Between the Galaxy S24 FE and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the Galaxy S24 FE comes out ahead in weight and main camera, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max wins on wireless charging and antutu. Overall, the Galaxy S24 FE scores 63.3 and the iPhone 17 Pro Max scores 67.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The iPhone 17 Pro Max edges ahead on the Mars Score (63.3 vs 67.5), but the 4.2-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the Galaxy S24 FE if you photograph or shoot video regularly and want the better imaging pipeline of the two. The biggest gaps in its favor are weight, main camera, promised os updates, among others.
Pick the iPhone 17 Pro Max if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. Its strongest claims are wireless charging, antutu, ram, among others.
Both ship with comparable refresh rate, 5g support, water resistance, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Why Samsung - Galaxy S24 FE wins
- ▲Weight — 14.00 g less. 213 vs 227.
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
- ▲Promised OS updates: 7 (vs 6).
- ▲Battery capacity — 0.32% more. 4700 mAh vs 4685 mAh.
Why Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max wins
- ▲Wireless charging — 66.67% more. 25 W vs 15 W.
- ▲AnTuTu — 60.31% more. 2100000 vs 1310000.
- ▲RAM — 50.00% more. 12 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲Wired charging — 20.00% more. 30 W vs 25 W.
- ▲Front camera — 20.00% more. 12 MP vs 10 MP.
- ▲Pixel density — 19.48% more. 460 ppi vs 385 ppi.
- ▲Screen size — 2.99% more. 6.9 " vs 6.7 ".
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S24 FE | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 213 glead | 227 g |
| Thickness | 8.0 mmlead | 8.3 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S24 FE | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.7 " | 6.9 "lead |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 385 ppi | 460 ppilead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 1900 nits | 2200 nitslead |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S24 FE | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 50 MPlead | 48 MP |
| Front camera | 10 MP | 12 MPlead |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S24 FE | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 4700 mAhlead | 4685 mAh |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 25 W | 30 Wlead |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 W | 25 Wlead |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S24 FE | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S24 FE | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | iOSlead |
| Promised OS updates | 7 yearslead | 6 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, Galaxy S24 FE or iPhone 17 Pro Max?+
Galaxy S24 FE has 0.3% more battery — 4700 mAh vs 4685 mAh.
Which is lighter, Galaxy S24 FE or iPhone 17 Pro Max?+
Galaxy S24 FE is 14g lighter — 213g vs 227g.
Is Galaxy S24 FE waterproof?+
Galaxy S24 FE has an IP68 rating.
Does iPhone 17 Pro Max support 5G?+
Yes, iPhone 17 Pro Max supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, Galaxy S24 FE or iPhone 17 Pro Max?+
iPhone 17 Pro Max offers 12GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, Galaxy S24 FE or iPhone 17 Pro Max?+
Galaxy S24 FE has a 50 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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