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Food, family, friends, that festive pair of socks, and… some new tech, of course! These are all things we come to expect and look forward to about the holiday season. Many people will be excited to upgrade their smartphones or treat someone to a little something extra special. And there are so many to choose from!
Two of the most popular picks are the latest in Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy Fold series. While both phones are capable of handling today’s elaborate workflows and intensive gaming and streaming sessions, there’s still a lot to pick apart.
On that premise, we’re going to do a full iPhone 14 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 comparison to remove the guesswork when filling out your wishlist.
iPhone 14 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Side-by-Side Comparison
| iPhone 14 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 160.7 x 77.6 x 7.85 mm | 155.1 x 130.1 x 6.3 mm unfolded, 155.1 x 67.1 x 14.2 – 15.8 mm folded |
| Weight | 240 g | 263 g |
| Display | 6.7″ Super Retina XDR OLED, 1290 x 2796px resolution, 120Hz refresh rate | 7.6″ Dynamic AMOLED, 2176 x 1812px resolution, 120Hz refresh rate |
| Aspect Ratio | 19:5:9 | 6:5 |
| RAM | 6 GB LPDDR5 | 12 GB |
| Processor | A16 Bionic | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 |
| GPU | Apple 5-core | Adreno 730 |
| Camera | 48 MP rear, 12 MP ultrawide, 12 MP telephoto, 12 MP front | 50 MP rear, 12 MP ultrawide, 12 MP telephoto, 16 MP front, 4 MP under-display |
| Battery | 4,323 mAh | 4,400 mAh |
| Charging | 20 W fast charging, 15 W Qi wireless charging | 15 W fast charging, 15 W Qi wireless charging, 4.5 W reverse wireless charging |
| Storage | 128, 256 or 512 GB, 1TB | 256 or 512 GB |
| Pricing | From $1,099 | From $1,799 |
iPhone 14 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: What’s the Difference?
Performance
We can see a lot of differences in specs between the two phones, even at a quick glance. The amount of RAM seems to vary quite a lot, but it needs to be said the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s RAM is LPDDR5 or ‘faster’ RAM.
It’s significantly faster and more energy efficient than the RAM of the previous generation’s iPhone 13 Pro Max. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 reportedly copes better with running several apps at once and keeping them loaded. Some of this disadvantage is mitigated by other hardware, particularly the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s processor.
The A16 Bionic chip is Apple’s latest, and while it has 2 fewer cores than the Snapdragon 8+ Gen1, it has a higher clock speed of around 15% (3.45 MHz compared to 3 MHz). This means the CPU performance is marginally better with the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
- FLEX MODE: Free up your hands with Flex Mode on the Galaxy Z Fold4; This smartphone stands on its own so you can take notes during a conference call or follow along with instructional videos in real...
- HANDS FREE VIDEO: Don’t stay stuck to your cellphone; Set up your phone in Flex Mode and check off your to-dos while catching up with friends; Hands-free video chat lets you multitask and move...
- MULTI-VIEW WINDOW: Easily attend a virtual work meeting and capture important notes at the same time, or catch up on your favorite shows as you answer texts; With multiple windows, doing different...
- S PEN READY: Transform your Galaxy Z Fold4 into a multifunctional device with S Pen; It gives you that pen-on-paper feeling and makes it easy to take notes while attending virtual meetings, drag and...
- YOUR APPS, YOUR WAY: App display optimization allows you to customize how you see apps on the edge-to-edge screen of Galaxy Z Fold4; Also, use multiple apps to their full potential by dragging and...
Apps are expected to load faster than on the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Practically, the difference is going to be rather negligible, unless you’re intent on running a lot of apps simultaneously. In terms of GPU, the picture isn’t completely clear.
Testing in Geekbench 5 has shown that the Adreno 730 is behind the A15 Bionic GPU by a rather minimal amount, but testing within GFX Bench 3.0 Manhattan offscreen showed Adreno 730 to be 34% faster at rendering graphics than the A15 Bionic. This, coupled with the greater amount of RAM, means the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is better suited to gaming than the competition.
Design
We’ve got 4 colors to choose from with the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Namely, Phantom Black, Graygreen, Beige, and Burgundy. The iPhone 14 Pro Max comes in Deep Purple, Gold, Silver, or Space Black. Generally, the former’s colors are more muted, while the latter’s make more of a bold statement. You can’t really go wrong with the classic gold, silver, or black, after all.
While the iPhone 14 Pro Max is slightly longer than the Galaxy Z Fold 4, it’s almost half the width. Even when folded, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is almost the same width, and essentially double the thickness. The weight difference isn’t that large either.
Unfortunately, aside from being slightly bulky, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 also comes with a crease down the middle of the screen. It’s relatively unnoticeable but may bother the eagle-eyed among us.
The edges of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 also seem to be more flattened than on the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which features a more curved display. A small difference, but if aesthetics are your thing, perhaps it’s not that trivial.
Display
Immediately, we can see that the Galaxy Z fold 4 offers the larger display of the two. There’s a difference, though, between the use of Super Retina OLED and Dynamic AMOLED. Generally, an AMOLED display has better power efficiency, provides better contrast, and is more responsive.
By contrast, the Super Retina OLED display has a sharper resolution and fares better under direct sunlight. The iPhone 14 Pro max also has a 76% higher peak brightness than the Galaxy Z Fold 4, so it looks like the winner in both an environment with strong natural sunlight and one that’s quite dark.
Obviously, the thing the iPhone 14 Pro Max can’t do is fold in half like a book. This lends the Galaxy Z Fold 4 all kinds of possibilities, like messaging your friends while watching a movie, checking Facebook while having Messenger open, or dragging and dropping your files into cloud-based storage.
This will be a big draw for those who love to be efficient, as well as those who love to use their device for reading or artistic pursuits. If having a larger display and multitasking is a priority, even if the resolution is a bit lower, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the better choice.
Camera
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Both models have the same quality of ultrawide and telephoto lenses, so taking zoomed-in photos will be a similar experience whichever you go with. The rear camera of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is slightly better, though, and the front camera is substantially better.
So, where photography is concerned, it’s smarter to go with the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Also, while the MP of the telephoto lens is the same, it’s not actually that high compared to other smartphones on the market. So if taking detailed close-ups of subjects that are far away is important to you, this may not meet your needs.
Battery Life
While the battery of the iPhone 14 Pro Max seems slightly inferior, this doesn’t actually mean the battery life is inferior in a real-world setting. The Galaxy Z Fold 4’s battery allegedly lasts for around 8 or 9 hours. By contrast, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is expected to last for up to a day and a half, owing to its superior power efficiency.
This is a good thing, particularly because both devices will take around 2 hours to reach a full charge, even though the charging looks faster on paper with the iPhone model. It’s worth mentioning that reverse wireless charging is only possible with the Galaxy Z Fold 4, so if charging up your earbuds and smartwatch on the go is something you’re looking for, you won’t get this with the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Price
Price-wise, you’re going to see a big contrast between these two phones. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is quite clearly a lot more expensive, so the budget-conscious may decide against the model simply for this reason. Comparing the 512 GB version of the iPhone 14 Pro Max with the 512 GB Galaxy Z Fold 4, we see a standard difference of around $400.
This closes the gap somewhat but is still a significantly higher investment. Looking at the 1 TB model, the gap closes further to $200. So, although the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is still a bit pricier, those who are prioritizing bigger storage will appreciate getting double the storage at a lower cost with the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
iPhone 14 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: 6 Must-Know Facts
- The Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a larger screen, but the display is slightly less sharp and the device is heavier.
- The Galaxy Z Fold 4 should take slightly better photos with both the rear and front cameras.
- The iPhone 14 Pro max is cheaper and has the option of twice as much storage as the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
- The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is more suitable for multitasking with apps, drawing, and reading.
- The price for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is a lot higher than that of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, with comparable storage considered.
- The Galaxy Z Fold 4 gives better performance speeds if running multiple apps or during gaming.
iPhone 14 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Which Is Better?
Practically, both models can likely handle most tasks you throw at them, but it really comes down to your own usage. Those who are looking to use their device for creating art, reading, or gaming will find the performance and responsiveness of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 better.
For most other uses, though, the iPhone 14 Pro Max will probably be better, particularly if you want a fast load speed and aren’t interested in running many apps at once. Concerning memory, the options with the iPhone 14 Pro Max are better.
So, if you want to store a lot of photos or files this may be the better option. Especially for amateur photographers, students, or those looking for a new device for work that isn’t too bulky.
You’ll have to splash out on a Galaxy Z Fold 4, but you may just want to do that if you can’t be without the biggest screen possible. All in all, for more casual uses, longer battery life, and longer-term support, go with the iPhone 14 Pro Max. But if more specialized usage is your priority and budget isn’t an obstacle, go with the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
iPhone 14 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Further Reading
Are you still drawing a blank while staring at your basket? Don’t worry, just check out our other articles to read more how about these phones stack up.
- iPhone 14 Pro vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: Full Comparison and Major Differences – If you’re considering a more standard iPhone model, there’s still a lot to love about the iPhone 14 Pro.
- Google Pixel 7 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Features and Full Comparison – Thinking of branching out and going with a Google model? Click here to see how the specs compare.
- iPhone 14 Pro Max vs. OnePlus 10 Pro: Full Comparison and Differences – Sometimes, avoiding the tech giants altogether might be the right choice. Find out how the OnePlus 10 Pro compares.
