iPhone 17 Pro Max Vs Galaxy S25 Ultra: Comparing Flagship Specs And Features

The iPhone Air and Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge are getting most of the attention this year thanks to their ultra-thin designs and powerful hardware. Though, those looking for the ultimate smartphone experience will still need to pick up either the iPhone 17 Pro Max or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Here’s what both devices bring to the table.

Beautiful Displays and Material Differences

Both devices sport 6.9” OLED displays with 120Hz refresh rates, but there are some slight differences. The iPhone 17 Pro Max’s display has a resolution of 2868 x 1320 and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. Meanwhile, The Samsung Galaxy Ultra S25 has a display with a resolution of 3120 x 1440 and a peak brightness of 2,600 nits. While the differences in resolution will be more difficult to notice, the peak brightness of the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be a better fit for those who use their phone outdoors often.


The materials each company chose to use for its devices is also quite different. Apple has returned to an aluminum body with the iPhone 17 Pro Max, albeit with a new unibody design paired with ceramic on the back of the phone that makes for a unique aesthetic. Samsung on the other hand chose to make the Galaxy S25 Ultra using a titanium frame that gives it a more cohesive and understated look.

Powerful Specs and Multi-Camera Setups

Regardless of which phone you choose, it will be able to tackle a whole host of tasks, including gaming. The iPhone 17 Pro Max comes equipped with Apple’s latest chip, the A19 Pro, which utilizes a vapor chamber for cooling to achieve maximum performance. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra utilizes a Snapdragon 8 Elite, which delivers some of the best performance of just about any Android device.


The camera systems are one of the biggest selling points for both phones. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a three-camera system, which includes a main 48MP Fusion camera with an f/1.78 aperture, a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide with f/2.2 aperture, and a 48MP Fusion Telephoto with f/2.8 aperture. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra goes even bigger with a five-camera system, including a 200MP f/1.7 primary w/ OIS, 10MP f/2.4 3x telephoto w/ OIS, 50MP f/3.4 5x telephoto w/ OIS, and 50MP f/1.9 ultrawide.

Selfies and video calls will also look good on both devices. The iPhone 17 Pro implements an 18MP Center Stage camera with f/1.9 aperture and the Samsung S25 Ultra uses a 12MP f/2.2 wide angle lens.

The AI Divergence

If you’re looking to get the most out of AI, then there’s really no comparison. Apple has been struggling with Apple Intelligence and it doesn’t look like the situation will be getting better anytime soon, though you can tap into ChatGPT for some uses. However, it won’t be the same as the integrated approach you’ll find on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

The Samsung S25 Ultra starts with 128GB of storage and can be configured with up to 512GB. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro starts with 256GB of storage and can be configured with up to 2TB of storage.