I recently made the jump from an iPhone 12 Pro Max to a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Not through a carrier upgrade, not through a trade-in program. I bought it through Amazon Renewed, added a Quad Lock case, a new charging brick, and a fresh screen protector, and still walked away almost $1,000 lighter in my pocket than I would have buying new. I'll get into why that math worked out so well later. First, the stuff that actually caught my eye once I started using the phone day to day.
Apple Wallet still wins, and it's not close
This one stung a little. I didn't expect to miss Apple Wallet, but I do. The reason comes down to one thing: Face ID. It's a more secure form of biometric authentication than the face recognition Android phones (Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet included) rely on. Tapping to pay felt more seamless and more trustworthy on iOS, and that difference followed me straight into my banking apps too. Every time I had to fall back on a PIN or a fingerprint instead of just glancing at my phone, I noticed.
Battery life feels better, but I'll be honest about the bias
The S24 Ultra's battery has been noticeably better than what I was getting on the 12 Pro Max toward the end. But I want to be upfront: that's not really a fair fight. The S24 Ultra is a newer phone with a battery that hasn't gone through years of charge cycles yet. My 12 Pro Max was a few years into its life. So take this one with a grain of salt. It's less "Samsung batteries are better" and more "new battery beats old battery," which, fair enough, is still a win in daily use even if it's not a groundbreaking insight.
Look and feel: basically a tie, with a twist
I've spent time on iOS, One UI, and OxygenOS, and if you asked me to rank them, I'd actually put OxygenOS at the top, iOS second, and One UI third. That said, I want to caveat this with where I'm coming from. I don't have deep technical expertise in software design, and the phone landscape changes constantly, so this is a gut-feel ranking from someone who just likes using his phone, not a spec sheet breakdown. Overall polish between iOS and One UI, though, feels like a genuine tie to me.
Always-on display: small feature, big deal
I had an always-on display on my old OnePlus, then went years without one on iOS. I didn't think I'd care that much until I got it back on the S24 Ultra. Turns out I did care. Being able to glance at the time, notifications, and battery without picking up the phone is one of those quality-of-life things that's easy to underestimate until it's gone, and then easy to appreciate the second it's back.
Connectivity: Android's strength, iMessage's charm
I'll admit some bias here, but I find Android connectivity feels stronger overall. At the same time, I'm not going to pretend I don't like the blue and green bubble distinction in iMessage, or that AirDrop isn't a genuinely nice feature. Funny enough though, in practice I barely used AirDrop as much as I thought I would when I had it. It's one of those features that sounds essential until you actually track how often you reach for it.
The deal that made this worth it
Here's the part I'm most excited to talk about. I bought this S24 Ultra through Amazon Renewed in 2026 for almost $1,000 off, and that number includes the Quad Lock case, a new charging brick, and a new screen protector on top of the phone itself. The unit showed up in what looked like brand new condition. Battery health was good, every function worked exactly as expected, and there were no major defects to speak of. For a renewed device, that's about as good an outcome as you could ask for.
No more new phones, no more contracts
This is the bigger takeaway for me. Going the renewed route means I'm not locked into a new phone purchase or a contract with a plan provider just to get a decent device. That's a genuine shift in how I think about upgrading phones going forward, and honestly it might be the biggest win out of this whole switch.
Camera: the 12 Pro Max still holds the crown, for now
Camera-wise, my ranking right now is the iPhone 12 Pro Max at the top, followed by the OnePlus 7 Pro, with the S24 Ultra in third. That might sound surprising given the S24 Ultra is the newer phone, but I honestly haven't put its camera through its paces yet. It's entirely possible it climbs up this list once I actually use it the way I used the other two. For now though, the 12 Pro Max earns its spot at number one fair and square. That camera is one of the best I've used, period.
So, would I recommend it?
If you're like me, someone who wants a new high-end device without paying full price, and who values a 90-day, no-questions-asked return window, I'd strongly recommend looking at Amazon Renewed. That return window alone is worth it if you're spending anything more than $500, because it gives you room to actually test the device before you're stuck with it.
Trading a few small things, like Apple Wallet's superior Face ID integration or AirDrop's convenience, for a phone that came in like-new condition at nearly $1,000 off felt like a genuinely solid trade for me.
Cheers, and I hope this helps someone out there.