It’s time for the most anticipated duel of early 2023: the Galaxy S23 Ultra facing its biggest rival, the iPhone 14 Pro Max. In our last clash between the top players from Korea and Maçã, we saw a very fierce fight. Now with a new cell phone with more current and powerful hardware, will Samsung win in a landslide? Let’s check.
index
Samsung
01 Mar
Apple
10 Out
design and connectivity
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
We started our comparison by design and right away we see that our competitors are quite different. The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a more rectangular shape with a curved screen, a small notch for the selfie camera and no block on the back to house its cameras.
The iPhone has a more traditional shape with rounded corners. It is more compact and thinner than its Korean rival, but slightly heavier. The Apple cell phone still has a good part of the screen devoured by the notch, despite being much smaller compared to its predecessors. At the rear we have the jump block with the three cameras in the classic cooktop style.
There is IP68 certification in both to ensure resistance against water and dust, despite the iPhone promising to survive up to 6 meters deep, four times more than the rival. On the other hand, the Galaxy’s new metal body and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 have been proving to be tougher in the fall.
In the connectivity part we have sixth generation Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC and 5G in both. There is also wireless charging up to 15W, but in the case of the iPhone only with MagSafe accessories. Using the Qi standard present in the Galaxy will have half the speed. In addition, the S23 Ultra allows you to charge the battery of watches and headphones on its back.
So we start with a dot for the Galaxy.
|
best construction |
Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|
more modern look |
Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|
Is the slot hybrid or dedicated? |
None |
|
Best notch solution |
Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|
Best biometrics solution |
None |
|
Best endurance certification? |
iPhone 14 Pro Max |
|
Which is more compact and lightweight? |
iPhone 14 Pro Max |
|
Tem NFC? |
Both |
Multimedia software
Bodies
The Galaxy S23 Ultra features the larger screen of the two. We have 6.8 inches with Quad HD+ resolution and 120 Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel. The iPhone 14 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch display with a slightly lower resolution and a 120Hz Super Retina XDR OLED panel. What is the best? It depends.
Both are tied in terms of brightness, but the Galaxy S23 Ultra has better contrast in direct sunlight, which helps to have better visibility. The iPhone supports Dolby Vision and thus has greater compatibility with movies and series on streaming services. In addition, the Apple model has color calibration closer to the ideal.
With this, we will give a point to each on screen.
|
best screen technology |
Both |
|
Best screen brightness |
Both |
|
more accurate colors |
iPhone 14 Pro Max |
|
Best screen resolution |
Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|
bigger screen |
Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|
Better screen-to-body ratio |
Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|
High Hz screen? |
Both |
|
Scratch protection? |
Both |
|
Overall screen quality |
Both |
As
There’s stereo sound on both and we’ve got similar power for a great multimedia experience with immersive audio. The Galaxy features a well-balanced sound between bass, mids and highs. However, the iPhone still stands out more in the lower frequencies and we feel the bass reverberating through the device’s casing more accurately.
Apple invests in spatial audio for a more immersive experience, especially with music. Samsung is also betting on a similar solution with Dolby Atmos that allows you to choose the audio adjustment profile with an option dedicated to games that is automatically activated when a game is opened.
We will give Apple a point in sound.
|
Sound is stereo? |
Both |
|
Does it have P2 input? |
None |
|
Greater frequency balance |
iPhone 14 Pro Max |
|
sound power |
Both |
|
Do headphones come in the box? |
None |
Software
In software we have a tough fight. On the one hand, there is the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which comes with a more feature-packed system and brings the S Pen as a differential that improves editing power and productivity. One UI has high customization power, something that iOS is still very limited in. There are interesting extras like Samsung Dex that lets you take advantage of the phone’s powerful hardware in a desktop experience with monitors and TVs.
The Apple cell phone has leaner software, but which is highly praised for its optimization and better quality of some apps compared to their versions on Android. The iPhone gets updates more quickly and for a longer period of time, although Samsung is improving in this regard every year.
We will give each one point in software.
|
Well-updated system? |
Both |
|
Will the system be updated in the future? |
Both |
|
Which system or customization has more and better features? |
Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|
Is there a 5G mobile network? |
Both |
|
More fluid software |
iPhone 14 Pro Max |
Performance
The Galaxy S23 Ultra brings the most up-to-date hardware of both devices. In it we have the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 modified for the Galaxy line that brings a processor with higher speed compared to other Android phones with the same hardware.
Is this turbocharged version enough to overcome Apple’s powerful A16 Bionic? In our multitasking-focused speed test, the iPhone is still the snappier of the two. Even though the Korean model comes with twice as much RAM, this does not guarantee that it will be faster when reopening apps in the background.
For those who only care about the benchmarks, we can say that the two are even. Galaxy wins on AnTuTu, while iPhone gets bigger numbers on GeekBench. And in games? Both run any current game at maximum quality and without stuttering. We didn’t see any heating issues on both of them even when playing for a long time.
We’ll give the iPhone the win in performance.
|
Which does better in the opening test? |
iPhone 14 Pro Max |
|
Which takes the best in the most demanding games? |
Both |
|
Which has the best benchmark numbers? |
Both |
|
What is the most up to date processor? |
Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|
Which has better RAM/CPU balance? |
Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|
Which has more storage? |
None |
Battery
The Galaxy S23 Ultra has the larger battery of the two, with 5,000 mAh against the rival’s 4,323 mAh. It delivered superior battery life in our standardized test with a 15% advantage, which guarantees two days of battery life under moderate usage.
None is impressive in terms of charging time, but Samsung at least sends the charger along with the cell phone, which takes less time to recharge the battery compared to the rival.
Thus, we give victory to the S23 Ultra in battery.
|
Which has more battery? |
Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|
Which recharges faster? |
Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|
Which lasts longer according to the TC battery test? |
Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|
Does it have wireless charging? |
Both |
Cmeras
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is the one with the most advanced photographic set of the two. We have a 200 MP sensor and a telephoto lens with 10x optical zoom as a highlight. The fact that the sensor has a much higher resolution than the rival’s 48 MP ensures sharper photos and more details recorded.
However, the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s software still needs some tweaking and in scenarios with milder light we see the iPhone displaying superior sharpness. Another point that could be improved is the color temperature. The Samsung model tends to over-saturate and night photos come out with a yellowish tone.
In macros we can say that the two are tied, as well as in the blurring of scenarios. In zoom is where the Galaxy has a large advantage against the rival, not only for being able to go further, but for registering clearer photos with the same zoom level. The Galaxy’s ultra-wide has less noise and has better quality textures.
We give the Galaxy S23 Ultra a point in cameras.
|
Best rear camera set |
Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|
Best photos of the day |
Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|
best night photos |
iPhone 14 Pro Max |
|
most versatile set |
Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|
best ultrawide |
Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|
best telephoto lens |
Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|
best macro |
Both |
|
best depth |
Both |
Photos captured with the Galaxy S23 Ultra
On the front we have a 12 MP camera on both models. The iPhone brings a larger focal aperture, which theoretically helps in darker places. In daytime selfies we see the two get very close with the iPhone saturating the photos a little more to give that tan effect, which is to everyone’s liking.
In night selfies it is the Galaxy that registers the cleanest image, despite the noise control software leaving the skin very smooth. In any case, the photos captured by the Korean cell phone will end up pleasing the majority. The portrait mode on the iPhone is a little better and despite the two having the same intensity of effect, on the Apple cell phone we have better separation between planes.
We’ll give each one a point for selfies.
|
Best front camera set |
Both |
|
Front camera records in 4K? |
Both |
|
best selfie |
Both |
Photos captured with iPhone 14 Pro Max
Finally, the camcorder. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is capable of recording 8K video at 30 fps and its rival is limited to 4K at 60 fps. In quality of footage they are tied, as well as in stabilization and audio capture.
iPhone is better at blurring the background of videos and also allows you to shoot with Dolby Vision. In the Galaxy it is possible to record with HDR10 +, the rival standard that is adopted by Samsung. The front camera of both records in 4K at a maximum of 60 fps and we have dark videos at night on both. In terms of stabilization, it’s the iPhone that gets the better of this camera.
We close camera with one point for each.
|
Does it have optical stabilization? |
Both |
|
Does it have electronic stabilization? |
Both |
|
more agile focus |
Both |
|
Does it record 4K at 60 fps? |
Both |
|
Record in 8K at 30 fps |
Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|
Best audio capture |
Both |
|
best video quality |
Both |
|
Best recording features |
iPhone 14 Pro Max |
priests
The iPhone 14 Pro Max arrived on the national market in October 2022 at a price that starts at R$ 10,499 for the 128 GB version and reaches R$ 15,499 for the most complete version with 1 TB. The Galaxy S23 Ultra was launched in Brazil in February 2023 for prices starting at R$9,499, which makes its launch price more accessible.
Currently, the price difference is even greater between the two and as the Galaxy tends to appear more in offers, its cost-effectiveness becomes more interesting, especially in the long term.
We give the Galaxy S23 Ultra a point on price.
|
Which had the best launch price in Brazil? |
Galaxy S23 Ultra |
|
Which is currently the best value for money? |
Galaxy S23 Ultra |
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Compare
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Compare
Done
The Galaxy S23 Ultra was the champion of our duel. It surpasses its rival for having a more current design with complete connectivity, a larger screen that guarantees better viewing in the sun, its battery lasts longer and recharges faster, its software is full of resources and even comes with a stylus pen, we have a more complete photographic set and flexible, camcorder that records in 8K and lower price.
iPhone will win over those who prioritize better screen color calibration, care about multitasking performance, enjoy fuller bass sound, prefer iOS optimization with superior software support, and value more beautified selfies and footage with background blur or with DolbyVision.
RESULT
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: 8 POINTS
- More modern design and complete connectivity
- Best screen for outdoor use
- Longer battery life and shorter charging time
- More complete software, Dex and S Pen
- top photographic set
- Cleaner selfies at night
- Film in 8K at 30 fps
- Best value for money
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max: 6 POINTS
- Best display for streaming services
- Sound has more bass
- More agile in multitasking
- Best software optimization
- Best portrait and daytime selfies
- Films with Dolby Vision and has better blur
(updated March 14, 2023 at 11:00 PM)