Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 16 Pro Max

The Galaxy S25 Ultra starts $100 higher than the iPhone 16 Pro Max at the 256GB tier, and its 1TB variant is listed at $1,659 versus $1,599 for the iPhone. The gap is real but modest against flagship pricing overall.

Samsung's 200MP sensor captures far more pixels than Apple's 48MP sensor, which gives more room to crop and reframe a shot. Both use optical image stabilization and closely matched apertures, so the visible difference will come down as much to processing as to sensor resolution.

Both phones offer 5x optical zoom, but the Galaxy pairs it with a 50MP periscope sensor and lists a 100x maximum zoom, while the iPhone uses a 12MP lens capped at 25x. For distant subjects the Galaxy has considerably more reach on paper.

The Galaxy records at 8K 30fps, while the iPhone focuses on 4K 120fps with ProRes, Log video, and Dolby Vision — formats that matter if you edit footage afterwards. The better choice depends on whether you want maximum resolution or maximum flexibility in post-production.

The Galaxy has 315 mAh more capacity and more than twice the wired charging speed (45W versus 20W). The iPhone charges faster wirelessly at 25W versus 15W and lacks the Galaxy's reverse wireless charging, so the trade-off depends on how you normally top up.

The Galaxy has 50% more RAM, which can help when many apps and background tasks stay open at once. Both phones cover everyday multitasking comfortably, so the extra memory matters most for heavy Android power users.

Samsung lists 7 years of OS and security updates for the Galaxy S25 Ultra, one year more than the 6 years listed for the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Over a typical four-year ownership window that difference is unlikely to be decisive.

The Galaxy is 9 g lighter than the iPhone, a difference most people will not notice in daily use. Both sit above 215 g, so neither is the choice for anyone prioritizing a lightweight phone.

Which phone has the better camera?

Both have versatile camera systems with different emphases. The Galaxy S25 Ultra pairs a 200MP f/1.7 main sensor with a 50MP f/3.4 periscope that offers 5x optical zoom and up to 100x maximum zoom, plus a 50MP ultrawide. The iPhone 16 Pro Max uses a 48MP f/1.78 main sensor, a 48MP ultrawide, and a 12MP f/2.8 telephoto with 5x optical zoom capped at 25x. For distant subjects the Galaxy has more reach; for video, the iPhone records 4K at 120fps with ProRes and Log video.

Which phone has better battery life?

The Galaxy S25 Ultra lists a 5,000 mAh battery against 4,685 mAh on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and it charges at 45W versus 20W wired. The iPhone answers with 25W wireless charging versus 15W on the Galaxy. Actual endurance depends on usage, brightness, and software optimization — the figures above are capacities and charging rates from the spec sheets rather than measured runtime.

Which phone is cheaper?

The iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199 for 256GB, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra starts at $1,299 for 256GB with 12GB of RAM. At 512GB the gap widens to $1,399 versus $1,419, and at 1TB it is $1,599 versus $1,659.

How long will these phones receive updates?

Samsung lists 7 years of OS and security updates for the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is listed with 6 years of OS and security updates. Both phones launched on Android 15 and iOS 18 respectively with those commitments recorded in our data.

Which phone is better for gaming?

Both use 3nm flagship chips: the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy with 8 CPU cores and an Adreno 830 GPU in the Galaxy, and the A18 Pro with 6 CPU cores and an Apple 6-core GPU in the iPhone. The Galaxy also carries 12GB of RAM versus 8GB. This page compares specifications rather than benchmark results, so we cannot quantify the performance difference — the Galaxy's extra RAM may help when keeping games loaded alongside other apps.