Head to head
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 17 Pro Max leads 7 to 3 on the 10 rankable specs and costs $100 less, which makes it the straightforward pick.
Catalog as of September 1, 2026
Why, in numbers
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Compare a different phone
Google Pixel 8a$499OnePlus 12$799iPhone 16$799Google Pixel 9$799Samsung Galaxy S24$799Samsung Galaxy S25$799iPhone 17$799ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra$899iPhone 16 Plus$899OnePlus 13$899iPhone 16 Pro$999Google Pixel 9 Pro$999Samsung Galaxy S24+$999Samsung Galaxy S25+$999iPhone 17 Pro$999iPhone Air$999Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6$1,099Google Pixel 9 Pro XL$1,099iPhone 16 Pro Max$1,199Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra$1,299Xiaomi 14 Ultra$1,399OnePlus Open$1,699Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold$1,799Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6$1,899Buying for
Your devices
Straight answer
Overall: 3 to 7
Buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
- Leads 7 of 10 rankable overall specs; Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra takes 3.
- Weight: 231 g vs 232 g
- Size: 6.9 inches vs 6.8 inches
- It is also $100 cheaper.
Deal-breakers
tick what would make you walk away
- Clear:Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra · S Pen (integrated, IP68)Trips:iPhone 17 Pro Max · No
- Trips:Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra · NoTrips:iPhone 17 Pro Max · No
- Trips:Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra · NoTrips:iPhone 17 Pro Max · No
- Trips:Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra · NoTrips:iPhone 17 Pro Max · No
At a glance
The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.
Weight
Samsung
232 g
Apple
231 g (8.15 oz)
Size
Samsung
6.8 inches
Apple
6.9 inches
Chipset≠
Samsung
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4 nm)
Apple
Apple A19 Pro (3 nm)
RAMsame
Samsung
12 GB
Apple
12 GB
Max optical zoom≠
Samsung
5x optical (10x lossless / 100x digital)
Apple
5x optical zoom (up to 25x digital zoom)
Capacity
Samsung
5,000 mAh
Apple
4,850 mAh
True 3-Year Cost of Ownership (TCO)
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
iPhone 17 Pro Max
Pocket, Palm & Desk Usability Check
One-handed reachability, pocket weight, and table wobble when typing without a case.
One-Handed Palm Reach
6.8" display with 79.0mm wide squared edges (stretches palms)
Standard smartphone width
Desk Typing Table Wobble
Individual camera lens rings cause corner wobble on flat tables
Corner camera bump causes minor wobble
Pocket Weight & Heft
232g (substantial titanium brick)
Standard phone weight
The 90-Day Owner Regret Check
Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.
Samsung: What to watch for
- Ergonomics
Sharp 90-degree squared corners dig aggressively into palms.
- Hardware Quirk
Anti-reflective Gorilla Armor glass smudges easily with skin oils.
Apple: What to watch for
- Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
Body
leads 1-0| Dimensions | 162.3 × 79.0 × 8.6 mm | 163.4 × 78.0 × 8.75 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 232 g | 231 g (8.15 oz) (wins this row: lower) |
| Build | Gorilla Armor front and back, titanium frame | Grade 5 Titanium frame with textured matte glass back |
| Water / dust rating | IP68 (1.5 m / 30 min) | IP68 (up to 6m for 30 mins) |
| Colors | Titanium Black, Gray, Violet, Yellow (plus exclusives) | Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium |
| Stylus | S Pen (integrated, IP68) | No |
Display
leads 3-1| Type | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, flat | Super Retina XDR OLED with ProMotion |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.8 inches | 6.9 inches (wins this row: higher) |
| Resolution | 1440 × 3120 (QHD+) | 2868 × 1320 (wins this row: higher) |
| Pixel density | ~505 ppi (wins this row: higher) | 460 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 1–120 Hz LTPO | 120 Hz (1–120Hz ProMotion) |
| Peak brightness | 2,600 nits peak | 3,000 nits outdoor peak / 1,000 nits typical (wins this row: higher) |
| HDR | HDR10+ | HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Armor, anti-reflective | Ceramic Shield (latest generation) |
| Always-on display | Yes | Yes (Always-on display) |
Platform
5 differences| Operating system | Android 14, One UI 6.1 (upgradable) | iOS 19 |
|---|---|---|
| Software support | 7 major OS versions + 7 years security | 5+ years estimated (typically 6-7 years) |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4 nm) | Apple A19 Pro (3 nm) |
| CPU | 8-core (1× Cortex-X4 + 5× A720 + 2× A520) | 6-core CPU (2 performance + 4 efficiency) |
| GPU | Adreno 750 | 6-core Apple GPU with hardware ray tracing |
Memory
2 differences| RAM | 12 GB | 12 GB |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 256 GB UFS 4.0 | 256 GB |
| Storage options | 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB |
| microSD | No | No |
Rear camera
leads 2-1| Main | 200 MP, f/1.7, 24 mm, 1/1.3", OIS, multi-direction PDAF (wins this row: higher) | 48 MP Fusion (f/1.78, 24mm, second-gen sensor-shift OIS, 100% Focus Pixels) |
|---|---|---|
| Ultrawide | 12 MP, f/2.2, 13 mm, 120° | 48 MP (f/2.2, 13mm, 120° FOV, hybrid Focus Pixels) (wins this row: higher) |
| Telephoto | 10 MP 3x + 50 MP 5x periscope (both OIS) | 48 MP 5x Telephoto (f/2.8, 120mm, tetraprism, 3D sensor-shift OIS) (wins this row: higher) |
| Max optical zoom | 5x optical (10x lossless / 100x digital) | 5x optical zoom (up to 25x digital zoom) |
| Stabilization | OIS on main and both telephotos | 3D sensor-shift OIS on main and 5x telephoto cameras |
| Video | 8K 30 fps, 4K 120 fps, HDR10+ | 4K at 24/25/30/60/120 fps Dolby Vision HDR, ProRes LOG, Spatial Video |
Front camera
leads 1-0| Selfie camera | 12 MP, f/2.2, punch-hole | 24 MP TrueDepth with Center Stage (f/1.9, autofocus) (wins this row: higher) |
|---|---|---|
| Selfie video | 4K 60 fps | 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps Dolby Vision HDR |
Battery & charging
leads 1-0| Capacity | 5,000 mAh (wins this row: higher) | 4,850 mAh |
|---|---|---|
| Wired chargingNot on the official sheet | 45 W (charger sold separately) | Fast charging up to 50% in 30 min (supports 30W+ peak charging) |
| Wireless charging | 15 W Qi / Fast Wireless | 25W MagSafe / 15W Qi2 |
| Reverse wireless | 4.5 W Wireless PowerShare | 4.5W reverse wired charging via USB-C |
| Charger in box | No | No |
Audio
1 differences| Speakers | Stereo tuned by AKG | Stereo speakers with Spatial Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Headphone jack | No | No |
Connectivity
6 differences| Cellular | 5G (sub-6 + mmWave, region-dependent) | 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave in US) |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 with Apple N1 wireless chip |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| NFC | Yes (Samsung Pay / Google Wallet) | Yes (Apple Pay with Express Cards) |
| USB | USB-C 3.2 | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps, DisplayPort out) |
| SIM | Dual nano-SIM + eSIM (region-dependent) | Dual eSIM (US model, no physical SIM tray) |
Features
3 differences| Biometrics | Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint + face unlock | Face ID (TrueDepth camera) |
|---|---|---|
| Extra controls | S Pen button, programmable side key | Action Button, Camera Control button with tactile force sensor |
| Standout features | S Pen, Samsung DeX, Galaxy AI, Vision Booster | Apple Intelligence, Camera Control button, Action button, Apple N1 wireless chip, Second-gen UWB, Dynamic Island, Satellite Emergency SOS |
Which one should you buy
Pick this one if
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Android flagship with S Pen, 200MP camera, 6.8-inch QHD+ AMOLED, and seven years of OS updates.
- S Pen built in
- 200MP main + 5x periscope telephoto
- 7 years of OS and security updates
What you give up
- Larger and heavier than iPhone 16 Pro
- No charger in the box
- Flat 6.8-inch body is harder one-handed
Pick this one if
iPhone 17 Pro Max
6.9-inch flagship iPhone powered by A19 Pro chip, 48MP triple camera system with 5x optical zoom, ProMotion 120Hz, and Apple N1 wireless chip.
- A19 Pro chip with class-leading single-core and GPU compute
- All-48MP triple rear camera array with 5x optical zoom and 24MP Center Stage front camera
- Exceptional battery life up to 35 hours video playback
What you give up
- Premium starting price ($1,199)
- Large 6.9-inch frame requires two hands for most tasks
Best for each use
Photos
For photos, buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Battery & updates
Too close to call on battery & updates from the spec sheets. Only capacity is rankable here.
Games & video
For games & video, buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Done deciding?
Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.
Manufacturer pages: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra ↗ · iPhone 17 Pro Max ↗
Common questions
Which is cheaper, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra or the iPhone 17 Pro Max?
iPhone 17 Pro Max costs $100 less at list price.
What is the biggest catch with the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra or iPhone 17 Pro Max?
iPhone 17 Pro Max has this deal-breaker: no stylus. No pen input for handwritten notes or markup.
Which is better for photos, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra or the iPhone 17 Pro Max?
For photos, buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Leads 3 of 4 rankable photos specs; Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra takes 1. Ultrawide: 48 MP vs 12 MP, f/2.2, 13 mm, 120°
What cannot be compared from spec sheets?
Of the 48 specs tracked here, 38 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.