Samsung S25 Ultra vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: How the top-end flagship battle may unfold
Galaxy S25 Ultra launches later today. Here's how it could compare to Apple's top flagship, the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Samsung is set to launch its Galaxy S25 series, including the S25 and S25 Ultra, later today, January 22. It will be Samsung’s top flagship, competing directly with the likes of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple’s flagship. Ahead of the launch, we already know most of the details about the S25 Ultra based on various reliable leaks. Let's compare how the two phones will stack up against each other.

iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. S25 Ultra: Performance
Right off the bat, both phones feature the top flagship processors from their respective brands. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is powered by the Apple A18 Pro chip, based on a 3nm architecture, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra is expected to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, the current flagship from Qualcomm. Both of these are 3nm chipsets, and based on benchmarks, the Snapdragon 8 Elite performs better in terms of multi-core scores. However, the Apple A18 Pro still reigns supreme in single-core performance. That said, you likely won’t notice any major differences, as both are top-end processors.
Apple does have a distinct advantage when it comes to AAA games. It allows you to play console games like Death Stranding and Resident Evil 4.
iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. S25 Ultra: Display
The iPhone 16 Pro Max gets a much larger display compared to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, with a 6.9-inch panel, making it the largest iPhone to date. The phone has 2,000 nits of peak brightness, with a resolution of 460 pixels per inch. On the other hand, the S25 Ultra is expected to feature either a 6.8-inch or 6.9-inch QHD+ AMOLED panel, which will likely improve upon the peak brightness of the S24 Ultra, which was 2,600 nits. Both phones will likely have flat panels; Samsung switched to a flat panel with the S24 Ultra, and the S25 Ultra is expected to follow suit.
iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. S25 Ultra: Software and More
Being the latest iPhone, the iPhone 16 Pro Max runs on iOS 18.2 and will be supported for several years to come—at least 5 or 6 years. Samsung, with its latest flagship, offers seven years of software updates, so with the S25 Ultra, you can expect seven years of software support.
As for biometrics, the iPhone 16 Pro Max uses Apple’s tried and tested Face ID camera system but lacks a fingerprint scanner. In contrast, the Galaxy S25 Ultra could get a combination of both facial unlock and an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. It’s worth noting that Samsung won’t feature infrared-based facial unlocking and will likely rely solely on the front-facing camera for unlocking.
iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. S25 Ultra: Pricing
The iPhone 16 Pro Max in India currently retails for ₹1,44,900 for the 256GB variant. As for the S25 Ultra, we don’t yet have official pricing, but recent leaks suggest it could debut at ₹1,35,000 for the 256GB variant.
It’s also worth noting that while the iPhone 16 Pro Max might be the more expensive of the two, we often see the phone being discounted to as low as ₹1,30,000, making the competition even more intense for Samsung.

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