Two phones form the high-end smartphone discussion this cycle: Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max and Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra. And I used them together side by side for pretty much everything, from day-to-day messaging and finding my way to creating content and light mobile editing. They’re both chasing the same buyer with wildly different philosophies — one leaning into pro-grade video and snug accessories, the other doubling down on display tech, integrated AI and an S Pen. Here is where each shines, and which one ultimately prevails.
My comparison concentrated on what the results in real life are: outdoor visibility, camera and video pipeline, time-saving AI tools, battery consistency, ecosystem advantages and price vs capability value. I also thought about ownership items long-term like storage ceilings and accessory refitability.
- Design and build quality differences that matter daily
- Displays and real-world outdoor visibility compared
- Performance and battery life in everyday heavy use
- Cameras, video quality and creator tools for power users
- AI features and overall software experience compared
- Ecosystem strengths, storage limits and accessories
- Price, overall value and which flagship you should buy
- Final verdict: choosing the clear winner between them
Design and build quality differences that matter daily
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is Apple’s most radical visual departure in years. It’s all textbook-accurate tolerances and haptics that are second to none. It has a dense, but balanced feel — and the new finish holds up to micro-scratches much better than the old glossy Pro models do against my bag-and-pocket routine.
Samsung retains the S25 Ultra’s distinctive, squared-off shape with a spiffy container accommodating the S Pen. The flat edges of the frame make it easier to grip case-free, and the anti-smudge coating does seem to stay cleaner throughout a workday. It is familiar, purposeful and designed to be used with a stylus.
Displays and real-world outdoor visibility compared
It’s Samsung’s screen to beat. Wrapping around front and back sides, the anti-reflective, anti-smudge coating on the S25 Ultra makes a practical difference when you’re stepping into direct sun: Street-side replies to text messages, maps and viewfinder framing are still legible without having to cup the display. Testing labs like DisplayMate have for years given Samsung’s flagships gold medals for color accuracy and brightness, and this generation’s panel certainly has the goods.
Apple responds with a fresh anti-glare technique for the iPhone 17 Pro Max. So it is a significant upsell from previous iPhones, though in harsh lighting the Samsung still wins the glare contest. Indoors, both offer terrific color management and motion handling for scrolling and gaming.
Performance and battery life in everyday heavy use
Both phones are extremely zippy when launching apps, exporting and multitasking. Whether trimming 4K clips or bouncing a dozen processes, neither skips a beat. Neutral benchmarks with groups like UL Solutions and Geekbench typically have Apple and Samsung trading blows at the top, and that mirrors what I’ve experienced.
- Battery life is great on both.
- The S25 Ultra seems to net a smidgen more screen-on time in mixed use, likely due to panel efficiency and tuning.
- The iPhone 17 Pro Max is very consistent, and you never have to reach for fast charging (plus convenient MagSafe stands that work on your bedside or desk).
Cameras, video quality and creator tools for power users
If you shoot a ton of video, the iPhone 17 Pro Max gets the edge. The Pro models from Apple all now support ProRes RAW, in addition to 4K Dolby Vision recording at up to 120 fps on the main camera and with up to 60 fps on each of the other sensors. Otherwise, there’s the new 18MP front camera with Center Stage and ultrastabilized selfie video — pros and vloggers will find all sorts of uses for that. The iPhone’s color pipeline and HDR consistency continue to impress creatives; well-known reviewers at sites like DPReview and independent filmmakers on YouTube have been citing the reliability of iPhone in mixed lighting and skin tones for some time now.
Samsung’s stills are still terrific and the S25 Ultra’s use of computational tricks is more general-purpose for fast fixes. There is also Instant Slow-Mo on a press-and-hold, which feels addictive, and the object eraser that seems more convincing than Apple’s Clean Up in my tests. Samsung’s workflow is fast and forgiving for casual clips and social-ready photos, but Apple’s pro video stack is unmatched on a phone.
AI features and overall software experience compared
Galaxy AI seems more a part of your day-to-day activities. A swipe of the sidebar brings up AI Select tools that can extract text, summarize, translate or generate calendar events right from what’s on-screen. Those features feel within reach, not buried, and Android’s flexibility lets them slide right into your habits.
Apple Intelligence is considerate, strong on privacy thanks to its focus on processing data on-device and with Private Cloud Compute, and thoughtful in areas like alert summaries and writing tools. For the sheer scale and immediate availability, though, Samsung wins on both fronts for having the most complete user experience.
Ecosystem strengths, storage limits and accessories
Accessories may make the decision for you. If you have MagSafe accessories — wallets, battery packs, car mounts or magnetic tripods — the iPhone 17 Pro Max supports them for friction-free living in an iPhone case. Go to Samsung and now you’re starting over on that kit unless you are using universal mounts.
Storage is a second fork in the road. Apple now makes the iPhone 17 Pro Max in up to 2TB, a realization of many filmmakers’ dreams for being able to shoot in ProRes RAW without having to worry about micromanaging files. Beyond that, Samsung maxes out at 1TB on the S25 Ultra. That added terabyte carries a premium on an iPhone — a 2TB model will cost you $1,999. But it can mean the difference between getting or not having the shot.
Price, overall value and which flagship you should buy
It turns out that for the rest of us, there’s a very practical aspect to value — our ability to put something into everyday use. The S25 Ultra also delivers with the best outdoor screen, the convenience of Galaxy AI and a unique tool in the S Pen for on-the-fly note-taking, diagramming and markups — despite losing some legacy remote tricks. The iPhone 17 Pro Max brings unmatched mobile video tools, seamless accessory continuation and the longest storage runway you can find in a phone.
Final verdict: choosing the clear winner between them
In the end, for most people, we prefer everything you get with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: a world-class display, AI features anyone can use and that productivity boost from the S Pen. If you are a video-first creative or just really into MagSafe, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is the better choice — particularly on the highest-capacity models. But for everyday flexibility in real-world readability, Samsung wins.
