2026 comparison

Updated Jan 16, 2026

|Sources: Amazon, Manufacturer

Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max

Time to compare Samsung Galaxy S23 with Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max. We will cover the essentials so you can buy with confidence.

Ratings: 4.4★ vs 4.8★

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Samsung Galaxy S23

★4.4

(101)•Best Buy

Operating System:Android

Software Support:4 generations of OS upgrades (Android 14, 15, 16, 17); 5 years of security updates (guaranteed until 2028)

Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (4nm; 8-core CPU: 1x3.36GHz Cortex-X3, 2x2.8GHz A715, 2x2.8GHz A710, 3x2.0GHz A510)

Graphics:Adreno 740 (719 MHz)

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Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max

★4.8

(126)•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 A19 Pro chip (3nm; 6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine; hardware-accelerated ray tracing)

Graphics:Apple 6-core GPU with Neural Accelerators (A19 Pro)

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Comparison: Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max

Samsung Galaxy S23

★4.4(101)Best Buy

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max

★4.8(126)Best Buy

Criterion	Samsung Galaxy S23	Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
Rating	★4.4(101)Best Buy	★4.8(126)Best Buy
Operating System	Android	iOS
Software Support	4 generations of OS upgrades (Android 14, 15, 16, 17); 5 years of security updates (guaranteed until 2028)	Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (4nm; 8-core CPU: 1x3.36GHz Cortex-X3, 2x2.8GHz A715, 2x2.8GHz A710, 3x2.0GHz A510)	Apple A19 Pro chip (3nm; 6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine; hardware-accelerated ray tracing)
Graphics	Adreno 740 (719 MHz)	Apple 6-core GPU with Neural Accelerators (A19 Pro)
RAM	8 GB (LPDDR5X)	12 GB (LPDDR5X)
Storage	128GB (UFS 3.1) / 256GB (UFS 4.0) / 512GB (UFS 4.0)	256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB (NVMe)
Display Size	6.1" (6.1" full rectangle; 5.9" accounting for rounded corners)	6.9" (6.86" measured diagonally as a standard rectangle; actual viewable area is less)
Screen Type	Dynamic AMOLED 2X	Super Retina XDR OLED
Resolution	2340 x 1080 pixels (FHD+, 425 ppi)	2868 x 1320 pixels (460 ppi)
Refresh Rate	Adaptive 48–120 Hz	Up to 120 Hz (ProMotion adaptive 1-120Hz)
Peak Brightness	1200 nits (HBM); 1750 nits peak (outdoor)	1000 nits max (typical); 1600 nits peak (HDR); 3000 nits peak (outdoor); 1 nit minimum
Main Camera	50MP Wide (24 mm, f/1.8), Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS	48MP Fusion Main (24 mm, f/1.78), 2nd-gen sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for 24MP and 48MP super-high-resolution photos
Ultra-Wide Camera	12MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.2, 120° FOV), Super Steady video	48MP Fusion Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.2, 120° field of view), Hybrid Focus Pixels, 48MP macro photography
Telephoto Camera	10MP Telephoto (70 mm, f/2.4), PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom	48MP Fusion Telephoto (100 mm, f/2.8), tetraprism design, 3D sensor-shift OIS, autofocus; enables 12MP optical-quality 8x zoom (200 mm equivalent)
Optical Zoom	3x optical zoom; 30x Space Zoom	0.5x, 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x optical-quality zoom steps (16x optical zoom range)
Digital Zoom	Up to 30x	Up to 40x
Video Recording	8K video at 24/30 fps; 4K at 30/60 fps; Slow motion 1080p at 240/960 fps	4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60/100/120 fps (Fusion Main); ProRes up to 4K at 120 fps with external recording; Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps
Front Camera	12MP Front (26 mm, f/2.2), Dual Pixel PDAF; 4K video at 30/60 fps	18MP Center Stage (f/1.9), autofocus with Focus Pixels, 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps
Battery	3900 mAh (Li-ion); Up to 22 hours video playback	5088 mAh (Li-ion, eSIM model); Up to 39 hours video playback (35 hours streamed)
Wired Charging	USB-C; Up to 50% in ~30 minutes with 25W adapter (sold separately)	USB-C; Up to 50% charge in ~20 minutes with 40W adapter or higher
Wireless Charging	Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 (up to 15W); Wireless PowerShare (4.5W)	MagSafe up to 25W (with 30W+ adapter); Qi2 up to 25W; Qi up to 7.5W
Connectivity	5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave); Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.3; NFC	5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 6.0; Ultra Wideband (Second-generation); Thread networking technology; NFC with reader mode
USB	USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1 (up to 5 Gb/s)	USB-C connector with USB 3 speeds (up to 10 Gb/s); Native DisplayPort output
Durability	IP68 (up to 1.5 m freshwater for 30 min); Armor Aluminum frame; Gorilla Glass Victus 2 front and back	IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield 2 front; Ceramic Shield back; Aerospace-grade aluminum unibody (with internal vapor chamber)
Dimensions	5.76" x 2.79" x 0.30" (146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6 mm)	6.43" x 3.07" x 0.34" (163.4 x 78.0 x 8.75 mm)
Weight	5.93 oz (168 g)	8.22 oz (233 g)
Biometrics	Ultrasonic Fingerprint (under display); Face recognition	Face ID
Extras	Samsung DeX; Samsung Knox; Stereo speakers tuned by AKG; Dual eSIM support (varies by carrier)	Apple Intelligence support; Camera Control button; Action button; Dynamic Island; Always-On display; Dual eSIM (US models); Emergency SOS via satellite; Crash Detection; Roadside Assistance via satellite
Pros	Powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip outperforms standard version Compact, lightweight design is easy to use with one hand Bright 1750 nits display ensures excellent outdoor visibility Versatile camera system with genuine 3x optical zoom Solid battery life for its size class (3900 mAh)	Brightest iPhone display ever (3000 nits peak outdoor) Triple 48MP camera system with 8x optical-quality zoom A19 Pro chip with 12GB RAM and vapor chamber cooling for sustained performance Excellent battery life (up to 39 hours video playback) Faster 40W wired charging and 25W wireless charging
Cons	Base 128GB model uses slower UFS 3.1 storage (256GB+ uses UFS 4.0) Charging speed is limited to 25W (significantly slower than competitors) Lacks UWB (Ultra-Wideband) support found in Plus/Ultra models Refresh rate floor is 48Hz (not 1Hz like LTPO panels on Ultra) Small screen size may be limiting for heavy media consumption	Large and heavy form factor (233 g) Fastest charging speeds require purchasing a 40W+ adapter separately No physical SIM tray (eSIM only in US) Expensive starting price Camera bump is significantly larger due to new tetraprism lens
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Samsung Galaxy S23

Rating:★4.4(101)Best Buy

Operating System:Android

Software Support:4 generations of OS upgrades (Android 14, 15, 16, 17); 5 years of security updates (guaranteed until 2028)

Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (4nm; 8-core CPU: 1x3.36GHz Cortex-X3, 2x2.8GHz A715, 2x2.8GHz A710, 3x2.0GHz A510)

Graphics:Adreno 740 (719 MHz)

RAM:8 GB (LPDDR5X)

Storage:128GB (UFS 3.1) / 256GB (UFS 4.0) / 512GB (UFS 4.0)

Display Size:6.1" (6.1" full rectangle; 5.9" accounting for rounded corners)

Screen Type:Dynamic AMOLED 2X

Resolution:2340 x 1080 pixels (FHD+, 425 ppi)

Refresh Rate:Adaptive 48–120 Hz

Peak Brightness:1200 nits (HBM); 1750 nits peak (outdoor)

Main Camera:50MP Wide (24 mm, f/1.8), Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS

Ultra-Wide Camera:12MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.2, 120° FOV), Super Steady video

Telephoto Camera:10MP Telephoto (70 mm, f/2.4), PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom

Optical Zoom:3x optical zoom; 30x Space Zoom

Digital Zoom:Up to 30x

Video Recording:8K video at 24/30 fps; 4K at 30/60 fps; Slow motion 1080p at 240/960 fps

Front Camera:12MP Front (26 mm, f/2.2), Dual Pixel PDAF; 4K video at 30/60 fps

Battery:3900 mAh (Li-ion); Up to 22 hours video playback

Wired Charging:USB-C; Up to 50% in ~30 minutes with 25W adapter (sold separately)

Wireless Charging:Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 (up to 15W); Wireless PowerShare (4.5W)

Connectivity:5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave); Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.3; NFC

USB:USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1 (up to 5 Gb/s)

Durability:IP68 (up to 1.5 m freshwater for 30 min); Armor Aluminum frame; Gorilla Glass Victus 2 front and back

Dimensions:5.76" x 2.79" x 0.30" (146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6 mm)

Weight:5.93 oz (168 g)

Biometrics:Ultrasonic Fingerprint (under display); Face recognition

Extras:Samsung DeX; Samsung Knox; Stereo speakers tuned by AKG; Dual eSIM support (varies by carrier)

✓ Pros:

• Powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip outperforms standard version
• Compact, lightweight design is easy to use with one hand
• Bright 1750 nits display ensures excellent outdoor visibility
• Versatile camera system with genuine 3x optical zoom
• Solid battery life for its size class (3900 mAh)

✗ Cons:

• Base 128GB model uses slower UFS 3.1 storage (256GB+ uses UFS 4.0)
• Charging speed is limited to 25W (significantly slower than competitors)
• Lacks UWB (Ultra-Wideband) support found in Plus/Ultra models
• Refresh rate floor is 48Hz (not 1Hz like LTPO panels on Ultra)
• Small screen size may be limiting for heavy media consumption

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max

Rating:★4.8(126)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 A19 Pro chip (3nm; 6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine; hardware-accelerated ray tracing)

Graphics:Apple 6-core GPU with Neural Accelerators (A19 Pro)

RAM:12 GB (LPDDR5X)

Storage:256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB (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)

Peak Brightness:1000 nits max (typical); 1600 nits peak (HDR); 3000 nits peak (outdoor); 1 nit minimum

Main Camera:48MP Fusion Main (24 mm, f/1.78), 2nd-gen sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for 24MP and 48MP super-high-resolution photos

Ultra-Wide Camera:48MP Fusion Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.2, 120° field of view), Hybrid Focus Pixels, 48MP macro photography

Telephoto Camera:48MP Fusion Telephoto (100 mm, f/2.8), tetraprism design, 3D sensor-shift OIS, autofocus; enables 12MP optical-quality 8x zoom (200 mm equivalent)

Optical Zoom:0.5x, 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x optical-quality zoom steps (16x optical zoom range)

Digital Zoom:Up to 40x

Video Recording:4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60/100/120 fps (Fusion Main); ProRes up to 4K at 120 fps with external recording; Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps

Front Camera:18MP Center Stage (f/1.9), autofocus with Focus Pixels, 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps

Battery:5088 mAh (Li-ion, eSIM model); Up to 39 hours video playback (35 hours streamed)

Wired Charging:USB-C; Up to 50% charge in ~20 minutes with 40W adapter or higher

Wireless Charging:MagSafe up to 25W (with 30W+ adapter); Qi2 up to 25W; 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 6.0; 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 2 front; Ceramic Shield back; Aerospace-grade aluminum unibody (with internal vapor chamber)

Dimensions:6.43" x 3.07" x 0.34" (163.4 x 78.0 x 8.75 mm)

Weight:8.22 oz (233 g)

Biometrics:Face ID

Extras:Apple Intelligence support; Camera Control button; Action button; Dynamic Island; Always-On display; Dual eSIM (US models); Emergency SOS via satellite; Crash Detection; Roadside Assistance via satellite

✓ Pros:

• Brightest iPhone display ever (3000 nits peak outdoor)
• Triple 48MP camera system with 8x optical-quality zoom
• A19 Pro chip with 12GB RAM and vapor chamber cooling for sustained performance
• Excellent battery life (up to 39 hours video playback)
• Faster 40W wired charging and 25W wireless charging

✗ Cons:

• Large and heavy form factor (233 g)
• Fastest charging speeds require purchasing a 40W+ adapter separately
• No physical SIM tray (eSIM only in US)
• Expensive starting price
• Camera bump is significantly larger due to new tetraprism lens

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Which one is better?

Based on ratings and feature balance, Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max has a slight edge for overall satisfaction. Samsung Galaxy S23 remains a strong alternative if its strengths match your needs.

Who should buy each?

For performance and polish: Samsung Galaxy S23 (Powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip outperforms standard version, Compact, lightweight design is easy to use with one hand)

For value or versatility: Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max (Brightest iPhone display ever (3000 nits peak outdoor), Triple 48MP camera system with 8x optical-quality zoom)

Conclusion

Samsung Galaxy S23 and Apple iPhone 17 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 S23 excels if you value powerful snapdragon 8 gen 2 for galaxy chip outperforms standard version. Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max is better if you prioritize brightest iphone display ever (3000 nits peak outdoor). 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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