Galaxy S25 Ultra
iPhone 17 Pro Max
🏆 Verdict
Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 17 Pro Max are very close overall — less than 3 points apart. Pick by the category that matters most to you below.
By category
Performance
iPhone 17 Pro Max is faster with the Apple A19 Pro (performance index 99 vs 96). You notice it in heavy games and video editing, less in daily use.
Camera
Galaxy S25 Ultra's main camera is 200 MP vs 48 MP. More pixels help cropping and digital zoom, but final quality depends on sensor size and processing. Galaxy S25 Ultra zooms further optically (5× vs 4×). iPhone 17 Pro Max has the higher-resolution selfie camera (18 MP vs 12 MP).
Battery
Galaxy S25 Ultra's battery is 168 mAh larger (5,000 vs 4,832 mAh), about 3% more. Real battery life also depends on chip and display efficiency.
Charging
Wireless charging is faster on iPhone 17 Pro Max (25W vs 15W).
Display
iPhone 17 Pro Max's screen gets brighter (3,000 vs 2,600 nits), which shows outdoors. Galaxy S25 Ultra's screen is sharper (498 vs 458 ppi).
Build & durability
Galaxy S25 Ultra has a titanium frame. Galaxy S25 Ultra is 15 g lighter.
Updates
Galaxy S25 Ultra should get OS updates for longer (7 vs 6 years, per the maker's policy at launch).
Specifications
| Galaxy S25 Ultra | iPhone 17 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Snapdragon 8 Elite | Chipset | Apple A19 Pro |
| 12 GB | RAM | 12 GB |
| 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB | Storage | 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB |
| 6.9" Dynamic AMOLED 2X | Display | 6.9" LTPO OLED |
| 120 Hz | Refresh rate | 120 Hz |
| 3120×1440 (498 ppi) | Resolution | 2868×1320 (458 ppi) |
| 2,600 nits | Peak brightness | 3,000 nits |
| 200 MP | Main camera | 48 MP |
| 50 MP | Ultrawide | 48 MP |
| 50 MP · 5× | Telephoto | 48 MP · 4× |
| 12 MP | Front camera | 18 MP |
| 5,000 mAh | Battery | 4,832 mAh |
| 45 W | Wired charging | 40 W |
| 15 W | Wireless charging | 25 W |
| IP68 | Water & dust rating | IP68 |
| titanium | Frame | aluminium |
| 218 g | Weight | 233 g |
| 7 years | OS updates (estimated) | 6 years |
| $1,299 | Launch price | $1,199 |
| 2025-01 | Released | 2025-09 |
Official source: Galaxy S25 Ultra · Official source: iPhone 17 Pro Max
Galaxy S25 Ultra
Pros
- 5× optical zoom
- 200 MP main camera
- Titanium frame
Cons
- Pricier ($1,299)
iPhone 17 Pro Max
Pros
- Lower price ($1,199)
How is the score calculated?
Each phone gets 0–100 points in seven categories (performance, camera, battery, charging, display, build, updates), computed only from its published specs, then combined with fixed, published weights. A gap under 2.5 points counts as a tie. The performance index is an estimate based on benchmark results published at launch.
Figures come from the manufacturers’ official pages. Some specs vary by market. We do not sell devices or earn commissions.