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Smartphone comparison

iPhone 13 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished

Compare cameras, battery, screen and everyday features.

Compared products
01Selected
iPhone 13 Pro Max

iPhone 13 Pro Max

  • 240 g.
  • About 6.7 inch screen.
  • Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) processor.
  • 6 GB RAM in this version.
  • Storage: NVMe.
KSh 65,500In Stock
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02
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished

  • 234 g.
  • About 6.8 inch screen.
  • Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) processor.
  • Storage: UFS 4.0.
  • 5,000 mAh battery capacity.
KSh 70,000In Stock
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Samsung Galaxy S24 FE 5GKSh 57,500
2 of 4 products

Our quick verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished runs Android and has a bigger battery (5,000 mAh), more RAM (12 GB), a higher-resolution main camera (200 MP) and 8K video recording, while the iPhone 13 Pro Max runs iOS and is slimmer.

Weight

iPhone 13 Pro Max
240 g
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished
234 g

Display

iPhone 13 Pro Max
About 6.7 inch screen
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished
About 6.8 inch screen

Performance

iPhone 13 Pro Max
Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) processor
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished
Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) processor

Storage

iPhone 13 Pro Max
NVMe
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished
UFS 4.0

Battery capacity

iPhone 13 Pro Max
4,352 mAh battery capacity
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished
5,000 mAh battery capacity

Key differences

The main differences to help you choose.

iPhone 13 Pro Max

  • Slimmer: 7.7 mm thick (vs 8.9 mm).
  • Records ProRes for editing.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished

  • Bigger battery: 5,000 mAh (vs 4,352 mAh).
  • More memory: up to 12 GB RAM (vs 6 GB).
  • Higher-resolution main camera: 200 MP (vs 12 MP).
  • Brighter display: up to 1,750 nits (vs 1,200).
  • Newer Wi-Fi 6E (vs Wi-Fi 6).
  • Newer Bluetooth 5.3 (vs 5.0).

What matters most to you?

Choose any priorities

How each product answers the questions buyers ask most. Tick a topic to add it, untick one to hide it.

More topicsFewer topics
6 priorities selected.
How each product answers the selected priorities
PriorityiPhone 13 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished
Display6.7-inch OLED display, 120 Hz, 458 ppi6.8-inch OLED display, 120 Hz, 500 ppi
Camera12 MP main camera with OIS, plus a 3x telephoto camera200 MP main camera with OIS, plus a 3x telephoto camera
PerformanceApple A15 Bionic processorQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor
StorageUp to 1 TB storageUp to 512 GB storage
Battery capacity4,352 mAh battery5,000 mAh battery
ChargingWired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min45 W wired, 15 W wireless charging

Detailed comparison

Explore the full specifications, section by section.

General

General specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 13 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished
BrandAppleSamsung
ModelApple iPhone 13 Pro MaxGalaxy S23 Ultra
Announced2021, September 142023, February 01
Device type / form familySmartphoneSmartphone
Release statusAvailable. Released 2021, September 24Available. Released 2023, February 17
Model numbersA2643, A2484, A2641, A2644, A2645, iphone14,3SM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, SM-S918W, SM-S918N, SM-S9180, SM-S918E, SM-S918E/DS
SAR (US)1.18 W/kg (head) 1.20 W/kg (body)—
SAR (EU)0.99 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body)—
Performance benchmarksAnTuTu: 801691 (v9); GeekBench: 4706 (v5.1); GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)—
Measured display brightness1050 nits max brightness (measured)—
Tested cameraPhoto / Video—
Measured loudspeaker loudness-24.0 LUFS (Very good)—
Tested battery (old)Endurance rating 121h—

Design

Design specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 13 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished
Dimensions160.8 x 78.1 x 7.7 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.30 in)163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in)
Weight240 g (8.47 oz)234 g (8.25 oz)
Build materialsGlass front, glass back, stainless steel frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame
Form factor—Touchscreen smartphone

Display

Display specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 13 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished
DisplaySuper Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak); 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio)Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak); 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio)
Screen resolution1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density)1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density)
Display protectionCeramic Shield glassCorning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Display features120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak)Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak)
Display technologySuper Retina XDR OLEDDynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak)
Display size6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio)6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio)
Refresh rate120Hz120Hz
Brightness1000 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak)—
HDR formatsHDR10, Dolby Vision—
Pixel density~458 ppi—
Aspect ratio19.5:9 ratio—
Screen-to-body ratio~87.4% screen-to-body ratio—

Performance

Performance specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 13 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished
ProcessorApple A15 Bionic (5 nm)Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm)
CPUHexa-core (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard)Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510)
GPUApple GPU (5-core graphics)Adreno 740
Process node5 nm—

Memory & Storage

Memory & Storage specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 13 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished
RAM6GB12GB / 8GB (256GB); 12GB (512GB)
Storage128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB256GB / 512GB
Storage technologyNVMeUFS 4.0
Expandable storageNoNo
Memory configurations128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM—

Cameras

Cameras specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 13 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished
Rear camera12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS; 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), PDAF, 1/3.4", 1.0µm, OIS, 3x optical zoom; 12 MP, f/1.8, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF; TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth)200 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.3", 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 10 MP, f/4.9, 230mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video
Front camera12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm; SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF
Rear camera featuresDual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Rear camera video4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, stereo sound rec.8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
Front camera featuresHDRHDR, HDR10+
Front camera video4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Wide camera12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS—
Telephoto camera12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), PDAF, 1/3.4", 1.0µm, OIS, 3x optical zoom—
Ultra-wide camera12 MP, f/1.8, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF—
Additional rear camerasTOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth)—

Battery & Charging

Battery & Charging specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 13 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished
BatteryLi-Ion 4352 mAh (16.75 Wh)Li-Ion 5000 mAh
ChargingWired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min; 15W wireless (MagSafe); 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless
Battery technologyLi-Ion—
Wireless charging15W wireless (MagSafe); 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update—

Software

Software specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 13 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished
Operating systemiOS 15, upgradable to iOS 27Android 13, upgradable to Android 17, up to 4 major OS updates, One UI 9.0

Network

Network specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 13 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished
NetworkGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
SIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM; · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900; CDMA 800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 CDMA 800 / 1900 & TD-SCDMA
3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100; CDMA2000 1xEV-DOHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2643, A2644, A2645; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2484, A26411, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - USA
5G bands1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2643, A2644; 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 78, 79, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - A2484; 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A26411, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International 1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA
Network speedHSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 MbpsHSPA, LTE (CA), 5G

Connectivity

Connectivity specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 13 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished
NFCYesYes
Bluetooth5.0, A2DP, LE5.3, A2DP, LE
Wi-FiWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspotWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct
PositioningGPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSSGPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS
RadioNoNo
USBLightning, USB 2.0USB Type-C 3.2, OTG
Ultra Wideband (UWB)Ultra Wideband (UWB) supportSupported

Durability

Durability specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 13 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished
Water resistanceIP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 6m for 30 min)—

Features

Features specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 13 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished
SensorsFace ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometerFingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
ColorsGraphite, Gold, Silver, Sierra Blue, Alpine Green—
Desktop mode—Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support)

Audio

Audio specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 13 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished
LoudspeakersYes, with stereo speakersYes, with stereo speakers
3.5 mm headphone jackNoNo
Audio features—High-bitrate audio support

Refurbished unit information

Refurbished unit information specifications comparison
SpecificationiPhone 13 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished
Condition—Refurbished / EX-UK

Similarities

  • Both have 120 Hz displays.
  • Both have optical image stabilisation.
  • Both have NFC.
  • Both have stereo speakers.
  • Both support wireless charging.
  • Both support 5G networks.

In summary

For most buyers the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Refurbished is the better buy; the iPhone 13 Pro Max makes sense if you want iOS.

Back to compared products ↑

In-stock alternatives

Samsung Galaxy S24 5GFor iPhone 13 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy S24 5GView product ↗Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 RefurbishedFor iPhone 13 Pro MaxSamsung Galaxy Z Fold4 RefurbishedView product ↗Samsung Galaxy S25 FEFor Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra RefurbishedSamsung Galaxy S25 FEView product ↗iPhone 14 ProFor Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra RefurbishediPhone 14 ProView product ↗

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