The design of high-end smartphones reflects their premium status. iPhone 15 Pro Max features an extremely durable titanium frame with flat profiles and stylishly integrated rear camera sensors, available in black, blue, white and natural. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, also with a titanium frame, offers a clean and minimalist design with photo sensors “placed” on the rear shell, available in black, gray, purple and amber (yellow). The Google Pixel 8 Pro, on the other hand, has a glass frame with a horizontal strip housing the photo sensors on the back and comes in blue, black, mint and porcelain. The profiles of these smartphones are varied, with the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Pixel 8 Pro opting for slightly curved designs while the Galaxy S24 Ultra remains more rectilinear.
The dimensions of smartphones also vary. Thus, the Pixel 8 Pro is the lightest while the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the largest of the three devices in terms of dimensions and weight.
In terms of battery life, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has a 5,000 mAh battery with 45 watts fast charging and 10 watts wireless charging. The Pixel 8 Pro, with a 5,050 mAh battery, supports 30 watts fast charging and 23 watts wireless charging. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, although having a lower battery capacity of 4422 mAh, offers 27 watts fast charging and wireless charging. All three also offer reverse charging. So, for extended use and fast charging, the Pixel 8 Pro and Galaxy S24 Ultra are well placed, with a slight preference for the Galaxy due to its larger battery capacity.
Which is the most powerful and what configuration for photos?
Smartphone performance is crucial for a smooth user experience. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is equipped with the Apple A17 Pro with 8 GB of RAM, while the Google Pixel 8 Pro has the Tensor G3 with 12 GB of RAM. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and 12 GB of RAM, is also very capable. In terms of storage, the iPhone offers options of up to 1TB, just like the Galaxy, while the Pixel is limited to 256GB.
For photography, the Galaxy S24 Ultra stands out with a 200-megapixel optically stabilized main sensor, accompanied by three other sensors for ultra-wide-angle shots and telephoto lenses offering varied optical zooms. The iPhone 15 Pro Max offers four sensors including a 48-megapixel main one, a module for ultra-wide-angle photos and two telephoto lenses for optical zooms of up to 5x. The Pixel 8 Pro, with a main sensor of 50 megapixels and two others of 48 megapixels including a telephoto lens allowing optical zoom and therefore with high quality also offering an excellent photo configuration. For selfies, the iPhone and Galaxy have 12-megapixel sensors, while the Pixel makes do with 10.5-megapixels. All three offer very beautiful shots, detailed, bright and of very high quality.
What is the best screen and what connectivity?
Regarding the screens, all three use AMOLED panels. The iPhone 15 Pro Max offers a 6.7-inch screen with a maximum brightness of 2000 cd/m². The Pixel 8 Pro, with a screen of the same size, reaches a maximum brightness of 2400 cd/m². The Galaxy S24 Ultra, with a slightly larger 6.8-inch screen, offers a maximum brightness of 2600 cd/m² with exceptional anti-reflective treatment. All displays have a refresh rate of 120Hz and a touch sampling rate of 240Hz.
Finally, on the connectivity side, the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Pixel 8 Pro support Wi-Fi 7, while the iPhone is limited to Wi-Fi 6E. All three feature NFC and Bluetooth 5.3, but only the Pixel offers a single temperature sensor on the back. None of the models have a jack, but all offer IP68 waterproof certification. Fingerprint readers are integrated under the screen for the Pixel and Galaxy, while the iPhone does not have them.
