PhoneLifespan

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Galaxy S24 Ultra

vs

Winner

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

The Galaxy S24 Ultra wins this one, taking camera and display decisively. Against the iPhone 15 Pro Max it's also the sounder buy at $17.13 per month of safe use.

Value Score: iPhone 15 Pro Max 63 · Galaxy S24 Ultra 70 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 15 Pro Max $760
Safe to buy$14.87/mo
2023◆ Buy-by Sep 20282030
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra $949
Safe to buy$17.13/mo
2024◆ Buy-by Jan 20292031

Category by category

Display
iPhone 15 Pro Max 80Galaxy S24 Ultra 100

The Galaxy S24 Ultra's screen is the better one — 6.8-inch dynamic amoled 2x, qhd+ (3120×1440), 1–120hz, up to 2600 nits.

Performance
iPhone 15 Pro Max 88Galaxy S24 Ultra 92

The Galaxy S24 Ultra's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy is simply the faster chip.

Camera
iPhone 15 Pro Max 74Galaxy S24 Ultra 96

The Galaxy S24 Ultra has the stronger camera system (4 real rear lenses vs 3).

Battery
iPhone 15 Pro Max 68Galaxy S24 Ultra 80

5,000mAh vs 4,422mAh — the Galaxy S24 Ultra lasts longer between charges.

Software longevity
iPhone 15 Pro Max 61Galaxy S24 Ultra 66

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is supported until Jan 2031 — 4 months longer than the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Value
iPhone 15 Pro Max 63Galaxy S24 Ultra 70

Overall value goes to the Galaxy S24 Ultra at $17.13 per month of safe use.

Full spec table
SpeciPhone 15 Pro MaxGalaxy S24 Ultra
Price (street)$760$949
Display6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz ProMotion, Always-On, Dynamic Island, up to 2000 nits peak6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, QHD+ (3120×1440), 1–120Hz, up to 2600 nits
ChipsetApple A17 ProSnapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy
RAM8GB12GB
Storage256GB/512GB/1TB256GB/512GB/1TB
Battery4,422 mAh5,000 mAh
ChargingWired ~50% in 30 min with 20W+; MagSafe 15W wireless45W wired, 15W wireless
Rear cameras48MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 12MP telephoto200MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto 3x, 50MP telephoto 5x periscope
Dimensions159.9 × 76.7 × 8.25 mm162.3 × 79.0 × 8.6 mm
Weight221 g232 g
Water resistanceIP68IP68
Supported untilSep 2030Jan 2031

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