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2026 comparison
Updated Jan 16, 2026
|Sources: Amazon, ManufacturerSamsung Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
If you are torn between Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max, this breakdown is for you. We compare specs, pros, and cons so you can decide confidently.
Ratings: 4.7★ vs 4.7★
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Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
★4.7
(1,325)•Best Buy
Operating System:Android
Software Support:4 generations of OS upgrades; 5 years of security updates
Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform
Graphics:Qualcomm Adreno 730
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Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
★4.7
(348)•Best Buy
Operating System:iOS
Software Support:Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades
Processor:Apple A18 Pro chip (3nm; 6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine)
Graphics:Apple 6-core GPU (A18 Pro)
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Comparison: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
★4.7(1,325)Best Buy
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
★4.7(348)Best Buy
| Criterion | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra | Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★4.7(1,325)Best Buy | ★4.7(348)Best Buy |
Operating System | Android | iOS |
Software Support | 4 generations of OS upgrades; 5 years of security updates | Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades |
Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform | Apple A18 Pro chip (3nm; 6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine) |
Graphics | Qualcomm Adreno 730 | Apple 6-core GPU (A18 Pro) |
RAM | 8GB / 12GB LPDDR5 | 8 GB (LPDDR5X) |
Storage | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB (UFS 3.1) | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB (NVMe) |
Display Size | 6.8" (measured diagonally; actual viewable area is less) | 6.9" (6.86" measured diagonally as a standard rectangle; actual viewable area is less) |
Screen Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O Display | Super Retina XDR OLED |
Resolution | 3088 x 1440 pixels (QHD+), 500 ppi | 2868 x 1320 pixels (460 ppi) |
Refresh Rate | 1–120Hz (Adaptive) | Up to 120 Hz (ProMotion adaptive 1-120Hz); Always-On display |
Peak Brightness | 1,750 nits (Peak) | 1000 nits max (typical); 1600 nits peak (HDR); 2000 nits peak (outdoor); 1 nit minimum |
Main Camera | 108MP Wide (f/1.8, 85° FOV), Laser AF, OIS | 48MP Fusion (24 mm, f/1.78), second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP) |
Ultra-Wide Camera | 12MP Ultra-Wide (f/2.2, 120° FOV) | 48MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.2, 120° field of view), Hybrid Focus Pixels, 48MP macro photography |
Telephoto Camera | 10MP Telephoto (3x optical, f/2.4) + 10MP Periscope (10x optical, f/4.9); OIS | 12MP 5x Telephoto (120 mm, f/2.8), tetraprism design, 3D sensor-shift OIS, autofocus, 100% Focus Pixels |
Optical Zoom | 3x, 10x Optical Zoom | 5x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out; 10x optical zoom range |
Digital Zoom | Up to 100x Space Zoom | Up to 25x |
Video Recording | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps | 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60/100/120 fps (Fusion); Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps; Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps; ProRes up to 4K 120 fps with external recording |
Front Camera | 40MP Front (f/2.2, 80° FOV), PDAF | 12MP TrueDepth (f/1.9), autofocus with Focus Pixels, 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps |
Battery | 5,000 mAh (Typical) | 4685 mAh (Li-ion); Up to 33 hours video playback (29 hours streamed) |
Wired Charging | Up to 45W Super Fast Charging 2.0 (Adapter sold separately) | USB-C; Up to 50% charge in ~30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher; USB 3 speeds supported |
Wireless Charging | Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 (15W); Wireless PowerShare | MagSafe up to 25W (with 30W+ adapter); Qi2 up to 25W (via iOS update); Qi up to 7.5W |
Connectivity | 5G (Sub6/mmWave); Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.2; NFC; UWB | 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.3; Ultra Wideband (Second-generation); Thread networking technology; NFC with reader mode |
USB | USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1 | USB-C connector with USB 3 speeds (up to 10 Gb/s); Native DisplayPort output |
Durability | IP68 (Water resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30 min); Armor Aluminum frame; Gorilla Glass Victus+ | IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield (latest generation) front; Titanium design (Grade 5); Textured matte glass back |
Dimensions | 6.43" x 3.07" x 0.35" (163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm) | 6.42" x 3.06" x 0.32" (163.0 x 77.6 x 8.25 mm) |
Weight | 8.08 oz (229 g) | 7.99 oz (227 g) |
Biometrics | Ultrasonic Fingerprint Sensor; Face Recognition | Face ID |
Extras | Integrated S Pen (2.8ms latency); Samsung DeX; Samsung Knox | Apple Intelligence support; Camera Control button; Action button; Dynamic Island; LiDAR Scanner; Dual eSIM (US models); Emergency SOS via satellite; Crash Detection; Roadside Assistance via satellite |
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Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Rating:★4.7(1,325)Best Buy
Operating System:Android
Software Support:4 generations of OS upgrades; 5 years of security updates
Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform
Graphics:Qualcomm Adreno 730
RAM:8GB / 12GB LPDDR5
Storage:128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB (UFS 3.1)
Display Size:6.8" (measured diagonally; actual viewable area is less)
Screen Type:Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O Display
Resolution:3088 x 1440 pixels (QHD+), 500 ppi
Refresh Rate:1–120Hz (Adaptive)
Peak Brightness:1,750 nits (Peak)
Main Camera:108MP Wide (f/1.8, 85° FOV), Laser AF, OIS
Ultra-Wide Camera:12MP Ultra-Wide (f/2.2, 120° FOV)
Telephoto Camera:10MP Telephoto (3x optical, f/2.4) + 10MP Periscope (10x optical, f/4.9); OIS
Optical Zoom:3x, 10x Optical Zoom
Digital Zoom:Up to 100x Space Zoom
Video Recording:8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps
Front Camera:40MP Front (f/2.2, 80° FOV), PDAF
Battery:5,000 mAh (Typical)
Wired Charging:Up to 45W Super Fast Charging 2.0 (Adapter sold separately)
Wireless Charging:Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 (15W); Wireless PowerShare
Connectivity:5G (Sub6/mmWave); Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.2; NFC; UWB
USB:USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1
Durability:IP68 (Water resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30 min); Armor Aluminum frame; Gorilla Glass Victus+
Dimensions:6.43" x 3.07" x 0.35" (163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm)
Weight:8.08 oz (229 g)
Biometrics:Ultrasonic Fingerprint Sensor; Face Recognition
Extras:Integrated S Pen (2.8ms latency); Samsung DeX; Samsung Knox
✓ Pros:
- • Integrated S Pen with ultra-low latency (2.8ms)
- • Versatile camera system with dual telephoto lenses (3x and 10x optical)
- • Bright, sharp QHD+ display with adaptive 120Hz refresh rate
- • Excellent build quality with Armor Aluminum and Gorilla Glass Victus+
- • Long software support commitment (4 OS upgrades)
✗ Cons:
- • Large, heavy, and boxy design can be unwieldy
- • Battery life is average despite 5,000mAh capacity
- • 45W charging speed does not significantly outperform 25W in real-world tests
- • No microSD card slot or headphone jack
- • Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 can throttle performance under heavy sustained load
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Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Rating:★4.7(348)Best Buy
Operating System:iOS
Software Support:Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades
Processor:Apple A18 Pro chip (3nm; 6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine)
Graphics:Apple 6-core GPU (A18 Pro)
RAM:8 GB (LPDDR5X)
Storage:256GB / 512GB / 1TB (NVMe)
Display Size:6.9" (6.86" measured diagonally as a standard rectangle; actual viewable area is less)
Screen Type:Super Retina XDR OLED
Resolution:2868 x 1320 pixels (460 ppi)
Refresh Rate:Up to 120 Hz (ProMotion adaptive 1-120Hz); Always-On display
Peak Brightness:1000 nits max (typical); 1600 nits peak (HDR); 2000 nits peak (outdoor); 1 nit minimum
Main Camera:48MP Fusion (24 mm, f/1.78), second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP)
Ultra-Wide Camera:48MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.2, 120° field of view), Hybrid Focus Pixels, 48MP macro photography
Telephoto Camera:12MP 5x Telephoto (120 mm, f/2.8), tetraprism design, 3D sensor-shift OIS, autofocus, 100% Focus Pixels
Optical Zoom:5x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out; 10x optical zoom range
Digital Zoom:Up to 25x
Video Recording:4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60/100/120 fps (Fusion); Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps; Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps; ProRes up to 4K 120 fps with external recording
Front Camera:12MP TrueDepth (f/1.9), autofocus with Focus Pixels, 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps
Battery:4685 mAh (Li-ion); Up to 33 hours video playback (29 hours streamed)
Wired Charging:USB-C; Up to 50% charge in ~30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher; USB 3 speeds supported
Wireless Charging:MagSafe up to 25W (with 30W+ adapter); Qi2 up to 25W (via iOS update); Qi up to 7.5W
Connectivity:5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.3; Ultra Wideband (Second-generation); Thread networking technology; NFC with reader mode
USB:USB-C connector with USB 3 speeds (up to 10 Gb/s); Native DisplayPort output
Durability:IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield (latest generation) front; Titanium design (Grade 5); Textured matte glass back
Dimensions:6.42" x 3.06" x 0.32" (163.0 x 77.6 x 8.25 mm)
Weight:7.99 oz (227 g)
Biometrics:Face ID
Extras:Apple Intelligence support; Camera Control button; Action button; Dynamic Island; LiDAR Scanner; Dual eSIM (US models); Emergency SOS via satellite; Crash Detection; Roadside Assistance via satellite
✓ Pros:
- • Largest iPhone display ever at 6.9 inches with ultra-thin borders
- • 48MP Ultra Wide camera improves macro and wide-angle detail significantly
- • Excellent battery life (4685 mAh), among the best in class
- • Dedicated Camera Control button mimics a DSLR shutter
- • Support for 4K 120fps Dolby Vision recording for professional slow-motion
✗ Cons:
- • Large physical dimensions can be unwieldy for some users
- • Fastest charging speeds (MagSafe 25W) require purchasing a new puck and adapter
- • US models lack a physical SIM tray (eSIM only)
- • Base storage starts at 256GB, raising the entry price
- • USB-C cable included in the box is limited to USB 2 speeds (pro transfer speeds require separate cable)
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Which one is better?
Based on ratings and feature balance, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has a slight edge for overall satisfaction. Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max remains a strong alternative if its strengths match your needs.
Who should buy each?
For performance and polish: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Integrated S Pen with ultra-low latency (2.8ms), Versatile camera system with dual telephoto lenses (3x and 10x optical))
For value or versatility: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (Largest iPhone display ever at 6.9 inches with ultra-thin borders, 48MP Ultra Wide camera improves macro and wide-angle detail significantly)
Conclusion
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max are both solid choices. Match the strengths above to your budget and workflow to make the best call.
Frequently Asked Questions
+Which has better value?
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra excels if you value integrated s pen with ultra-low latency (2.8ms). Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max is better if you prioritize largest iphone display ever at 6.9 inches with ultra-thin borders. Pick based on your budget and daily use.
+Is this an independent review?
Yes. We use affiliate links for monetization, but recommendations are research-driven and unbiased.
+Do newer models exist?
Check release timelines from the manufacturers and compare pricing before you buy. We refresh this page when major updates land.
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