iPhone 14 Pro Max vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: the fight for the title of the best

Apple vs Samsung is a love-hate relationship that has been going on for over a decade. Although both devices bring one of the best devices to market every year, there is always debate about which line is better: the iPhone or the Galaxy?

Here’s another year where we pit the best Apple and Samsung guns against each other and find out who’s better. Don’t worry! I’ll put my bias aside and look for an answer to this Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs iPhone 14 Pro Max clash and give you an exciting insight into how Apple can even influence its competitors.

1. Design – looks matter!

While it’s true that most of us will get a new case for our device within the first month of purchase, design is one of the biggest factors when buying a smartphone. The 14 Pro Max has a slight size change, but Samsung has literally made no changes to the chassis, at least not on the outside.

Here are the dimensions of the S23 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max:

For the iPhone, Apple has reimagined the dot/pill notch and replaced it with the Notch to welcome Dynamic Island. Indeed, this has left all Android OEMs in awe, as they have been using the same design for so long and not unlocking its full potential.

Design choices are always subjective and vary from person to person. If you ask me who has the best design, I’ll give the win to Apple thanks to Dynamic Island and better weight management.

Looks like the Samsung designers were on vacation developing the S23 Ultra. It’s hard to pinpoint design differences other than a repositioning of the antenna and a slightly raised camera bump.

Winner: iPhone 14 Pro Max

2. Demonstration – old wine is tastier than fruit

You’ll be staring at the display all day, so it makes sense to keep it a priority. Last year, in our S22 Ultra vs. iPhone 13 Pro Max comparison, Samsung knocked out Apple with its impressive display. So Apple has a year to hit back with better screens, right?

Well, look at these specs before I say anything:

Samsung is still the best display supplier and they guarantee no one can improve their display. So, despite a brighter display with Dolby Vision support, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra beat the iPhone 14 Pro Max as the best display for viewing multimedia content.

Winner: Galaxy S23 Ultra

3. Specifications – Battle of the Gods ⚡️

When Apple takes a beating from Samsung in the field of displays, Apple responds in kind in terms of performance. Whenever you compare the S23 Ultra to the iPhone 14 Pro Max in terms of benchmark or pure performance, the A16 Bionic combined with iOS optimization tames Samsung.

Source: PhoneArena

These processors are some of the best you can get on the market. For the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip for the Galaxy, Samsung has additionally partnered with manufacturers Qualcomm to beef up the processor. However, it cannot keep up with Apple Silicon.

Winner: iPhone 14 Pro Max

4. Camera. The more pixels, the better the pictures?

The battle of cameras never ends as both brands focus on expanding their capabilities. Last year, Apple stunned everyone by upgrading the traditional 12-megapixel camera to a 48-megapixel sensor. To top it off, Samsung has taken it a step further and introduced a 200 MP main camera.

But could those extra pixels in the camera make any noticeable difference? We’ll have to practically test the cameras to know the real difference, but here’s a breakdown of the shooters for reference:

Source: GSMArena

Photo comparison

Samsung specially made a 200-megapixel ISOCELL HP2 sensor for the main camera. You can usually shoot at 50MP or 12.5MP in low light mode. In addition, 200x space zoom, 10x optical zoom, and nighttime photos will be much better thanks to the 0.6 micron pixels. Pictures taken in full 200MP mode will produce detailed backgrounds. However, such a large resolution is redundant for the 9:16 frame.

While Samsung has been investing in hardware, Apple has been playing a mind game with software. iPhone 14 Pro Max redefines mobile photography with its advanced Photonic Engine, ProRAW format, dual-color dual-LED flash, and more, so it can capture more presentable images. In addition, the enlarged ultra-wide sensor allows you to frame shots in different ways.

It was also shocking that Samsung replaced the 40-megapixel selfie camera with a 12-megapixel sensor. According to the brand, this downgrade won’t affect quality as there’s faster autofocus and improved portrait frames. Also, Apple is sticking with the old 12MP autofocus front camera for the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Although Samsung says the Galaxy S23 includes an astrophotography mode with advanced AI algorithms, we need to test it to be sure. But I think Samsung needs to keep working on their auto HDR photo processors to avoid over-saturation and over-aliasing.

Winner: Galaxy S23 Ultra

Video shooting features

You may have heard that many filmmakers use iPhone cameras to shoot their films. It boasts Apple’s highest video resolution and Intelligent Cinematic Mode. In addition, ProRes mode on both the rear and front cameras delivers higher color fidelity with less compression.

To surpass excellence, Samsung has added support for 8K video recording. In addition, you will get two HDR modes 4K and 1080p. Dual HDR will combine three exposures to deliver accurate colors and detail. As with Apple’s action mode, Samsung opted for a Super Steady mode with an ESI gyroscope. Both provide stabilization in all axes for better video quality.

Now, if you ask me who will win in the battle of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max cameras, I would call the iPhone 14 Pro Max due to its better image processing and management. I would like to test the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra before making a judgment. So, keep an eye on our camera tests.

Winner: iPhone 14 Pro Max

5. Software – customization or security?

Who doesn’t love the Apple ecosystem? It provides exceptional security, long-term support, and continuous updates to improve the user experience. At the time of this writing, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is running iOS 16.3. Since Android users have always touted the customization, Apple has upped the ante with its software.

iOS 16 features offer many customization options, innovative lock screen, live actions, improved focus filters, etc. In addition, you can remove the background of images with visual search and get live text from videos. In addition, the integration with Apple hardware and other external devices is better optimized on the iPhone.

In addition, Samsung added One UI 5.1 to Android 13. One’s user interface is known for its simplicity and lack of unnecessary software. So, if you want more flexibility and customization, Android is the way to go. But remember, LockScreen widgets and the Visual Look Up tool are missing from Android 13. What’s more, Samsung will only provide 4+1 years of software and security updates.

Since I use Apple devices on a daily basis, I prefer the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Plus, the Galaxy S23 Ultra will give you a lot of fun if you prefer Android.

Winner: iPhone 14 Pro Max

6. Features – minor differences

Both the iPhone 14 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra feature an accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass, barometer, and ultra-wideband support. So the only difference is their security key. Apple has used a TrueDepth sensor for face identification, while Samsung has added an ultrasonic fingerprint under the display.

Interestingly, Apple introduced Emergency SOS via the Satellite feature. Dual-band GPS further enhances location services. On the other hand, Samsung stands out with its Samsung Wireless Dex feature, which offers desktop support and S-pen integration.

In this aspect, I cannot decide if the S23 Ultra is better than the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

7. Battery

Larger screens use more power, so it’s important to choose a screen with better battery management. The S23 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max are equipped with 5000mAh and 4323mAh batteries respectively. While the S23 lasted almost 18 hours and 57 minutes in the 120Hz viewing test, the iPhone ran out of battery after 19 hours and 5 minutes.

How is this possible, you ask? The answer is Apple software optimizations and better heat management. Samsung struggled to overtake Apple with 20% better battery life, but failed. Thus, the new 4nm Snapdragon processor should use the efficiency of the improved LTPO OLED panel.

Only the faster charging speed gives the S23 Ultra an advantage. At 45W (PD3.0) wired speed, it can charge up to 65% in 30 minutes, and it can take one hour to fully charge. In addition, the PowerShare wireless feature allows you to charge other devices at 4.5W. Samsung also claims support for Qi wireless charging, but the speed is not mentioned.

Although Apple is working on optimizing the battery, the 27W (PD2.0) wired charging speed is on the lower end. It takes 30 minutes to reach 50% and about two hours for a full charge. Please note that Apple does not disclose battery specifications, so the above is an approximation. In addition, I liked the support for 15W MagSafe wireless charging and 7.5W Qi wireless charging.

Considering better battery management, I choose the iPhone 14 Pro Max. If charging speed is more important to you, choose the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Winner: iPhone 14 Pro Max

Which flagship smartphone should you buy?

At the time of this writing, the S23 Ultra is still in pre-order.

I hope the differences become clear at the end of the battle between the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the iPhone 14 Pro Max. 14 Pro Max will easily fit into your workflow if you already use Apple devices. The S23 Ultra features an ergonomic design, built-in stylus, clear display and clear images. Now it all depends on your needs and preferences.

Which one will you choose? Let me know in the comments below.