Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max / Samsung Galaxy S23

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: iPhone 15 Pro Max; 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB storage. US models (A2848 and A2849 as listed) use eSIM only; models sold outside the US have a SIM tray. The iPhone 15 Pro is a separate, smaller model.

Samsung Galaxy S23: Galaxy S23 (2023); 8 GB RAM, 128 or 256 GB (options vary by market). The Galaxy S23+, S23 Ultra and S23 FE are separate models.

SpecificationApple iPhone 15 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23
Release year20232023
Display6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED; 2796 × 1290 pixels, 460 ppi; ProMotion up to 120 Hz; Always-On display; Dynamic Island

ProMotion changes the refresh rate with the content: it rises to 120 Hz for scrolling and drops on still images to save battery. The Always-On display shows the time and notifications dimmed while locked.

Apple		6.1-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X; 48–120 Hz Super Smooth refresh; 1750 nits; 240 Hz touch sampling in Game Mode

The refresh rate varies between 48 and 120 Hz depending on content. Vision Booster adjusts the picture to stay readable in bright light. The size is measured as a full rectangle; the visible area is smaller.

Samsung
Brightness1000 nits typical; 1600 nits peak (HDR); 2000 nits peak (outdoor)

2000 nits is a peak reached with automatic brightness in sunlight; manual brightness stays lower.

Apple		—
ChipA17 Pro; 6-core CPU (2 performance + 4 efficiency), 6-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine Apple—
Storage256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB

Storage cannot be expanded later. 4K 60 fps ProRes recording works only to external storage.

Apple		—
Rear cameras48 MP main (24 mm, ƒ/1.78, sensor-shift OIS); 12 MP ultra wide (13 mm, 120°); 12 MP 5x telephoto (120 mm, ƒ/2.8, tetraprism); up to 25x digital zoom

The tetraprism design folds light inside the body so a 120 mm focal length fits in the thin case. Values above 5x are digital zoom and lose detail.

Apple		50 MP Wide (F1.8, 85°), 12 MP Ultra Wide (F2.2, 120°), 10 MP Telephoto (3x optical, F2.4, 36°)

The telephoto gives 3x optical zoom; zoom beyond that is digital.

Samsung
Video4K at 24/25/30/60 fps; Dolby Vision HDR 4K at 60 fps; ProRes 4K at 60 fps with external recording; Log video; Cinematic mode 4K HDR at 30 fps; Action mode 2.8K at 60 fps; spatial video at 1080p 30 fps

Log recording gives a flat image for colour grading; Action mode reduces shake with software stabilisation and crops the image to 2.8K.

Apple		—
Front camera12 MP TrueDepth, ƒ/1.9, autofocus; Face ID Apple12 MP (F2.2, 80°) Samsung
USB-CCharging, DisplayPort and USB 3 (up to 10 Gb/s)

The 10 Gb/s speed needs a USB 3 capable cable; the charge cable in the box does not provide it. DisplayPort output can drive an external display at 4K HDR.

Apple		—
Battery and chargingUp to 29 hours of video playback; about 50% in 30 minutes with a 20 W or higher adapter; MagSafe 15 W, Qi2 15 W, Qi 7.5 W; lithium-ion battery

No power adapter is included. Qi2 support brings magnetic alignment to compatible chargers beyond MagSafe.

Apple		—
Cellular and wireless5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave); Wi-Fi 6E; Bluetooth 5.3; second-generation Ultra Wideband; Thread; NFC; precision dual-frequency GPS

Dual-frequency GPS uses two satellite frequencies together to reduce position drift between tall buildings. mmWave 5G works only on the US model and with carriers that offer it.

Apple		—
SIMUS model: dual eSIM, no physical SIM slot; models sold outside the US have a SIM tray

The phone can store eight or more eSIM profiles; two lines can be active at once.

Apple		—
Action buttonSilent mode, Focus, Camera, Flashlight, Voice Memo, Translate, Magnifier, Shortcut or Accessibility

It replaces the ring/silent switch of earlier models; pressing and holding runs the chosen function.

Apple		—
Durability and materialsIP68 (up to 6 metres for up to 30 minutes); titanium design, Ceramic Shield front, textured matte glass back

Water and dust resistance is not permanent and can decrease over time.

Apple		—
Size and weight159.9 × 76.7 × 8.25 mm; 221 g Apple70.9 × 146.3 × 7.6 mm; 168 g Samsung
Known software fixiOS 17.0.3: addressed an issue that may cause iPhone to run warmer than expected

Apple released this fix in October 2023; heat reports continued with later versions, see owner experiences.

Apple		—
ColoursBlack Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium Apple—
Cover glass—Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2

According to Samsung, the S23 series is the first S series to use Victus 2 glass.

Samsung
Processor—Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy

Samsung introduced this version as a Snapdragon optimised for Galaxy and exclusive to the S23 series at launch.

Samsung
Memory and storage—8 GB RAM; 128 GB or 256 GB

Usable space is lower because of preloaded software.

Samsung
Battery—3900 mAh (typical); rated minimum 3785 mAh

The typical value is the average from third-party lab tests; the rated value is the minimum capacity across battery samples.

Samsung
Charging—Wired: about 50% in around 30 minutes with a 25 W adapter and 3 A USB‑C cable; Fast Wireless Charging 2.0; Wireless PowerShare

The adapter is sold separately. Wired charging is compatible with QC2.0 and AFC. PowerShare needs the battery above 30% to charge another device.

Samsung
Operating system—Android 13 with One UI 5.1 at launch

Samsung promised four Android OS upgrades and five years of security updates for the S23 series; timing varies by model and market.

Samsung
Connectivity—5G, LTE, Wi‑Fi 6E, Wi‑Fi Direct, Bluetooth 5.3

Wi‑Fi 6E needs a router with 6 GHz support; availability varies by market and provider.

Samsung
Water resistance—IP68 (up to 1.5 m of fresh water for up to 30 minutes)

Samsung does not advise beach or pool use.

Samsung
Security—Samsung Knox and Knox Vault Samsung