Galaxy S23 Ultra vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: Which one is worth it?
Side-by-side US MSRP bands, editorial scores, and strengths—then tune budget and priority to see which model fits your purchase.
S
Galaxy S23 Ultra
Samsung · 2023
$1,199–$1,799
Overall 87/100
Official anchorFull Galaxy S23 Ultra guide →A
iPhone 16 Pro Max
Apple · 2024
$1,199–$1,799
Overall 86/100
Official anchorFull iPhone 16 Pro Max guide →Quick verdicts (our rubric)
- Best for camera
Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Best for battery
Tie
- Best for performance
Tie
- Best value score
Tie
- Best overall rubric / for most people
Galaxy S23 Ultra
Which fits you?
Set budget and top priority—we score each phone with the same personalization rules as product pages.
Galaxy S23 Ultra
69
Depends on your priorities
$1,199–$1,799
iPhone 16 Pro Max
69
Depends on your priorities
$1,199–$1,799
→ Dead heat for these settings—either could work.
Full comparison
| Spec | Galaxy S23 Ultra | iPhone 16 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Price band (US MSRP) | $1,199–$1,799 | $1,199–$1,799 |
| Release year | 2023 | 2024 |
| Camera | 10/10 | 9/10 |
| Battery | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Performance | 10/10 | 10/10 |
| Display | 9/10 | 10/10 |
| Value | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Overall score | 87/100 | 86/100 |
Galaxy S23 Ultra — pros
- • Flagship-class performance
- • Excellent camera system for stills and video
- • Premium display and build quality
iPhone 16 Pro Max — pros
- • Flagship-class performance
- • Excellent camera system for stills and video
- • Premium display and build quality
Galaxy S23 Ultra — cons
- • Price is high, so value depends heavily on budget and priorities
iPhone 16 Pro Max — cons
- • Price is high, so value depends heavily on budget and priorities
Galaxy S23 Ultra — best for
- • Photography
- • Gaming
- • Power users
iPhone 16 Pro Max — best for
- • Photography
- • Gaming
- • Power users
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