These are two of the best smartphones of the year, so we carefully bought the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
No one doubts that these are two of the best smartphones around. The iPhone 16 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra offer the best among high-end smartphones. The best possible specifications are found in each of these two smartphones which we decided to buy in depth to see which of the two is the best smartphone of 2025.
Specs table: iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
| iPhone 16 Pro Max | Galaxy S25 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 16.3 x 7.758 x 0.83 cm | 16.28 x 7.76 x 0.82 cm |
| Weight | 225g | 218g |
| Screen | Super Retina XDR OLED technology Maximum brightness of 1000 nits (2000 outdoors) |
6.8-inch 2X Dynamic AMOLED |
| Resolution | 2868 x 1220 pixels | 3120 x 1440 pixels |
| Refresh rate | Patient 120 Hz | Patient 120 Hz |
| maximum brightness | 2,000 nits | 2,600 nits |
| Processor | A18 Pro | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy |
| RAM | 8 GB | 12 GB |
| Operating system | iOS 18 | Android 15 |
| Storage | 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB |
256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB |
| Cameras | Master bedroom: 48MP Ultra wide angle camera: 48MP Telephoto camera: 12MP |
Master bedroom: 200MP Telephoto camera (3x): 10MP Telephoto camera (5x): 50MP Ultra wide angle camera: 50MP |
| Optical zoom | 5x | 3x and 5x |
| front camera | 12 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Battery capacity | 4,676mAh | 5000mAh |
| Colors | Natural titanium White titanium black titanium Desert-colored titanium |
Titanium black, titanium gray, titanium purple, titanium yellow, titanium blue, titanium green, titanium orange |
| Others | Apple Intelligence, Dynamic Island, Dual SIM, Face ID, IP68 water resistance, MagSafe, Ceramic Shield, True Tone, Super high resolution photos (24 and 48 Mpx), Accident detection, satellite connection, Wireless charging with MagSafe up to 25W, Fast charging 20W | Galaxy Apple Intelligence, 5G, Wi-Fi 7, Dual SIM, GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS, NFC, S Pen, in-screen fingerprint sensor, facial recognition, IP68 water resistance, charging wireless, 45W fast charging |
| Initial price | 1,469 dollars | 1,459 dollars |
In-depth comparison: iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
In this comparison, we will deeply analyze the key points of iPhone 16 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. In key points such as design, cameras, screen or power supply.
Design
He The iPhone 16 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra are the biggest representatives of the high end for this year and, curiously, both opt for a quite different design. The iPhone 16 Pro Max relies on rounded corners and the Galaxy S25 Ultra, although slightly more rounded than previous versions, has a straighter finish.
Las The dimensions of the two devices are practically identical.as well as its weight which barely differs by a few grams. Both also use titanium and glass in their design. With a small hole in the screen for the front camera of the Galaxy S25 ultra and a Dynamic Island for Face ID and the front camera of the iPhone 16 Pro.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a continuous design
In the back area we also have some differences. They both maintain same camera layout that we've seen for years: three triangle-shaped sensors in a square module on the iPhone and four in-line sensors on the Galaxy S25 ultra.
Screen
These are two of the best devices on the market in terms of screens and we haven't had many changes. He The iPhone 16 Pro Max has grown and its screen seems slightly biggerbut the quality of the panel is very similar in both cases. Although the Galaxy S25 ultra seems to have a head start in terms of maximum brightness. Here are the specifications of each screen:
- iPhone 16 Pro Max screen: 6.9-inch Super Retina nits outdoors and 1 nit minimum brightness.
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra screen: 6.8″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen, 120 Hz (1-120 Hz), HDR10+, Always On, Eye Comfort Shield, Vision Booster, 3120 x 1440 pixels and 505 p/p, maximum brightness of 2,600 nits.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max screen is one of the best on the market
Cameras
Cameras are a very important section and Both terminals have improved the ultra wide angle sensor this year compared to previous generations. The Korean model has a worse camera than the Californian smartphone, in addition to a main sensor with a much higher resolution:
iPhone 16 Pro Max
- main camera: 48 megapixels, f/1.78 aperture, 2X telephoto lens capabilities of 12 megapixels and 1.22 micrometer pixels.
- Telephoto camera (5x): 12 megapixels, f/2.8 aperture, offering 5X optical zoom on both models.
- ultra wide angle camera: 48 megapixels with pixel-binning function, with pixels of 0.7 micrometers at full resolution or 1.4 micrometers at 24 megapixels and a focal length of 13 mm.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
- main camera: 200 megapixels, f/1.7, Super Quad Pixel autofocus, OIS, Super Clear lens.
- Telephoto camera (5x): 50 megapixels, f/3.4, 5x optical magnification, Quad Pixel autofocus, OIS.
- Telephoto camera (3x): 10 megapixels, f/2.4, 3x optical magnification, Dual Pixel autofocus, OIS.
- ultra wide angle camera: 50 megapixels, f/1.9, 120° field of view.
Power
Apple has always had the most powerful chips on the market in its best iPhones, although on this occasion It looks like Samsung is closer than ever, it might even be ahead in some performance tests. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy finally hits 3nm and can compete with the A18 Pro. Here is the data:
Chip A18 Pro
- Technical: 3 nanometers (2nd gen.).
- Processor: 6 cores (2 for performance and 4 for efficiency).
- GPU: 6 hearts.
- Neural engine: 16 cores.
- Geek bench: 3429 / 8790.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
- Technical: 3 nanometers.
- Processor: 8 cores.
- GPU: Adreno 830.
- Geek bench: a stranger.
Précio
The price of both devices is almost identical, there is barely 10 dollars difference. So we have very few differences here, here is the official price of each of these two devices:
- iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) starting price: 1,469 dollars.
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (256GB) starting price: 1,459 dollars.
iPhone 16 Pro Max or Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, which is better?
Is very difficult to say that one is better than the other or that one is more recommended than the other. We look at two devices that deliver the maximum in each of their specifications and perform very well in every task you can ask of them. so ultimately it will depend more on whether you like iOS or Android.
Why buy the iPhone 16 Pro Max
- You are comfortable with iOS and the Apple ecosystem.
- You prioritize the quality of recorded videos.
- You want an exceptional battery.
- You want to play console quality games.
Why buy the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
- You feel comfortable with Android and the Samsung ecosystem.
- Advanced AI features in Spanish.
- You want more versatility in cameras.
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