Samsung
Galaxy S25 Ultra
Snapdragon 8 Elite · 6.9″ · 200 MP
93
/ 100
From $1,299
VS
iPhone 17 Pro Max wins by 5
Apple
iPhone 17 Pro Max
A19 Pro · 6.9″ LTPO · Titanium
98
/ 100
From $1,199
Specdex verdict
iPhone 17 Pro Max takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Galaxy S25 Ultra lands at 93 and iPhone 17 Pro Max at 98. That puts iPhone 17 Pro Max ahead by 5 points — a decisive margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Galaxy S25 Ultra if…
- ✓Huge anti-reflective 6.9″ display
- ✓200 MP sensor with 5× tele
- ✓S-Pen productivity
Pick iPhone 17 Pro Max if…
- ✓Industry-leading A19 Pro silicon
- ✓New vapor-chamber cooling
- ✓Apple Intelligence Gen 2
Score breakdown
Galaxy S25 Ultra
93 cpu 96
gpu 97
camera 94
battery 89
display 96
design 92
iPhone 17 Pro Max
98 cpu 100
gpu 98
camera 98
battery 90
display 95
design 96
Specs side-by-side
Spec
Galaxy S25 Ultra
iPhone 17 Pro Max
Display
6.9″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, 3120×1440
6.9″ LTPO OLED, 120Hz, 2868×1320
Chipset
Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
Apple A19 Pro (3 nm)
RAM
12 GB
12 GB
Storage
256 / 512 GB / 1 TB
256 / 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB
Rear camera
200 MP + 50 MP 5× + 10 MP 3× + 50 MP UW
48 MP + 48 MP UW + 48 MP 6× tele
Front camera
12 MP
—
Battery
5000 mAh
4800 mAh
Charging
45W wired, 15W wireless
45W wired, 30W MagSafe
OS
Android 15, One UI 7
iOS 19
Weight
218 g
232 g
IP rating
IP68
IP68
Galaxy S25 Ultra
Pros
- +Huge anti-reflective 6.9″ display
- +200 MP sensor with 5× tele
- +S-Pen productivity
Cons
- −Pricey storage tiers
- −AI features still maturing
- −Heavier in hand
iPhone 17 Pro Max
Pros
- +Industry-leading A19 Pro silicon
- +New vapor-chamber cooling
- +Apple Intelligence Gen 2
Cons
- −Premium price
- −Weight crept up with titanium chassis
- −Still 45 W charging ceiling
FAQ: Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max
Which is better, Galaxy S25 Ultra or iPhone 17 Pro Max? +
iPhone 17 Pro Max scores 98 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 5. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Galaxy S25 Ultra worth the price? +
At $1,299, Galaxy S25 Ultra delivers a Specdex score of 93 — strongest in gpu.
Is iPhone 17 Pro Max worth the price? +
At $1,199, iPhone 17 Pro Max delivers a Specdex score of 98 — strongest in cpu.
Does Galaxy S25 Ultra or iPhone 17 Pro Max last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.