Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: A clear winner?

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 17 Pro Max are the two major flagship phones available in the market. These two premium phones usually fist-fight every year as the most popular phones possible with the most premium specs on offer from Samsung and Apple. But even with all the bells and whistles, you may choose one over the other for your loyalty, OS, personal choice, etc. In that regard, here, we present to you an ultimate showdown between these two in the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max battle.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max

Design and Display

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has rounded edges compared to its predecessors, such as Galaxy S24 Ultra, which makes it more comfortable to hold. It uses Titanium frames and has IP68 for water and dust protection. There are fewer changes in design philosophy on this one, but it’s still a class-leading apart aesthetic. On the other hand, Apple has brought a plateau design to the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

The squircle camera island on the back of the iPhone 16 Pro Max is now replaced with a rectangular plateau that runs from right to left on the iPhone 17 Pro Max. It houses three cameras. Other than that, the phone also comes in cosmic orange, which has been quite divisive but not ignorable among users. Another big change is that this time, Apple has reemployed aluminum for the frame, ditching Titanium, which had been its selling point in recent years. And just like the Samsung phone, it also comes with IP68 ingress protection.

Coming to the display part now, Galaxy S25 Ultra has a 6.9-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2x screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 2600 nits of peak brightness. The screen is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Armor 2. Apple uses a 6.9-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. But the peak brightness goes even higher at 3,000 nits. Both phones’ screen comes with an anti-reflective coating, which remarkably improves phone viewing outdoors. In terms of handling, iPhone 17 Pro Max certainly feels more comfy of the two thanks to its rounded edges and a boxy design.

Performance

Samsung has powered the Galaxy S25 Ultra with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset. It boasts eight cores with the prime core clocking in at 4.47GHz. It’s the fastest processor found on Android right now. On the other hand, Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max runs on A19 Pro chipset, which is a hexa-core setup with the highest core running at 4.26 GHz. Both are fabricated using a 3 nm process and are beastly in potential and raw performance. Despite Apple’s A19 Pro clocking slightly slower, users won’t find a noticeable difference on their device. And while Samsung’s boot on One UI 7 (Android 15), Apple’s boots to iOS 26. But Android OS is open and Apple’s is a closed system. This is one of the reasons users form an opinion on which phone to choose.

In terms of other resources, SGS25U comes with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, while there’s also a 16 GB RAM and 1 TB storage variant available. Likewise, Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at 256 GB of storage with 12 GB of RAM, and the maximum storage option available is 2 TB. While 256 GB storage is good, I believe that if you can afford such a flagship phone, you should at least choose a 512 GB storage variant. Photos, videos, and other multimedia content can drain the memory pretty fast.

Thanks to beefy resources, both phones are snappy and smooth for gaming and multitasking. iPhone 17 Pro Max also comes with up to 2 TB of storage, which ensures more utility for users. If 4K content is your thing, then such a large storage model is your bet.

Cameras

S25 Ultra is equipped with a quad-camera setup. It’s headed by a 200 MP main sensor with OIS and a 1/1.3″ sensor size. Then, there’s a 10 MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, a 50 MP periscope telephoto with 5x optical zoom, and a 50 MP ultrawide camera completing the setup.

Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max, on the other hand, includes a 48 MP main camera with 1/1.28″ sensor size, a 48 MP periscope telephoto with 4x optical zoom, and a 48 MP ultrawide camera. In terms of selfie cameras, the S25 Ultra has a 12 MP shooter while the iPhone 17 Pro Max carries an 18 MP unit.

But the question you will be asking is which phone is better for photography. There’s no real answer. Both phones produce exceptional photos with deeper blacks, great contrast levels, and popping colors. They are equipped with OIS, optical zoom, and digital zoom, and with versatile camera setups. The reality is that these two companies have different imaging philosophies at play. But rest assured, you get the most premium photography possible on a smartphone thanks to its large sensor size, lens quality, and software improvements.

Speaking further, S25 Ultra can record 8K videos at 24/30 fps. iPhone 17 Pro Max can record 4K videos at 24-120 fps. The phone has also been lauded for zooming in on videos and its cinematic mode. We have even cases of an entire movie being shot on an iPhone. So, Apple seems to have an upper hand when it comes to the camera department, though the margin is slim.

Don’t miss: Xiaomi 17 Pro and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max launched with premium specifications and a secondary display

Battery, Connectivity, and Other Features

As most Samsung phones in Nepal, the S25 Ultra also notoriously uses only a 5000mAh battery on the S25 Ultra. This decision hasn’t gone down too well with its fans. Apple also doesn’t use a much larger battery either. The iPhone 17 Pro Max is reported to have a 4,823mAh battery underneath. The thing is that software and hardware optimization on both these phones are so well-engineered that the battery performs to its best. In the real world, it’s not about the mAh number but how well the device is optimized, which contributes to the battery efficiency.

Anyway, Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with 45W fast-charging, and Samsung claims that the phone charges from 0 to 65% in 30 minutes. The phone also supports 15W wireless and 4.5 reverse wireless charging. iPhone 17 Pro Max, on the other hand, supports 25W wireless MagSafe charging and 4.5W reverse wired charging too. Apple claims that the phone’s battery can be charged from 0 to 50% in 20 minutes. Check out: iPhone price in Nepal | Latest 2025

iPhone 17 Pro Max has an Emergency SOS feature, which can be very handy in cellular dead zones, but the S25 Ultra doesn’t have this feature. But the latter comes with Samsung Dex, but there’s no equivalent on the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Also, Samsung’s flagship comes with an under-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, but Apple’s uses Face ID for security.

For connectivity, both phones support WiFi 7, 5G, Bluetooth, USB Type-C 3.2, NFC, etc. In fact, both these models make it in our list of the best 5G phones in Nepal and quite deservingly so. WiFi 7 is still not practically useful in Nepal but thanks to improved software and antenna, connectivity should be faster and more reliable on both of these phones. Galaxy S25 Ultra feels more intuitive with its ultrasonic under-display fingerprint sensor.

Also: How to Use Emergency SOS via satellite on iPhones? Explained

Specifications: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max

Specifications	Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra	iPhone 17 Pro Max
Dimensions & Weight	162.8 × 77.6 × 8.2 mm, 218 gm	163.4 × 78.0 × 8.75 mm, 233 gm
Build & Protection	Titanium frame + Gorilla Armor 2	Aluminum unibody + Ceramic Glass
Display	6.9″ QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED, 120 Hz adaptive, 1440 × 3120 px, Gorilla Armor 2	6.9″ Super Retina XDR OLED, 120 Hz ProMotion, 2868 × 1320 px, Ceramic Glass
Brightness (Peak)	2,600 nits (peak)	3,000 nits (peak outdoor)
Processor / Chipset	Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, 3nm	Apple A19 Pro, 3nm
Operating System	Android 15 with One UI 7	iOS 26
RAM	12 GB	12 GB
Storage Options	256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB	256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB
Rear Cameras	200 MP (main) + 50 MP (ultra‑wide) + 50 MP 5× + 10 MP 3×	Triple 48 MP (main + ultra‑wide + telephoto)
Front Camera	12 MP	18 MP
Battery	5000mAh | 45 W wired charging	4823mAh | Up to 40 W wired + MagSafe/Qi2
Connectivity	5G, Wi‑Fi 7, Bluetooth, UWB, S‑Pen support	5G, Wi‑Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, UWB, LEO SOS, USB‑C
Water/Dust Resistance	IP68	IP68

Price in Nepal: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra starts in Nepal at Rs 179,999 for 12/256 GB. Its 12/512 GB variant costs Rs 194,999, and the 12/1 TB model comes in at Rs 229,999. The iPhone 17 Pro Max price starts at Rs 239,999 for 256 GB, and costs Rs 279,999 for 512 GB, Rs 319,999 for 1 TB, and Rs 397,999 for 2 TB models.

Model	Variant	Price in Nepal (Rs)
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra	12 GB / 256 GB	179,999
	12 GB / 512 GB	194,999
	12 GB / 1 TB	229,999
iPhone 17 Pro Max	256 GB	239,999
	512 GB	279,999
	1 TB	319,999
	2 TB	397,999

Reasons to buy

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra	iPhone 17 Pro Max
Great camera	Great camera
Android OS	New plateau design/Cosmic orange color
Better AI features	Apple ecosystem
S Pen	No stylus
Samsung Dex	Satellite communication
Cheaper price	Higher storage variant

Our conclusion: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max

Both the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs the iPhone 17 Pro Max are the priciest and the most premium phones money can buy right now. But which one you should buy may come down to a few features. Design, OS, loyalty, and a few other features. Samsung’s shares a similar design with its other flagships in recent years.

You can buy Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra online.

Here, iPhone 17 Pro Max changes the game with its major design overhaul. One may even find the S25 Ultra difficult to carry in hand for long due to its sharp corners. But it comes with Samsung Dex, S Pen, and an open OS which allows lots of customizations, and four cameras on the back if that matters. Additionally, you may like AI features on Galaxy S25 more than those on iPhone 17 Pro Max. Check out other flagship phones in Nepal.

Both phones are ingenious products from the respective companies and contain all the rich specifications possible. If money is not a concern, either of these phones is going to be a great choice.