iPhone 14 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: the two smartphones compared

Samsung has launched the new flagship. But how does the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra perform against the iPhone 14 Pro Max?

iPhone 14 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Samsung has released the new Samsung Galaxy S23 range. This series consists of three devices: the Samsung Galaxy S23, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. The latter is Samsung’s high-end phone and the direct competitor of the iPhone 14 Pro (Max). The S23 Ultra is for sale for 1399 euros, the iPhone 14 Pro Max for € 1,387.

Samsung and Apple are still the leaders in the smartphone market. More than interesting to see how these two phones compare. What are the differences between these two luxury (and expensive) phones? Time for a comparison between the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the iPhone 14 Pro Max!

Design: angular versus rounded design

The design of the two smartphones is quite different. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a very angular design, while the iPhone 14 Pro Max has rounded corners. In practice, this means that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra feels a little less pleasant when you hold the phone for a longer period of time due to the sharper corners. This is of course easily remedied with a case.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch screen, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s screen is slightly larger at 6.8 inches. The dimensions of the smartphones are almost the same, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is slightly thicker than the iPhone 14 Pro Max. This is not reflected in the weight: at 240 grams, the iPhone is slightly heavier than the Galaxy S23, which weighs 233 grams.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max is available in four colors: space black, silver, gold and deep purple. With the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra you have more choice, because the phone is available in green, phantom black, lavender, cream, graphite, sky blue, lime and red. Both phones have camera lenses that protrude, making them unstable on the table. A phone case is therefore definitely recommended.

Screen: S23 has a higher resolution and pixel density

The iPhone 14 Pro Max has a resolution of 2796×1290 and is therefore inferior to the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. The Ultra has a resolution of 3088×1440. The pixel density is also lower with the Pro Max: 460 ppi compared to 500 ppi. Both devices have a 120Hz screen (Apple calls this ProMotion), which is unchanged from the earlier models.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max has a Super Retina XDR (OLED) screen, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra has an Amoled screen. The big advantage of the Amoled screen is the brightness, the phone remains easy to read even in the sun. Both screens are very energy efficient.

Both the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the iPhone 14 Pro Max have Face ID to unlock the phone. In the Ultra, this camera is incorporated in the screen near the camera. With the iPhone it is in the new Dynamic Island.

This is the big difference between the two phones: with the Ultra, the entire front is filled with screen. The iPhone 14 Pro Max has the Dynamic Island, which sometimes gets in the way. In addition, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra does have a fingerprint scanner.

Specs: Same amount of storage, S23 Ultra has a better battery

Inside, the phones are quite different. With the iPhone 14 Pro Max, you can choose from 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. The entry-level model of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has 256GB, followed by 512GB and 1TB. You can’t expand the storage afterwards with either device.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max has 6GB of RAM, regardless of the amount of storage space you choose. With the Ultra you do have a choice: you can choose from 8GB or 12GB of RAM with 256GB of storage. With more storage space, the device has 12GB of RAM as standard. You won’t notice much of this in practice, both phones have little trouble with heavy tasks.

Apple has again opted for its own chip with the iPhone 14 Pro Max with the A16 Bionic chip. Samsung has just said goodbye to its own chip and has gone for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, a new and incredibly fast chip. Both companies have their affairs in order when it comes to the chips, the smartphones both respond very quickly.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max has a battery of 4323mAh, that of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a higher capacity at 4700mAh. Both phones can therefore easily last a day, so you can use your phone for about 23 hours if you perform heavy tasks such as watching videos. The S23 will last a little longer than the iPhone.

Software: iOS is good for now

The major difference between Samsung and Apple is the operating system. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra runs on Android 13, the iPhone 14 Pro Max runs on iOS 16. The big advantage of Apple is that iOS will still be updated on your iPhone 14 Pro Max for the time being. At Samsung this was often a different story, but the company now gives you a bit more certainty. Your Samsung will be updated for the next five years.

It is difficult to compare the operating systems, iOS often works slightly smoother in practice and therefore lasts longer. For example, Apple recently released an update for iOS 12, which runs on iPhones that appeared nine years ago. If you plan to use your phone for a long time, Apple is a safe choice.

Camera: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a very good camera

In terms of the camera, the iPhone 14 Pro Max should give the win to the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. The Pro Max has a main camera of 48 megapixels and two more cameras of 12 megapixels. With these cameras you can zoom in 0.5x, 1x, 2x and 3x. A significant improvement over previous iPhone cameras, which always had 12 megapixels.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a better camera: the main camera has 200 megapixels, there is also a 12 megapixel camera and two 10 megapixel cameras. With these cameras you can zoom in up to 100x, which appears to work very well in practice. Especially when zooming in considerably, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is inferior to the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. When taking ‘normal’ photos and selfies, both devices are about the same.

Recording videos does not differ greatly on both devices, on both smartphones it is possible to film in 4K resolution with 60 frames per second. The Samsung Galaxy Ultra S23 takes this a step further: with this phone it is possible to film in 8K at 30 frames per second.

The stabilization is about the same for both smartphones. There is also little difference in quality between the different lenses of both devices. The camera of the Ultra S23 is the winner thanks to the 8K video and better zoom qualities.

Conclusion

Both Samsung and Apple have launched a very good high-end phone. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a better screen and a very good camera, which you can use to zoom in up to 100x. So if you’re looking for the phone with the best camera, the S23 Ultra is the right choice. If zooming in is less important to you, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is a great option.

The main difference between the devices is the operating system. The iPhone 14 Pro Max runs on iOS and Apple is known for years of updates to the operating system. With the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, it is quite possible that you will no longer receive updates after five years, so it is not a phone for the (very) long term. The iPhone 14 Pro Max is then the safe choice.

The choice between the phones therefore mainly comes down to the preference you have regarding the operating system. The iPhone 14 Pro Max is slightly cheaper than the S23 Ultra, but this difference is very small.

Are you used to iOS? Then the iPhone 14 Pro Max is probably the better option. In all other areas, the phones do not differ much from each other.

Buy iPhone 14 Pro (Max)? Check the best prices

Are you planning to buy the best iPhone right now? Then the iPhone 14 Pro Max is the smartphone you’re looking for. Other than that, the iPhone 14 Pro is also back in stock and available everywhere. You have to take into account that the iPhone 14 Pro is slightly smaller than the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Check the best prices for both devices in our price comparison:

Want to stay up to date with all Apple news? Sign up for our daily/weekly newsletter. In addition, download the free iphoned app and keep an eye on our website.

On iPhoned we test the latest iPhones and other products (from Apple). The editorial team puts together the reviews (just like all other content on the website) with a lot of time, care and attention.

This way you, as a reader, know exactly what to expect from the tested smartphone (and other products). In the reviews we go into depth, but in an understandable way. After all, we want everyone to understand the story and ultimately know how good (or bad) the tested device is.

• iPhone 14 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: the two smartphones compared

• ‘This iPhone 14 model is the biggest iPhone flop ever’

• New iPhone Features and MacBook Pro (iPhone News #3)

• Speed ​​test proves: iPhone 14 Pro Max has the fastest internet

• iOS 16.3 will (finally!) solve two major iPhone problems