Do the new features and tech behind the new Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max beat Samsung's Galaxy S22 Ultra? Or is Samsung's flagship still ahead?
The iPhone 14 Pro Max will give the Galaxy S22 Ultra a run for its money, but it might not be as easy as Apple might have hoped since the Galaxy S22 Ultra still beats out Apple's flagship smartphone in more ways than one. The answer to whether the Galaxy S22 Ultra or the iPhone 14 Pro Max is the better phone depends on the features, camera specs, processor and more. With both companies vying for the best flagship smartphone, only one can be the best.
Apple and Samsung both have the two largest market shares for smartphones and are massive competitors, and now with Apple's new iPhone 14 Pro Max, a new flagship is in the running for the best smartphone title. The Galaxy S22 Ultra was released in Feb. 2021, while the iPhone 14 Pro Max is Apple's latest flagship. But even being released so long ago, Samsung's flagship still packs a surprisingly powerful punch and isn't going to be taken down so easily.
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Specs are always the best place to start when comparing tech. The most significant selling factor for smartphones nowadays is most likely the camera, as most people don't carry around a dedicated camera and instead use their smartphone for all their photography needs. Well, Samsung's Galaxy S22 Ultra packs excellent cameras: a 108MP Main, 12MP Ultra-Wide at 0.5x zoom, and two 10MP Telephoto at 3x and 10x optical zoom. The iPhone 14 Pro Max also has excellent cameras: a 48MP main, 12MP Ultra-Wide at 0.5x zoom, and a 12MP Telephoto at 3x zoom. Samsung's flagship wins over Apple on the camera specs, except for the megapixels on the telephoto and the zoom on the ultra-wide. The front camera is also better on Samsung's device with a 40MP camera, while the new iPhone only has a 12MP front camera.
Some other specs to look at are the screen size, processor, battery and charging speeds. The Galaxy S22 Ultra has a larger screen and resolution at 6.8-inch and 3080x1440 pixels, while the iPhone Pro Max comes in at 6.7-inch and 2796x1290 pixels. Although Samsung wins out on the screen, this is not a significant difference as both screens will look great. The iPhone does win out with the processor, though, or at least it should once benchmarking can be done since it's rocking Apple's new A16 Bionic chip while the Galaxy phone is still using the older Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. As for the battery and charging speeds, the Galaxy S22 Ultra has a battery of 5,000 mAh, but it's unknown what the new iPhone's battery size is, but for charging rates, Samsung wins out here with 45W wired charging, 15W wireless charging and can also reverse-charge other devices, while the new iPhone only has 27W wired charging and 15W wireless charging with MagSafe.
The new iPhone also has a few new features that Samsung's phone lacks. One is life-saving features such as crash detection and the satellite SOS feature, which can communicate through satellites when cell service is unavailable. In addition, the new Dynamic Island feature from Apple has the potential to make notifications for the iPhone all the better, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra still only uses a hole punch for the camera. Finally, the iPhone offers a better and more secure face ID for unlocking the phone, which is much better than Samsung's face ID. Of course, the Galaxy S22 Ultra has the S Pen, which, if someone needs that, then it's a great feature to jot down quick notes or do a basic sketch.
Overall, the Galaxy S22 Ultra does seem to win out in more categories than the iPhone 14 Pro Max. However, both smartphones are great, and the iPhone has been known to have stellar optimizations, and with its new and better processor, it could perhaps win out with its software working more in sync with its hardware. Apple has been known to surprise even with specs that look worse on paper. We'll have to wait for a more hands-on experience on Sept. 16.
Nicholas Cates writes about all things related to technology on Screenrant and how these technologies impact users, the world, and the future. He studied computer science and history at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and always tries to stay up to date on technological advancements. Based in North Carolina, Nicholas tries to always take an objective and reasonable approach to any subject he is delving into. Nicholas has also commentated for fighting game tournaments for multiple years and managed both online and in-person events and loves gaming overall. He loves anime, video games, and movies, especially Quinton Tarintino films and the MCU. He also loved anything tech-related, especially tech involving computers, artificial intelligence, and gaming.