Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: The Ultimate Flagship Battle

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G and Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max represent the pinnacle of smartphone technology. Both boast stunning displays, powerful processors, and impressive camera systems, but which one truly deserves your money? This comprehensive comparison dives deep into every aspect to help you decide.
Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

The iPhone 14 Pro Max edges out the S22 Ultra with superior battery life and a slightly brighter display. However, the S22 Ultra offers more versatility with its S Pen and adaptable camera features. Ultimately, the best choice depends on your ecosystem preference and desired features.

PHONES
Phone Names Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2894, A2896
5G bands1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2894, A2896
SpeedHSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL)HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps
TechnologyGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2895
Launch
Announced2022, February 092022, September 07
StatusAvailable. Released 2022, February 25Available. Released 2022, September 16
Body
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frameGlass front, glass back, stainless steel frame
Dimensions163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in)160.7 x 77.6 x 7.9 mm (6.33 x 3.06 x 0.31 in)
SIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)· Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time; International)· eSIM + eSIM (8 or more, max 2 at a time; USA)· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China)
Weight228 g / 229 g (mmWave) (8.04 oz)240 g (8.47 oz)
 IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) Stylus, 2.8ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro)IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified)
Display
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass Victus+Ceramic Shield glass
Resolution1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density)1290 x 2796 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density)
Size6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~90.2% screen-to-body ratio)6.7 inches, 110.2 cm2 (~88.3% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeDynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits (peak)LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM)
 Always-on displayAlways-On display
Platform
CPUOcta-core (1x2.8 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A510) - EuropeOcta-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) - ROWHexa-core (2x3.46 GHz Everest + 4x2.02 GHz Sawtooth)
ChipsetExynos 2200 (4 nm) - EuropeQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) - ROWApple A16 Bionic (4 nm)
GPUXclipse 920 - EuropeAdreno 730 - ROWApple GPU (5-core graphics)
OSAndroid 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8iOS 16, upgradable to iOS 26.1
Memory
Card slotNoNo
Internal128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM
 UFS 3.1 NVMe
Main Camera
FeaturesLaser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panoramaDual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)
Quad108 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 10 MP, f/4.9, 230mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video-
Single-12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", PDAF, OIS (unconfirmed) SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)
Triple-48 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), 1/3.5", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth)
Video8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, stereo sound rec.
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDRHDR
Single40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.82", 0.7µm, PDAF12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)
Video4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS
Sound
3.5mm jack NoNo
35mm jackNoNo
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakersYes, with stereo speakers
 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG-
Comms
Bluetooth5.2, A2DP, LE5.3, A2DP, LE
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEOGPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 3.2, OTGLightning, USB 2.0
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot
Features
SensorsFingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometerFace ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
 Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) supportUltra Wideband (UWB) support Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving)
Battery
Charging45W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wirelessWired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update
TypeLi-Ion 5000 mAhLi-Ion 4323 mAh (16.68 Wh)
Misc
ColorsPhantom Black, White, Burgundy, Green, Graphite, Red, Sky Blue, Bora PurpleSpace Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple
ModelsSM-S908B, SM-S908B/DS, SM-S908U, SM-S908U1, SM-S908W, SM-S908N, SM-S9080, SM-S908E, SM-S908E/DSA2894, A2651, A2893, A2895, A2896, iphone15,3
Price€ 397.07 / $ 269.98 / £ 304.99 / ₹ 63,899€ 530.79 / $ 489.81 / £ 446.75
SAR1.18 W/kg (head)     0.98 W/kg (body)1.15 W/kg (head)     1.07 W/kg (body)
SAR EU1.05 W/kg (head)     1.58 W/kg (body)0.99 W/kg (head)     0.98 W/kg (body)
Tests
Battery lifeEndurance rating 108h Endurance rating 121h
CameraPhoto / Video Photo / Video
DisplayContrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker-27.3 LUFS (Good) -24.3 LUFS (Very good)
PerformanceAnTuTu: 968359 (v9) GeekBench: 3657 (v5.1) GFXBench: 37fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) AnTuTu: 955884 (v9) GeekBench: 5423 (v5.1) GFXBench: 54fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G

  • Versatile camera system with excellent zoom
  • Integrated S Pen stylus for productivity
  • Bright and vibrant display
  • Customizable Android experience
  • Fast charging (45W)

  • Performance slightly behind iPhone
  • Battery life not as impressive as iPhone
  • Exynos variant can have thermal throttling issues
  • Software updates can be slower than iOS

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

  • Exceptional performance with A16 Bionic chip
  • Outstanding battery life
  • Brightest display in the comparison
  • Seamless iOS ecosystem integration
  • Excellent video recording

  • Less customizable than Android
  • Slower charging speeds (15W)
  • Lightning port instead of USB-C
  • Repair costs can be high

Display Comparison

Both phones feature exceptional displays. The iPhone 14 Pro Max takes the lead with a measured peak brightness of 1760 nits, making it easier to see in direct sunlight. The S22 Ultra's 1266 nits are still impressive, and both offer vibrant colors and excellent contrast ratios (nominally infinite). The iPhone's ProMotion adaptive refresh rate (120Hz) is smoother, while the S22 Ultra's is also 120Hz but with a slightly different implementation.

Camera Comparison

Both phones offer outstanding camera capabilities. The S22 Ultra boasts a more versatile camera system with multiple lenses and impressive zoom capabilities (10x optical zoom). The iPhone 14 Pro Max excels in computational photography, producing consistently excellent images with natural colors and impressive dynamic range. Video recording is superb on both, with the iPhone generally considered to have a slight edge in stabilization and overall quality.

Performance

The iPhone 14 Pro Max's A16 Bionic chip delivers blistering performance, consistently outperforming the S22 Ultra's Exynos 2200 (Europe) or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (ROW) in benchmarks and real-world usage. While the S22 Ultra is no slouch, the A16's efficiency and raw power are undeniable. Gaming and demanding apps run flawlessly on both, but the iPhone has a slight edge.

Battery Life

The iPhone 14 Pro Max demonstrates significantly better battery life, achieving an endurance rating of 121 hours compared to the S22 Ultra's 108 hours. This translates to noticeably longer usage times between charges, especially for power users.

Buying Guide

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G is ideal for Android enthusiasts who value customization, the S Pen stylus for productivity, and a versatile camera system. The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max is perfect for those deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem, prioritizing seamless integration, and seeking consistently excellent performance and a user-friendly experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Which phone has better video quality?
The iPhone 14 Pro Max generally produces slightly better video quality due to its superior stabilization and color science, although both phones are excellent.
❓ Is the S Pen worth it?
If you value note-taking, sketching, or precise control, the S Pen on the S22 Ultra is a significant advantage. Otherwise, it's a less relevant feature.