Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra vs iPhone 13 Pro Max: which is best for you?

 

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra versus the iPhone 13 Pro Max is a battle of the titans.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra vs. iPhone 13 Pro Max contest pits the two best and largest smartphones available from each manufacturer. The S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra are the most recent of Samsung's three flagship Galaxy S models. The basic iPhone, the iPhone mini, the iPhone Pro, and the Pro Max are Apple's four iPhone models, in contrast.

We'll be contrasting the largest members of each family in this comparison: the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and the iPhone 13 Pro Max. The Galaxy S22 Ultra from Samsung differs from its closest sister, the S22+, in more ways than just size. With some additional features and a totally different camera, it's a quite different phone. The iPhone 13 Pro Max is only an expanded version of the 13 Pro in Apple's case. Although a larger battery provides provide somewhat longer battery life, it is essentially identical to its little sibling.

Who would prevail in a contest between the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and the iPhone 13 Pro Max? The margin between Samsung and Apple has been decreasing, and at this point it may be the smallest we've ever seen. To assist you in choosing which one is best for you, we'll compare the two industry titans below based on design, performance, display, cameras, and pricing.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra vs iPhone 13 Pro Max 

                                                      DESIGN

It should come as no surprise that the highest models from each manufacturer, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and the iPhone 13 Pro Max, both have outstanding design. They are nearly the same size, with the S22 Ultra being a tiny bit taller and 10g lighter than the Pro Max. Their shapes, however, are very dissimilar. The S22 Ultra features slightly rounded edges, which creates a more striking and beautiful appearance and feel, as opposed to the Pro Max, which opts for curved corners but a flat display. In contrast to the iPhone's lenses, which form a very obtrusive block on the back, the camera array is also more flush with the design.

The absence of the iPhone feature known as the "notch" on the display, which is controversial among Apple supporters, is the great design triumph for Samsung. The Galaxy S22 Ultra's punch hole is less distracting than the iPhone 13 Pro Max's smaller but still discernible notch, which is less than that of prior generations.

However, there is a tiny drawback to the S22 Ultra's curves, which occasionally makes typing and mouse movement more challenging. The smooth edges of the iPhone 13 Pro Max make it simple to grip.

The Verdict; is in, and although it may be debatable, we've decided to award the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra a victory in the first round of this contest against the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max.

                                       DISPLAY

The S22 Ultra features a 6.7-inch (3080 x 1440) display, whereas the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a 6.1-inch screen, as we've seen (2778 x 1284). They are both excellent AMOLED displays that are difficult to fault. The S22 Ultra's display is somewhat brighter and extends further into both the DCI-P3 and sRGB colour spaces. However, with a Delta-E score that is closer to 0, Apple's panel does seem to give more accurate colour reproduction.

However, the Galaxy S22 Ultra does provide users the choice to select a Natural or Vivid profile. The latter may be preferred when watching videos, whereas Natural is usually the preferable option for editing images or other visuals. The verdict: we're calling this one a draw. The S22 Ultra is slightly brighter but it's really too close to call.

                                             PERFORMANCE

What's inside, and how does that compare to the iPhone 13 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra? The former has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, which performs noticeably better than its predecessor. In tests conducted using benchmarking software as as Geekbench 5 single- and multi-core tests and 3DMark Wild Life, the A15 Bionic chip in the iPhone 13 Pro Max outperforms it. However, in actual use, we struggled to detect a distinct, consistent difference, and occasionally, the Galaxy S22 Ultra felt speedier.

The iPhone 13 Pro Max wins the contest, but only barely.

                                                      CAMERAS

The main reason you're here is probably because of the cameras! 108MP (f/1.8) main, 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, and two 10MP telephoto lenses with 10x and 3x optical zoom each are available on the S22 Ultra's back. For selfies, there is a 40MP (f/2.2) front camera. That is a lot of cameras, yes. Three 12MP cameras—a 12MP primary (f/1.6), a 12MP ultrawide (f/2.4), and a 12MP telephoto (f/2.8) with 3x optical zoom—are found on the rear of the iPhone 13 Pro Max. It chooses to use a 12MP (f/2.2) front camera.

With the S22 Ultra, you get an extra 10x zoom, a bigger sensor that should be able to catch more light, and more megapixels. Apple's cameras continue to produce photos that are brighter and more crisp than those produced by the Galaxy S22 Ultra, despite the latter's addition of an AI Stereo Depth Map feature to help people stand out from the backdrop. Additionally, they continue to produce colours that look more natural, although the Samsung's occasionally still appear a little too saturated. Some people prefer the warmer, more vibrant Samsung colours, but the Pro Max comes out on top if you desire the cleanest, most natural colors—which you undoubtedly do if you plan to perform post-production.

The S22 does appear to offer a brighter image when dealing with low light, but the Pro Max appears to get superior clarity and a warmer tone. The Galaxy S22 Ultra also outperforms the Pro Max in terms of video, giving up to 8K at 24 fps as opposed to 4K at 60 fps. The iPhone's Cinematic mode, however, is a pretty creative tool for changing the focal point of videos (see our iPhone 13 Pro camera tips for more on that). The ability to get close is another area where the iPhone 13 Pro Max camera excels. The new macro feature on its ultrawide camera is somewhat revolutionary for photographing little objects.You don't necessarily need to buy the biggest phone for the greatest camera in the range because the iPhone 13 Pro, the smaller brother of the iPhone 13 Pro Max, has the same cameras as the larger model. This wasn't the case with the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, on the other hand, has a completely different camera system than its S22+ midrange sibling.

Conclusion: Both have their advantages, but altogether, the iPhone 13 Pro Max provides more in this case.

                                             BATTERY LIFE

The iPhone 13 Pro Max has a smaller 4,352 mAh battery than the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which has a 5,000 mAh battery, yet it generally seems to last longer in tests. Both should last you through a second day of moderate use, but the Pro Max looks to perform better if battery life is a top concern for you. Despite the fact that it takes an extra 20 minutes to charge the phone, the Galaxy S22 Ultra does offer faster charging.

Conclusion: The iPhone 13 Pro Max just wins this one.

                                       OTHER FEATURES

The Galaxy S22 Ultra has a trick up its sleeve, despite the fact that the iPhone 13 Pro Max now holds the lead. For taking notes and drawing, the S Pen pen that comes with the phone can be simply incorporated. Since the S21 Ultra, the Ultra's S Pen functionality has been enhanced thanks to a 70% reduction in latency, making it incredibly snappy. With Bluetooth-enabled Air Actions, you can manage the phone and use the pen to charge it. For more information on how we felt about using the pen, see our complete Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra review.

The verdict: If you want to make use of that large screen and utilise a pen for taking notes or drawing, the S 22 Ultra is definitely a significant benefit.

                                                          PRICE

When comparing the prices of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and the iPhone 13 Pro Max at their base models, the S22 Ultra is the more expensive of the two. It costs $100/£100 more than the iPhone 13 Pro Max at launch ($1,199/£1,149.00). You will then have 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. To upgrade to 12GB of memory and 256GB of storage, you must pay an additional $100 or £100, while the highest configuration of 12GB / 1TB costs a hefty $1,599 or £1,499 in total.

The iPhone 13 Pro Max has a reduced starting price of $1,099 / £1,049 for 128GB of storage (RAM isn't indicated, although most people assume it's 6GB). The cost is $1,199/£1,149 for 256GB of storage, and $1,599/£1,549 for the 1TB variant.

The verdict: the iPhone 13 Pro Max is very slightly more affordable.

                                           Our conclusion

Which device wins in the end between the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and the iPhone 13 Pro Max? It's possibly one of the most difficult decisions we've seen with these two excellent phones, and your decision will likely come down to whether you prefer Android or iOS. It's essentially a tie in terms of design, functionality, display, and cameras, with each having some advantages. The S22 Ultra has a sleek design and a notch-free display that we like, although these are minor preferences.

Performance and battery life are just slightly better on the Pro Max, which also starts out a little cheaper. Additionally, it includes a few photographic capabilities that can make it the superior choice among the two phones. However, if you want to use a stylus for taking notes or drawing and don't want to have to buy an other device, such as an iPad, then the choice is already made and you'll choose the Samsung S22 Ultra.