Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max: which should you buy?

The short version

Big-phone flagship against big-phone flagship: the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the iPhone 16 Pro Max are the two ceilings of 2024–2025 phone hardware. Used, the gap is real: the S25 Ultra at a median of $646 for 256 GB, the 16 Pro Max around $739 — Apple holds its value harder, so the Samsung undercuts it by roughly $90 and that difference is the first real argument in this comparison.

Performance

The Snapdragon 8 Elite (Gen 4) is the fastest mobile chip we track: our gaming score for the S25 Ultra is 79/100 versus 59/100 for the A18 Pro in the 16 Pro Max. The gap is real in sustained 3D gaming and raw benchmarks (AnTuTu ~3.1M vs ~2.0M). In daily apps both are flawless, and both carry 7-year update commitments — longevity is a tie.

Camera

The most lopsided category, in Samsung's favor on versatility: a 200 MP main, 50 MP ultrawide, and 50 MP 5x periscope against Apple's 48 MP main, 48 MP ultrawide, and 48 MP 5x tetraprism. Our camera score: 90/100 versus 52/100. The nuance Apple keeps is video — 4K120, better stabilization, better color consistency across lenses — so the verdict splits cleanly: stills and zoom, Samsung; motion, Apple.

Display and design

Both are 6.9-inch OLED slabs with 120 Hz. The iPhone's 2,000-nit panel edges everyday brightness; the Ultra's anti-reflective Gorilla Armor is the better outdoor screen in practice. Screen quality scores: 77/100 (iPhone) vs 56/100 — but that scale does not weigh the anti-glare coating. The Ultra includes S-Pen support and flat squared rails; the iPhone is heavier in the hand at 227 g vs 218 g. Compactness: both are two-hand phones, no winner.

Battery

Both clear a heavy day: our scores are 37/100 (Ultra, 5,000 mAh, 45 W) versus 28/100 (iPhone, 4,685 mAh, 30 W). The Ultra charges faster wired; the iPhone wins wireless (MagSafe ecosystem).

Verdict

Buy the S25 Ultra for the camera system, the S-Pen, faster charging, and the higher gaming ceiling — it is the hardware-maximalist pick. Buy the iPhone 16 Pro Max if you shoot video, live in Apple's ecosystem, or prefer its camera consistency and resale liquidity. At current used prices you will not make a mistake either way — this is the best-versus-best matchup of the generation.