iPhone 14 Pro Max Vs. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Which Should You Buy?

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max are two great smartphones that 2022 brought our way. They are Samsung’s and Apple’s most sophisticated smartphones and live up to their hype and price tags.

Both phones’ batteries, cameras, and processors are impressive, just like their designs. Therefore, it’s a choice between two great wins, regardless of which you purchase.

But if you want a fair comparison between these two devices for your purchasing decision, you will find this article helpful. I will compare both phones looking at where their features overlap they differ.

iPhone 14 Pro Max

iPhone 14 Pro Max features a 6.7-inch OLED screen with rounded edges. With a starting price of  $1,099, this Apple flagship comes with the Always-On Display feature that no previous iPhone has ever had. It redefined the security that mobile devices can render through crash detection and SOS through Satellites where there is no network coverage.

Similarly, its primary 48MP camera is a noteworthy improvement in the image-capturing ability of this Apple gadget, considering that it is also the first to pack such. Of course, its over 4,000 mAh battery capacity lasts more than half a day, even with rigorous usage, thanks to its super-fast and energy-efficient A16 Bionic processor.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

Galaxy S22 Ultra by Samsung features a 6.8-inch OLED display with square ends operating on the Android OS. Its sharp ends may make it a bit uncomfortable to hold in the pocket, but considering its massive 108MP main camera and S Pen for navigation and writing, iPhone 14 Pro Max sure has some things to learn from this Android phone.

The battery capacity is 5,000mAh, and it charges fast. Also, its telephoto zoom of 10x further leaves iPhones with unanswered questions. The starting price is, however, higher than iPhone 14 Pro Max, costing $1,199 for the least memory option.

For a quick review of the two giant mobile devices, the table below helps greatly.

iPhone 14 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Display & Design

The screen size of the two phones is almost similar, except that the S22 Ultra is a bit bigger with rectangular ends. While iPhone 14 Pro Max is 6.7 inches with rounded ends, S22 Ultra is 6.8 with sharp ends. The wider aspect ratio of this Samsung phone may be an advantage for on-screen activities, but it can also make carrying it in one’s pocket challenging. The iPhone 14 Pro Max is significant but also fits the pocket nicely.

Anyone concerned with screen size will go for the S22 Ultra, but it’s not enough reason to jilt the highly-productive iPhone 14 Pro Max. In terms of material-make, both also combine metal and glass, but the metal choice for both phones differ, and Samsung chose Aluminum for its frame while Apple used high-quality and lustrous stainless steel.

Again, both material combinations are excellent, and they come “harmed” with the IP68 technology that makes them dust and water-resistant.

iPhone 14 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Battery & Charging

Galaxy S22 Ultra has a bigger battery size of 5,000mAh than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but the 4,325mAh of the latter lasts longer than the former. In separate tests by independent professionals, the iPhone lasted close to 14 hours on continuous usage (browsing, streaming) compared to the 11 hours that the Galaxy S22 Ultra can muster. The better battery performance of the iPhone is attributable to the A16 Bionic processor that manages power more efficiently.

Unfortunately, none of the two devices comes with a charger; they only contain a USB-C for the S22 Ultra and a Lightning cable for the Apple device. Apple, however, built a MagSafe technology into its device, but you will still have to purchase a compatible MagSafe wireless charger. One remarkable difference is that Samsung wired charging is twice as fast as iPhone 14 Pro Max Lightning to USB-C charging.

iPhone 14 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Software & Performance

The iPhone 14 Pro Max’s A16 Bionic chip relatively outperformed Samsung’s Snapdragon chip in interface smoothness and navigation. And only the US version of this S22 Ultra features the Snapdragon-based chip; international variants come with an older Exynos chip, which may further score the Samsung phone lower in this department.

iPhone 14 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Cameras

Apple included a whopping 48MP primary camera in this flagship for the first time, redefining the brightness and sharpness of the phone’s image. Added to this is the 2x telephoto camera option that aids in zooming, plus the Photonic Engine, which also improves the quality of photos taken under low light.

The S22 Ultra comes a bit more endowed in the camera section as it features a 108MP primary camera with two telephoto zooms: 10x and 3x. This 10x zoom means the Samsung phone is better suited for capturing distant images than iPhone 14 Pro Max. However, the overall performance of both phones in image quality is not significantly different.

The main differences between the two high-end phones that can help you decide which to buy are:

• Although smaller in capacity, the iPhone battery lasts longer than S22 Ultras. However, S22 Ultra charges faster.
• Galaxy S22 Ultra is more expensive than iPhone 14 Pro Max, with its starting price at $1,199
• S22 Ultra has S Pen that you can use for writing and sketching on the device, but iPhone 14 Pro Max doesn’t have this feature
• 108MP main camera in S22 Ultra compared to the 48MP main camera of the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The Samsung phone also has a 10x zoom lens, which is absent in iPhone 14 Pro Max.
• iPhone 14 Pro Max has a better processor than the S22 Ultra and is consistent globally.
• iPhone 14 Pro Max only features 6GB RAM, while Galaxy S22 Ultra offers two options – 8GB & 12GB.
• Galaxy S22 Ultra has a bigger screen than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but the Apple phone may fit better into the pocket and be more compact than the Samsung flagship.

Which Should You Buy?

Since both phones operate on different OS, your purchase decision must go beyond features. Do you prefer the Android platform over the Ios? And besides, are you prepared to pay the extra dollars for the S22 Ultra? iPhone 14 Pro Max outperforms the S22 Ultra in some aspects, but the latter also has features absent in the former. However, the iPhone 14 Pro Max makes a better purchase, given its unrivaled finishing and global uniformity.