Which smartphone to purchase this 2024? That may be a hard question to ask as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is already here, giving the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max a challenge in what both flagship devices have to offer, especially with the feature-packed presentation from the South Korean tech giant.
In this faceoff, the spec sheet of both devices will give users an idea of which is the superior and ultimate smartphone to own during this time.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. Apple's iPhone 15 Pro Max
Samsung
After the renowned Galaxy Unpacked event, many were astounded by Samsung's showcase of its flagship smartphone, offering significant upgrades compared to last year, including a slur of AI features.
However, right before the event, there was news regarding Apple surpassing Samsung for the first time, in terms of global smartphone sales. This may mean a lot, especially on trust for iPhones, in a more general sense.
Design & Display
Design is a massive factor in buying a device, especially if it looks good and pleasing to the eyes, apart from the smaller details present.
The S24 Ultra features Titanium on its body which makes it lighter at 233 grams, but features a 6.8-inch QHD+Dynamic AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, a new flat display, and a curved, sleek body.
In comparison to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, it also features a flat display with a curved body, using Titanium that weighs only 221 grams, with a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with 120Hz Pro Motion.
Both feature impressive designs & display, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max captures the weight reduction win. Still, the S24 Ultra captures the win on display specs, bringing this category to a tie.
In terms of camera specs, S24 Ultra's rear camera offers an impressive set of lenses, offering 200MP main and wide camera, 12MP Ultrawide, 50MP 5x telephoto, and 10MP 3x telephoto, alongside its 12MP front camera.
On the other hand, the iPhone 15 Pro Max brings a 48MP main and wide camera, 12MP Ultrawide, and 12MP 5x telephoto, alongside a LiDAR scanner and 12MP TrueDepth front camera.
In terms of what it offers, features, and lens capabilities, Samsung takes the win, especially with its Galaxy AI offers.
Performance
Apple
In terms of performance and chips, Samsung relies on a third-party manufacturer, Qualcomm, to deliver the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 mobile chipset, best known for its use of TSMC's 4nm process. It is specifically designed for Galaxy and boasts of 30 percent more power and 20 percent better power management.
Apple's renowned A17 Pro chip from TSMC uses the first-ever 3nm process for smartphones, centering on a six-core GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and the 16-core Neural Engine that brings improved gaming and camera processing.
Both are tied in this category as Apple takes the edge on chip performance, but Samsung is better with regards to power management and smartphone longevity.
Battery
Apple offers a 4,441 mAh power cell, in contrast to Samsung's 5,000 mAh battery equipped on its S24 Ultra. Moreover, Samsung allows a higher power rating for charging with its 45W charger, in contrast to Apple's 20 to 30W on wired, but both feature 15W for the Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 (Samsung) and MagSafe/Qi2 wireless (Apple).
Samsung takes the edge in its battery and charging in this category.
Special Features
Samsung's top feature in the S24 Ultra's release is its Galaxy AI, featuring onboard Mobile AI on the native apps, alongside Super HDR also powered by its AI, and the partnership with Google Cloud.
Apple's iPhone 15 Pro Max centers on its improvements for its Camera, USB-C (3), ray tracing and Neural Engine performance, dedicated Action Button, and the iconic Emergency SOS via satellite.
In this category, it is also a tie, as both flagships offer unique features, with AI being the game changer for Samsung, but for a more "raw" feel, Apple skips on obvious AI assistance.
Overall, Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra trumps the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and that is understandable as it is released later, improving in some aspects that left the Apple smartphone behind, especially with AI and battery.
