Here are the newest flagship phones from Samsung and Apple: the Galaxy S23 Ultra and the iPhone 14 Pro Max. They both represent the pinnacle of each company’s efforts and are locked in fierce competition to determine the current leader. The Galaxy S23 Ultra has already established itself as the benchmark for 2023 and has received great feedback. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which hit the shelves last autumn, has become quite a favorite among fans. To assist you in making a decision between them, I’ve crafted this comparison review focusing on key areas like design, performance, and overall value.
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Design
iPhone 14 Pro Max
The iPhone 14 Pro Max continues to epitomize the term “premium” when associated with smartphone design and is no doubt one of the best put-together phones in the market today. Apple’s use of high-end materials such as stainless steel for its frame and high-impact-resistant ceramic shield glass on the front and back are all seamlessly put together under the company’s very high standards of quality.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max is not only a premium device, but it also has a design that’s quite appealing to the eyes. This really has to be one of the most refined form factors in the smartphone game today. The completely flat frame melded into the completely flat front and back panels gives this phone a very unique clean industrial look, and it’s something you could also feel as soon as you get the phone into your hands. The faucet glass gives off a nice sheen, especially off the light, and the subtle Apple logo being the only thing on the back again gives the iPhone 14 Pro Max a classy look.
Turn the phone over, and you’re greeted with a very large 6.7-inch display that’s almost all screen. As a first, this phone has Apple’s new pill cut out at the top, as opposed to the notorious Notch that the company has implemented way longer than everyone else, and overall, I will say that I still like the design of the iPhone 14 Pro Max. It’s seriously like the Lexus of phones. It’s super well put together with high-end materials, and you know it’s going to be able to last you a very long time since you wanted to.
But I’d be remiss if I didn’t call out this design to be pretty stale at this point. Apple has used this blueprint since DIY 12, and even though it is nice, it is getting to be quite familiar. Moreover, I’ve been pretty transparent about the iPhone 14 Pro Max not being the most comfortable phone to use. The phone is very wide and noticeably heavier than the competition, and when you factor in the frame that’s completely flat, it’s actually harder to grip, and you do start to get fatigued.
Galaxy S23 ultra
After extended periods of time, what’s ironic is that even though the Galaxy S23 Ultra is technically wider and taller than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the speaker finds that phone way more comfortable to hold and use. The slight roundness of the phone’s edges and frame gives users more of an ergonomic grip that isn’t as taxing, and the S23 Ultra is noticeably lighter in weight. The sides of the frame are slightly more flat than previous iterations, which provides a bit more of a refined look than before while still making the phone comfortable to hold and operate.
The S23 Ultra continues to flaunt its relatively newly adopted Galaxy Note Locus and maintains the bold design language represented best with its squared-off frame and completely flat top and bottom nestled inside the bottom portion of the frame. With this being the Ultra, you have the nicely built-in S Pen, which is really convenient. The display is also slightly flatter than previous iterations, with a bit of a curve to maintain a certain amount of that Infinity effect, but it’s not nearly as aggressive as it was in the past.
You also get a matte finish on the back that’s dotted with an array of cameras and sensors in this free-floating fashion. The speaker personally likes the very minimalist aesthetic, but can understand folks who may criticize the look as bland. The lack of a camera housing and a faded logo almost makes it look like the back of the S23 Ultra is incomplete. All to say, when talking about design for both phones, the speaker gives the win to the S23 Ultra.
In all fairness, with everything this phone has, there is a higher chance of screwing up how it all comes together, and it’s not like Samsung took a safe route. This is a very bold, unapologetic look that’s unlike any other, and to the speaker, they nailed it out of the park. It’s aggressive, sleek, and refined all at the same time while still being hyper-functional and comfortable to use.
Display
Both the Samsung s23 ultra and the Apple iPhone 14 pro Max have large displays that cover almost the entire front of the phone, with the s23 ultra being slightly larger.
iPhone 14 Pro Max
The iPhone 14 Pro Max features a super retina XDR OLED panel, while Samsung employs its Dynamic AMOLED display. Though it might be hard to notice without close inspection, the S23 Ultra boasts a slightly higher resolution. Both screens excel in displaying content offering sharp visuals and impressive brightness and contrast courtesy of their OLED technology. They also support high refresh rates, reaching up to 120 hertz, ensuring smooth navigation through the user interface. However, some users might favor the iPhone’s ProMotion technology, which delivers an exceptionally smooth experience, likely due to the overall fluidity of iOS.
Galaxy S23 Ultra
The S23 Ultra and the iPhone 14 Pro Max both have impressive displays, but they excel in different ways. The S23 Ultra has a more immersive display with a slight curve and a single hole-punch cutout at the top. In contrast, the iPhone 14 Pro Max has a pill-shaped cutout, which is not as clean as Samsung’s.
However, the iPhone 14 Pro Max has a unique display feature called Dynamic Island, which enhances the overall user experience. While some may criticize Dynamic Island, the addition is a well-thought-out way to leverage the software’s capabilities with the display.
When it comes to just viewing content, the S23 Ultra is the winner. It is perfect for consuming multimedia, thanks to its immersive display. However, when it comes to actually using and interacting with the display, the 14 Pro Max is the preferred option. So, it really depends on your usage preferences, but both displays are impressive and offer unique features.
Performance
Now, as expected, both phones are equipped with top-end processors with a bit of a unique flair.
Galaxy S23 Ultra
The S23 Ultra uses Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor that, yes, is third-party, but there is some slight customization to the chips specifically for the Galaxy.
iPhone 14 Pro Max
Apple takes this direction to the extreme as it uses a completely in-house processor with its latest A16 Bionic, which does give an edge to Apple when it comes to efficiency and optimization.
Day to Day Use
Now, when it comes to day-to-day use, both the S23 Ultra and the 14 Pro Max perform really well. Navigating around each respective OS is smooth and lag-free, and both can easily support some power-hungry features.
Galaxy S23 Ultra
The S23 Ultra has probably the best in-display fingerprint reader on any phone right now that’s super fast and accurate. It also has a near-latency-free S Pen user experience. It’s seriously pretty impressive.
iPhone 14 Pro Max
Now, the iPhone 14 Pro Max flexes its own muscles with features like Face ID, still to me, the most sophisticated biometric security system on any phone. And I mentioned this earlier, but the seamless integration of Dynamic Island and all the features it brings to the iOS experience is something that needs to be recognized. So, both phones perform very well.
Battery life.
There is one category of performance that tips the S23 Ultra into the win category, and that’s battery life.
Galaxy S23 Ultra
It may be because of the optimization of the Snapdragon HN2 or something else, but whatever it is, Samsung has made this phone into an absolute beast when it comes to screen-on time. I can now easily get around a day and a half of moderate use so long as I start the day at full charge. The last time I was getting this level of battery life was with my iPhone 13 Pro Max.
iPhone 14 Pro Max
Let’s get to the question, shouldn’t the 14 Pro Max deliver the same if not better battery life than the phone before it? And I gotta be honest, I don’t know if it’s just the unit that I have or if it’s because of the new software features that are more power demanding. I’m just not getting as much screen-on time like I did with last year’s version. It’s not to say that the battery life is bad, I could still get through a full day without any issues, but if I leave it unplugged overnight, it’ll be in pretty bad shape come the morning. Again, it could just be that I have a lemon, others seem to be fine with the battery life on the 14 Pro Max, but based on my experience between the two, the S23 Ultra definitely takes the win here.
Camera
But let’s get into the most important area of performance when talking about any smartphone, and that of course is camera quality. Now, when it comes to the sheer volume of cameras, it’s another win.
Galaxy S23 Ultra
For the S23 Ultra, it has a total of five cameras, one more over the iPhones. This also gives the phone better range when it comes to focal lengths, as it has both the three times and 10 times optical zoom option. And it also boasts a pretty insane 200-megapixel main sensor and the ability to shoot 8K video. The spec sheet is pretty stacked here on the S23 Ultra.
iPhone 14 Pro Max
Apple did step it up with the 14 Pro Max as the main sensor on the back is equipped with a larger 48-megapixel sensor and better stabilization. But it’s important to remember that specs aren’t everything, especially in the world of smartphone cameras. The majority of the end product when it comes to image quality is going to come down to software-based image processing.
When comparing pictures between the S23 Ultra and the 14 Pro Max, it’s really going to come down to preference as both do very well. Pictures come out sharp and detailed and both have their own respective computational photography tricks that help provide a more pleasing image even in tough environments. The images coming out of the S23 Ultra are off the bat going to be more pleasing to most consumers; they’re a bit punchier when it comes to saturation and honestly, a lot more flattering, especially with their selfies. Samsung also manages dynamic range really well, and you get a really strong final product with the S23 Ultra’s cameras.
However, Samsung sometimes overdoes it with the processing, especially with its saturation settings and sharpening. It can come off borderline artificial, so those wanting a more natural look will likely prefer what’s coming out of the iPhone.
Now I gotta say, this is a pretty big improvement for Samsung. They’ve made some noticeable gains here and I’m happy to say that those gains extend into the video quality as well. The footage is significantly sharper and manages colors really well. The stabilization is fantastic and both the 4K and 8K options look really good.
Now, is that at the same level of the iPhone? No, I’m just gonna keep it real. It’s gotta be said, the 4K video coming out of the iPhone is still class-leading and still by a pretty good margin. The way Apple is able to manage sharpness, colors, and stabilization still seems to be a to be that they’ve only mastered and the 14 Pro Max is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to video.
So at the end of the day, if your main focus is still image quality, the S23 Ultra takes the win with its more robust camera suite and more flattering image processing. But if video is your primary focus, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is the clear winner as it maintains the crown. It’s pretty incredible how well it performs.
Which One Is Better?
When it comes to the Galaxy S23 Ultra and the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which phone is ultimately better? And you may not agree with me here, but I think it’s pretty clear: it’s the Galaxy S23 Ultra. I mean, you’ve got to give respect where respect is due, and Samsung made a near-flawless device this year. It’s by far one of the most feature-rich smartphones you can get today, and what I really like about the S23 Ultra is that its main improvements are in the areas that matter the most. The gains it was able to make with its battery life and camera may not sound like a big deal, but these improvements make for a noticeably better user experience.
Now, I still very much like and enjoy using my iPhone 14 Pro Max. It’s a great phone that is still no doubt one of the best options you can go with at this time. But the form factor is getting old, and it’s just not as fun to use as the S23 Ultra.
I want to know what you guys think. Which phone do you guys think is better, the Galaxy S23 Ultra or the iPhone 14 Pro Max? Curious to get your thoughts, let me know what you guys are thinking in the comments down below.
