Samsung Galaxy S24 (SM-S921B) / Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

Samsung Galaxy S24 (SM-S921B): Galaxy S24, global SM-S921B (8 GB / 128 GB, Nano-SIM + eSIM). The US SM-S921U uses a different processor; the Galaxy S24+ and S24 Ultra are separate models.

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.

SpecificationSamsung Galaxy S24 (SM-S921B)Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
Release year20242023
Model codeSM-S921B/DS; Nano-SIM + eSIM or dual eSIM Samsung—
Display6.2-inch (6.0-inch with rounded corners) Dynamic AMOLED 2X; 2340 × 1080 (FHD+); adaptive 1–120 Hz; Vision Booster

The adaptive refresh rate drops to 1 Hz on static content to save power; Vision Booster adjusts tone and contrast in bright light.

Samsung		6.7-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
Processor10 cores; 3.2 GHz, 2.9 GHz, 2.6 GHz and 1.95 GHz clusters

Samsung notes that the processor varies by market; the US SM-S921U does not use the same chip as this global model.

Samsung		—
Memory and storage8 GB RAM; 128 GB (about 103.9 GB available)

The series also has 256 and 512 GB and 12 GB RAM configurations; there is no microSD slot.

Samsung		—
Rear cameras50 MP wide (ƒ/1.8, OIS, 85°); 10 MP 3x telephoto (ƒ/2.4, 36°); 12 MP ultra-wide (ƒ/2.2, 120°)

3x optical zoom uses the separate telephoto lens; the 2x option crops the main sensor at optical quality, and digital zoom reaches 30x.

Samsung		48 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
Video8K (7680 × 4320) at 30 fps; slow motion at UHD 120 fps and FHD 240 fps Samsung4K 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, ƒ/2.2, 80° Samsung12 MP TrueDepth, ƒ/1.9, autofocus; Face ID Apple
Battery and charging4000 mAh typical (3880 mAh rated); about 50% in 30 minutes with a 25 W adapter and 3 A cable; Fast Wireless Charging 2.0; Wireless PowerShare

Wireless PowerShare lets the back of the phone wirelessly charge small devices such as a watch or earbud case. No adapter is included.

Samsung		Up 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
Rated battery lifeUp to 29 hours of video playback; rated for at least 2000 charge cycles; energy efficiency class A

The 2000-cycle figure comes from the EU label, which targets the battery keeping a set share of its capacity over that span.

Samsung		—
Connectivity5G; Wi-Fi 6E (2.4 + 5 + 6 GHz); Bluetooth 5.3; NFC; USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 1)

The 6 GHz band needs a Wi-Fi 6E router.

Samsung		—
Location and sensorsGPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS; accelerometer, barometer, fingerprint, gyro, geomagnetic, Hall, light and proximity sensors Samsung—
Operating systemShipped with Android 14 and One UI 6.1; seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates

Samsung’s UK page lists security updates for this model until 31 January 2031; timing can vary by market.

Samsung		—
DurabilityIP68 (up to 1.5 m of fresh water for up to 30 minutes) Samsung—
Size and weight147.0 × 70.6 × 7.6 mm; 167 g Samsung159.9 × 76.7 × 8.25 mm; 221 g Apple
ColoursOnyx Black, Marble Grey, Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow; extra online colours SamsungBlack Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium Apple
Brightness—1000 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
Chip—A17 Pro; 6-core CPU (2 performance + 4 efficiency), 6-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine Apple
Storage—256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB

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

Apple
USB-C—Charging, 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
Cellular and wireless—5G (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
SIM—US 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 button—Silent 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 materials—IP68 (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
Known software fix—iOS 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