When you’re choosing a flagship in 2025, two names keep popping up: Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro Max and Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra. Both are engineering feats — premium materials, monstrous displays, pro-grade cameras, and performance that makes last year’s flagships look like basics. Below I break down everything that matters for buyers: design, display, performance, cameras, battery, software, extras (S Pen, AI features), pricing, and — most importantly — who should buy which phone. This is a practical, SEO-friendly comparison written so you can scan to the parts that matter and leave with a clear purchase opinion.
Quick spec snapshot
- iPhone 16 Pro Max — 6.9″ Super Retina XDR OLED, A18 Pro chip, pro camera system (48MP main with quad-pixel/Fusion sensor, 5x telephoto on Pro models), titanium frame, iOS + Apple Intelligence.
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra — 6.8″ QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED, Snapdragon/Exynos top-tier silicon depending on region, 200MP main sensor, up to 100x hybrid/space zoom, S Pen support, One UI with Galaxy AI features.
Design — material, feel, and ergonomics
Both phones scream “premium,” but they go about it differently.
iPhone 16 Pro Max uses a titanium frame and a flat-but-rounded aesthetic Apple has refined for years. The larger 6.9″ screen increases footprint and weight (this is a big phone), but the titanium keeps it feeling solid rather than heavy. Apple also focused on reducing bezels and adding small physical refinements such as the new camera-control features and an emphasis on durability.
Galaxy S24 Ultra went titanium too (Samsung introduced a titanium chassis for the Ultra line), but its fingerprint is the integration of the S Pen and a boxier, more squared-off silhouette. The S24 Ultra’s flat display and squared corners make it feel more phablet-like and ideal for one-handed stylus use — but some users find the sharper edges less comfortable for long single-handed use.
Verdict: if you want lighter-feeling premium build and more subtle elegance, iPhone. If you want a functional canvas (S Pen) and a slightly more tool-like design, S24 Ultra.
Display — size, brightness, and real-world use
Tiny differences matter here.
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, ProMotion adaptive refresh up to 120Hz, Always-On display and top-tier HDR support. Apple’s tuning gives color accuracy and a cinematic feel for video playback.
- Galaxy S24 Ultra: 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED, QHD+ resolution, 120Hz adaptive refresh, extremely high peak brightness (Samsung claimed very high nits and added anti-glare coatings), and pixel-dense detail that favors media consumption and outdoor visibility. The S24 Ultra’s anti-reflective treatment has been widely praised in reviews for real-world outdoor use.
Both deliver buttery motion (120Hz) and spectacular color. If you prioritize slightly larger canvas and Apple’s color/profile tuning, the iPhone edges the experience for video grading and creator previews. If daylight visibility and raw pixel density matter most (plus the flexibility of an S Pen canvas), the S24 Ultra is a favorite.
Performance — chips, thermals, and real-world speed
Raw speed checks the same boxes: both are flagship beasts.
- Apple A18 Pro in the iPhone 16 Pro Max is tuned for sustained performance and excellent single-thread performance. It powers iOS smoothly and is exceptionally efficient for battery life in many real-world workloads.
- Samsung S24 Ultra uses the latest Snapdragon (or region-specific Exynos) flagship silicon. It offers best-in-class multi-core throughput, strong GPU performance for gaming, and additional on-device AI processing that Samsung highlights in its Galaxy AI features.
Real-world: both devices handle gaming, multitasking, and content creation without hesitation. Apple often leads in single-threaded tasks and long-term app performance due to hardware-software integration; Samsung brings powerful multi-threaded and GPU muscle, plus more RAM headroom for heavy multitasking.
Cameras — which phone nails photos and video?
This is where personal taste and use-case diverge rapidly.
iPhone 16 Pro Max
- Apple continued its pro-video and pro-photo focus: a 48MP main sensor using a quad-pixel/Fusion approach for improved low-light and 48MP high-resolution shots, a 5x telephoto on Pro models (handy for portrait and distant shots), and a robust computational pipeline for color, skin tones, and video (including 4K/120 Dolby Vision capture). Apple’s video capture, stabilization, and color science remain industry-leading for creators.
Galaxy S24 Ultra
- Samsung packed flagship-grade hardware: a 200MP main sensor (pixel-binning for 12–50MP final images, depending on mode), an insane zoom system enabling long-range shots (up to 100x SpaceZoom in marketing), and aggressive computational sharpening that yields punchy, detailed daylight shots. The S24 Ultra is a zoom champion and a hardware spec monster.
Real-world considerations:
- For natural color and video creators (filmmakers, social video editors), Apple’s color science and video toolset (including built-in Dolby Vision) usually produce footage that needs less correction.
- For zoom and detail lovers (wildlife, sports, distant shots), Samsung’s S24 Ultra offers capabilities no iPhone can match — that 200MP sensor and multi-stage telephoto system are huge practical advantages.
- Low light: both phones do exceptionally well. Apple favors cleaner, truer-to-life results; Samsung tends to produce brighter-looking images with more aggressive edge contrast.
Verdict: choose based on what you shoot most. Video-first creators often pick iPhone; zoom/detail fans and those who love high-res stills often prefer Samsung.
Battery life & charging
Both companies improved battery life compared to their immediate predecessors, but approach charging differently.
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Apple emphasized longer runtime with more efficient silicon and a larger battery. Real-world battery life is excellent for mixed use — streaming, camera use, gaming — and Apple’s efficiency often wins late-evening endurance. Fast charging exists but Apple’s charging speeds still lag some Android rivals in pure wattage.
- Samsung S24 Ultra: Samsung offers robust battery life and faster wired charging rates in most regions (depending on the charger). Also benefits from optimizations like AI background management. If quick top-ups matter, Samsung’s faster charging is convenient.
Verdict: if you want the longest single-charge day under mixed use, iPhone often wins due to silicon efficiency. If you want the ability to top up quickly on the go, S24 Ultra has the edge.
Software, updates, and ecosystem
This is where the difference becomes lifestyle-defining.
iPhone (iOS + Apple Intelligence)
- iOS offers tight hardware/software integration, a polished UX, longer major OS update support (Apple’s multi-year update window), and a thriving ecosystem (AirDrop, iMessage, seamless Mac+Apple Watch continuity). Apple also introduced Apple Intelligence features across the iPhone 16 line to bring AI enhancements natively to tasks — think smarter photo edits, system-wide assistive features, and deeper Siri integration. For users invested in Apple hardware, the synergy is hard to beat.
- Samsung’s One UI is feature-rich and highly customizable. The S24 Ultra additionally highlights Galaxy AI features — on-device intelligence for summarization, photo editing, quick translation, and other productivity boosts. Samsung also leans into interoperability across Galaxy devices and strong integrations with Windows. Android’s openness gives you freedom (custom launchers, default app choices), plus features like the S Pen that Apple doesn’t offer.
Samsung (One UI + Galaxy AI + Android)
Update cadence: Apple typically guarantees longer OS update lifespans; Samsung has improved its update commitments and now offers multiple years of OS and security updates, but Apple still leads on absolute longevity.
Extras & unique features
- iPhone: Apple Intelligence features integrated across the OS, pro video tools (Dolby Vision 4K/120), and an accessory ecosystem tightly controlled for quality. Apple also tends to provide better privacy-first defaults.
- S24 Ultra: S Pen (built-in stylus functionality), multi-window productivity, fully featured DeX-like workflows, and Galaxy AI tools. The S24 Ultra is a Swiss Army knife for productivity-oriented users.
Price & value
Pricing fluctuates with storage choices, carrier promos, and region. At launch, both sat at the high end of the market — the iPhone Pro Max typically at Apple’s top-tier price points and the S24 Ultra similarly premium. If you find deals (holiday sales, trade-ins), the effective price can swing and shift the “value” decision. Historical launch pricing and discounted resales suggest both become more accessible within months, especially with heavy trade-in deals.
Which should you buy? — Practical advice
Below are short scenarios to help pick:
- Buy iPhone 16 Pro Max if:
- You prioritize video capture and natural color reproduction.
- You already use the Apple ecosystem (Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods).
- You want long software support and a phone that’s simple, secure, and efficient.
- You prefer Apple’s UI and privacy-first features.
- Buy Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra if:
- You want the best zoom and ultra-high-res stills (200MP + advanced telephoto).
- You value productivity features (S Pen, DeX-like workflows) and customizability.
- You prefer Android flexibility and Samsung’s Galaxy AI toolset.
- Fast charging and a slightly more versatile hardware spec sheet excite you.
Pros & cons at a glance
iPhone 16 Pro Max
- Pro-grade video and color science.
- Tight Apple ecosystem and long update support.
- Efficient A18 Pro chip and excellent battery endurance.
− Less zoom capability vs Samsung.
− Slower charging compared with some Android rivals.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
- Industry-leading zoom and high-res sensor (200MP).
- S Pen and productivity-focused features.
- Fast charging and aggressive display brightness/anti-glare.
− Tends to push more aggressive processing (which some prefer, some don’t).
− Larger, boxier shape may be less comfortable for some users.
Final verdict — there is no universal “winner”
Both phones are phenomenal. If forced to pick a headline: for creators and Apple users, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is the more cohesive pro camera+video tool; for power users who want hardware versatility, stylus support, and extreme zoom, the S24 Ultra is the more flexible toolbox.
Your decision should come down to ecosystem and primary use-cases: shoot video and live in Apple? Choose iPhone. Need zoom, stylus productivity, or Android freedom? Samsung’s S24 Ultra is a brilliant pick.
