Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max / Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max: iPhone 16 Pro Max (A3083/A3084); 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB. The iPhone 16 Pro (6.3-inch) and iPhone 17 Pro Max are separate models. US models are eSIM-only; models sold outside the US have a SIM tray.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: SM-S928B (international, Nano-SIM + eSIM); 12 GB RAM with 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB. The US model is SM-S928U. Titanium Gray, Black, Violet and Yellow; extra online colours. The Galaxy S25 Ultra and S23 Ultra are separate models.

SpecificationApple iPhone 16 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Release year20242024
Display6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED; 2868 × 1320, 460 ppi; ProMotion up to 120 Hz; Always-On

ProMotion varies the refresh rate with content: 120 Hz for smooth scrolling, lower rates on static screens to save battery. Because of the rounded corners, the screen measures 6.86 inches as a rectangle.

Apple		6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X; 3120 × 1440 (QHD+); 1–120 Hz adaptive; Vision Booster

The refresh rate drops as low as 1 Hz depending on content; Vision Booster adjusts tone and contrast in bright light to keep the screen readable.

Samsung
Brightness1000 nits typical, 1600 nits peak HDR, 2000 nits peak outdoor, 1 nit minimum; 2,000,000:1 contrast

The outdoor peak is used briefly in strong sunlight; the 1-nit minimum is meant to reduce eye strain in a dark room.

Apple		—
ProcessorA18 Pro; 6-core CPU (2 performance + 4 efficiency), 6-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine AppleSnapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy; eight cores, 3.39 / 3.1 / 2.9 / 2.2 GHz Samsung
Storage256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB

Storage cannot be expanded later; ProRes uses a lot of space, so 4K 120 fps ProRes recording requires external storage.

Apple		—
Rear cameras48 MP Fusion (24 mm, ƒ/1.78, 2nd-gen sensor-shift OIS); 48 MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, ƒ/2.2, 120°); 12 MP 5x Telephoto (120 mm, ƒ/2.8, tetraprism)

The 12 MP 2x view (48 mm) is cropped from the main sensor rather than a separate lens. The total optical zoom range is 10x (5x in, 2x out); digital zoom goes up to 25x.

Apple		200 MP wide (ƒ/1.7, OIS); 12 MP ultra wide (ƒ/2.2, 120°); 50 MP 5× telephoto (ƒ/3.4, OIS); 10 MP 3× telephoto (ƒ/2.4, OIS)

Two separate telephoto lenses give optical quality at 3× and 5×; values in between are produced by cropping and processing.

Samsung
Video4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60/100/120 fps; ProRes and Log recording; 4K 120 fps slo-mo; four studio-quality mics

100 and 120 fps are available only on the Fusion main camera. Log recording leaves more dynamic range for colour grading.

Apple		—
Front camera12 MP TrueDepth, ƒ/1.9, autofocus; 4K Dolby Vision up to 120 fps Apple12 MP, ƒ/2.2, 80° Samsung
ButtonsCamera Control (exposure, depth, zoom, styles and tone); Action button

Camera Control is a surface that detects presses and swipes; it opens the camera and changes settings with a slide. The Action button can be assigned to silent mode, flashlight, shortcuts and more.

Apple		—
Connectivity5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave), 4x4 MIMO; Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.3; 2nd-gen Ultra Wideband; Thread; NFC

mmWave support and Ultra Wideband availability vary by region. Thread is a low-power mesh network for smart-home accessories.

Apple		5G; Wi-Fi 7 (2.4 + 5 + 6 GHz); Bluetooth 5.3; USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 1)

Wi-Fi 7 speeds need a Wi-Fi 7 router and vary by market. USB 3.2 Gen 1 means 5 Gb/s wired transfer.

Samsung
Satellite and safetyEmergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, Messages and Find My via satellite; Crash Detection

Satellite features work only in supported countries and where there is no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage.

Apple		—
USB-CUSB 3 (up to 10 Gbit/s); charging and DisplayPort output

A USB 3 cable is required for 10 Gbit/s; the charge cable in the box does not provide that speed.

Apple		—
Battery and chargingVideo playback up to 33 hours; MagSafe up to 25 W (with a 30 W adapter), Qi2 15 W, Qi 7.5 W; about 50% in 30 minutes with a 20 W adapter

No power adapter is included. The 25 W MagSafe rate needs the newer MagSafe Charger and an adapter of at least 30 W.

Apple		5000 mAh (typical); about 65% in 30 minutes with a 45 W adapter; Fast Wireless Charging 2.0; Wireless PowerShare

The 45 W adapter is sold separately. Wireless PowerShare lets the back of the phone wirelessly charge a device such as a watch or earbuds.

Samsung
Durability and materialsIP68 (up to 6 metres for 30 minutes); latest-generation Ceramic Shield front; textured matte glass back; titanium design

IP68 is tested in fresh water under lab conditions and can decrease over time; liquid damage is not covered by warranty.

Apple		—
Size and weight163 × 77.6 × 8.25 mm; 227 g Apple162.3 × 79 × 8.6 mm; 232 g (sub-6) / 233 g (mmWave) Samsung
SoftwareLaunched with iOS 18 Apple—
ColoursBlack, White, Natural and Desert Titanium Apple—
Model code—SM-S928B (Nano-SIM + eSIM; dual eSIM option) Samsung
Front glass—Corning Gorilla Armor

According to Corning and Samsung it cuts reflection by up to 75% versus typical glass, with improved scratch resistance.

Samsung
Memory and storage—12 GB RAM; 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB (varies by region) Samsung
S Pen—Built-in S Pen Samsung
Operating system—Shipped with Android 14 and One UI 6.1; seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates

Samsung notes that update timing and availability may vary by model and market.

Samsung
Security—Samsung Knox, Knox Vault, Auto Blocker; setting that limits AI processing to the device

With the Advanced Intelligence setting enabled, only the Galaxy AI features that run on the device are used.

Samsung
Durability—IP68 (up to 1.5 m in fresh water for 30 minutes); titanium frame

Samsung advises against beach and pool use.

Samsung