Samsung Galaxy SL (GT-i9003 16GB) vs Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB)
Side by side comparison between Samsung Galaxy SL vs Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max phones, differences, pros, cons and full specifications. What's the better?
,
4"
SLCD
SLCD
480x800
5
MP
MP
0.3mp
478MB
RAM
RAM
Single-core
1650
mAh
mAh
(Removable)
vs
6.9"
OLED
OLED
1320x2868
48
MP
MP
18mp
12GB
RAM
RAM
Hexa-core
4832
mAh
mAh
(Non removable)
What's the better phone? Apple iPhone 17 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!
7 Advantages 
38 Advantages | 12 Common items in both devices |
| Autofocus / PDAF: phase detection autofocus on both cameras |
| Capacitive |
| Multitouch |
| Accelerometer |
| Ambient light sensor |
| Compass |
| Proximity sensor |
| +5 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 SL (GT-i9003 16GB) | iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| Model | Galaxy SL (GT-i9003 16GB) | iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB) |
| Other model names | Samsung Galaxy SL i9003 | iPhone 17 Pro Max (A3257, A3525, A3526, A3527) |
| Country or region available |  (Global, International) | (Global, International) |
| Brand | Samsung | Apple |
| Release date | 3/19/2011 | 9/19/2025, Announced: 9/9/2025 |
| Depth | 10.59 millimeters (0.42 inches) | 8.8 millimeters (0.35 inches) |
| Size (width x height) | 64.2 x 123.7 millimeters (2.53 x 4.87 in) | 78 x 163.4 millimeters (3.07 x 6.43 in) |
| Weight | 131 grams (4.59 ounces) | 233 grams (8.16 ounces) |
| Build, materials | Plastic body, glass front | Aluminum frame, glass front/back Back: Ceramic Shield |
| Protection against water and others | Not supported | IP68 certified: water-resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30min and dust-resistant |
📲 Display | ||
| Galaxy SL (GT-i9003 16GB) | iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| Display type | TFT SuperClear LCD | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED |
| Screen size | 4" inches | 6.9" inches |
| Screen-to-body ratio | ~57.3% (screen-to-body ratio) | ~91.5% (screen-to-body ratio) |
| Display resolution | 480x800 pixels | 1320x2868 pixels (19.5:9) |
| Touchscreen | Capacitive Multitouch | Capacitive Multitouch |
| Pixel density (dot pitch) | 233 PPI | 458 PPI |
| Colors | 16 million | 1 billion |
| Scratch-resistant glass | Gorilla Glass | Ceramic Shield 2 |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 120Hz |
| Display features | Not supported | 1000nits[typ], 3000nits[peak] Dolby Vision/HDR10 Always-On Display Oleophobic coating screen True-tone Wide color gamut |
🤖 Operating System | ||
| Galaxy SL (GT-i9003 16GB) | iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| System version | Android 2.2.1 Froyo | iOS 26 |
| Firmware update | Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread | feature not registered |
| User Interface | TouchWiz UI | feature not registered |
⚙️ Processor | ||
| Galaxy SL (GT-i9003 16GB) | iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| Chipset | 32bit: Texas Instruments OMAP 3630 (45nm) | 64bit: Apple A19 Pro (3nm) |
| CPU | Single-core, 1 processor: 1x 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 (Single-core) | Hexa-core, 2 processors: 2x 4.26GHz P-Core (Dual-core) 4x 2.2GHz E-Core (Quad-core) |
| GPU graphical controller | PowerVR SGX530 MP1 | A19 Pro GPU (6-core) |
| Performance (benchmark) | feature not registered | AnTuTu: 2112459 (v10) Geekbench: 9746 (v6.5) |
💽 Memory and storage | ||
| Galaxy SL (GT-i9003 16GB) | iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| RAM memory | 478MB LPDDR | 12GB LPDDR5X |
| Internal storage | 16GB (13GB available) | 256GB (230GB available) NVMe (SSD) |
| External storage | Until 32GB microSD, microSDHC (dedicated slot) | Not supported |
📶 Mobile networks | ||
| Galaxy SL (GT-i9003 16GB) | iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| Dual-SIM | Not supported | Dual-SIM Standby - Call active on one sim card |
| SIM card | 1 slot (Single-SIM) Standard mini-SIM (2FF) | 1 slot (Single-SIM) nano-SIM (4FF) + e-SIM |
| Maximum Download / Upload | 7.2/5.76 Mbps | 5000/1024 Mbps |
| Network technology | 2G, 3G | 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 | GSM 850/900/1800/1900 | CDMA 800/1900, GSM 850/900/1800/1900 |
| Primary 3G network | UMTS 900/1900/2100 | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100 |
| Primary 4G network | Not supported | LTE Cat20 VoLTE A3526 (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) A3257 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) A3525 (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) A3527 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 | A3526 (International): SA/NSA/Sub6 (1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 75, 77, 78, 79) A3257 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, 77, 78, 79) mmWave (258, 260, 261) A3525 (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, 77, 78, 79) A3527 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, 77, 78, 79) |
| Primary data network | CSD, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA | 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 SL (GT-i9003 16GB) | iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| Back camera (main camera) | 5 megapixels | (quad camera) 48 megapixels 48MP ultrawide f/2.213mm120°1/2.55"0.7µmPDAF 48MP periscope telephoto f/2.8100mm1/2.55"0.7µmPDAFOIS8x-optical-zoom 0.3MP TOF 3D LiDAR-scanner |
| Main camera resolution | 2560x1920 pixels | 8000x6000 pixels |
| Video recording (primary) | VGA (720x480) 30 fps | 4K UHD (3840x2160) 120 fps |
| Flash | Not supported | Dual-LED flash |
| Focal aperture | feature not registered | f/1.6 (aperture) |
| Focal length | feature not registered | 24mm (lens) |
| Sensor size | feature not registered | 1/1.28" inches |
| Pixel size | feature not registered | 1.22µm pixel |
| Autofocus | Autofocus | PDAF: phase detection autofocus on both cameras |
| Touch focus | Supported | Supported |
| Image stabilization | Not supported | OIS: Optical stabilization on both cameras |
| Zoom | Only digital zoom | Digital and optical zoom |
| Face/smile detection | Face detection, Smile detection | Face detection, Smile detection |
| BSI sensor | Not supported | Supported |
| HDR | Not supported | 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 (60fps) 10-bit HDR ProRes RAW Cinematic mode |
📸 Front camera | ||
| Galaxy SL (GT-i9003 16GB) | iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| Front camera (secondary) | 0.3 megapixels | (dual front camera) 18 megapixels 0.3MP SL 3D |
| Front camera resolution | 640x480 pixels | 5184x3456 pixels |
| Video recording (secondary) | Not supported | 4K UHD (3840x2160) |
| Front flash | Not supported | Not supported |
| Focal aperture | feature not registered | f/1.9 (aperture) |
| Focal length | feature not registered | feature not registered |
| Sensor size | feature not registered | feature not registered |
| Pixel size | feature not registered | feature not registered |
🔉 Sound and multimedia | ||
| Galaxy SL (GT-i9003 16GB) | iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| Loudspeaker | Mono sound (not stereo) | Stereo sound Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio 3D |
| Active noise cancellation | 1 microphone | 3 microphones |
| Radio | FM (RDS) | Not supported |
| TV | Not supported | Not supported |
| Video formats | MP4, DivX, WMV, H.264, H.263 | MP4, H.265, H.264, H.263, XviD, MKV |
| Audio formats | MP3, WAV, eAAC+, AC3, FLAC | MP3, WAV, WMA, eAAC+, FLAC |
🔌 Connectivity | ||
| Galaxy SL (GT-i9003 16GB) | iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| USB | MicroUSB 2.0 | USB 3.2 Type-C reversible connector |
| Audio output | 3.5mm jack | Type-C reversible connector |
| TV output | Not supported | USB Type-C (reversible) |
| Bluetooth | 3.0 + A2DP | 6.0 + A2DP/LE |
| WiFi | 802.11 b/g/n [wifi4] (2.4GHz) WiFi hotspot | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be [wifi7/6E/6] (2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz) + MIMO WiFi hotspot |
| DLNA | Supported | Not supported |
| GPS | A-GPS, GeoTagging | A-GPS, GeoTagging, GLONASS, GALILEO, BeiDou, QZSS, NavIC |
| NFC | Not supported | Supported |
| Infrared port | Not supported | Not supported |
🧭 Sensors | ||
| Galaxy SL (GT-i9003 16GB) | iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| Sensors | Accelerometer Ambient light sensor Compass Proximity sensor | Accelerometer Ambient light sensor Barometer Compass Face unlock 3D Gyroscope Proximity sensor UWB (Ultra Wideband) |
| Vibrating alert | Supported | Supported |
🔋 Battery | ||
| Galaxy SL (GT-i9003 16GB) | iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| Battery type | Li-Ion: lithium-ion (Removable) EB575152LU | Li-Ion: lithium-ion (Non removable) |
| Battery capacity | 1650 mAh | 4832 mAh |
| Charger, watts | Wired charging | 40W Wired fast charging 4.5W Reverse charging by cable USB Power Delivery 2.0 |
| Inductive / wireless charging | Not supported | 25W Qi2 wireless charging |
| Talk time autonomy | 7.5 hours | feature not registered |
| Standby | 550 hours (22.9 days) | feature not registered |
➕ Other features | ||
| Galaxy SL (GT-i9003 16GB) | iPhone 17 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, Flash player | HTML, XHTML, HTML5 |
| Antenna | Internal antenna | Internal antenna |
| Qwerty physical keyboard | Not supported | Not supported |
| Miscellaneous | • Colors: Black on silver • HD 720p video recording with update Android • Java framework | • Colors: Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue • Apple Intelligence • Apple Pay • Face ID • MagSafe |
☢️ Radiation rate | ||
| Galaxy SL (GT-i9003 16GB) | iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB) | |
| SAR 1.6W/kg (USA, Mexico, etc.) | 0.336W/kg (head), 0.499W/kg (body) | feature not registered |
| SAR 2W/kg (Europe, UK, etc.) | 0.31W/kg (head), 0.828W/kg (body) | feature not registered |