Latest Reviews for 2024 and 2025 Smartphones: A Look at the iPhone 15, Galaxy S24, Pixel 9, and Other Models
The tech world is abuzz with the latest offerings from major smartphone manufacturers, with the Apple iPhone 15, Samsung Galaxy S24, Google Pixel 9, OnePlus 12, Xiaomi 14, and Oppo Find X6 series taking centre stage. Let's delve into the key features and comparisons of these devices, focusing on display, performance, camera, battery life, and design.
**Display and Design**
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max boasts a 6.7-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display with a resolution of 2796x1290, a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 2000 nits. The premium build is further emphasised by a Grade 5 titanium frame.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra sports a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, slightly curved, with a resolution of 3088x1440, a 1–120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 2600 nits. It uses UFS 4.0 storage and supports Dolby Atmos sound.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro offers a 6.7-inch OLED (Super Actua Display) with a flat screen, a resolution of 1344x2992, a 1–120Hz LTPO refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 2400 nits. It boasts 16GB RAM, more than Samsung’s 12GB, and features advanced AI capabilities via Google Tensor G4 chip.
The Xiaomi 14 Pro features a 6.73-inch LTPO AMOLED with 12-bit Dolby Vision, a resolution of 3200x1440, offering the brightest among these apart from OnePlus, with approximately 3000 nits HDR peak brightness.
The OnePlus 12 sports a 6.7-inch 2K ProXDR LTPO AMOLED, flat, with a resolution of 3168x1440, a 1–120Hz refresh rate, and peaks at 4500 nits outdoor brightness, making it the brightest among the compared phones.
The Oppo Find X6 series, while details are scarce, is expected to feature competitive AMOLED displays and high refresh rates comparable to peers.
**Performance**
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (for Galaxy), offering 48% better AnTuTu performance than the Pixel 9 Pro XL and 16% faster single-core GeekBench 6 scores, plus faster UFS 4.0 storage.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro uses Google Tensor G4, tailored for AI features but with lower raw benchmark scores than Samsung.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max uses Apple’s A17 Pro chip, delivering top-tier performance, especially optimised for iOS apps and gaming, though no direct benchmark data is available.
The OnePlus 12, Xiaomi 14 series, and Oppo Find X6 series all use the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or equivalent flagship chips, focusing on high performance but specifics vary and weren't detailed in the provided data.
**Camera**
The Google Pixel 9 Pro has been rated highest by DxOMark in camera quality, with +16% better generic main camera score compared to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, excelling in photo and video quality; it includes enhanced AI-powered camera features.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra offers strong zoom and overall camera performance, also supporting Dolby Atmos which complements multimedia use; it provides excellent but slightly lower DxOMark camera ratings than the Pixel.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is known for optimised photography and video capabilities, though less zoom prowess versus the Pixel and Galaxy.
Xiaomi 14, OnePlus 12, and Oppo Find X6 series also feature high-end camera systems but specifics are limited; the Xiaomi 14 Pro features 12-bit Dolby Vision capture.
**Battery and Other Features**
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra offers 21% longer battery life than the Pixel 9 Pro XL (26.5 vs 21.9 hours) and likely includes fast charging and robust connectivity.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro offers good battery life but shorter than Samsung; advantages include camera and display brightness.
The OnePlus 12 boasts 100W fast charging, capable of charging from 0 to 100% in just 25 minutes.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max now features a 48MP primary camera with an improved sensor and a 5x optical zoom. The iPhone 15 series was launched in September 2024. The Pro models of the iPhone 15 series have a titanium frame. The switch to USB-C charging has been welcomed in the iPhone 15 series.
The Oppo Find X6 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and has 12GB of RAM. The battery life of the iPhone 15 series sees slight improvements, with Apple claiming up to 26 hours of video playback on the Pro models. The iPhone 15 Pro models are powered by the A17 Pro chip. The Dynamic Island feature, first introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro, has been carried over and refined for an even more interactive experience in the iPhone 15 series.
This overview synthesises recent performance benchmarks, display specs, and camera evaluations, highlighting that Samsung leads in raw performance and battery life, Google excels in camera quality and AI features, Apple balances performance with design and ecosystem strength, while Xiaomi and OnePlus push display brightness to extreme levels. Oppo Find X6 series details remain less documented in the current dataset.
Gadgets such as the Google Pixel 9 Pro and Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max stand out in their respective fields, with the Pixel 9 Pro leading in camera quality, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max boasting a remarkable 6.7-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display with a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate. Meanwhile, smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and OnePlus 12 push the boundaries of battery life and display brightness, with the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra offering 21% longer battery life and the OnePlus 12 boasting an impressive 100W fast charging capability. In terms of technology, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Google Pixel 9 Pro make use of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Google Tensor G4, respectively, to deliver top-tier performance.
