iPhone 13 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra: Which phone is best? | Laptop Mag
iPhone 13 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra: Which phone is best?
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is our favorite high-finish Android phone of 2022, and the iPhone xiii Pro Max is a fitting challenger with a nearly identical screen size and now 120Hz refresh rate support to friction match.
While Samsung'due south foray into the foldable world gives fans a unique alternative, for those merely looking for a traditional flagship, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is the strongest competition confronting the iPhone xiii Pro Max. This year, both made meaning advances with their cameras resulting in slightly different advantages that may tip the scales depending on your preferences.
While some categories definitively tip in favor of one over the other, there are enough of grey areas to sort out that may exist the difference-maker betwixt you choosing the Galaxy S21 Ultra or the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
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iPhone 13 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra: toll and value
The iPhone 13 Pro Max starts at $1,099 for a 128GB model with 6GB of RAM. You tin upgrade to 256GB, 512GB or a new 1TB option. Information technology's an extra $100 for the 256GB model, which is necessary for the new ProRes video feature coming to iPhone 13 Pro Max later this yr. Add another $200 for the 512GB and 1TB options, maxing the telephone out at $1,599.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra starts at $1,199 for the 128GB model with 12GB of RAM. For $1,249, you tin crash-land up to 256GB, and the top-end 512GB model, which likewise boasts 16GB of RAM, is $1,379.
The cost difference quickly becomes a wash once yous motion beyond the base storage tier, which I would recommend doing for both of these phones. It'southward besides worth noting that, as the Milky way S21 Ultra has been bachelor since January, discounts are often available. In dissimilarity, the iPhone xiii Pro Max discounts are strictly for merchandise-in deals.
Overall, I'm ruling this category a draw as pricing is nearly identical on the models you should be buying.
Winner: Draw
iPhone 13 Pro Max vs. Milky way S21 Ultra: design
Both of these phones accept managed a somewhat rare feat in today'southward smartphone globe by etching out a unique look. The iPhone 13 Pro Max follows the squared-off aesthetic Apple brought back with the iPhone 12, while the Milky way S21 Ultra introduced the new Profile Cut Photographic camera housing that gives the telephone a distinct profile.
Opinions on the await of each telephone will naturally differ; I see both every bit a massive improvement over their previous designs, which just blended in with the rest of the rounded rectangular designs permeating the smartphone market. The solitary blemish on the iPhone thirteen Pro Max'south design remains its unsightly notch. Yes, y'all learn to ignore it, and it's twenty% smaller this year, however, it'southward still aesthetically and functionally unfortunate.
Both phones are reasonably comfortable to agree, despite their massive size that I'll get to in a moment, and each offers comparable IP68 dust and water resistance. While the new camera housing on the Galaxy S21 Ultra is an improvement, it remains massive and would press me to use a example with the telephone. Just the same tin can be said of the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which saw its camera assortment grow larger yet again this twelvemonth.
Taking a wait at the phones by the numbers, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is slightly smaller at 6.3 x 3.1 ten 0.3 inches compared to 6.v x 3 ten 0.35 inches for the Galaxy S21 Ultra. However, the S21 Ultra is lighter at 8.1 ounces to the 13 Pro Max'southward 8.5 ounces. Both are enormous cruiser-class phones that won't fit nicely in many pockets, only you know what you lot are in for with a 6.7+ inch screen unless y'all are ownership a foldable.
There's no objective winner in this category; both phones are striking in their ain manner and present similar difficulties and advantages regarding their overall size.
Winner: Describe
iPhone xiii Pro Max vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra: display
The iPhone 13 Pro Max features a half dozen.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with ProMotion and a 2778 10 1284-pixel resolution. The Galaxy S21 Ultra is slightly larger at 6.viii inches, just the Dynamic AMOLED 2X display offers a considerably higher WQHD+ (3200 x 1440) resolution and matches the iPhone's adaptive refresh charge per unit ranging from 10Hz up to 120Hz.
Both displays are among the best in their class. As is oft the instance with premium phones, choosing between them is a matter of which is more outstanding rather than a truthful winner and loser. In our review of the iPhone 13 Pro Max, nosotros noted that while its color reproduction may be more natural, it isn't as appealing every bit Samsung'southward more saturated Super AMOLED. The resolution tips in favor of Samsung, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra delivers that full resolution even when running at 120Hz, making for a sharper paradigm.
While Apple'due south 120Hz ProMotion tech matches up with the Galaxy S21 Ultra's, iOS developers withal need to bring full support for it to their apps. While the iPad Pro has offered ProMotion for several years at present, it'due south new to the iPhone and limited to the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. This is likely a short-lived reward for Samsung every bit Apple tree developers are generally quick to adopt the company'south new features, and then full support for ProMotion volition likely be widespread in the nigh popular apps in short social club.
Moving to the colorimeter results, the iPhone 13 Pro Max covers 77% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, a score that the Milky way S21 Ultra outperformed even in its less saturated Natural mode with 81.4%. Plough to its Brilliant color setting, and you would likely see something closer to the 143% of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra or 150.4% of the Galaxy S21 Plus.
Apple cranked up the brightness considerably on the entire iPhone 13 lineup, and it was enough to push the iPhone 13 Pro Max to 837 nits of brightness which is simply beyond the Galaxy S21 Ultra's 821 nits. Both volition be perfectly visible in vivid sunlight, merely information technology'due south an impressive feat from Apple regardless.
This category is closer than information technology has ever been between these two, but Samsung retains the edge. The Galaxy S21 Ultra offers a higher resolution, more impressive color reproduction that you tin can tune to a Natural or Bright look, and is negligibly behind the iPhone 13 Pro Max in brightness.
Winner: Galaxy S21 Ultra
iPhone 13 Pro Max vs. Milky way S21 Ultra: performance
The Galaxy S21 Ultra was the beginning phone to launch with the Snapdragon 888 processor this year, and briefly reigned as the height-performing Android phone. Still, nothing matches the A15 Bionic in the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Even with double the iPhone xiii Pro Max'south RAM (12GB vs. 6GB), it doesn't hold a candle to Apple'south juggernaut.
To be articulate, in real-globe usage, that reward won't mean much to near people correct at present. We loaded upwardly dozens of Google Chrome tabs, apps, picture-in-picture videos, and games in our review of each phone, and neither skipped a frame in delivering all of that content. Where you lot are going to see more than of a departure is in longevity.
The iPhone 13 Pro Max has then much operation headroom that information technology could exist three years before nosotros come across information technology stressed by any app or game. The Milky way S21 Ultra will striking that mark much sooner. If yous switch phones every ii years, this isn't as much of a gene, simply if you keep your phone for the long haul, it's worth considering.
On the Geekbench 5 overall performance test, the iPhone 13 Pro Max achieved an virtually unbelievable score of four,549. The Galaxy S21 Ultra, ane of the top-performing Android phones this yr, managed a iii,440. Our graphics-focused testing shows where Apple is even further ahead; in the Wild Life Unlimited 3DMark test, the iPhone thirteen Pro Max managed 68 frames per second, literally doubling the 34 frames per second of the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
The Adobe Premiere Rush video editing exam is a real-world example of Apple's functioning reward; the iPhone 13 Pro Max finished rendering and exporting a 4K video to 1080p in just 25.one seconds. The same task took the Galaxy S21 Ultra 1 minute and 3 seconds. As both phones are platonic options for content creators, that kind of time savings from the iPhone 13 Pro Max could be compelling.
While both phones offer excellent performance, this performance circular isn't close: the iPhone 13 Pro Max is the clear winner.
Winner: iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone xiii Pro Max vs. Milky way S21 Ultra: battery life and charging
These massive phones each characteristic the largest batteries in their respective lineups this twelvemonth. While the Galaxy S21 Ultra has the edge in pure size with a 5,000 mAh battery compared to the 4,352 mAh bombardment in the iPhone 13 Pro Max, real-earth bombardment life is a different story.
Later on a down yr with the battery life on the iPhone 12 lineup, Apple came back with a vengeance this twelvemonth with the iPhone 13 Pro Max offering the longest-lasting battery of whatsoever iPhone. In our Laptop Magazine battery test, it managed 12 hours and 16 minutes of continuous web surfing on 5G with the screen ready to 150 nits of effulgence.
Despite its larger bombardment and comparable adaptive 120Hz display, the Galaxy S21 Ultra falls more than ii hours brusk of its rival at 10 hours and 7 minutes in our test. Dropping the display to 60Hz bumps that upwardly to 11 hours and 25 minutes, but that's an unfortunate merchandise-off to make and still leaves you brusque.
Anything over ten hours is usually sufficient to go you through even a reasonably heavy twenty-four hour period of usage, and my experience with the Galaxy S21 Ultra was better than the tests would advise. Yet, there's no denying that the iPhone 13 Pro Max volition outlast it on a accuse.
On the subject of charging, neither phone covers itself in glory with only minimal fast charging available. Also, the phones ship with only a charging cable, so you'll need to purchase that charger separately.
The iPhone 13 Pro Max tops out at 27W charging, but only briefly, because it generally charges at the same 20W as the other iPhone 13 models. This resulted in a 19% charge in 15 minutes and a xl% charge in 30 minutes in our testing.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra has the edge here with 25W fast charging that powered the phone upwards to 30% in fifteen minutes and 56% in 30 minutes.
Both phones also back up wireless charging with Qi compatibility and Apple'due south proprietary MagSafe charging. Speeds are considerably slower, but it's hard to argue with the convenience of wireless charging.
The faster charging of the Galaxy S21 Ultra makes this closer and battery life is good on both phones, but the iPhone 13 Pro Max wins with its decisive victory on a single accuse.
Winner: iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone xiii Pro Max vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra: cameras
These 2 phones represent the pinnacle of smartphone photography and videography at the moment, but they take slightly dissimilar paths to get there. The iPhone 13 Pro Max sticks to a depression megapixel count for its camera sensors and information technology adds a LiDAR scanner and TrueDepth sensor for enhanced depth sensing and AR features. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S21 Ultra has one of the highest megapixel counts of any phone for its primary lens. It adds a robust laser autofocus organization and an incredible 10x optical zoom telephoto to its armory.
The iPhone thirteen Pro Max doesn't blow you away with its megapixel counts given that all four cameras are 12MP. Withal, don't permit that fool you lot; these are some of the best sensors on the market. The wide-angle is one of the fastest we've seen at f/1.five and the ultra-wide got a massive upgrade this twelvemonth to f/1.8, rivaling the main of some flagships. The telephoto jumps to 3x optical, upwards from ii.5x, but falls to f/two.8 discontinuity from f/2.0. The front-facing camera holds steady at f/two.2. Sensor-shift optical image stabilization returns to enhance the low-lite functioning of the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
The Milky way S21 Ultra features a 108MP wide-bending sensor at f/1.8, a 12MP ultra-wide sensor at f/2.two, a 10MP 3x telephoto at f/2.4, and a 10MP telephoto at f/4.9 photographic camera. Wrapping around the front end y'all accept another megapixel monster with a 40MP forepart-facing photographic camera at f/2.2. It's arguably the most versatile array of lenses on whatever mainstream telephone.
Photos captured in daylight or well-lit environments volition shine from both cameras; each delivers outstanding colour and crisp results. Equally the lights go down, the iPhone 13 Pro Max will maintain that excellent quality better than the Samsung. The combination of the f/1.5 aperture and its larger 1.9um pixels mean that even without Nighttime way, it can draw in vastly more calorie-free than the Milky way S21 Ultra, making for sharp and articulate shots even in poor lighting atmospheric condition. Fifty-fifty the ultra-broad camera on the iPhone xiii Pro Max compares favorably to the primary lens on the S21 Ultra, and then if you find yourself taking a lot of photos at night or indoors, the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a decisive reward.
iPhone thirteen Pro Max camera sample
iPhone 13 Pro Max camera sample
iPhone 13 Pro Max camera sample
iPhone thirteen Pro Max camera sample
iPhone 13 Pro Max camera sample
iPhone thirteen Pro Max camera sample
iPhone 13 Pro Max photographic camera sample
iPhone 13 Pro Max photographic camera sample
iPhone 13 Pro Max photographic camera sample
iPhone thirteen Pro Max camera sample
iPhone 13 Pro Max camera sample
iPhone 13 Pro Max camera sample
iPhone 13 Pro Max photographic camera sample
iPhone 13 Pro Max photographic camera sample
iPhone 13 Pro Max camera sample
iPhone 13 Pro Max camera sample
iPhone xiii Pro Max camera sample
iPhone 13 Pro Max camera sample
iPhone 13 Pro Max camera sample
On the flip side, the iPhone 13 Pro Max cannot begin to compare to the reach of the Milky way S21 Ultra. Apple'due south 3x telephoto matches the lesser of Samsung'south two telephoto lenses and tin produce usable results to around 5-8x zoom. The Galaxy S21 Ultra tin hitting a ludicrous 100x, but in terms of usable photos, you'll happily share images at 20x or slightly beyond. I take found that to exist incredibly valuable as someone who likes to accept pictures of wild fauna and my kids when they are playing sports or just running around the playground. Put simply, in that location are shots I absolutely could not have gotten with the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra photographic camera sample
Samsung Milky way S21 Ultra photographic camera sample
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra camera sample
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra camera sample
Samsung Milky way S21 Ultra photographic camera sample
Samsung Milky way S21 Ultra camera sample
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra photographic camera sample
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra photographic camera sample
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra camera sample
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra camera sample
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra photographic camera sample
If you lot are a fan of portrait mode photos with the background blown out, and then the iPhone 13 Pro Max with its LiDAR sensor and Truthful Depth sensors makes a strong case for itself. Apple tree also has some unique lighting options bachelor in Portrait mode that simulate studio lighting and other effects. The Galaxy S21 Ultra does a fine job, but because of its more than limited depth data, it only can't hold up to the iPhone 13 Pro Max. On the Samsung, it is much more than obvious that it is software applied blur, not actual bokeh.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra comes as shut every bit any phone to matching the iPhone thirteen Pro Max in terms of video quality, but in that location is still a gulf between them as Apple put a considerable focus on video in recent years. While the newest Cinematic mode, which applies depth data to videos, is a little gimmicky to me, it's a victory lap for Apple as its stellar 4K and 1080p video are already superior to the competition.
Despite my adamant belief that you need a telephoto lens on a smartphone, the win goes easily to the iPhone 13 Pro Max. You'll miss the occasional photo due to that diminished telephoto reach, merely y'all'll probably capture more than in poor lighting that the Galaxy S21 Ultra wouldn't have managed.
Winner: iPhone xiii Pro Max
iPhone thirteen Pro Max vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra: software
As always, I am non interested in a discussion of the relative merits of iOS versus Android every bit both accept their advantages and disadvantages. If you have only always used one or the other so it can feel like they are miles autonomously, only requite information technology a week or two, and you'll find there are far more than similarities than differences.
iOS xv introduced some interesting new features to the iPhone including the power to finally use FaceTime with Windows or Android users, an abundance of new granular notification controls, enhancements to Apple Maps, and a more robust Photos app to compete with Google Photos.
Our recent review of Android 12, which is coming to the Galaxy S21 Ultra soon, gave a close look at the dramatic visual changes, including the new notification panel, privacy updates and a host of handy additions like universal search. Samsung'south 1 UI peel on top of Android volition change some of this, but the core functionality should be the aforementioned.
The real differentiator in software between these phones comes down to support. Apple offers roughly 5 to half dozen years of back up for its flagship phones, and remember, that outlandish performance ways its phones can concur up that long in a usable country.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra, past comparing, volition get three major Android updates and four years of security updates, pregnant it volition be EOL as far as feature updates in late 2023 while iPhone 13 Pro Max owners tin can wait updates into 2027.
This is some other area that isn't tremendously impactful if you switch phones every 2 years, but for those on a longer update bike, it affects resale value whenever you go to upgrade your phone.
Winner: iPhone thirteen Pro Max
Overall winner: iPhone xiii Pro Max
While this may look like a delinquent win for the iPhone thirteen Pro Max, information technology's closer than it may appear. Remember, your specific needs could identify additional weight on different aspects of the phones that alter the outcome for you.
In that location are a few advantages for the iPhone thirteen Pro Max that are incommunicable to contend. Those include the standout battery life, the added years of software support (boosting resale value even if you don't keep your phone that long), and the overall performance.
By comparing, the Galaxy S21 Ultra has a more express set of wins to hang its hat on. The display is still an easy victory, as is the telephoto accomplish for photography and videography, and pricing due to more readily bachelor discounts.
In the end, you won't exist disappointed with either phone. These are the meridian options for iOS and Android today (but go along an centre out for the Google Pixel half-dozen), only if you are neutral on the operating system, then the iPhone 13 Pro Max is the easy recommendation for most people this year.
Sean Riley has been roofing tech professionally for over a decade now. Most of that time was as a freelancer covering varied topics including phones, wearables, tablets, smart dwelling devices, laptops, AR, VR, mobile payments, fintech, and more. Sean is the resident mobile proficient at Laptop Mag, specializing in phones and wearables, you'll find plenty of news, reviews, how-to, and stance pieces on these subjects from him here. Simply Laptop Mag has also proven a perfect fit for that broad range of interests with reviews and news on the latest laptops, VR games, and computer accessories forth with coverage on everything from NFTs to cybersecurity and more.
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