus Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra comparison, we’ll take everything we know about the iPhone 15 Pro Max right now to see how it stacks up against the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
- iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Price and availability
- iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Specs
- iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Design and display
- iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Cameras
- iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Performance
- iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Battery life and charging
- iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Outlook
- More from Tom’s Guide
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Price and availability
One of the important unknowns about the iPhone 15 Pro Max is its price. Given how it’s shaping to receive the biggest changes since the iPhone X, it’s quite possible that Apple may increase its price to a whopping $1,299 — effectively making it a $200 premium over the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s current starting price of $1,099. We anticipate a release of September 22 if it does turn out that Apple will have its event on September 12 or 13.
Higher prices are not what people want to hear, but we can’t neglect the fact that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra launched at $1,199 when it was released back in February. Apple’s higher pricing could have a rippling effect on the industry, but it shouldn’t affect the Galaxy S23 Ultra in any way. In fact, there are several Galaxy S23 Ultra deals right now that sell the phone at a much lower price than when it launched.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Specs
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Price | $1,099 or $1,299 | $1,199 / £1,249 |
| Display | 6.7-inch | 6.8-inch QHD AMOLED |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz | 1 – 120Hz adaptive |
| Rear cameras | Triple cameras | 200MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x telephoto, 10MP 10x telephoto |
| Front camera | N/A | 12MP selfie |
| Chipset | A17 Bionic | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy |
| RAM | N/A | 8GB/12GB |
| Storage | N/A | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Battery | N/A | 5,000 mAh |
| Charging | 20W wired | 45W wired |
| Water/dust resistance | IP68 | IP68 |
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Design and display
The iPhone 15 Pro Max should be getting some refinements to its design, but it’ll more or less share the same design language as its predecessor. Meaning, it’ll feature the same premium construction the series is known for — with a familiar camera arrangement on the back.
One of the biggest changes to the design of the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the rumor of it getting a new action button, which would be replacing the current mute switch on the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Furthermore, rumors hint to the idea of Apple swapping out the stainless steel bezel with a lighter, stronger titanium one — while also shrinking its bezels. Given that it’s expected to be the biggest iPhone in the series, we bet it’ll pack some weight behind it as well.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23 Ultra isn’t too far off because it’s a big phone that mostly requires two-handed operation. While it does feature premium materials, it trails the craftsmanship we see in Apple’s iPhone Pro series. Although, we do love the charming colors it’s available in — which are seven in total.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Galaxy S23 Ultra has an ace up its sleeve with its included S Pen stylus. Many people, including ourselves, have found this skinny pointing tool invaluable for signing PDFs, jotting down notes, and launching some neat features with the camera. Best of all, there’s no extra cost because it comes with the phone itself.
In regard to displays, we’re not expecting drastic changes to the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s 6.7-inch Super Retina Display. Aside from the rumor about a reduction in size with its bezel, we can look forward to a brighter display that can reach an astounding peak brightness output of 2,500 nits. That would be incredible because the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 6.8-inch Quad HD+ (3088 x 1440) Dynamic AMOLED 2x display peaked at 1,225 nits.
Outdoor visibility would probably favor the iPhone 15 Pro Max if it can indeed reach that blinding intensity, but it’s unlikely for Apple to boost the resolution to beat what the Galaxy S23 Ultra currently offers. Despite this, we can bet that the iPhone 15 Pro Max will have the same 120Hz refresh rate as before.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Cameras
Out of all the areas in this face-off, this is arguably the most exciting part because let’s face it, the cameras are a big deciding factor for a lot of people. Currently, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra sets the bar high because it is the best camera phone out right now. It’s a tough challenge given how it’s packing a quadruple camera system, complete with a 200-megapixel main camera and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens with 10x optical zoom.
Housing a versatile set of cameras, we love how the Galaxy S23 Ultra covers the gamut by allowing users to capture subjects near, far, and very far away. It’s also one of the best when it comes to low light photography, producing bright images under extreme low light settings that reveal fine details. It’s also a video recording champion as well thanks to its maximum 8K 30fps capture.
Not to be outdone, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is set to receive a new periscope lens to increase its optical range to 6x — effectively doubling its zoom over the current iPhone 14 Pro Max. The biggest unknown right now is if it’ll be greeted by a larger 1-inch sensor, which would add a tremendous boost to its low light performance and the general sharpness of its photos.
Beyond photography, we’re eager to see what new video recording features will make it to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. We imagine that its stabilization will be improved, but it’s hard to tell if we’ll see it move into 8K video recording territory like Samsung. Regardless, Apple’s making a serious effort in this area, so it could be another close race to see which will turn out to be the superior camera phone.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Performance
Apple’s silicon has always proven to be outstanding, beating out other chips in various synthetic benchmark tests. However, things changed with the arrival of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy with the S23 Ultra — it actually posted better results against the A16 Bionic chipset that powered the iPhone 14 Pro Max in some graphics processing tests.
It’s likely that we’ll get an A17 Bionic chip to accompany the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which is rumored to be built using a newer 3nm process — an improvement over the 4nm process of its predecessor. This would result not only in an increase to its processing performance, but we could also see a significant boost to its power efficiency.
Until we’re able to properly test out each of them, it’s hard to say which of the two will have the edge in this area. At the very least, you can expect apps to open relatively quickly — while animations should be backed by fluid movements.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Battery life and charging
Given how the iPhone 14 Pro Max edged out the Galaxy S23 Ultra in our battery benchmark test, it’s a safe assumption that it’ll only get better with the iPhone 15 Pro Max. That’s because the iPhone 14 Pro Max achieved a time of 13 hours and 39 minutes, enough to earn itself a spot in our best phone battery life list. In contrast, the Galaxy S23 Ultra peaked at 13 hours and 9 minutes when set to a 60Hz display refresh rate.
This knowledge would absolutely give the iPhone 15 Pro Max the win, because let’s face it, Apple’s likely to improve the performance in any way possible.
Over on the recharging side, the Galaxy S23 Ultra benefits from having super fast 45W wired charging. Apple’s iPhones have never been recharging beasts, mainly due to the 20W cap of Apple’s Lightning connector, but things may change if we do end up getting USB-C with the next generation. This, of course, would open up the possibility for even faster charging.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Outlook
With each passing day, we’re learning more and more about the iPhone 15 Pro Max. It really is shaping up to be the biggest leap since the iPhone X, and as we continue to approach September, the details around it will be juicier. We’ll probably hear more about iOS 17’s official release date too, which should give us something to look forward to as well over on the software side.
For Apple, this refresh is necessary because the competition has shown that Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra offer impeccable utility for a wide range of users. Not only does it offer mobile photographers plenty of coverage with its quadruple camera system, but Samsung’s OneUI offers incredible depth when it comes to productivity. While the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is expected to bring even more meaningful improvements, the S23 Ultra remains the phone to beat.
