Compare of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the iPhone 16 Pro Max, two leading flagship smartphones - a side-by-side examination.
The latest flagship smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max, are both equipped with cutting-edge technology and premium designs. While they share many similarities, there are some key differences in design, screen, features, and performance.
Design
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is slightly thinner, lighter (218g vs. 227g), and marginally shorter than the iPhone 16 Pro Max. The S25 Ultra uses a hole-punch camera cutout, while the iPhone features the Dynamic Island. Both devices have IP68 water and dust resistance.
Screen
Both smartphones boast 6.9-inch OLED displays with 120Hz refresh rates. The Galaxy S25 Ultra, however, outshines the iPhone 16 Pro Max in peak brightness, offering up to 2600 nits compared to the iPhone's 2000 nits, resulting in a brighter display overall.
Features
The cameras on the Galaxy S25 Ultra are more advanced, featuring a 200MP wide main camera and a 50MP ultra-wide, whereas the iPhone offers a 48MP fusion main and 48MP ultra-wide. Reviews suggest that the S25 Ultra generally performs better in photography, except in macro shots, though the iPhone camera is rated better by DxOMark and sometimes produces sharper zoomed images.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra's AI capabilities extend beyond Apple's, offering cross-app actions, deep Google Gemini integration, and AI Select tools. However, the S Pen has lost Bluetooth functionality, and the phone lacks built-in Qi2 magnets. The iPhone relies on Face ID for security, while the S25 Ultra uses an in-display fingerprint scanner.
In terms of charging and connectivity, the S25 Ultra supports faster 45W charging (vs. 30W on iPhone) and has newer Bluetooth 5.4.
Performance
The Galaxy S25 Ultra's Snapdragon 8 Elite outperforms the iPhone 16 Pro Max's A18 Pro in overall AnTuTu benchmarking by 54% (2795K vs 1814K) and has 50% more RAM (12GB vs 8GB). However, the iPhone leads in single-core GeekBench performance by about 13% (3564 vs 3147 points). Battery life is slightly longer on the iPhone by about 12% (35:01 vs 31:10 hours).
Audio
The audio on the Galaxy S25 Ultra is crisp and detailed, with good clarity and a solid stereo effect. Dolby Atmos support brings a greater sense of immersion when watching compatible content. The iPhone 16 Pro Max's sound is more refined, with tracks bursting with detail and good time-keeping with even the most complex arrangements.
Price
Both smartphones have a starting price of £1249/ $1299 for the base model, with higher prices for larger storage capacities.
In summary, the Galaxy S25 Ultra offers a brighter screen, more RAM, better overall multi-core performance, and advanced AI features, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max excels in single-core CPU speed, camera sharpness in some scenarios, and longer battery life. Design differences are minimal and mostly a matter of preference.
- The latest flagship smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max, are both popular gadgets, equipped with cutting-edge technology and premium designs.
- When it comes to design, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is slightly thinner, lighter, and smaller, using a hole-punch camera cutout, while the iPhone features the Dynamic Island.
- Both smartphones exhibit 6.9-inch OLED displays with 120Hz refresh rates, but the Galaxy S25 Ultra shows a brighter display due to its higher peak brightness of up to 2600 nits compared to the iPhone's 2000 nits.
- In terms of cameras, the Galaxy S25 Ultra offers an advanced setup with a 200MP wide main camera and a 50MP ultra-wide, surpassing the iPhone's 48MP fusion main and ultra-wide.
- Reviews have shown that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra generally performs better in photography, except in macro shots, while the iPhone camera is rated better by DxOMark and sometimes produces sharper zoomed images.
- The AI capabilities of the Galaxy S25 Ultra outperform Apple's, offering features like cross-app actions, deep Google Gemini integration, and AI Select tools, despite losing Bluetooth functionality from the S Pen.
- For those interested in the latest news, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max can both be bought with starting prices of £1249/ $1299, each offering excellent performance, premium designs, and diverse features, making them glowing additions to any tech enthusiast's hi-fi audio setup or streaming-optimized home.
