The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max are two of the most powerful flagship smartphones in 2025, each representing the best offerings from their respective ecosystems.The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max are two of the most powerful and eagerly anticipated flagship smartphones of 2025. Representing the peak of innovation from Samsung and Apple respectively, both devices push the boundaries in design, performance, and camera technology. While the Galaxy S25 Ultra impresses with its expansive, high-resolution AMOLED display and versatile camera system, the iPhone 17 Pro Max stands out with its refined build, color-accurate OLED display, and industry-leading chipset optimized for efficiency and power. This comparison explores how these two giants contend across key areas including display, memory, processor, camera, battery, and price to help users decide which flagship best fits their needs.
Display
In terms of display, the Galaxy S25 Ultra features a larger 6.9-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 1440 x 3120 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate, delivering vibrant colors and smooth scrolling. In comparison, the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a slightly smaller 6.9-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1320 x 2868 pixels and also supports a 120Hz refresh rate, focusing heavily on color accuracy and natural visuals.
Memory
Regarding memory, the Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with 12GB of RAM and storage options up to 1TB, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max offers similar storage capacities but generally is optimized with less RAM, around 8GB, relying on iOS efficiency for performance.
Processor
Both devices are powered by cutting-edge processors; the Galaxy S25 Ultra runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (or Exynos 2400 in some markets), known for its high clock speeds and excellent multitasking abilities. The iPhone 17 Pro Max is equipped with Apple’s A17 Bionic chip, heralded for its power efficiency and industry-leading single-core and GPU performance, often setting new standards in mobile processing.
Camera
On cameras, Samsung emphasizes sheer pixel count with a 200MP primary sensor complemented by advanced telephoto and ultra-wide lenses, ensuring versatile shooting capabilities. Apple, on the other hand, uses a triple 48MP sensor setup with upgraded computational photography features offering natural colors, improved low-light performance, and cinematic video capabilities.
Battery
Battery life is robust on both, with the Galaxy S25 Ultra housing a 5000mAh battery that supports fast wired and wireless charging plus reverse charging. The iPhone 17 Pro Max offers slightly smaller battery capacity but compensates with efficient hardware and software optimization to provide all-day battery performance.
Price
Price-wise, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is positioned more competitively with prices starting around ₹1,09,990, while the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max commands a premium, beginning near ₹1,69,990, reflecting its brand positioning and feature set.
Overall, the Galaxy S25 Ultra excels with its display size, higher RAM, and camera megapixels, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max attracts users seeking top-tier software optimization, balanced camera performance, and ecosystem integration.
| Specs | Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.9″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 1440 x 3120, 120Hz | 6.9″ OLED Super Retina XDR, 1320 x 2868, 120Hz ProMotion |
| RAM & Storage | 12GB LPDDR5X, 256GB/512GB/1TB UFS 4.0 | 8GB RAM approx., 256GB/512GB/1TB NVMe |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (Octa-core, 4.32 GHz) | Apple A19 Pro hexacore |
| Cameras | Quad: 200MP wide, 50MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto (3x), 50MP periscope telephoto (5X zoom) | Triple: 48MP wide, 48MP ultra-wide, 48MP telephoto (4x zoom) |
| Battery | 5000mAh, 45W wired, 15W wireless charging | 4832-5088mAh, 40W wired, 25W wireless MagSafe 2.0 |
| Price | Starting at ₹1,09,990 | Starting at ₹1,69,990 |
Q & A
- Which phone has the better display?
The Galaxy S25 Ultra has a slightly larger and higher resolution AMOLED display with vibrant colors and a 120Hz refresh rate, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max offers a highly color-accurate OLED display with ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate. Both offer excellent visuals but differ in color tuning preferences. - What are the memory options available?
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with 12GB RAM and storage from 256GB to 1TB. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has around 8GB RAM but offers similar storage tiers with very fast NVMe storage. - Which processor is more powerful?
The iPhone 17 Pro Max’s Apple A19 Pro chip is known for industry-leading performance and efficiency, whereas the Galaxy S25 Ultra runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which offers excellent multi-core performance and graphics power. - How do their cameras compare?
Samsung’s S25 Ultra boasts a versatile quad-camera setup with a massive 200MP primary sensor and dual telephoto lenses for zoom. Apple uses a balanced triple 48MP sensor array, focusing on computational photography and video capabilities. - Which phone offers better battery life?
Both phones have strong batteries, with the S25 Ultra’s 5000mAh and iPhone 17 Pro Max’s slightly smaller but efficiently managed battery offering all-day use. Samsung supports faster wired charging and similar wireless charging speeds. - How do their prices compare?
The Galaxy S25 Ultra starts at a more affordable ₹1,09,990, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a premium price starting around ₹1,69,990, reflecting its brand positioning and hardware optimizations.
