Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra or Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max: 10 factors that can help you choose the right one for you
It is not about the battle of Android vs iOS. It is Apple vs Samsung – something which has always been this way, at least in users’ minds. That’s because Samsung’s Ultra and iPhone’s Pro Max are the top-tier phones and offer the best the company has to offer. This is where the dilemma starts creeping into the buyers’ heads. – Several questions start surfacing – Which phone is better with camera, which phone is good with battery life, whose display is better and most importantly, on which I should spend over a lakh from the hard-earned money. Well, all of these questions and more we help you figure out in this detailed comparison of iPhone 16 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Operating system and ecosystem The Galaxy S25 Ultra runs Android 15 with One UI 7, offering 7 years of updates. The iPhone 16 Pro Max runs iOS 18 with roughly 5 years of OS upgrades. If you’re invested in Google or Apple services, your choice may already be clear. But, if you are into Apple ecosystem, then the iPhone can be your choice.
Stylus support and input methods The Galaxy S25 Ultra includes the S Pen, ideal for notes, sketching, and editing. The iPhone 16 Pro Max does not support a stylus. For biometrics, Samsung offers an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner; Apple sticks with Face ID. Now, all of these things give Galaxy S25 Ultra an edge over the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Camera system flexibility Samsung offers a 200MP main camera, 5x telephoto, 3x telephoto, and a 12MP ultrawide. Apple features a 48MP main sensor, 5x telephoto, and a 12MP ultrawide. For zoom and sensor variety, the Galaxy provides more options. But, videos from the iPhone are slightly better.
Camera performance The Galaxy captures more saturated and detailed photos in bright light, especially at 2x and 3x zoom. At 5x, Samsung’s sharpness and contrast stand out. Apple’s 24MP mode offers natural-looking shots but is less versatile at mid-range zoom. In dark conditions, the iPhone is slightly sharper at 1x. The Galaxy performs better at 2x and competes well at 5x. Apple has an edge in 5x low-light clarity, but its ultrawide lags behind Samsung in detail retention. The iPhone leads at 1x and 2x zoom in daylight video and offers excellent stabilization. The Galaxy performs better at 3x and 5x, especially in low light. Samsung’s ultrawide video also edges out Apple’s in dim settings.
Display performance Both phones have ~6.9-inch LTPO OLED displays with 1–120Hz refresh rates. The iPhone gets brighter in auto mode (up to 1,796 nits vs. Galaxy’s 1,417 nits), but Samsung’s display is less reflective and supports HDR10+. Also, the anti-reflective coating on the Galaxy S25 Ultra makes it much more convenient to view even under direct sunlight.
Battery and charging The Galaxy S25 Ultra has a larger 5000mAh battery and charges faster (under 1 hour wired). The iPhone lasts longer in video playback and web use but takes nearly 2 hours to fully charge. Both support wireless charging, with Apple using MagSafe.
Design and durability Both use titanium frames and have IP68 ratings. The iPhone has a slightly more premium flat design and claims 6m water resistance. The Galaxy is lighter and curved fora better grip, with Gorilla Armour 2 protection on the front.
Performance and RAM Apple’s A18 Pro chip leads in single-core benchmarks, while Samsung’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 Elite wins in multi-core and GPU-intensive tasks. The Galaxy includes 12GB compared to 8GB on the iPhone.
Keep in mind The important part here is that both the phones are being compared as per currently discounted pricing. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is available at Rs 1,17,000 on Amazon and the iPhone 16 Pro Max can be purchased at around Rs 1,34,000 after the discount. Both the phones are also available with exchange offers and additional bank discounts may apply to further bring down the pricing of the devices.
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