PhoneLifespan

iPhone 17 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 17 Pro Max it's also the sounder buy at $13.34 per month of safe use.

Value Score: iPhone 17 Pro Max 69 · 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 17 Pro Max $1199
Safe to buy$15.98/mo
2025◆ Buy-by Sep 20302032
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra $902
Safe to buy$13.34/mo
2025◆ Buy-by Feb 20302032

Category by category

Display
iPhone 17 Pro Max 90Galaxy 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 17 Pro Max 100Galaxy S25 Ultra 98

Performance is a wash — same chip tier.

Camera
iPhone 17 Pro Max 74Galaxy S25 Ultra 96

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

Battery
iPhone 17 Pro Max 82Galaxy S25 Ultra 80

Battery capacities are close enough not to decide this.

Software longevity
iPhone 17 Pro Max 89Galaxy S25 Ultra 81

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is supported until Sep 2032 — 7 months longer than the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Value
iPhone 17 Pro Max 69Galaxy S25 Ultra 75

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

Full spec table
SpeciPhone 17 Pro MaxGalaxy S25 Ultra
Price (street)$1199$902
Display6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, ProMotion 1–120Hz, up to 3000 nits peak6.9-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, QHD+, 1–120Hz, up to 2600 nits
ChipsetApple A19 ProSnapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
RAM12GB12GB
Storage256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB256GB/512GB/1TB
Battery5,088 mAh5,000 mAh
ChargingWired fast charge — 50% in ~20 min with a 40W+ adapter; MagSafe wireless up to 25W (Qi2.2)45W wired (65% in 30 min), 15W wireless (Qi2 Ready), 4.5W reverse wireless
Rear cameras48MP main, 48MP ultra-wide, 48MP telephoto 4x200MP main, 50MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto 3x, 50MP periscope 5x
Dimensions163.4 × 78 × 8.75 mm162.8 × 77.6 × 8.2 mm
Weight233 g218 g
Water resistanceIP68IP68
Supported untilSep 2032Feb 2032
iPhone 17 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.