Who’s doing AI better? iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Samsung S25 Ultra

The smartphone industry has reached an inflection point as Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra and Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro Max demonstrate remarkable hardware parity while diverging significantly in their approach to artificial intelligence and software capabilities. This comparison examines how these flagship devices represent a crucial shift in the smartphone landscape, where traditional hardware advantages give way to AI-driven features and ecosystem integration as key differentiators.

Hardware convergence: Both devices feature remarkably similar physical designs and technical specifications, marking a plateau in smartphone hardware evolution.

• Both phones utilize titanium chassis and premium glass construction
• The S25 Ultra features a slightly larger 6.9-inch display with squared corners
• Samsung reduced device weight by 15g and modified the side rails for improved ergonomics
• Both devices incorporate triple camera arrays and premium build quality

Performance metrics: The devices showcase competitive processing capabilities, with each excelling in different areas.

• iPhone 16 Pro Max leads in single-core performance with a Geekbench score of 3539
• S25 Ultra dominates multi-core testing at 9793, leveraging its 8-core architecture
• Samsung’s device includes 12GB RAM compared to iPhone’s 8GB
• The S25 Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip boasts significant improvements, including 40% NPU increase and 37% CPU boost

AI capabilities: Samsung’s Galaxy AI implementation currently demonstrates more mature and practical functionality compared to Apple’s developing Intelligence features.

• Galaxy AI enables cross-app actions, allowing seamless multi-step tasks across applications
• The system can extract information from videos and create notes automatically
• Both platforms offer creative features like sketch-to-image conversion and audio editing
• Samsung’s implementation shows faster response times and better contextual awareness

Ecosystem integration: Both manufacturers maintain distinct advantages in their respective ecosystems.

• Apple’s tight hardware integration across devices provides seamless connectivity
• Samsung offers broader compatibility with third-party devices
• New S25 features include cross-device tap-to-pay functionality, even with iPhones
• Samsung Pay now includes Buy Now Pay Later options

Camera innovations: The S25 Ultra introduces several notable photography and videography improvements.

• New 50MP ultrawide camera with macro capabilities
• 4K LOG video support for professional-grade recording
• Variable digital aperture system
• Advanced audio manipulation features including audio eraser

Future implications: While Samsung currently leads in AI implementation, the competitive landscape remains dynamic as Apple continues developing its Intelligence features. The true differentiation between these flagship devices increasingly depends on software capabilities and ecosystem integration rather than hardware specifications, marking a significant shift in smartphone evolution. The S25 Ultra’s $1,299 starting price positions it firmly in the premium segment, where success will likely depend on AI feature adoption and ecosystem loyalty.