PhoneLifespan

iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Galaxy S25 Ultra

vs

Winner

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

The Galaxy S25 Ultra wins this one, taking camera and display decisively. Against the iPhone 15 Pro Max it's also the sounder buy at $13.34 per month of safe use.

Value Score: iPhone 15 Pro Max 63 · Galaxy S25 Ultra 75 — 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 S25 Ultra $902
Safe to buy$13.34/mo
2025◆ Buy-by Feb 20302032

Category by category

Display
iPhone 15 Pro Max 80Galaxy S25 Ultra 100

The Galaxy S25 Ultra's screen is the better one — 6.9-inch dynamic ltpo amoled 2x, qhd+, 1–120hz, up to 2600 nits.

Performance
iPhone 15 Pro Max 88Galaxy S25 Ultra 98

The Galaxy S25 Ultra's Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy is simply the faster chip.

Camera
iPhone 15 Pro Max 74Galaxy S25 Ultra 96

The Galaxy S25 Ultra has the stronger camera system (4 real rear lenses vs 3).

Battery
iPhone 15 Pro Max 68Galaxy S25 Ultra 80

5,000mAh vs 4,422mAh — the Galaxy S25 Ultra lasts longer between charges.

Software longevity
iPhone 15 Pro Max 61Galaxy S25 Ultra 81

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is supported until Feb 2032 — 17 months longer than the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Value
iPhone 15 Pro Max 63Galaxy S25 Ultra 75

Overall value goes to the Galaxy S25 Ultra at $13.34 per month of safe use.

Full spec table
SpeciPhone 15 Pro MaxGalaxy S25 Ultra
Price (street)$760$902
Display6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz ProMotion, Always-On, Dynamic Island, up to 2000 nits peak6.9-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, QHD+, 1–120Hz, up to 2600 nits
ChipsetApple A17 ProSnapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
RAM8GB12GB
Storage256GB/512GB/1TB256GB/512GB/1TB
Battery4,422 mAh5,000 mAh
ChargingWired ~50% in 30 min with 20W+; MagSafe 15W wireless45W wired (65% in 30 min), 15W wireless (Qi2 Ready), 4.5W reverse wireless
Rear cameras48MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 12MP telephoto200MP main, 50MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto 3x, 50MP periscope 5x
Dimensions159.9 × 76.7 × 8.25 mm162.8 × 77.6 × 8.2 mm
Weight221 g218 g
Water resistanceIP68IP68
Supported untilSep 2030Feb 2032
iPhone 15 Pro Max full verdict →Galaxy S25 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.