Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 512GB) vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB)
Side by side comparison between Samsung Galaxy Note 9 vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max phones, differences, pros, cons and full specifications. What's the better?
,
6.4"
AMOLED
AMOLED
1440x2960
12.2
MP
MP
8mp
8GB
RAM
RAM
Octa-core
4000
mAh
mAh
(Non removable)
vs
6.9"
OLED
OLED
1320x2868
48
MP
MP
12mp
8GB
RAM
RAM
Hexa-core
4685
mAh
mAh
(Non removable)
What's the better phone? Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB)
The phonemore's choice is much more technical than personal. Therefore, you shouldn't only consider this. Our goal is to help you, but what's important to us may not be important to you. You decide which one is the best! Comment!
13 Advantages 
23 Advantages | 28 Common items in both devices |
| Super AMOLED / Super Retina XDR OLED |
| Dual-LED flash |
| Digital and optical zoom |
| PDAF on back camera and autofocus front camera / PDAF: phase detection autofocus on both cameras |
| BSI sensor |
| HDR photo/video on both cameras |
| 4K UHD (3840x2160) |
| +21 specs and more in the table below |
Check the comparison table below for more items that are not evaluated in comparison score above.
Highlight differences Clear highlight📱 Model features | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 512GB) | iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| Model | Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 512GB) | iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) |
| Other model names | Galaxy Note9 (Qualcomm) 8GB RAM, Samsung Crown | iPhone 16 Pro Max (A3296, A3084, A3295, A3297) |
| Country or region available |  USA |  (Global, International) |
| Brand | Samsung | Apple |
| Release date | 8/24/2018, Announced: 8/9/2018 | 9/20/2024, Announced: 9/9/2024 |
| Depth | 8.8 millimeters (0.35 inches) | 8.25 millimeters (0.32 inches) |
| Size (width x height) | 76.4 x 161.9 millimeters (3.01 x 6.37 in) | 77.6 x 163 millimeters (3.06 x 6.42 in) |
| Weight | 201 grams (7.04 ounces) | 227 grams (7.95 ounces) |
| Build, materials | Aluminum frame, glass front/back Back: Gorilla Glass 5 | Titanium frame, glass front and back |
| Protection against water and others | IP68 certified: water-resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30min and dust-resistant | IP68 certified: water-resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30min and dust-resistant |
📲 Display | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 512GB) | iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| Display type | Super AMOLED | Super Retina XDR OLED |
| Screen size | 6.4" inches | 6.9" inches |
| Screen-to-body ratio | ~84% (screen-to-body ratio) | ~92.2% (screen-to-body ratio) |
| Display resolution | 1440x2960 pixels (18.5:9) | 1320x2868 pixels (19.5:9) |
| Touchscreen | Capacitive Multitouch 10-points | Capacitive Multitouch 10-points |
| Pixel density (dot pitch) | 514 PPI | 458 PPI |
| Colors | 16 million | 1 billion |
| Scratch-resistant glass | Gorilla Glass 5 | Ceramic Shield |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 120Hz |
| Display features | HDR10 2.5D glass Always-On Display | 1000nits[typ], 2000nits[peak] Dolby Vision/HDR10 Always-On Display Oleophobic coating screen True-tone Wide color gamut |
🤖 Operating System | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 512GB) | iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| System version | Android 8.1 Oreo | iOS 18 |
| Firmware update | Android 10 | feature not registered |
| User Interface | One UI 2.0 / 2.5 | feature not registered |
⚙️ Processor | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 512GB) | iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| Chipset | 64bit: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (SDM845) (10nm) | 64bit: Apple A18 Pro (3nm) |
| CPU | Octa-core, 2 processors: 4x 2.8GHz Kryo 385 Gold (Quad-core) 4x 1.7GHz Kryo 385 Silver (Quad-core) | Hexa-core, 2 processors: 2x 4.04GHz P-Core (Dual-core) 4x 2.1GHz E-Core (Quad-core) |
| GPU graphical controller | Qualcomm Adreno 630 (710MHz) | A18 Pro GPU (6-core) |
| Performance (benchmark) | AnTuTu: 249124 (v7), 316449 (v8) Geekbench: 9026 (v4.4), 2092 (v5.1) GFXBench: 15fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 1735427 (v10) Geekbench: 8218 (v6.0) |
💽 Memory and storage | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 512GB) | iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| RAM memory | 8GB LPDDR4X | 8GB LPDDR5X |
| Internal storage | 512GB (482GB available) UFS 2.1 | 256GB (230GB available) NVMe (SSD) |
| External storage | Until 1TB microSD, microSDXC (dedicated slot) | Not supported |
📶 Mobile networks | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 512GB) | iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| Dual-SIM | Not supported | Dual-SIM Standby - Call active on one sim card |
| SIM card | 1 slot (Single-SIM) nano-SIM (4FF) | 1 slot (Single-SIM) nano-SIM (4FF) + e-SIM |
| Maximum Download / Upload | 1200/150 Mbps | 5000/1024 Mbps |
| Network technology | 2G, 3G, 4G | 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G |
| Frequency, bands | Expand band details Collapse details | |
| GSM MHz band | Quad-Band 850/900/1800/1900 | Quad-Band 850/900/1800/1900 |
| Primary 2G network | CDMA 800/1900, GSM 850/900/1800/1900 | CDMA 800/1900, GSM 850/900/1800/1900 |
| Primary 3G network | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO TD-SCDMA 1900/2000 UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100 | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100 |
| Primary 4G network | LTE Cat18 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 18, 19, 20, 28, 29, 30) TD-LTE (38, 39, 40, 41) | LTE Cat20 VoLTE A3296 (International): LTE (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 53, 66) TD-LTE (34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53) A3084 e-SIM only (USA): LTE (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 53, 66, 71) TD-LTE (34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53) A3295 (Canada, Mexico, EMEA): LTE (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 53, 66, 71 TD-LTE (34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53) A3297 No e-SIM (China): LTE (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 66) TD-LTE (34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48) |
| Primary 5G network | Not supported | A3296 (International): SA/NSA/Sub6 (1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79) A3084 e-SIM only (USA): SA/NSA/Sub6 (1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79) mmWave (258, 260, 261) A3295 (Canada, Mexico, EMEA): SA/NSA/Sub6 (1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6) A3297 No e-SIM (China): SA/NSA/Sub6 (1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79) |
| Primary data network | GPRS, EDGE, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev 0, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev A, TD-SCDMA, UMTS, TD-HSDPA, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, TD-LTE, LTE, LTE-A | GPRS, EDGE, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev 0, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev A, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, TD-LTE, LTE, LTE-A, SA/NSA, Sub6, mmWave |
| Secondary 2G network | Not supported | Not supported |
| Secondary 3G network | Not supported | Not supported |
| Secondary 4G network | Not supported | Not supported |
| Secondary data network | Not supported | Not supported |
📷 Camera | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 512GB) | iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| Back camera (main camera) | (dual camera) 12.2 megapixels 12MP telephoto f/2.41/3.4"52mm1.0µmAFOIS2x-optical-zoom | (quad camera) 48 megapixels 48MP ultrawide f/2.213mm0.7µmPDAF 12MP periscope telephoto f/2.8120mm1/3.06"1.12µmPDAFOIS5x-optical-zoom 0.3MP TOF 3D LiDAR-scanner |
| Main camera resolution | 4032x3024 pixels | 8000x6000 pixels |
| Video recording (primary) | 4K UHD (3840x2160) 60 fps | 4K UHD (3840x2160) 60 fps |
| Flash | Dual-LED flash | Dual-LED flash |
| Focal aperture | f/1.5 (aperture) | f/1.8 (aperture) |
| Focal length | 26mm (lens) | 24mm (lens) |
| Sensor size | 1/2.55" inches | 1/1.28" inches |
| Pixel size | 1.4µm pixel | 1.22µm pixel |
| Autofocus | PDAF on back camera and autofocus front camera | PDAF: phase detection autofocus on both cameras |
| Touch focus | Supported | Supported |
| Image stabilization | OIS: Optical stabilization | OIS: Optical stabilization on both cameras |
| Zoom | Digital and optical zoom | Digital and optical zoom |
| Face/smile detection | Face detection, Smile detection | Face detection, Smile detection |
| BSI sensor | Supported | Supported |
| HDR | HDR photo/video on both cameras | HDR photo/video on both cameras |
| Camera extras | feature not registered | 4K@24/25/30/60/120fps 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps Dolby Vision HDR (60fps) 10-bit HDR ProRes RAW Cinematic mode |
📸 Front camera | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 512GB) | iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| Front camera (secondary) | 8 megapixels | (dual front camera) 12 megapixels 0.3MP SL 3D |
| Front camera resolution | 3264x2448 pixels | 4000x3000 pixels |
| Video recording (secondary) | 2K UHD (2560x1440) | 4K UHD (3840x2160) |
| Front flash | Not supported | Not supported |
| Focal aperture | f/1.7 (aperture) | f/1.9 (aperture) |
| Focal length | 25mm (lens) | 23mm (lens) |
| Sensor size | 1/3.6" inches | 1/3.6" inches |
| Pixel size | 1.22µm pixel | feature not registered |
🔉 Sound and multimedia | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 512GB) | iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| Loudspeaker | Stereo sound 32-bit/384kHz | Stereo sound Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio 3D |
| Active noise cancellation | 2 microphones or more | 3 microphones |
| Radio | Not supported | Not supported |
| TV | Not supported | Not supported |
| Video formats | MP4, H.265, H.264, H.263, DivX, XviD | MP4, H.265, H.264, H.263, XviD, MKV |
| Audio formats | MP3, OGG, eAAC+, FLAC | MP3, WAV, WMA, eAAC+, FLAC |
🔌 Connectivity | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 512GB) | iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| USB | USB 3.1 Type-C, USB OTG On-The-Go | USB 3.2 Type-C reversible connector |
| Audio output | 3.5mm jack | Type-C reversible connector |
| TV output | USB Type-C SlimPort® | USB Type-C (reversible) |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 + A2DP/LE | 5.3 + A2DP/LE |
| WiFi | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac [wifi5] (2.4GHz, 5GHz) + MIMO WiFi Direct, hotspot | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be [wifi7/6E/6] (2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz) + MIMO WiFi hotspot |
| DLNA | Not supported | Not supported |
| GPS | A-GPS, GeoTagging, GLONASS, GALILEO, BeiDou | A-GPS, GeoTagging, GLONASS, GALILEO, BeiDou, QZSS, NavIC |
| NFC | Supported | Supported |
| Infrared port | Not supported | Not supported |
🧭 Sensors | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 512GB) | iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| Sensors | Accelerometer Ambient light sensor ANT+ Barometer Compass Face unlock Fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted) Gyroscope Hall effect Heart rate Iris scanner Proximity sensor SpO2 | Accelerometer Ambient light sensor Barometer Compass Face unlock Gyroscope Proximity sensor UWB (Ultra Wideband) |
| Vibrating alert | Supported | Supported |
🔋 Battery | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 512GB) | iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| Battery type | Li-Ion: lithium-ion (Non removable) | Li-Ion: lithium-ion (Non removable) |
| Battery capacity | 4000 mAh | 4685 mAh |
| Charger, watts | 15W Wired fast charging | 30W Wired fast charging 4.5W Reverse charging by cable USB Power Delivery 2.0 |
| Inductive / wireless charging | Qi wireless charging (Qi/PMA) | 25W Qi wireless charging |
| Talk time autonomy | feature not registered | feature not registered |
| Standby | feature not registered | feature not registered |
➕ Other features | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 512GB) | iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| Call control | Voice dialing, Voice recorder, Voice commands | Voice dialing, Voice recorder, Voice commands |
| Messaging | SMS (T9), MMS, E-mail, Push mail | SMS (T9), MMS, E-mail, Push mail |
| Hands-free calling | Supported | Supported |
| Video calling | Supported | Supported |
| Ringtones | Polyphonic and customized | Polyphonic and customized |
| Web browser | HTML, XHTML, HTML5 | HTML, XHTML, HTML5 |
| Antenna | Internal antenna | Internal antenna |
| Qwerty physical keyboard | Not supported | Not supported |
| Miscellaneous | • Colors: Black, Copper, Purple, Blue • S Pen Stylus (Bluetooth) • Samsung Pay • Samsung DeX | • Colors: Black titanium, White titanium, Blue titanium, Natural titanium • Apple Intelligence • Apple Pay • Face ID • MagSafe |
☢️ Radiation rate | ||
| Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960U 512GB) | iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| SAR 1.6W/kg (USA, Mexico, etc.) | feature not registered | feature not registered |
| SAR 2W/kg (Europe, UK, etc.) | feature not registered | feature not registered |