Apple has just taken the wraps off a host of new tech at its September launch event on Monday, including a new watch, AirPods and iPhone 16 range. The biggest phone in the bunch remains the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which will be going toe-to-massive-toe with Samsung's biggest flagship, the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Both phones have a lot to offer to those of you who love sizable devices, but how do the two compare on paper? Let's take a look at the specs.
Starting with the obvious part; the screen. Apple crept ahead here (assuming you think bigger is better, that is) upping its iPhone 16 Pro Max to 6.9 inches, over last year's 6.7 inches. At 6.8 inches, the S24 Ultra is ever so slightly smaller than Apple's phone, but I can't imagine you'd ever notice that 0.01-inch difference. The S24 Ultra does have a higher pixel density (501ppi vs. 460ppi) but we'll have to wait to see how they actually compare in use when we can put the two side by side.
Samsung's phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, while Apple's phone runs on its own in-house silicon. In this case, a brand-new A18 Pro chip, which Apple promises will deliver better power efficiency and performance for gaming and AI. Given that the iPhone's consistently dominate benchmarks -- especially graphics ones -- it's fair to assume that the new chip will be a powerhouse. But it'll certainly be interesting to see how the scores stack up.
Turning to the rear cameras, the iPhone packs the usual trinity of main, ultrawide and 5x telephoto zoom lens, while the S24 Ultra hits back with its main, ultrawide, and 3x and 5x telephoto zooms. On paper, Samsung's phone should be the ultimate photography powerhouse -- especially with its whopping 200 megapixel main sensor -- but Apple's phones have always taken some of the best images around. The inclusion of ProRaw images and ProRes video -- including the new 4K slow motion shooting -- means that the iPhones will still be a top contender with enthusiastic photographers.
Beyond that, there's less to pick apart at this point. Both phones offer up to 1TB of storage, neither allows you to expand the storage and both use titanium in their designs, offering IP68 water resistance. How well the phones really compare remains to be seen in our full review.
| Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate, brightness | 6.9-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display; 2,868 x 1,320 pixel resolution | 6.8-inch AMOLED; 3,120x1,440 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate |
| Pixel density | 460 ppi | 501 ppi |
| Dimensions (inches) | 6.42 x 3.06 x 0.32 inches | 6.40 x 3.11 x 0.34 in. |
| Dimensions (millimeters) | 163 x 77.6 x 8.25mm | 163 x 79 x 8.6 mm |
| Weight (grams, ounces) | 227 g, 7.99oz | 233g (8.22 oz.) |
| Mobile software | iOS 18 | Android 14 |
| Camera | 48MP fusion camera, 48MP ultra-wide camera, 5X telephoto | 200-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto), 50-megapixel (5x telephoto) |
| Front-facing camera | 12MP TrueDepth camera | 12-megapixel |
| Video capture | 4K up to 120fps; spatial video at 1080p at 30fps | 8K |
| Processor | A18 Pro | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
| RAM/storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Expandable storage | No | No |
| Battery/charging speeds | Up to 33 hours video playback; up to 29 hours video playback (streamed). 20W wired charging. MagSafe wireless charging up to 25W with 30W adapter or higher; Qi2 up to 15W | 5,000 mAh |
| Fingerprint sensor | None (Face ID) | Under display |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C |
| Headphone jack | No | No |
| Special features | Apple Intelligence, Action Button, Camera Control button, 4x audio mics, Dynamic Island, 1 to 2000 nits display brightness range, IP68 resistance, titanium frame colors: Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium | Titanium frame, 2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dust resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; integrated S Pen; UWB for finding other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7; Gorilla Glass Armor cover glass |
| US price off-contract | $1,199 (256GB), $1,399 (512GB), $1,599 (1TB) | $1,300 (256GB) |
| UK price | £1,199 (256GB), £1,399 (512GB), £1,599 (1TB) | £1,249 (256GB) |
| Australia price | AU$2,149 (256GB), AU$2,499 (512GB), AU$2,849 (1TB) | AU$2,199 (256GB) |