5 Nov 2025
The iPhone 17 Pro Max and S25 Ultra are compared comprehensively across design, display, performance, battery, features, AI, and camera, moving beyond simple camera-centric reviews. While both flagships offer similar core performance and excellent displays, the S25 Ultra stands out with superior durability, advanced AI, and versatile features, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max excels in video recording and its integrated ecosystem.
This review compares the iPhone 17 Pro Max and S25 Ultra beyond just their cameras, focusing on display, performance, design, battery, capabilities, and artificial intelligence, as these aspects are crucial for daily use.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max, with its aluminum build and slightly curved edges, feels better in hand, though its Pro Max size is perceived as large and heavy; the S25 Ultra, however, is lighter due to its titanium frame.
Both phones use highly durable protectors for their front and back, but the S25 Ultra features a slightly better screen protector and its titanium frame contributes to superior resistance against scratches and scuffs compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Both flagships offer excellent displays with accurate color, good detail, 120Hz UltraPioneer panels, and ample brightness; the iPhone 17 Pro Max provides superior protection against light reflection in bright sunlight with its anti-reflective coating.
The performance of both flagship chips is very similar and close, making them equally capable for everyday tasks, though the iPhone 17 Pro Max tends to run slightly cooler during extended demanding tasks like 4K video recording.
Both devices offer similar battery life, requiring a charge by evening, but the S25 Ultra features faster wired charging, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max supports faster wireless charging.
The S25 Ultra provides unique advantages such as the edge panel, DeX for a desktop-like experience, Quick Share for faster file transfers, and the S-Pen stylus, alongside greater customization options inherent to Android; conversely, the iPhone 17 Pro Max currently suffers from significant bugs in iOS 26, impacting its overall user experience.
Apple offers a superior and seamlessly optimized ecosystem for users with multiple Apple devices like iPads, iPods, and Apple Watches; Samsung also provides a good ecosystem with more variety in accessory options and pricing.
The S25 Ultra significantly surpasses the iPhone 17 Pro Max in AI capabilities, leveraging Gemini for advanced tasks like video summarization and recipe extraction, whereas Apple's AI functionality is noted as underdeveloped and limited.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max features three 48-megapixel cameras (main, ultrawide, 4x telephoto) and an 18-megapixel selfie camera; the S25 Ultra boasts a 200-megapixel main, 50-megapixel ultrawide, a 10-megapixel telephoto, a 5x 50-megapixel telephoto (offering a greater zoom range), and a 12-megapixel selfie camera.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max generally exhibits better dynamic range, performing well in challenging lighting conditions with strong backlighting, and captures brighter photos overall, including superior low-light night photos.
While the iPhone 17 Pro Max can get closer in macro shots, the S25 Ultra captures better details; for portraits, the S25 Ultra is preferred due to its special rendition, superior edge detection, and slightly better performance in low light.
In daylight, both phones offer very close selfie performance, with the iPhone typically producing a slightly rounder image and the S25 Ultra providing a more natural look, often softening the skin.
The S25 Ultra provides a significantly better zoom range and higher sharpness across various zoom levels due to its additional telephoto lens, capable of up to 100x zoom, often enhancing clarity with AI manipulation.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max excels in video recording, featuring better dynamic range and retaining details effectively even in low light, with both phones offering good camera stabilization.
The choice between iPhone and S25 Ultra photos is largely taste-dependent; the iPhone generally takes better selfies and videos, while the S25 Ultra offers a more versatile camera system with superior zoom capabilities.
In local currency, the S25 Ultra is significantly more affordable at approximately 130 million compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max at 220 million, though their dollar prices are very similar globally, making the local price difference a critical factor in comparison.
Ultimately, the choice between the iPhone 17 Pro Max and the S25 Ultra depends on individual priorities, whether one prefers Apple's integrated ecosystem and video prowess or Samsung's versatile features, superior AI, and robust durability.
| Feature | iPhone 17 Pro Max | S25 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Design & Ergonomics | Feels better in hand (aluminum, curved edges), but perceived as big and heavy. | Lighter due to titanium frame. |
| Durability | Prone to scratches and scuffs. | Superior screen protector, more resistant to scratches/scuffs. |
| Display Protection | Superior protection against light reflection in bright sunlight. | Generally clearer and easier to see. |
| Performance | Runs slightly cooler during extended 4K video recording. | Performance is very close and equally capable. |
| Charging Speed | Faster wireless charging. | Faster wired charging. |
| Software Experience | iOS 26 is currently very buggy (lags, freezes, app issues). | Offers more customization, versatile features (Edge Panel, DeX, Quick Share, S-Pen). |
| Ecosystem | Superior and seamlessly optimized Apple ecosystem. | Good ecosystem with more variety in accessory options. |
| Artificial Intelligence | Significantly behind, limited capabilities. | Superior AI with Gemini for advanced tasks (summarization, extraction). |
| Main Camera | Better dynamic range, brighter overall photos, superior low-light night photos. | Often no huge difference, can have warmer tint. |
| Portrait Photography | Good, but less focused in low light portraits. | Preferred, with special rendition, better edge detection, slightly better in low light. |
| Zoom Capabilities | Good quality, but narrower zoom range. | Superior zoom range (extra lens), much higher sharpness at different levels, up to 100x zoom with AI enhancement. |
| Video Recording | Better dynamic range, retains details in low light, better overall video recording. | Good camera stabilization, records video with editing flexibility. |
| Local Market Price (Rial) | Approximately 220 million. | Approximately 130 million. |
