Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB)
Side by side comparison between Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra phones, differences, pros, cons and full specifications. What's the better?
,
6.9"
OLED
OLED
1320x2868
48
MP
MP
12mp
8GB
RAM
RAM
Hexa-core
4685
mAh
mAh
(Non removable)
vs
6.8"
AMOLED
AMOLED
1440x3088
200
MP
MP
12mp
12GB
RAM
RAM
Octa-core
5000
mAh
mAh
(Non removable)
What's the better phone? Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB)
The phonemore's choice is much more technical than personal. Therefore, you shouldn't only consider this. Our goal is to help you, but what's important to us may not be important to you. You decide which one is the best! Comment!
14 Advantages 
11 Advantages | 35 Common items in both devices |
| 256GB (230GB available) / 256GB (218GB available) |
| Super Retina XDR OLED / Dynamic AMOLED |
| Dolby Vision/HDR10 / HDR10+ |
| 120Hz |
| Digital and optical zoom |
| PDAF: phase detection autofocus on both cameras |
| BSI sensor |
| +28 specs and more in the table below |
Check the comparison table below for more items that are not evaluated in comparison score above.
Highlight differences Clear highlight📱 Model features | ||
| iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| Model | iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) |
| Other model names | iPhone 16 Pro Max (A3296, A3084, A3295, A3297) | Galaxy S23 Ultra 5G (SM-S918B/Dual-SIM) |
| Country or region available |  (Global, International) | (Global, International) |
| Brand | Apple | Samsung |
| Release date | 9/20/2024, Announced: 9/9/2024 | 2/17/2023, Announced: 2/1/2023 |
| Depth | 8.25 millimeters (0.32 inches) | 8.9 millimeters (0.35 inches) |
| Size (width x height) | 77.6 x 163 millimeters (3.06 x 6.42 in) | 78.1 x 163.4 millimeters (3.07 x 6.43 in) |
| Weight | 227 grams (7.95 ounces) | 234 grams (8.19 ounces) |
| Build, materials | Titanium frame, glass front and back | Aluminum frame, glass front/back Back: Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Protection against water and others | IP68 certified: water-resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30min and dust-resistant | IP68 certified: water-resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30min and dust-resistant |
📲 Display | ||
| iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| Display type | Super Retina XDR OLED | Dynamic AMOLED |
| Screen size | 6.9" inches | 6.8" inches |
| Screen-to-body ratio | ~92.2% (screen-to-body ratio) | ~89.5% (screen-to-body ratio) |
| Display resolution | 1320x2868 pixels (19.5:9) | 1440x3088 pixels |
| Touchscreen | Capacitive Multitouch 10-points | Capacitive Multitouch 10-points |
| Pixel density (dot pitch) | 458 PPI | 501 PPI |
| Colors | 1 billion | 16 million |
| Scratch-resistant glass | Ceramic Shield | Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| Display features | 1000nits[typ], 2000nits[peak] Dolby Vision/HDR10 Always-On Display Oleophobic coating screen True-tone Wide color gamut | 1750nits[peak] HDR10+ Always-On Display |
🤖 Operating System | ||
| iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| System version | iOS 18 | Android 13 |
| Firmware update | feature not registered | Android 15 |
| User Interface | feature not registered | One UI 5.1 / 6.0 / 7.0 |
⚙️ Processor | ||
| iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| Chipset | 64bit: Apple A18 Pro (3nm) | 64bit: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (SM8550-AC) (4nm) |
| CPU | Hexa-core, 2 processors: 2x 4.04GHz P-Core (Dual-core) 4x 2.1GHz E-Core (Quad-core) | Octa-core, 4 processors: 1x 3.36GHz ARM Cortex-X3 (Single-core) 2x 2.8GHz ARM Cortex-A710 (Dual-core) 2x 2.8GHz ARM Cortex-A715 (Dual-core) 3x 2GHz ARM Cortex-A510 (Triple-core) |
| GPU graphical controller | A18 Pro GPU (6-core) | Qualcomm Adreno 740 |
| Performance (benchmark) | AnTuTu: 1735427 (v10) Geekbench: 8218 (v6.0) | AnTuTu: 1241613 (v9) Geekbench: 4927 (v5.1) GFXBench: 67fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
💽 Memory and storage | ||
| iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| RAM memory | 8GB LPDDR5X | 12GB LPDDR5X |
| Internal storage | 256GB (230GB available) NVMe (SSD) | 256GB (218GB available) UFS 4.0 |
| External storage | Not supported | Not supported |
📶 Mobile networks | ||
| iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| Dual-SIM | Dual-SIM Standby - Call active on one sim card | Dual-SIM Standby - Call active on one sim card |
| SIM card | 1 slot (Single-SIM) nano-SIM (4FF) + e-SIM | 2 slots (Dual-SIM) nano-SIM (4FF) + e-SIM |
| Maximum Download / Upload | 5000/1024 Mbps | 3000/1920 Mbps |
| Network technology | 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G | 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G |
| Frequency, bands | Expand band details Collapse details | |
| GSM MHz band | Quad-Band 850/900/1800/1900 | Quad-Band 850/900/1800/1900 |
| Primary 2G network | CDMA 800/1900, GSM 850/900/1800/1900 | CDMA 800/1900, GSM 850/900/1800/1900 |
| Primary 3G network | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100 | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100 |
| Primary 4G network | LTE Cat20 VoLTE A3296 (International): LTE (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 53, 66) TD-LTE (34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53) A3084 e-SIM only (USA): LTE (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 53, 66, 71) TD-LTE (34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53) A3295 (Canada, Mexico, EMEA): LTE (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 53, 66, 71 TD-LTE (34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53) A3297 No e-SIM (China): LTE (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 66) TD-LTE (34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48) | LTE Cat20 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 66, 71) TD-LTE (38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48) VoLTE |
| Primary 5G network | A3296 (International): SA/NSA/Sub6 (1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79) A3084 e-SIM only (USA): SA/NSA/Sub6 (1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79) mmWave (258, 260, 261) A3295 (Canada, Mexico, EMEA): SA/NSA/Sub6 (1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6) A3297 No e-SIM (China): SA/NSA/Sub6 (1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79) | SA/NSA/Sub6 (1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71) |
| Primary data network | GPRS, EDGE, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev 0, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev A, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, TD-LTE, LTE, LTE-A, SA/NSA, Sub6, mmWave | GPRS, EDGE, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev 0, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev A, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, TD-LTE, LTE, LTE-A, SA/NSA, Sub6 |
| Secondary 2G network | Not supported | GSM 850/900/1800/1900 |
| Secondary 3G network | Not supported | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100 |
| Secondary 4G network | Not supported | LTE Cat20 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 66, 71) TD-LTE (38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48) VoLTE |
| Secondary data network | Not supported | GPRS, EDGE, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev 0, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev A, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, TD-LTE, LTE, LTE-A, SA/NSA, Sub6 |
📷 Camera | ||
| iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| Back camera (main camera) | (quad camera) 48 megapixels 48MP ultrawide f/2.213mm0.7µmPDAF 12MP periscope telephoto f/2.8120mm1/3.06"1.12µmPDAFOIS5x-optical-zoom 0.3MP TOF 3D LiDAR-scanner | (quad camera) 200 megapixels 10MP periscope telephoto f/4.9230mm1/3.52"1.12µmPDAFOIS10x-optical-zoom 10MP telephoto f/2.470mm1/3.52"1.12µmPDAFOIS3x-optical-zoom 12MP ultrawide f/2.213mm120°1/2.55"1.4µmPDAFSuper-Steady |
| Main camera resolution | 8000x6000 pixels | 20000x10000 pixels |
| Video recording (primary) | 4K UHD (3840x2160) 60 fps | 8K UHD (7680x4320) 30 fps |
| Flash | Dual-LED flash | LED flash |
| Focal aperture | f/1.8 (aperture) | f/1.7 (aperture) |
| Focal length | 24mm (lens) | 24mm (lens) |
| Sensor size | 1/1.28" inches | 1/1.3" inches |
| Pixel size | 1.22µm pixel | 0.6µm pixel |
| Autofocus | PDAF: phase detection autofocus on both cameras | PDAF: phase detection autofocus on both cameras |
| Touch focus | Supported | Supported |
| Image stabilization | OIS: Optical stabilization on both cameras | OIS: Optical stabilization |
| Zoom | Digital and optical zoom | Digital and optical zoom |
| Face/smile detection | Face detection, Smile detection | Face detection, Smile detection |
| BSI sensor | Supported | Supported |
| HDR | HDR photo/video on both cameras | HDR photo/video on both cameras |
| Camera extras | 4K@24/25/30/60/120fps 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps Dolby Vision HDR (60fps) 10-bit HDR ProRes RAW Cinematic mode | 8K@24/30fps 4K@30/60fps 1080p@30/60fps 1080p@240/960fps (slow motion) HDR10+ |
📸 Front camera | ||
| iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| Front camera (secondary) | (dual front camera) 12 megapixels 0.3MP SL 3D | 12 megapixels |
| Front camera resolution | 4000x3000 pixels | 4000x3000 pixels |
| Video recording (secondary) | 4K UHD (3840x2160) | 4K UHD (3840x2160) |
| Front flash | Not supported | Not supported |
| Focal aperture | f/1.9 (aperture) | f/2.2 (aperture) |
| Focal length | 23mm (lens) | 26mm (lens) |
| Sensor size | 1/3.6" inches | feature not registered |
| Pixel size | feature not registered | feature not registered |
🔉 Sound and multimedia | ||
| iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| Loudspeaker | Stereo sound Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio 3D | Stereo sound 32-bit/384kHz Dolby Atmos Tuned by AKG |
| Active noise cancellation | 3 microphones | 3 microphones |
| Radio | Not supported | Not supported |
| TV | Not supported | Not supported |
| Video formats | MP4, H.265, H.264, H.263, XviD, MKV | MP4, H.265, H.264, H.263, XviD, MKV |
| Audio formats | MP3, WAV, WMA, eAAC+, FLAC | MP3, WAV, WMA, eAAC+, FLAC |
🔌 Connectivity | ||
| iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| USB | USB 3.2 Type-C reversible connector | USB 3.2 Type-C, USB OTG On-The-Go |
| Audio output | Type-C reversible connector | Type-C reversible connector |
| TV output | USB Type-C (reversible) | USB Type-C (reversible) |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 + A2DP/LE | 5.3 + A2DP/LE |
| WiFi | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be [wifi7/6E/6] (2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz) + MIMO WiFi hotspot | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax [wifi6E/6] (2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz) + MIMO WiFi Direct, hotspot |
| DLNA | Not supported | Supported |
| GPS | A-GPS, GeoTagging, GLONASS, GALILEO, BeiDou, QZSS, NavIC | A-GPS, GeoTagging, GLONASS, GALILEO, BeiDou |
| NFC | Supported | Supported |
| Infrared port | Not supported | Not supported |
🧭 Sensors | ||
| iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| Sensors | Accelerometer Ambient light sensor Barometer Compass Face unlock Gyroscope Proximity sensor UWB (Ultra Wideband) | Accelerometer Ambient light sensor Barometer Compass Face unlock Fingerprint sensor (under display) Gyroscope Hall effect Proximity sensor UWB (Ultra Wideband) |
| Vibrating alert | Supported | Supported |
🔋 Battery | ||
| iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| Battery type | Li-Ion: lithium-ion (Non removable) | Li-Ion: lithium-ion (Non removable) |
| Battery capacity | 4685 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Charger, watts | 30W Wired fast charging 4.5W Reverse charging by cable USB Power Delivery 2.0 | 45W Wired fast charging Reverse charging by cable USB Power Delivery 3.0 |
| Inductive / wireless charging | 25W Qi wireless charging | 15W Qi wireless charging (Qi/PMA) 4.5W Reverse wireless charging |
| Talk time autonomy | feature not registered | feature not registered |
| Standby | feature not registered | feature not registered |
➕ Other features | ||
| iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| Call control | Voice dialing, Voice recorder, Voice commands | Voice dialing, Voice recorder, Voice commands |
| Messaging | SMS (T9), MMS, E-mail, Push mail | SMS (T9), MMS, E-mail, Push mail |
| Hands-free calling | Supported | Supported |
| Video calling | Supported | Supported |
| Ringtones | Polyphonic and customized | Polyphonic and customized |
| Web browser | HTML, XHTML, HTML5 | HTML, XHTML, HTML5 |
| Antenna | Internal antenna | Internal antenna |
| Qwerty physical keyboard | Not supported | Not supported |
| Miscellaneous | • Colors: Black titanium, White titanium, Blue titanium, Natural titanium • Apple Intelligence • Apple Pay • Face ID • MagSafe | • Colors: Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red • Samsung DeX • Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard) • S Pen (Stylus Pen): Bluetooth 2.8ms latency |
☢️ Radiation rate | ||
| iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | Galaxy S23 Ultra (SM-S918B/DS 256GB/12GB) | |
| SAR 1.6W/kg (USA, Mexico, etc.) | feature not registered | 0.98W/kg (head), 1.1W/kg (body) |
| SAR 2W/kg (Europe, UK, etc.) | feature not registered | 0.963W/kg (head), 1.398W/kg (body) |