Galaxy S22 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max (Unlocked): Which one is worth it?
Side-by-side US MSRP bands, editorial scores, and strengths—then tune budget and priority to see which model fits your purchase.
S
Galaxy S22 Ultra
Samsung · 2022
$1,099–$1,609
Overall 83/100
Editorial estimateFull Galaxy S22 Ultra guide →A
iPhone 17 Pro Max (Unlocked)
Apple · 2025
$1,199–$1,439
Overall 88/100
Official anchorFull iPhone 17 Pro Max (Unlocked) guide →Quick verdicts (our rubric)
- Best for camera
Tie
- Best for battery
iPhone 17 Pro Max (Unlocked)
- Best for performance
iPhone 17 Pro Max (Unlocked)
- Best value score
Tie
- Best overall rubric / for most people
iPhone 17 Pro Max (Unlocked)
Which fits you?
Set budget and top priority—we score each phone with the same personalization rules as product pages.
Galaxy S22 Ultra
69
Depends on your priorities
$1,099–$1,609
iPhone 17 Pro Max (Unlocked)
69
Depends on your priorities
$1,199–$1,439
→ Dead heat for these settings—either could work.
Full comparison
| Spec | Galaxy S22 Ultra | iPhone 17 Pro Max (Unlocked) |
|---|---|---|
| Price band (US MSRP) | $1,099–$1,609 | $1,199–$1,439 |
| Release year | 2022 | 2025 |
| Camera | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| Battery | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Performance | 9/10 | 10/10 |
| Display | 9/10 | 10/10 |
| Value | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Overall score | 83/100 | 88/100 |
Galaxy S22 Ultra — pros
- • Flagship-class performance
- • Excellent camera system for stills and video
- • Premium display and build quality
iPhone 17 Pro Max (Unlocked) — pros
- • Flagship-class performance
- • Excellent camera system for stills and video
- • Premium display and build quality
Galaxy S22 Ultra — cons
- • Price is high, so value depends heavily on budget and priorities
iPhone 17 Pro Max (Unlocked) — cons
- • Price is high, so value depends heavily on budget and priorities
Galaxy S22 Ultra — best for
- • Photography
- • Gaming
- • Power users
iPhone 17 Pro Max (Unlocked) — best for
- • Photography
- • Gaming
- • Power users
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