Phones
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max: The Battle for Supremacy
The competition for the title of the best smartphone heats up between Samsung’s forthcoming Galaxy S25 Ultra and Apple’s latest iPhone 16 Pro Max. Here’s a detailed look at how these two giants measure up, based on leaks, rumors, and the latest in tech trends.
Design:
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra:
- Samsung is rumored to maintain its signature sleek design with a large titanium frame, and glass on both sides. The S Pen remains a unique feature, providing exceptional functionality for note-taking and spontaneous sketching directly on the device.
- Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max:
- Apple’s latest smartphone follows its tradition with a refined look, featuring a new titanium frame for durability and a slightly larger 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR display compared to its predecessor. It has rounded corners for better handling and introduces a Camera Control button for an enhanced photo-taking experience.
Display:
- Galaxy S25 Ultra:
- The device is expected to come with a 6.8-inch or possibly 6.9-inch AMOLED display. Samsung’s displays have historically boasted higher peak brightness levels, making them excellent for outdoor use.
- iPhone 16 Pro Max:
- It has a 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR display. With Apple’s focus on color accuracy and brightness, this display is optimized for both viewing and gaming.
Performance:
- S25 Ultra:
- It is likely to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. This chip promises significant boosts in CPU and GPU performance, particularly in multi-core processing and graphics, potentially outpacing the iPhone in raw power. The device is rumored to support up to 16GB of RAM.
- iPhone 16 Pro Max:
- It is equipped with Apple’s A18 Pro chip, which aims at superior power efficiency and performance. However, early benchmarks suggest it might lag behind the S25 Ultra in multi-core performance. The 16 Pro Max has 8GB of RAM.
Camera:
- S25 Ultra:
- The device is rumored to retain or slightly enhance its setup with a 200MP main sensor, possibly introducing variable zoom features for smoother video transitions. It is likely to have the industry’s best zooming experience.
- iPhone 16 Pro Max:
- The device features a triple rear-camera setup, including a 48MP main sensor, but lacks the megapixel count of Samsung’s offering. However, It does provide superior image quality in various conditions.
Battery:
- S25 Ultra:
- The Galaxy S25 Ultra is likely to feature a 5,000 mAh battery, focusing on efficiency with the new chip for prolonged battery life. It is likely to support 45W charging speed.
- iPhone 16 Pro Max:
- Known for its battery optimization, it has a 4685mAh battery but tends to offer a competitive battery life due to iOS’s efficiency. It has a slower charging speed as compared to the S25 Ultra.
Software:
- S25 Ultra:
- Samsung has committed to offering 7 years of One UI software support to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, a significant advantage for longevity and security updates, outmatching Apple’s typical 5-year iOS upgrade promise. The Galaxy S25 Ultra will run Android 15-based One UI 7 custom skin.
- iPhone 16 Pro Max:
- The device is launched with iOS 18, and it also brought Apple Intelligence (AI) features, though currently, these are still in the pipeline for full rollout.
AI:
- S25 Ultra:
- Samsung has a lot better and improved Artificial Intelligence. With its advanced AI suite, Samsung is offering on-device and cloud-based AI enhancements for photography, productivity, and more.
- iPhone 16 Pro Max:
- The device has recently received the Apple Intelligence feature. However, it is still in a very early stage. There’s no comparison between the Galaxy AI and Apple’s AI.
Price:
- Galaxy S25 Ultra:
- You might have to pay a higher price, based on rumors, the $1,399 for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 variant. Remember, the exact pricing for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will only be confirmed once Samsung officially launches the device, expected in early 2025.
- iPhone 16 Pro Max:
- It starts at $1,199 for the 256GB model in the US.
Conclusion:
If the rumors are right, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is set to be a super strong phone with big improvements, especially in AI and software updates. The iPhone 16 Pro Max keeps up Apple’s tradition of being easy to use, well-made, and works smoothly with other Apple devices.
Disclaimer: All information regarding the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is based on rumors and leaks. Official specifications and features might differ when the device is released.
Samsung Galaxy S25 will launch in early 2025 with new specifications including an improved display, new display, optimized battery life, new software features, and more. This standard Galaxy S25 offers different capabilities including the following.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Specifications
Design | Frame - Aluminum Frame Front and Rear - Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 IP Rating - IP68 |
Dimensions | Height - 70.6mm Width - 147mm Depth - 7.6mm Weight - 168g (mmWave) / 167g (Sub6) |
Software | Android - 15 One UI - One UI 7 Future upgrades - 7 generations of OS upgrades and security updates |
Display | Size - 156.4mm (6.2" full rectangle) / 152.3mm (6.0" rounded corners) PPI - 418 PPI Resolution - 2340 x 1080 (FHD+) Panel - Dynamic AMOLED 2X Refresh rate - 1-120 Hz |
Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3nm) Qualcomm Oryon CPU Qualcomm Hexagon NPU Snapdragon X80 Modem-RF System Adreno GPU |
Memory | 8GB, 12GB RAM 128GB, 256GB, 512GB storage |
Rear Camera | Wide - 50 MP OIS F1.8, Adaptive Pixel, Optical Quality 2x Ultra Wide - 12 MP F2.2 Telephoto - 50 MP OIS F2.4 Flash - Yes Video - 8K at 30fps, 4k at 30/60fps Auto Focus, Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), |
Front Camera | 12MP Front Camera (F2.2, FOV 80-degree) |
Network | 2G GSM - GSM850, GSM900, DCS1800, PCS1900 3G - B1(2100), B2(1900), B4(AWS), B5(850), B8(900) 4G FDD LTE - B1(2100), B2(1900), B3(1800), B4(AWS), B5(850), B7(2600), B8(900), B12(700), B13(700), B14(700), B18(800), B19(800), B20(800), B25(1900), B26(850), B28(700), B29(700), B30(2300), B66(AWS-3), B71(600) 4G TDD LTE - B38(2600), B39(1900), B40(2300), B41(2500), B48(3600) SIM Slot Type - SIM 1 + eSIM / Dual eSIM 5G FDD Sub6 - N1(2100), N7(2600), N25(1900), N28(700), N66(AWS-3), N71(600) 5G TDD Sub6 - N257(28GHz), N258(26GHz), N260(39GHz), N261(28GHz) 5G TDD mmWave - N41(2500), N78(3500) |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi - Wi-Fi 7 USB - 3.2 Bluetooth - v6 Location Technology - GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo Wi-Fi Direct - Yes NFC - Yes PC Sync - Smart Switch USB Interface - Type-C |
Battery | 4000mAh (supports 25W charging) |
Audio | Supported Formats - MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DFF, DSF, APE |
Video | Supported Formats - MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM Video Playback Resolution - up to UHD 8K at 60fps |
Colors | Moon Night Blue, Silver Shadow, Sparkling Blue, Sparkling Green, Coral Red, Pink Gold, Blue/Black |
Samsung Galaxy S25 CAD Render (Source – Androidheadlines)
Disclaimer: These Samsung Galaxy S25 specifications are gathered from leaks, rumors, and previous flagships. However, none of these cannot be confirmed as 100% accurate.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Price
Samsung Galaxy S25 5G should start at $800 in the United States. The price leaks and rumors aren’t out yet. However, the industry speculates a slight increase due to Qualcomm’s pricey 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Release Date
The Galaxy S25 series could be announced early next year. The company officially confirmed at its earnings call that the new Galaxy S will be released in the second half. You can expect the new flagships to be available by February 2025.
Galaxy S25 Ultra dummy leak reveals the nearly final design of Samsung’s next big flagship. After CAD renders, we now have a closer look at the refined new design of the Ultra flagship, which will give sleepless nights to Apple.
Onleaks posted a set of Galaxy S25 Ultra dummy models. The flagship can be seen with its refined design, which makes the corner slightly rounded. The Z Fold6-inspired camera rings also elevate the rear panel’s appearance, making it appealing.
There are three major changes in the body design of Samsung’s next Ultra flagship. The first is the frame, which is getting flatter like the iPhone. Second is rounded corners, that are not that rounded like S24/S25, and third is textured camera rings.
Notably, the dummy units don’t show a close look at the bezels. However, this aspect is expected to be improved over the previous generations. Minimal symmetrical bezels will present an appealing look on the phone’s front side.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is slimmer than the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The S Pen compartment resists on the frame’s bottom, accompanied by the primary microphone, USB C-Type port, speaker grille, and SIM card tray.
The right side of the frame features volume adjustment buttons and a side key. The power button can be configured to trigger a digital assistant. The fingerprint scanner will be featured as an in-screen solution with faster and more reliable recognition.
Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy S25 series in late January next year.
A new patent suggests Samsung working on next-gen camera tech that could save battery and crush lens process noise. The company has recently unveiled the All Lenses on Prism telephoto solution for thinner and sleeker zoom cameras.
Since smartphone camera modules get more advanced, a lot of processing power is required to finish the tasks. That said, Samsung is crafting even more advanced camera modules that save battery and reduce noise.
Enter Samsung’s new patent, which introduces a power-saving sub-processor. This clever little chip would handle all the extra camera tasks—like reducing noise from the OIS lens movements and managing the EIS algorithms.
It will reduce the burden of the main processor so it can focus on the actual photo-taking. At the time your device is in a sleep or power-saving state, the sub-processor keeps running quietly in the background, consuming minimal power.
If the technology is used, you will have less noise in camera operations, smoother performance, and better battery life. At the same time, you won’t lose your favorite camera features, but your smartphone will last longer between charges.
A look ahead
The development shows Samsung’s innovative approach. Other than upgrading camera sensors, the company is also working on improvements to the technology that works behind the scenes and makes a great impact on performance and efficiency.
Samsung often registers new patent applications to secure designs and innovations. However, it’s uncertain that a patented technology would surely be commercialized. Tech firms have thousands of approved patents that never get produced.