Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
The Verdict
The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S23 FE sit in the same category and end up appealing to slightly different buyers. The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE is the cheaper of the two at $599 versus $1,199, a difference of about $600. The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max is the newer release, which usually means a faster chipset and longer software support. Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max stands out for 48mp periscope telephoto with 8x optical zoom, while Samsung Galaxy S23 FE is praised for flagship features like 120hz amoled and ip68 at a lower price. Use the side-by-side spec table below to compare cameras, displays, battery life and connectivity in detail and decide which one fits your priorities.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max if…
- →48MP periscope telephoto with 8x optical zoom
- →4823 mAh battery for all-day use
- →Up to 2TB storage
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE if…
- →Flagship features like 120Hz AMOLED and IP68 at a lower price
- →Bright 1450-nit display for good outdoor visibility
- →3x optical zoom telephoto is rare in this price range
Pros & Cons
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
Pros
- 48MP periscope telephoto with 8x optical zoom
- 4823 mAh battery for all-day use
- Up to 2TB storage
- Ceramic Shield 2 front and back
- Spatial Video recording
Cons
- 227g is heavy
- Still 27W wired charging
- $1199 starting price
- Aluminum unibody less premium feel than titanium
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
Pros
- Flagship features like 120Hz AMOLED and IP68 at a lower price
- Bright 1450-nit display for good outdoor visibility
- 3x optical zoom telephoto is rare in this price range
- Four years of OS updates guaranteed
- Wireless charging with reverse wireless PowerShare
Cons
- Exynos 2200 variant has weaker performance and efficiency
- Only 25W wired charging is slow for 2023
- Gorilla Glass 5 is older protection than Victus 2
- 8 MP telephoto resolution is low
- Heavier at 209 g due to older processor thermals
Full Specifications
| Spec | Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S23 FE |
|---|---|---|
| Software | iOS 19 | Android 13 (One UI 5.1) |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 227 g | 209 g |
| Material | Aluminum unibody frame, Ceramic Shield 2 | Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass 5 |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Dimensions | 163 x 78 x 8.3 mm | 158 x 76.5 x 8.2 mm |
| Camera | ||
| Main camera | 48 MP, f/1.6, OIS | 50 MP, f/1.8, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS |
| Front camera | 24 MP, f/1.9 | 10 MP, f/2.4 |
| Video | 4K@120fps ProRes, Spatial Video | 4K@60fps |
| Telephoto | 48 MP, f/2.8, 8x optical zoom, periscope | 8 MP, f/2.4, 3x optical zoom, OIS |
| Ultrawide | 48 MP, f/2.2 | 12 MP, f/2.2 |
| Memory | ||
| RAM | 12 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage options | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB | 128 GB, 256 GB |
| Battery | ||
| Capacity | 4823 mAh | 4500 mAh |
| Charging | 27W wired | 25W wired |
| Wireless charging | 25W MagSafe | 15W, Wireless PowerShare |
| Display | ||
| Size | 6.9 inches | 6.4 inches |
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, ProMotion | Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
| Resolution | 1320 x 2868 | 2340 x 1080 |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 2000 | 1450 |
| Processor | ||
| CPU | 6-core | Octa-core |
| GPU | 6-core GPU | Xclipse 920 / Adreno 730 |
| Chipset | Apple A19 Pro | Samsung Exynos 2200 / Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 |
| Connectivity | ||
| 5G | ||
| NFC | ||
| USB | USB-C 3.2 (Thunderbolt) | USB-C 3.2 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.3 |
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This comparison is based on verified manufacturer specifications covering display, performance, camera, battery, and build quality. Scores are generated by analyzing specs across weighted categories on a 10-point scale. Learn more about our methodology.
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