Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max / Samsung Galaxy S23 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 S23 Ultra: Galaxy S23 Ultra (2023): 8 GB + 256 GB, 12 GB + 512 GB or 12 GB + 1 TB. Every market uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy. The Galaxy S23 and S23+ and the later S24 Ultra are separate models.

SpecificationApple iPhone 16 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Release year20242023
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 QHD+ Edge Dynamic AMOLED 2X; 1–120 Hz adaptive refresh; 1750 nits; 240 Hz touch sampling in Game Mode

Adaptive refresh drops to as low as 1 Hz when content is static to save power and rises to 120 Hz when scrolling and gaming. Vision Booster adjusts colour and contrast in bright conditions across three lighting levels; the edge curve is reduced compared with the S22 Ultra.

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 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy

Samsung says the vapour chamber is larger on every S23-series model.

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 (F1.7, 85°), 12 MP Ultra Wide (F2.2, 120°), 10 MP 3x telephoto (F2.4, 36°), 10 MP 10x telephoto (F4.9, 11°)

The 200 MP sensor outputs 200, 50 or 12 MP images through pixel binning. 100x Space Zoom combines 10x optical with 10x AI-assisted digital zoom; image quality may deteriorate beyond 10x. The optical stabilisation angle was doubled compared with the S22 Ultra.

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		Up to 8K at 30 fps

The Expert RAW app (downloaded separately from the Galaxy Store) offers RAW capture at up to 50 MP.

Samsung
Front camera12 MP TrueDepth, ƒ/1.9, autofocus; 4K Dolby Vision up to 120 fps Apple12 MP, F2.2, 80°

On the S23 series the front camera gets fast autofocus and 60 fps Super HDR.

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, LTE, Wi‑Fi 6E, Wi‑Fi Direct, Bluetooth 5.3

Using Wi‑Fi 6E’s 6 GHz band needs a Wi‑Fi 6E router and market availability.

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; rated minimum 4855 mAh); 45 W wired charging; Fast Wireless Charging 2.0; Wireless PowerShare

45 W requires a separately sold 45 W adapter and a 5 A USB-C cable; wired charging is compatible with QC2.0 and AFC. Wireless PowerShare charges Qi-compatible devices from the back of the phone when the battery is above 30%.

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 Apple78.1 × 163.4 × 8.9 mm; 234 g Samsung
SoftwareLaunched with iOS 18 Apple—
ColoursBlack, White, Natural and Desert Titanium Apple—
Front and back glass—Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2; Armor Aluminum frame

According to Samsung, the S23 series was the first S series to use Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

Samsung
Memory and storage—8 GB + 256 GB, 12 GB + 512 GB or 12 GB + 1 TB

Memory depends on the storage option; usable space is lower because of preloaded software. There is no memory card slot.

Samsung
Software and updates—Launched with Android 13 and One UI 5.1; four Android OS upgrades and five years of security updates

Update timing can vary by model and market.

Samsung
Security—Samsung Knox, Knox Vault

Knox Vault keeps critical data in separate hardware isolated from the operating system.

Samsung
Water resistance—IP68 (up to 30 minutes at 1.5 metres in fresh water)

Samsung does not recommend beach or pool use.

Samsung