Head to head
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs iPhone 17
Samsung Galaxy S25 leads 7 to 4 on the 11 rankable specs.
Catalog as of September 1, 2026
Why, in numbers
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Your devices
Straight answer
Overall: 7 to 4
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S25.
- Leads 7 of 11 rankable overall specs; iPhone 17 takes 4.
- Weight: 162 g vs 177 g
- RAM: 12 GB vs 8 GB
- Same list price, so the spec lead is the whole story.
At a glance
The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.
Weight
Samsung
162 g (5.71 oz)
Apple
177 g (6.24 oz)
Size
Samsung
6.2 inches
Apple
6.3 inches
Chipset≠
Samsung
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm)
Apple
Apple A19 (3 nm)
RAM
Samsung
12 GB
Apple
8 GB
Max optical zoom
Samsung
3x optical zoom
Apple
2x (sensor crop)
Capacity
Samsung
4,000 mAh
Apple
3,600 mAh
The 90-Day Owner Regret Check
Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.
Samsung: What to watch for
- Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
Apple: What to watch for
- Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
Body
leads 1-0| Dimensions | 146.9 × 70.4 × 7.2 mm | 149.6 × 71.5 × 7.95 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 162 g (5.71 oz) (wins this row: lower) | 177 g (6.24 oz) |
| Build | Enhanced Armor Aluminum frame with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 back | Aluminum frame with color-infused glass back |
| Water / dust rating | IP68 (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) | IP68 (up to 6m for 30 mins) |
| Colors | Silver Shadow, Midnight Black, Moon Night Blue, Sparkling Green | Black, White, Lavender, Mist Green, Ultramarine |
| Stylus | No | No |
Display
leads 3-1| Type | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X | Super Retina XDR OLED with ProMotion |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.2 inches | 6.3 inches (wins this row: higher) |
| Resolution | 2340 × 1080 (FHD+) | 2556 × 1179 (wins this row: higher) |
| Pixel density | 416 ppi | 460 ppi (wins this row: higher) |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz (1–120Hz LTPO) | 120 Hz (ProMotion) |
| Peak brightness | 2,600 nits peak (wins this row: higher) | 2,500 nits outdoor peak / 1,000 nits typical |
| HDR | HDR10+, HLG | HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Ceramic Shield (latest generation) |
| Always-on display | Yes | Yes |
Platform
5 differences| Operating system | Android 15 (One UI 7) | iOS 19 |
|---|---|---|
| Software support | 7 generations of OS upgrades & 7 years security updates | 5+ years estimated (typically 6-7 years) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm) | Apple A19 (3 nm) |
| CPU | 8-core Oryon CPU (2× 4.47 GHz Prime + 6× 3.53 GHz Performance) | 6-core CPU (2 performance + 4 efficiency) |
| GPU | Adreno 830 | 5-core Apple GPU with hardware ray tracing |
Memory
leads 1-0| RAM | 12 GB (wins this row: higher) | 8 GB |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 128 GB | 128 GB |
| Storage options | 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB | 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB |
| microSD | No | No |
Rear camera
leads 3-0| Main | 50 MP (f/1.8, 24mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS) (wins this row: higher) | 48 MP Fusion (f/1.6, 26mm, sensor-shift OIS, 2x telephoto crop) |
|---|---|---|
| Ultrawide | 50 MP (f/1.9, 120° FOV, Dual Pixel PDAF) (wins this row: higher) | 48 MP (f/2.2, 13mm, 120° FOV, autofocus macro) |
| Telephoto | 10 MP (f/2.4, 67mm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom) | None (2x optical-quality sensor crop via 48MP main) |
| Max optical zoom | 3x optical zoom (wins this row: higher) | 2x (sensor crop) |
| Stabilization | OIS on main and 3x telephoto cameras | Sensor-shift OIS on main camera |
| Video | 8K at 30 fps, 4K at 30/60/120 fps, HDR10+ | 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, Dolby Vision HDR, Spatial Video |
Front camera
leads 1-0| Selfie camera | 12 MP (f/2.2, 26mm, Dual Pixel PDAF) | 24 MP TrueDepth with Center Stage (f/1.9, autofocus) (wins this row: higher) |
|---|---|---|
| Selfie video | 4K at 30/60 fps | 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, Dolby Vision HDR |
Battery & charging
leads 1-0| Capacity | 4,000 mAh (wins this row: higher) | 3,600 mAh |
|---|---|---|
| Wired chargingNot on the official sheet | 25W wired fast charging (up to 50% in 30 min) | Up to 50% in 30 min with 20W+ adapter |
| Wireless charging | 15W Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 | 25W MagSafe / 15W Qi2 |
| Reverse wireless | 4.5W Wireless PowerShare | 4.5W wired reverse charging via USB-C |
| Charger in box | No | No |
Audio
1 differences| Speakers | Stereo speakers tuned by AKG | Stereo speakers with Spatial Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Headphone jack | No | No |
Connectivity
5 differences| Cellular | 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) | 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave in US) |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be tri-band) | Wi-Fi 7 with Apple N1 wireless chip |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.4 | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| NFC | Yes (Samsung Pay / Google Pay) | Yes (Apple Pay) |
| USB | USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (DisplayPort video out) | USB-C 2.0 (up to 480 Mbps) |
| SIM | Dual eSIM / Nano-SIM + eSIM | Dual eSIM (US model, no physical SIM tray) |
Features
3 differences| Biometrics | Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor + 2D Face unlock | Face ID (TrueDepth camera) |
|---|---|---|
| Extra controls | None | Action Button, Camera Control button |
| Standout features | Compact 7.2mm lightweight design, Galaxy AI suite (Now Brief, Live Translate, Circle to Search), Samsung DeX | 120Hz ProMotion screen, Apple N1 chip, Camera Control button, Action button, Apple Intelligence, Dynamic Island |
Which one should you buy
Pick this one if
Samsung Galaxy S25
Compact 6.2-inch flagship phone with Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, 12GB RAM, Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz display, and 7 years of OS updates.
- Flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite power in a lightweight 162g compact body
- RAM upgraded to 12GB standard across all storage tiers
- 7 years of Android OS and security upgrades
What you give up
- Wired charging capped at 25W
- Base storage starts at 128GB
Pick this one if
iPhone 17
6.3-inch iPhone 17 with Apple A19 chip, 48MP dual Fusion cameras, 120Hz ProMotion display, and Apple N1 wireless chip.
- Upgraded 120Hz ProMotion display on the base model
- Apple A19 3nm chip with Apple Intelligence integration
- New 24MP Center Stage selfie camera and Apple N1 Wi-Fi chip
What you give up
- No dedicated optical telephoto zoom lens (2x in-sensor crop)
- USB 2.0 transfer speed over USB-C port
Best for each use
Photos
For photos, buy the Samsung Galaxy S25.
Battery & updates
Too close to call on battery & updates from the spec sheets. Only capacity is rankable here.
Games & video
For games & video, buy the Samsung Galaxy S25.
Done deciding?
Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.
Manufacturer pages: Samsung Galaxy S25 ↗ · iPhone 17 ↗
Common questions
Which is cheaper, the Samsung Galaxy S25 or the iPhone 17?
Both list at the same price.
What is the biggest catch with the Samsung Galaxy S25 or iPhone 17?
Both has this deal-breaker: no stylus. No pen input for handwritten notes or markup.
Which is better for photos, the Samsung Galaxy S25 or the iPhone 17?
For photos, buy the Samsung Galaxy S25. Leads 3 of 4 rankable photos specs; iPhone 17 takes 1. Max optical zoom: 3x optical zoom vs 2x
What cannot be compared from spec sheets?
Of the 48 specs tracked here, 37 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.