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Apple and Samsung are once again going head-to-head in the premium smartphone space. With Apple unveiling the iPhone 17 Pro Max at its much-hyped ‘Awe-Dropping’ event and Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra already in stores, buyers now have two of the most advanced devices of 2025 to choose from. If you’re stuck deciding which flagship deserves your money, here’s a full breakdown.

Design and Display

The iPhone 17 Pro Max packs a massive 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen that pushes brightness up to 3,000 nits, making it brighter than last year’s Pro Max. Apple has also upgraded durability with Ceramic Shield 2 on both sides, which is claimed to be three times more scratch-resistant and four times more crack-resistant. ProMotion keeps refresh rates smooth at up to 120 Hz, and the Always-On display makes key info glanceable at all times.

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Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra matches the size with its own 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel, topping out at 2,600 nits. It delivers a variable refresh rate between 1 Hz and 120 Hz and adds protection with Gorilla Armour 2. The design is defined by slightly rounded corners, while Samsung’s One UI 7 on Android 15 brings plenty of customisation options.

Performance and AI

Under the hood, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is driven by the new A19 Pro chip, paired with iOS 26 and an improved vapour chamber cooling system. AI is a big push this year—Apple has upgraded its 16-core Neural Engine to handle offline translation, screenshot recognition, and real-time processing, all while keeping privacy in focus through on-device execution.

Samsung, meanwhile, uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, with 12GB RAM and up to 1TB of storage. The phone is heavily integrated with Galaxy AI and also supports Google’s Gemini AI assistant. On top of that, Samsung is promising seven years of software updates, extending the value of the device for long-term users.

Cameras

Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max uses a triple 48MP “Fusion” setup. The telephoto lens gets a larger sensor and tetraprism optics, enabling up to 8x optical zoom. The main and ultra-wide sensors benefit from the upgraded Photonic Engine for better low-light shots, while the front 18MP “Centre Stage” camera now supports dual-capture video and auto-framing in both portrait and landscape.

Samsung doubles down on raw resolution. The Galaxy S25 Ultra has four rear cameras, headlined by a 200MP main shooter with 2x in-sensor zoom. It’s backed by two telephoto lenses with 3x and 5x optical zoom and a 50MP ultra-wide lens with a 120-degree field of view. Up front, there’s a 12MP camera. Samsung is still the zoom and resolution champion, while Apple is pushing AI-driven creative tools.

Battery and Charging

Apple claims the iPhone 17 Pro Max has the best battery life of any iPhone, thanks to the efficiency of the A19 Pro chip and iOS 26 optimisation. Fast charging is improved too—50% in 20 minutes with Apple’s 40W USB-C adapter.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra packs a larger 5,000mAh battery with 45W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and Wireless PowerShare for topping up accessories or other phones. Both can last a day, but Apple leans on optimisation, while Samsung emphasises bigger capacity and more charging options.

Connectivity and Extras

The iPhone 17 Pro Max includes Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and improved AirDrop and hotspot reliability through Apple Intelligence. Samsung’s Ultra offers a wider mix: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, UWB, GPS, 5G, and of course, the S Pen for productivity. Both are feature-packed, but Samsung delivers more variety.

India Pricing

Pricing may be the clincher for most.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: ₹1,29,999 (256GB), ₹1,41,999 (512GB), ₹1,65,999 (1TB)

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max: ₹1,49,900 (256GB), ₹1,69,900 (512GB), ₹1,89,900 (1TB), ₹2,29,900 (2TB)

Samsung gets to undercut Apple at every storage level, yet the Ultra remains the comparatively cheaper one even with the premium hardware.

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Verdict

A decision between these two is based on personal priorities. The iPhone 17 Pro Max is about AI integration, future-proof durability, and cinematic content creation. The Galaxy S25 Ultra prioritises extreme photography capability, flexible zoom, and long-term software updates. With either choice, you're getting one of the best phones of 2025—it's just a question of whether you prefer Apple's ecosystem or Samsung's versatility.