How does the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra compare to the iPhone 16 Pro Max?

Watch This Product

Watch products with ShopSavvy for price drops, stock alerts, deals and more.

Ask Agent About This Product

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max are both excellent flagship phones with distinct strengths. Here's how they compare.

Display

Both phones have 6.9-inch screens, but the S25 Ultra is brighter (1,860 vs 1,553 nits peak brightness) and lighter (218g vs 227g). Samsung's Gorilla Armor 2 reduces screen reflections for better outdoor visibility.

Performance

The S25 Ultra with Snapdragon 8 Elite slightly outperforms the iPhone's A18 Pro in benchmarks. Real-world performance is comparable for everyday tasks.

Camera

The S25 Ultra's 200MP camera and Quad Tele System provide superior zoom capabilities (up to 100x) and better low-light performance. The iPhone produces more natural-looking colors with less processing.

Battery & Charging

• S25 Ultra: 5000mAh, full charge in ~1 hour
• iPhone 16 Pro Max: 4685mAh, full charge in ~2 hours

Samsung charges significantly faster.

Software

Galaxy AI is more feature-complete than Apple Intelligence. Both phones receive 7 years of software updates.

Pricing (256GB)

• S25 Ultra: $1,299
• iPhone 16 Pro Max: $1,199

Choose S25 Ultra For:

• Better display and outdoor visibility
• Superior zoom camera
• Faster charging
• S Pen functionality
• More customization options

Choose iPhone 16 Pro Max For:

• Apple ecosystem integration
• More natural photo processing
• Better app optimization
• Lower starting price

The decision often comes down to ecosystem preference rather than specs alone.