Head to head
Samsung Galaxy S24 vs iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 17 Pro Max leads 11 to 2 on the 13 rankable specs, but Samsung Galaxy S24 costs $400 less.
Catalog as of September 1, 2026
Why, in numbers
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Your devices
Straight answer
Overall: 2 to 11
Buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
- Leads 11 of 13 rankable overall specs; Samsung Galaxy S24 takes 2.
- Size: 6.9 inches vs 6.2 inches
- RAM: 12 GB vs 8 GB
- Samsung Galaxy S24 is $400 cheaper. Pay the difference only if size matters to you.
At a glance
The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.
Weight
Samsung
167 g
Apple
231 g (8.15 oz)
Size
Samsung
6.2 inches
Apple
6.9 inches
Chipset≠
Samsung
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4 nm)
Apple
Apple A19 Pro (3 nm)
RAM
Samsung
8 GB
Apple
12 GB
Max optical zoom
Samsung
3x optical (30x digital Space Zoom)
Apple
5x optical zoom (up to 25x digital zoom)
Capacity
Samsung
4,000 mAh
Apple
4,850 mAh
True 3-Year Cost of Ownership (TCO)
Samsung Galaxy S24
iPhone 17 Pro Max
The 90-Day Owner Regret Check
Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.
Samsung: What to watch for
- Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
Apple: What to watch for
- Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
Body
leads 1-0| Dimensions | 147.0 × 70.6 × 7.6 mm | 163.4 × 78.0 × 8.75 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 167 g (wins this row: lower) | 231 g (8.15 oz) |
| Build | Gorilla Glass Victus 2 front/back, Armor Aluminum 2 frame | Grade 5 Titanium frame with textured matte glass back |
| Water / dust rating | IP68 (1.5 m / 30 min) | IP68 (up to 6m for 30 mins) |
| Colors | Onyx Black, Marble Gray, Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow | Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium |
| Stylus | No | No |
Display
leads 4-0| Type | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X | Super Retina XDR OLED with ProMotion |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.2 inches | 6.9 inches (wins this row: higher) |
| Resolution | 1080 × 2340 (FHD+) | 2868 × 1320 (wins this row: higher) |
| Pixel density | ~416 ppi | 460 ppi (wins this row: higher) |
| Refresh rate | 1–120 Hz LTPO | 120 Hz (1–120Hz ProMotion) |
| Peak brightness | 2,600 nits peak | 3,000 nits outdoor peak / 1,000 nits typical (wins this row: higher) |
| HDR | HDR10+ | HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Ceramic Shield (latest generation) |
| Always-on display | Yes | Yes (Always-on display) |
Platform
5 differences| Operating system | Android 14, One UI 6.1 | iOS 19 |
|---|---|---|
| Software support | 7 major OS updates + 7 years security patches | 5+ years estimated (typically 6-7 years) |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4 nm) | Apple A19 Pro (3 nm) |
| CPU | 8-core (1× Cortex-X4 + 5× A720 + 2× A520) | 6-core CPU (2 performance + 4 efficiency) |
| GPU | Adreno 750 | 6-core Apple GPU with hardware ray tracing |
Memory
leads 2-0| RAM | 8 GB | 12 GB (wins this row: higher) |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 128 GB UFS 3.1 | 256 GB (wins this row: higher) |
| Storage options | 128 GB / 256 GB | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB |
| microSD | No | No |
Rear camera
leads 3-1| Main | 50 MP, f/1.8, 24 mm, 1/1.56", Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS (wins this row: higher) | 48 MP Fusion (f/1.78, 24mm, second-gen sensor-shift OIS, 100% Focus Pixels) |
|---|---|---|
| Ultrawide | 12 MP, f/2.2, 13 mm, 120° | 48 MP (f/2.2, 13mm, 120° FOV, hybrid Focus Pixels) (wins this row: higher) |
| Telephoto | 10 MP, f/2.4, 67 mm, 3x optical zoom, PDAF, OIS | 48 MP 5x Telephoto (f/2.8, 120mm, tetraprism, 3D sensor-shift OIS) (wins this row: higher) |
| Max optical zoom | 3x optical (30x digital Space Zoom) | 5x optical zoom (up to 25x digital zoom) (wins this row: higher) |
| Stabilization | OIS on main and telephoto lenses | 3D sensor-shift OIS on main and 5x telephoto cameras |
| Video | 8K 30 fps, 4K 60 fps, 1080p 240 fps | 4K at 24/25/30/60/120 fps Dolby Vision HDR, ProRes LOG, Spatial Video |
Front camera
leads 1-0| Selfie camera | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26 mm, Dual Pixel PDAF | 24 MP TrueDepth with Center Stage (f/1.9, autofocus) (wins this row: higher) |
|---|---|---|
| Selfie video | 4K 60 fps | 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps Dolby Vision HDR |
Battery & charging
leads 1-0| Capacity | 4,000 mAh | 4,850 mAh (wins this row: higher) |
|---|---|---|
| Wired chargingNot on the official sheet | 25 W fast wired (50% in 30 min) | Fast charging up to 50% in 30 min (supports 30W+ peak charging) |
| Wireless charging | 15 W Fast Wireless | 25W MagSafe / 15W Qi2 |
| Reverse wireless | 4.5 W Wireless PowerShare | 4.5W reverse wired charging via USB-C |
| Charger in box | No | No |
Audio
1 differences| Speakers | Stereo speakers tuned by AKG | Stereo speakers with Spatial Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Headphone jack | No | No |
Connectivity
6 differences| Cellular | 5G (sub-6 + mmWave) | 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave in US) |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7 with Apple N1 wireless chip |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes (Apple Pay with Express Cards) |
| USB | USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps, DisplayPort out) |
| SIM | Dual nano-SIM + eSIM | Dual eSIM (US model, no physical SIM tray) |
Features
3 differences| Biometrics | Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint + Face unlock | Face ID (TrueDepth camera) |
|---|---|---|
| Extra controls | Power and Volume keys | Action Button, Camera Control button with tactile force sensor |
| Standout features | Circle to Search, Live Translate, Note Assist, Samsung DeX | Apple Intelligence, Camera Control button, Action button, Apple N1 wireless chip, Second-gen UWB, Dynamic Island, Satellite Emergency SOS |
Which one should you buy
Pick this one if
Samsung Galaxy S24
Compact Android powerhouse with 6.2-inch 120Hz LTPO display, 3x telephoto, and Galaxy AI suite.
- Extremely lightweight and compact 167g pocket-friendly design
- Dedicated 3x optical telephoto camera on a base model
- Bright 2,600 nit 1-120Hz LTPO display
What you give up
- Charging capped at 25W wired
- Base model starts with 128GB UFS 3.1 storage
Pick this one if
iPhone 17 Pro Max
6.9-inch flagship iPhone powered by A19 Pro chip, 48MP triple camera system with 5x optical zoom, ProMotion 120Hz, and Apple N1 wireless chip.
- A19 Pro chip with class-leading single-core and GPU compute
- All-48MP triple rear camera array with 5x optical zoom and 24MP Center Stage front camera
- Exceptional battery life up to 35 hours video playback
What you give up
- Premium starting price ($1,199)
- Large 6.9-inch frame requires two hands for most tasks
Best for each use
Photos
For photos, buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Battery & updates
Too close to call on battery & updates from the spec sheets. Only capacity is rankable here.
Games & video
For games & video, buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Done deciding?
Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.
Manufacturer pages: Samsung Galaxy S24 ↗ · iPhone 17 Pro Max ↗
Common questions
Which is cheaper, the Samsung Galaxy S24 or the iPhone 17 Pro Max?
Samsung Galaxy S24 costs $400 less at list price.
What is the biggest catch with the Samsung Galaxy S24 or iPhone 17 Pro Max?
Both has this deal-breaker: no stylus. No pen input for handwritten notes or markup.
Which is better for photos, the Samsung Galaxy S24 or the iPhone 17 Pro Max?
For photos, buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Leads 4 of 5 rankable photos specs; Samsung Galaxy S24 takes 1. Max optical zoom: 5x optical zoom vs 3x optical
What cannot be compared from spec sheets?
Of the 48 specs tracked here, 35 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.