iPhone 17 Professional Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely

You probably have plenty of money to spend and wish the very best of the very best with regards to flagship smartphones, Apple and Samsung each have intriguing choices on supply this yr.

I am referring, after all, to the iPhone 17 Professional Max and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely. These are the highest-end and most costly conventional (learn: non-foldable) telephones Apple and Samsung at the moment manufacture. Whereas plenty of competing smartphones can really feel a little bit related at instances, these two handsets even have some attention-grabbing factors of divergence from each other.

This is how they evaluate.

iPhone 17 Professional Max vs. Galaxy S25 Extremely: Value

Our first distinction has to do with sticker value. The iPhone 17 Professional Max begins at $1,199, whereas the Galaxy S25 Extremely begins at $1,299.

You’d suppose that might be the top of the dialog so far as value is anxious, however it needs to be famous that there’s one variant of the iPhone 17 Professional Max that is far costlier than even the priciest S25 Extremely. Particularly, in the event you get it with the best storage capability out there, the Professional Max will run you $1,999. That is two grand. By comparability, the most important storage capability mannequin of the S25 Extremely is “merely” $1,659. There is a cause for that, as we’ll focus on momentarily.

iPhone 17 Professional Max vs. Galaxy S25 Extremely: Specs

Samsung rounded the corners this yr.
Credit score: Joe Maldonado/Mashable

Listed below are the iPhone 17 Professional Max’s primary specs:

• 6.9-inch show with 2868×1320 decision and 120Hz adaptive refresh price

• 3,000 nits peak brightness

• A19 Professional chip

• 256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB storage

• Battery rated for as much as 33 hours

• Rear cameras: 48MP vast/48MP ultrawide/48MP telephoto with 8x optical zoom

• Entrance digicam: 18MP

And listed below are the equal specs for Galaxy S25 Extremely:

• 6.9-inch AMOLED show with adaptive 120Hz refresh price and 3120×1440 decision

• 2,600 nits peak brightness

• Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor

• 256GB/512GB/1TB storage

• 5,000mAh battery

• Rear cameras: 200MP vast, 50MP ultrawide, 50MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom

• Entrance digicam: 12MP

Alright, there is a first rate quantity to debate right here. Let’s begin with the shows. Each are fairly related when it comes to dimension, decision, and refresh price, although it should be acknowledged that the iPhone 17 Professional Max’s display is brighter at peak brightness. When you’re an outdoorsy sort, the iPhone is perhaps a greater possibility in that regard.

Past that, the principle cause why the most costly iPhone 17 Professional Max prices a lot greater than the most costly S25 Extremely is storage capability. Apple’s handset goes all the best way as much as 2TB of inner storage, whereas Samsung’s tops out at 1TB. That is a fairly large feather in Apple’s cap this yr and Samsung cannot actually compete with that but. Hardcore cell photographers and videographers would possibly lean in direction of iPhone for that cause.

One extraordinarily noteworthy benefit that Samsung can declare over Apple is the inclusion of the S-Pen stylus with each S25 Extremely telephone. The telephone has a built-in charging slot for the stylus, and it really works natively and easily with apps and interface parts. Apple doesn’t embody a stylus with any iPhone fashions presently. When you desire to make use of a stylus, the selection right here is simple.

There are additionally some fairly massive variations when it comes to cameras, however maintain onto that thought for now.

iPhone 17 Professional Max vs. Galaxy S25 Extremely: Design

How do you want the brand new look?
Credit score: Apple

The Galaxy S25 Extremely appears to be like lots like its predecessors. The rear digicam array is three lenses stacked vertically on prime of one another with none form of bump housing them, similar to earlier S-series telephones. Samsung did spherical the perimeters for S25 Extremely, which makes it a extra nice telephone to carry than the earlier mannequin was. S25 Extremely is available in seven colours: Gray, Whitesilver, Silverblue, Black, Pinkgold, Jadegreen, and Jetblack. Formally, these all even have the phrase “Titanium” in entrance of them, however you get what I imply.

Apple went again to the drafting board for the iPhone 17 Professional Max’s bodily look. It nonetheless has the identical triangular digicam array as earlier than, however now the lenses stay in a giant, rectangular bump referred to as the “plateau.” This has been controversial for the reason that telephone was introduced, as many discover it disagreeable to have a look at. In fact, that is a matter of private style. The iPhone 17 Professional Max is available in simply three colours: Silver, Cosmic Orange, and Deep Blue.

iPhone 17 Professional Max vs. Galaxy S25 Extremely: Efficiency and battery life

It is not likely potential to straight evaluate efficiency on these two telephones proper now as a result of we’ve not correctly examined the Professional Max but. Additionally they have completely totally different chipsets, with Samsung counting on the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip whereas Apple’s telephone is fueled by the in-house A19 Professional. Samsung’s telephone performs simply high-quality and, if historical past is any indication, Apple’s will, too. There could also be marginal variations, however we won’t say that for positive simply but.

Battery life can be an attention-grabbing matter right here. Apple has not revealed precisely how massive the iPhone 17 Professional Max’s battery is, however it’s rated for as many as 33 hours on a single cost. Samsung’s telephone has a 5,000mAh cell within it that’s rated for as many as 31 hours on a cost, although it topped out at round 27 hours in my testing. Your mileage might differ.

iPhone 17 Professional Max vs. Galaxy S25 Extremely: Cameras

Meet the brand new digicam plateau.
Credit score: Apple

Since we’ve not correctly examined the iPhone 17 Professional Max in any capability but, it is not potential to say for positive which handset has a greater set of cameras. Numerically, although, there are some attention-grabbing variations.

Apple packed a trio or 48MP lenses onto the rear array of the Professional Max this yr. Notably, the telephoto lens presents as much as 8x optical zoom and what Apple calls 16x “optical-quality” zoom vary. The selfie digicam has additionally gotten a lift to 18MP with a wider subject of view than earlier fashions, enabling selfies with bigger teams of individuals.

Samsung wins the numbers sport this yr, if nothing else. Its major shooter is a whopping 200MP, whereas the opposite two are available at 50MP. The selfie cam is just 12MP, although. Samsung’s optical zoom solely goes as much as 5x, although you stand up to 100x digital zoom. In my testing, I discovered that zoom photographs appeared good as much as round 30x on the S25 Extremely. We’ll see how the iPhone 17 Professional Max compares when it is in our fingers.