In this comparison between the iPhone 14 Pro Max and the Galaxy S23 Ultra, we will only look at the objective results of the tests we carried out in our 01Lab. These relate to the autonomy, charging speed, screen quality and performance of the two smartphones. We will not talk here about their photographic prowess, which will be the subject of a dedicated comparison.
A word on the design and the quality of manufacture of the devices which are, as one is entitled to expect at this price, irreproachable. Thus, there are two layers of very resistant glass on each side, an aluminum frame (Samsung side) or steel (Apple side), and finishes worthy of the best high-end phones they represent today.
iPhone 14 Pro Max vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: comparison of technical sheets
A look at the spec sheet shows us some similarities and a lot of differences. The two manufacturers may try to offer the best possible smartphone, they do not have the same approach. Samsung is always looking for the best possible technical characteristics, where Apple focuses above all on hardware and software optimization. A difference that explains certain results that we are going to present to you.
The screen: we take full advantage of it
One of the peculiarities of the screens of the Galaxy S23 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max is that they are both manufactured by Samsung. They take advantage of OLED technology that offers absolute black and infinite contrast.
The two slabs also embed LTPO 2.0 technology which allows them to adjust their refresh rate between 1 and 120 Hz. Enough to favor low energy consumption or fluidity, depending on the content displayed.
If the iPhone 14 Pro Max has a theoretical maximum brightness higher than that of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, it is the latter which comes first according to the 01Lab tests. As you can see from the graph above, the two smartphones pass the 1000 cd/m2 mark, which gives them perfect readability, including in direct sunlight.
In terms of colorimetry, Apple offers a better setting on its smartphone out of the factory. With a Delta E 2000 of 2.87, the iPhone 14 Pro Max has colors closest to reality. This is not the case with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra which has a Delta E of 6.07. However, it is possible to go down to 3.97 by choosing the “natural” display mode in the phone settings.
Winner: ex aequo
Better luminosity for one, better colorimetry for the other. This round ends in a tie. In both cases, smartphones offer exceptional display quality that will flatter your retina.
Performances: the end of a reign
The iPhone 14 Pro Max is equipped with the powerful A16 Bionic chip, developed in-house by Apple. It succeeds the A15 Bionic which already offered unparalleled performance compared to competing chips found on Android smartphones. But that was before. Before the arrival of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip from Qualcomm which now has little to envy to that of Apple.
That’s good, it’s the one that equips the Galaxy S23 Ultra. After having “dragged” the Samsung Exynos chips on the European models of the previous “Galaxy S”, the Korean brand finally decides to offer the latest chip from Qualcomm on all its high-end smartphones.
As the performance tests on AnTuTu and Geekbench show above, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 dominates Apple’s A16 Bionic. Only the result of the “single-core” test of Geekbench is in favor of the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Now let’s look at the graphics performance of the two SoCs. For this, we used two benchmarks. The first, GFXBench, once again places the Galaxy S23 Ultra ahead of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, across all tests. But raw performance isn’t everything.
Indeed, we can see on the last test, which measures the stability of performance, that the iPhone 14 Pro Max is doing better. Concretely, the Apple phone is able to retain 81.4% of its power when under heavy load, compared to only 64.5% for the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
If the energy efficiency of the chip is important so as not to overheat, it is above all the cooling system of each phone that plays an important role in taking full advantage of the performance.
For example, we saw it on the Redmagic 8 Pro which is equipped with the same chip as the S23 Ultra, but which displays an impressive stability score of 99.6%! His secret? It has an internal fan that allows the SoC to stay cool enough to operate at maximum capacity for longer.
Many figures for the same observation: the two smartphones are very efficient on a daily basis and allow you to play all mobile games at 60 frames per second with the graphics settings at maximum.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
The iPhone 14 Pro Max may remain a monster of power, but the Korean takes the advantage for its impressive theoretical and practical performance, as we highlighted in our review of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
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Autonomy and charging speed: marathon runner or sprinter?
On one side, we find the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra with its 5,000 mAh battery. On the other, the iPhone 14 Pro Max and its 4,323 mAh battery. A few years ago, the evocation of these figures would have been enough to guess the smartphone offering the best autonomy.
But today, the consumption of the chips that equip our phones and the software optimization of the manufacturers make a huge difference in terms of endurance.
The results of 01Lab are clear, the iPhone 14 Pro Max wins hands down. Whether in versatile autonomy or autonomy in video streaming, the Apple smartphone puts several hours in the view of its competitor, which nevertheless already benefits from a good autonomy.
Indeed, the Galaxy S23 Ultra offers about five hours of additional battery life compared to the Galaxy S22 Ultra, with the same battery capacity. Enough to last on average a day and a half before having to go through the recharge box. But this is still insufficient to stand up to the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which is one of the most enduring smartphones to have passed through our hands.
Now let’s take a look at the charging speed of the two devices. The Galaxy S23 Ultra can count on compatibility with 45 W charging, where the iPhone 14 Pro Max does not exceed 27 W. Note that neither of the two smartphones, as expensive as they are, provides a charger in the box. For ecological reasons, of course…
The two smartphones are not the thunderbolts of war, insofar as the Galaxy S23 Ultra takes 1 h 06 to go from 0 to 100%. The iPhone 14 Pro Max is much longer, showing 1:40 on the stopwatch. It will therefore be necessary to be patient and anticipate a minimum if you need to recover the battery before moving away from an outlet.
Winner: iPhone 14 Pro Max
The S23 Ultra may be the best sprinter for recharging its battery, but it is beaten soundly by the marathon-proof iPhone 14 Pro Max, which is much more decisive for a smartphone.
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Two great champions
When it comes to counting the points, and on the three criteria we compared today, the equality is perfect. It is very difficult to decide between the two smartphones. Indeed, they both benefit from magnificent screens and high performance.
It is ultimately in terms of autonomy that the difference is most marked. The endurance of the iPhone 14 Pro Max is impressive, but that should not discredit the Galaxy S23 Ultra which is also very convincing in this area.
If you hesitate between the two smartphones, other criteria should be taken into consideration. The first is obviously that of the OS and the ecosystem. If you have other Apple devices, the iPhone is an obvious choice. If you are looking for greater photo versatility, the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s x10 optical zoom can make the difference.
Your budget will unfortunately not be a criterion of choice insofar as it will be necessary to pay from 1479 euros to offer you the iPhone 14 Pro Max and 1419 euros for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
