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2026 comparison
Updated Jan 16, 2026
|Sources: Amazon, ManufacturerSamsung Galaxy S24 vs Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
Samsung Galaxy S24 vs Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max: which is the right fit? We cover performance, value, and use cases to make the call easier.
Ratings: 4.6★ vs 4.8★
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Samsung Galaxy S24
★4.6
(1,055)•Amazon
Operating System:Android
Software Support:7 generations of OS upgrades; 7 years of security updates (guaranteed until 2031)
Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4nm; 8-core CPU: 1x3.39GHz Cortex-X4, 3x3.1GHz A720, 2x2.9GHz A720, 2x2.2GHz A520)
Graphics:Adreno 750 (1 GHz)
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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 S24 vs Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
Samsung Galaxy S24
★4.6(1,055)Amazon
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
★4.8(126)Best Buy
| Criterion | Samsung Galaxy S24 | Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★4.6(1,055)Amazon | ★4.8(126)Best Buy |
Operating System | Android | iOS |
Software Support | 7 generations of OS upgrades; 7 years of security updates (guaranteed until 2031) | Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades |
Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4nm; 8-core CPU: 1x3.39GHz Cortex-X4, 3x3.1GHz A720, 2x2.9GHz A720, 2x2.2GHz A520) | Apple A19 Pro chip (3nm; 6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine; hardware-accelerated ray tracing) |
Graphics | Adreno 750 (1 GHz) | 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 | 6.2" (6.17" measured diagonally as a full rectangle; 6.0" accounting for rounded corners) | 6.9" (6.86" measured diagonally as a standard rectangle; actual viewable area is less) |
Screen Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X (LTPO) | Super Retina XDR OLED |
Resolution | 2340 x 1080 pixels (FHD+, 416 ppi) | 2868 x 1320 pixels (460 ppi) |
Refresh Rate | Adaptive 1–120 Hz | Up to 120 Hz (ProMotion adaptive 1-120Hz) |
Peak Brightness | 2600 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 (67 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; 2x optical-quality zoom (enabled by Adaptive Pixel sensor) | 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x optical-quality zoom steps (16x optical zoom range) |
Digital Zoom | Up to 30x (Space Zoom) | Up to 40x |
Video Recording | 8K video at 24/30 fps; 4K at 30/60 fps; Slow motion 1080p at 240 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 | 4000 mAh (Li-ion); Up to 29 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 | 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 2 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 | 5.79" x 2.78" x 0.30" (147.0 x 70.6 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) (mmWave model) | 8.22 oz (233 g) |
Biometrics | Ultrasonic Fingerprint (under display); Face recognition | Face ID |
Extras | Galaxy AI (Circle to Search, Live Translate, Note Assist); Samsung DeX; Stereo speakers tuned by AKG; Dual eSIM support | 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 |
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Samsung Galaxy S24
Rating:★4.6(1,055)Amazon
Operating System:Android
Software Support:7 generations of OS upgrades; 7 years of security updates (guaranteed until 2031)
Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4nm; 8-core CPU: 1x3.39GHz Cortex-X4, 3x3.1GHz A720, 2x2.9GHz A720, 2x2.2GHz A520)
Graphics:Adreno 750 (1 GHz)
RAM:8 GB (LPDDR5X)
Storage:128GB (UFS 3.1) / 256GB (UFS 4.0) / 512GB (UFS 4.0)
Display Size:6.2" (6.17" measured diagonally as a full rectangle; 6.0" accounting for rounded corners)
Screen Type:Dynamic AMOLED 2X (LTPO)
Resolution:2340 x 1080 pixels (FHD+, 416 ppi)
Refresh Rate:Adaptive 1–120 Hz
Peak Brightness:2600 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 (67 mm, f/2.4), PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom
Optical Zoom:3x optical zoom; 2x optical-quality zoom (enabled by Adaptive Pixel sensor)
Digital Zoom:Up to 30x (Space Zoom)
Video Recording:8K video at 24/30 fps; 4K at 30/60 fps; Slow motion 1080p at 240 fps
Front Camera:12MP Front (26 mm, f/2.2), Dual Pixel PDAF; 4K video at 30/60 fps
Battery:4000 mAh (Li-ion); Up to 29 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
Durability:IP68 (up to 1.5 m freshwater for 30 min); Armor Aluminum 2 frame; Gorilla Glass Victus 2 front and back
Dimensions:5.79" x 2.78" x 0.30" (147.0 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm)
Weight:5.93 oz (168 g) (mmWave model)
Biometrics:Ultrasonic Fingerprint (under display); Face recognition
Extras:Galaxy AI (Circle to Search, Live Translate, Note Assist); Samsung DeX; Stereo speakers tuned by AKG; Dual eSIM support
✓ Pros:
- • Commitment to 7 years of OS and security updates
- • Bright 2600-nit LTPO display adjusts down to 1Hz
- • Compact form factor without compromising on build quality
- • Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chip provides top-tier performance
- • Galaxy AI features integrated directly into the OS
✗ Cons:
- • Wired charging capped at 25W (slower than Plus/Ultra models)
- • Base 128GB model uses slower UFS 3.1 storage (256GB+ uses UFS 4.0)
- • Lacks Wi-Fi 7 support (limited to Wi-Fi 6E)
- • No UWB (Ultra-Wideband) support on the base model
- • 8GB RAM is lower than competitors' standard offerings
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?
Samsung Galaxy S24 is stronger in specific features, but Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max could still be the better pick if you value its unique advantages.
Who should buy each?
Expert take:
- Samsung Galaxy S24 suits buyers who need Commitment to 7 years of OS and security updates, Bright 2600-nit LTPO display adjusts down to 1Hz
- Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max suits buyers who want Brightest iPhone display ever (3000 nits peak outdoor), Triple 48MP camera system with 8x optical-quality zoom
Conclusion
With the key differences outlined, the decision should be clearer. Both options deliver quality—choose the one that fits your priorities.
Frequently Asked Questions
+Which has better value?
Samsung Galaxy S24 excels if you value commitment to 7 years of os and security updates. 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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