Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Pixel 9 Pro XL: Smartphone wars are warming up in 2025, and three top-of-the-line flagships are the talk of the town: Galaxy S25 Ultra, iPhone 16 Pro Max, and Pixel 9 Pro XL. Each smartphone has its own combination of power, screen brilliance, and camera advancements. If you’re considering a significant upgrade, this review will help you determine which model suits your style, performance requirements, and budget.
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Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Pixel 9 Pro XL Processor
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, featuring a scorching 4.47GHz octa-core configuration coupled with 12GB of RAM. It’s designed to be fast and multi-tasking. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is powered by Apple’s A18 Pro chipset, which offers seamless efficiency with a 4.05GHz hexa-core processor and 8GB of RAM. On the contrary, Pixel 9 Pro XL features the Tensor G4 chip running at 3.1GHz. It isn’t the fastest, but it comes with 16GB RAM, which makes it a powerful performer when it comes to heavy-duty tasks.
Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Pixel 9 Pro XL Display and Battery
Galaxy S25 Ultra features a 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED display that measures 1440×3120 resolution and up to 2600 nits of brightness. Gorilla Armor 2 defense and 120Hz refresh rate maintain sharp visuals. iPhone 16 Pro Max is the same size at 6.9 inches, with an OLED display featuring ProMotion up to 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10, and tough Ceramic Shield glass. Pixel 9 Pro XL is a tad smaller at 6.8 inches, but excels with OLED brightness, HDR capability, and a maximum of 3000 nits peak brightness. For the battery, Galaxy is loaded with 5000mAh and 45W fast charging, Pixel beats it with 5060mAh and 37W charging, and iPhone compromises with 4685mAh backed by MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging.
Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Pixel 9 Pro XL Camera
Galaxy S25 Ultra is a photography monster with a 200MP quad rear camera, OIS, and 8K video recording. iPhone 16 Pro Max offers a triple camera module of two 48MP sensors along with a 12MP sensor with 4K shooting at 120fps. Pixel 9 Pro XL gets balanced with 50MP + 48MP + 48MP cameras, which are supported by Google’s software optimization. Galaxy and iPhone utilize 12MP lenses for selfie shoots, whereas Pixel takes the lead with a 42MP front camera.
Price of Galaxy S25 Ultra, iPhone 16 Pro Max, and Pixel 9 Pro XL
Galaxy S25 Ultra begins at ₹1,09,900 on Amazon after the recent ₹6,351 reduction, with Samsung pricing it at ₹1,29,999. iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at ₹1,30,900 after a ₹2,970 reduction in the last month. Pixel 9 Pro XL is priced at ₹99,999 on Amazon, which is the cheapest among the three, but offline prices go up to ₹1,04,999.
Bank Offers and Discounts
Galaxy S25 Ultra customers can save additional money with additional discounts on websites such as Amazon, Croma, and Samsung’s website. iPhone 16 Pro Max also has limited-time offers across Amazon, Flipkart, and Croma. Pixel 9 Pro XL customers may pay less, but sometimes it goes out of stock, and hence it becomes difficult to get it at the best price.
Conclusion
Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with maximum power and a 200MP camera configuration. iPhone 16 Pro Max leads the way with refined performance, cinematography-class video, and a high-end ecosystem. Pixel 9 Pro XL comes with amazing brightness, AI-based camera features, and competitive pricing. For those who buy for performance, Galaxy leads the charge; for the die-hards, iPhone still dominates; for reasonable pricing and features, Pixel makes a great choice.