Joe Maring / Digital Trends
Apple’siPhone 15 Pro Maxis one of the top choice for a agiotage smartphone . It pop the question the latest and great from Apple , including the new A17 Pro crisp , a fantastic photographic camera system , a lightweight atomic number 22 body , the Action button , and USB - blow charging . It ’s a great package .
But there ’s no doubt about it — the iPhone 15 Pro Max is also quite expensive , with a start price of $ 1,200 . It ’s also not the only alternative out there if you desire thebest smartphoneon the market , especially if you are n’t peculiarly clothe in the Apple ecosystem .
Joe Maring / Digital Trends
Before you go off and corrupt the iPhone 15 Pro Max , here are five other earphone you should consider grease one’s palms instead .
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
The most obvious choice to Apple ’s top - level iPhone comes from Samsung with theGalaxy S24 Ultra .
With the S24 Ultra , you have an even larger 6.8 - inch LTPO AMOLED 2X show that has every specification conceivable . It has a active refresh rate that browse from 1Hz to 120Hz , supports HDR10 + , a 1440 x 3120 - pixel settlement with 505 pixel - per - in ( ppi ) , and reaches a easy lay cleverness of 2,600 nits . Just seem at the display alone , the S24 Ultra is already better than the iPhone 15 Pro Max , which has only 460 ppi and reaches 2,000 nits peak light . In practice , the S24 Ultra ’s display also front downright unbelievable .
The Galaxy S24 Ultra also has one of the most impressive quad - camera systems out there . You have a 200 - megapixel independent hired gun , a 10MP telephotograph television camera with 3x optical rapid growth , a 50MP telephotograph camera with 5x optical zoom , and a 12MP ultrawide camera . Even though the iPhone 15 Pro Max can do 5x visual soar , the S24 Ultra still one - ups it with the higher resolution and dual telephoto lenses , which results in more elaborate tightlipped - up snap . Plus , a 200MP main shooter is simply one of the best on the market .
There are other advantages to the S24 Ultra , too . Inside , you have the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy C.P.U. , optimized peculiarly for Galaxy twist . This intend slightly overclocked processing speed and better power efficiency . You also have 12 GB RAM to go along with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 , so operation is blazing tight and never skips a beat .
The Galaxy S24 Ultra ’s 5,000mAh battery can easily last at least a Clarence Shepard Day Jr. and a half with moderate to heavy usage . It also charges up at 45W wired speeds and 15W wireless stop number . Plus , there ’s 4.5W reverse wireless charging — something the iPhone 15 Pro Max does not have .
Another big reward of the Galaxy S24 Ultra is its S Pen integrating , which is convenient for voyage the equipment , sketch , and jotting down notes . It can also be used as a remote ascendence , which is super convenient for things like a remote shutter push . The iPhone 15 Pro Max ? It does n’t have anything like the S Pen .
Though it ’s not for everyone , Samsung’sGalaxy AIfeatures are a grown merchandising point for the S24 lineup . These features let in useful affair like Live Translation , Circle to Search , and evengenerative photo editing tools . Some other feature are n’t as useful , like Chat Assist , but having the latest AI - powered tools can make life sentence easy .
You ’ll pay a pretty cent for the Galaxy S24 Ultra — $ 1,300 , to be exact — but if you ’re OK douse your toe into the Android world , it ’s an incredible iPhone 15 Pro Max alternative .
OnePlus 12
If you desire something different from the very mainstream Apple iPhone or Samsung Galaxy equipment , OnePlus has some nifty options for less money . This include the company ’s latest release , theOnePlus 12 .
The OnePlus 12 has a gorgeous 6.8 - column inch LTPO AMOLED display with 510 ppi density and a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate . The display also boast curved edges to help provide an even more immersive experience . Of of course , this does have in mind that you may have some inadvertent soupcon and actions due to the curved bound , but it just takes some time to get used to .
OnePlus take a crap phone with telling specs , and the OnePlus 12 is no elision . Inside , you have theSnapdragon 8 Gen 3chip , as well as either 12 GB or 16 GB RAM , depending on the store option you foot . This is in spades more than the iPhone 15 Pro Max ’s 8 GB read/write memory , so the OnePlus 12 is a clear performance wolf .
If you want a great smartphone camera , the OnePlus 12 has that , too . It has a 50MP main tv camera , a 64MP telephoto camera with 3x optic zoom , and a 48MP ultrawide tv camera . The selfie tv camera is also 32MP , which is high than most of the challenger . To top everything off , the OnePlus 12 has Hasselblad color tuning for better overall coloring material profile and blanched correspondence in exposure for realistic results .
in conclusion , the OnePlus 12 has unbelievable staying power when it comes to shelling life . The 5,400mAh shelling can easily last around two days , and it even has fast 80W electrify amphetamine charging and 50W wireless charging . The skillful part ? You get all of that for a starting damage of $ 800 — $ 400 less than the iPhone 15 Pro Max .
Google Pixel 8 Pro
If you desire a clean and elementary stock Android telephone set without any supererogatory UI tweaks , then you should study theGoogle Pixel 8 Pro .
With Pixel devices , you get a utter neckcloth Android experience , standardized to iOS . The Pixel 8 Pro uses Google ’s custom Tensor G3 chip for good performance and superpower efficiency than previous Pixels . Though anterior generation of the Tensor chip have had overheating issues , they ’ve been drastically concentrate on the G3 . Plus , with 12 GB RAM , it does n’t have any issues with whatever you chance to throw at it .
The Pixel 8 Pro also has fantastic photographic camera hardware . You get a 50MP master camera , a 48MP ultrawide television camera , and a 48MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom capabilities . For selfies , it has a 10.5MP front - face camera . While it may not be as in high spirits as the S24 Ultra , the Pixel 8 Pro excels at enamour naturalistic , straight - to - living exposure . It ’s punishing to take a unfit picture with a Pixel gimmick , and that dead holds true for the Pixel 8 professional .
Google launched the Pixel 8 professional for $ 999 last October , but it ’s often discount to even less these day — make it a cracking selection if you want a flagship phone that ’ll go easy on your wallet .
iPhone 15 Pro
Okay , see — the iPhone 15 Pro Max is a great earphone , and some people will always habituate Apple equipment , but that size is just a piffling bit … gawky . If that ’s you , then you may want to take a smell at the smalleriPhone 15 Pro .
The iPhone 15 Pro offers mostly the same features as the iPhone 15 Pro Max . It has a 120Hz ProMotion always - on display , an A17 Pro chip , 8 GB RAM , an Action button , and USB - one C charging . It also has a triple - lens camera organization , so you could still take corking photos and television .
The main difference is that the iPhone 15 Pro has a much more manageable 6.1 - inch display , which is easy to habituate one - handed . The iPhone 15 Pro also does n’t have the unexampled tetraprism telephotograph lens in the Pro Max model , so it still only does 3x rather than 5x optic rapid climb . Also , since the iPhone 15 Pro is more thick , it has a modest battery , so it wo n’t last as long as the Pro Max . But if you have a cracking shelling pack with you , then I ’m certain you ’ll manage just fine .
The Android smartphone mankind has ample iPhone 15 Pro Max alternatives , but if you want an iPhone , give the regular iPhone 15 Pro a scene . You get most of the same features as the 15 Pro Max , it ’ll be easier on your hands , and you ’ll relieve some cash in the process . What ’s not to like about that ?
iPhone 15 Plus
If you really want a large iPhone like the iPhone 15 Pro Max but desire to economize some money , study theiPhone 15 Plusinstead .
With the iPhone 15 Plus , you still get the large 6.7 - inch display size , though the Plus example is just a regular OLED exhibit that caps out at a 60Hz refresh charge per unit , and it ’s not always on . Even so , you still get that large concealment land , and sometimes , that ’s what really weigh . The iPhone 15 Plus also has a larger battery , so it should last you through the total solar day and then some .
Apple gave the regular iPhone 15 models a big boost this yr by convey the Dynamic Island , a 48MP main tv camera , and USB - C charging as well . The iPhone 15 Plus does n’t have a telephotograph lens of the eye , but it still has a great two-fold television camera system . And while it only has the A16 Bionic crisp that debuted in the iPhone 14 Pro , it ’s still a very dissolute and brawny fleck that should be more than enough to get through your daily project .
Though the iPhone 15 Plus does n’t have a titanium design like the iPhone 15 Pro Max does , Apple did change up the back glass . Instead of being glossy , Apple switched over to a new , color - infused , frosted flatness glass finish . It is much more comfortable to carry , does n’t attract fingerprints as much , and just calculate really nice overall . While the colors are mostly muffle , the pink one looks fantastic .
The best part , though , is that the iPhone 15 Plus starts at just $ 899 . It ’s alotmore affordable than the iPhone 15 Pro Max , and you still get the benefit of a tumid display , long battery life , a 48MP photographic camera , the Dynamic Island , iOS 17 , and USB - C charging — all while keep open a few hundred sawhorse .
