The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is not only one of the most amazing flagships ever made, but also the definitive replacement of the Galaxy Note series thanks to its integrated S Pen. It contributed to the amazing results in terms of pre-orders registered after the launch: Samsung did not sell so many units in the initial period since the Galaxy S8 lineup. But is it really a valid flagship? Can it be better than iPhones? This is a comparison between the best Samsung phone at the moment and the best one by Apple: the iPhone 13 Pro Max. The best handset to choose depends on the user, but this comparison will inform you about the pro and cons of each handset.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
| Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra | Apple iPhone 13 Max | |
|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm, 228 g |
160.8 x 78.1 x 7.7 mm, 240 g |
| DISPLAY | 6.8 inches, 1440 x 3088 pixels (Quad HD+), Dynamic AMOLED 2X | 6.7 inches, 1284 x 2778p (Full HD+), Super Retina XDR OLED |
| PROCESSOR | Samsung Exynos 2200 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, octa-core 2.8 GHz or octa-core 3 GHz | Apple A15 Bionic hexa-core 3.22 GHz |
| MEMORY | 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 512 GB – 12 GB RAM, 1 TB | 6 GB RAM, 512 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 256 GB – 6 GB RAM, 1 TB |
| SOFTWARE | Android 12, One UI | iOS 15 |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5, GPS |
| CAMERA | Quad 108 + 10 + 10 + 12 MP, f/1.8 + f/4.9 + f/2.4 + f/2.2 40 MP f/2.2 front camera |
Quad 12 + 12 + 12 MP + TOF 3D LiDAR scanner, f/1.5 + f/2.8 + f/1.8 Dual 12 MP + SL 3D f/2.2 |
| BATTERY | 5000 mAh, fast charging 45W and Qi wireless charging 15W | 4373 mAh, Fast Charging 20W, Qi wireless charging 7.5W |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | 5G, optional dual SIM, optional eSIM, IP68 waterproof, stylus support | 5G, optional dual SIM, optional eSIM, MagSafe 15W, IP68 waterproof |
Design
The iPhone 13 Pro Max comes with a higher build quality because it is made with a stainless steel frame (instead of the aluminum frame of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra) and a glass back protected by Ceramic Shield. Further, it has a stronger water resistance: it comes with the IP68 certification just like the Samsung rival, but it is waterproof up to 6 meters deep for a max of 30 minutes instead of just 1.5 meters like waterproof Android phones. However, if you do not like the notch, you might prefer the Galaxy S22 Ultra coming with a punch-hole and curved display protected by Gorilla Glass Victus Plus.
Display
On the paper, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with stunning display specifications. It has an LTPO AMOLED panel with an adaptive refresh rate from 1 to 120 Hz, a Quad HD+ resolution of 1440 x 3088 pixels, the HDR10+ certification, a 6.8-inch diagonal, and it supports the S Pen for handwriting and drawing which can be embedded in the phone thanks to a dedicated slot. Despite the iPhone 13 Pro Max coming with inferior specs on the paper, its image quality is stunning, especially for its color reproduction close to perfection. It has an OLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and the HDR10+ certification. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra relies on an in-display fingerprint reader for authentication, while the iPhone 13 Pro Max has Face ID technology which consists of 3D facial recognition thanks to a dedicated sensor near the selfie camera.
Specs & Software
Both these phones are flagships equipped with the best chipsets in the market. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has either a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or a Samsung Exynos 2200 mobile platform depending on the market, paired with up to 12 GB of RAM and up to 1 TB of internal storage. The iPhone 13 Pro Max has the Apple A15 Bionic chipset with 6 GB of RAM and up to 1 TB of internal storage. Even though it comes with half of the RAM, the iOS operating system is optimized better than Android and the iPhone provides better performance.
Camera
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has a stunning camera setup composed of a 108 MP main camera with OIS, a 10 MP periscopic sensor with 10x optical zoom, a 10 MP telephoto sensor, and a 12 MP ultrawide camera. This handset provides better zoom performance, but in normal photos and videos, the iPhone 13 Pro Max looks a bit better with its 12 MP triple camera paired with a LiDAR scanner.
Battery
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra sports a bigger battery than the iPhone 13 Pro Max, but this does not mean that its battery life is always longer. Indeed, thanks to the level of optimization provided by the iOS operating system, the iPhone 13 Pro Max lasts longer on a single charge in several scenarios. On the other hand, while it does not support magnetic wireless charging (unlike the Apple flagship) the Galaxy S22 Ultra charges faster thanks to its 45W fast charging technology.
Price
The starting prices of these two phones are both above $1,000: they are close to $1200/€1300 and $1100/€1250, respectively (prices vary depending on the market). On the paper, the Galaxy S22 Ultra looks like a more interesting device for productivity thanks to its S-Pen, but not if you own an Apple ecosystem. The iPhone 13 Pro Max looks to have better camera performance and longer battery life, so it remains one of the most solid choices in the smartphone market.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max: PRO and CONS
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
PRO
- Wide display
- Pen support
- Bigger battery
- 10x optical zoom
- Faster charging
CONS
- Dimensions
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
PRO
- iOS 15
- Great materials
- MagSafe
- Amazing hardware
- Great build quality
CONS
- Price
