iPhone 14 Pro Max vs Galaxy S23 Ultra

Phone 1

Phone 2

Winner

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Lifespan decides this one: the iPhone 14 Pro Max is supported until Sep 2029 at $11.23 per month of safe use, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra runs out in Feb 2028 ($16.98/month). On a which-lasts-longer question, that's not a tie — it's the whole answer.

Value Score: iPhone 14 Pro Max 67 · Galaxy S23 Ultra 76 — methodology

The lifespan decider

When specs are close, support length decides it — this is what each phone costs per month of safe use.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max $437

Safe to buy$11.23/mo

2022◆ Buy-by Sep 20272029

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra $339

Buy with care$16.98/mo

2023◆ Buy-by Feb 20262028

Category by category

Display

iPhone 14 Pro Max 80Galaxy S23 Ultra 90

The Galaxy S23 Ultra's screen is the better one — 6.8-inch dynamic amoled 2x, qhd+, ltpo 1–120hz, 1750 nits peak.

Performance

iPhone 14 Pro Max 80Galaxy S23 Ultra 85

The Galaxy S23 Ultra's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy is simply the faster chip.

Camera

iPhone 14 Pro Max 74Galaxy S23 Ultra 96

The Galaxy S23 Ultra has the stronger camera system (4 real rear lenses vs 3).

Battery

iPhone 14 Pro Max 66Galaxy S23 Ultra 80

5,000mAh vs 4,323mAh — the Galaxy S23 Ultra lasts longer between charges.

Software longevity

iPhone 14 Pro Max 46Galaxy S23 Ultra 24

The iPhone 14 Pro Max is supported until Sep 2029 — 19 months longer than the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Value

iPhone 14 Pro Max 67Galaxy S23 Ultra 76

Overall value goes to the Galaxy S23 Ultra at $16.98 per month of safe use.

Full spec table

Spec	iPhone 14 Pro Max	Galaxy S23 Ultra
Price (street)	$437	$339
Display	6.7-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, ProMotion 120Hz, always-on, up to 2000 nits peak	6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, QHD+, LTPO 1–120Hz, 1750 nits peak
Chipset	Apple A16 Bionic	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
RAM	6GB	8GB/12GB
Storage	128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB	256GB/512GB/1TB
Battery	4,323 mAh	5,000 mAh
Charging	20W wired (50% in ~30 min), MagSafe 15W wireless	45W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless
Rear cameras	48MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 12MP telephoto 3x	200MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto 3x, 10MP periscope 10x
Dimensions	160.7 × 77.6 × 7.85 mm	163.4 × 78.1 × 8.9 mm
Weight	240 g	234 g
Water resistance	IP68	IP68
Supported until	Sep 2029	Feb 2028

iPhone 14 Pro Max full verdict →Galaxy S23 Ultra full verdict →Longevity master board →

Scores and verdicts are computed from our verified database — see exactly how. Specs from manufacturer documentation; prices reflect major US retailers.