Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. Apple iPhone 15: A Head-to-Head Flagship Battle
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing battery life and charging speed, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the superior choice. Its 13:49h active use score and 65% charge in 30 minutes offer a tangible advantage. However, Apple's A16 Bionic and tightly integrated ecosystem make the iPhone 15 a strong contender for those invested in the Apple world.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Apple iPhone 15 | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 53, 66 - A3090 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3090 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2023, September 12 | 2024, January 17 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, September 22 | Available. Released 2024, January 24 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Corning Gorilla Armor), glass back (Corning Gorilla Armor), titanium frame (grade 2) |
| Dimensions | 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm (5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 in) | 162.3 x 79 x 8.6 mm (6.39 x 3.11 x 0.34 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time; International)· eSIM + eSIM (8 or more, max 2 at a time; USA)· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) | · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) - INT· Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) - USA· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM - CN |
| Weight | 171 g (6.03 oz) | 232 g or 233 g (8.18 oz) |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Ceramic Shield glass | Corning Gorilla Armor |
| Resolution | 1179 x 2556 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~461 ppi density) | 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~505 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.1 inches, 91.3 cm2 (~86.4% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 113.5 cm2 (~88.5% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (HBM), 2000 nits (peak) | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x3.46 GHz Everest + 4x2.02 GHz Sawtooth) | 8-core (1x3.39GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x3.1GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.9GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.2GHz Cortex-A520) |
| Chipset | Apple A16 Bionic (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8650-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) | Adreno 750 (1 GHz) |
| OS | iOS 17, upgradable to iOS 26.1 | Android 14, up to 7 major Android upgrades, One UI 8.0 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 48 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 0.7µm | - |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Quad | - | 200 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.3", 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 50 MP, f/3.4, 111mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.52", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec. | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, Dolby Vision HDR | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, DisplayPort | USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort 1.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update 4.5W reverse wired | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 3349 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Blue, Green, Yellow, Pink | Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow, Titanium Blue, Titanium Green, Titanium Orange |
| Models | A3090, A2846, A3089, A3092, iPhone15,4 | SM-S928B, SM-S928B/DS, SM-S928U, SM-S928U1, SM-S928W, SM-S928N, SM-S9280, SM-S928E, SM-S928E/DS |
| Price | € 519.00 / $ 396.00 / £ 449.99 / ₹ 50,990 | $ 514.94 / C$ 929.99 / £ 630.00 / € 658.53 / ₹ 84,999 |
| SAR | 1.12 W/kg (head) 1.14 W/kg (body) | 1.26 W/kg (head) 0.62 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.98 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) | 1.06 W/kg (head) 1.30 W/kg (body) |
Apple iPhone 15
- Optimized iOS ecosystem for seamless integration.
- High peak display brightness (1643 nits) for excellent outdoor visibility.
- Efficient A16 Bionic chip for smooth performance.
- Slower charging speeds compared to the S24 Ultra.
- Slightly shorter battery life in active use scenarios.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
- Longer battery life (13:49h active use).
- Faster 45W wired charging with PD3.0.
- More flexible Android operating system.
- Lower peak display brightness (1447 nits).
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 may run hotter under sustained load.
Display Comparison
Both the iPhone 15 and Galaxy S24 Ultra boast excellent displays, but the S24 Ultra’s 1447 nits peak brightness is slightly lower than the iPhone 15’s measured 1643 nits. While the difference isn’t massive, it could be noticeable in direct sunlight. Both lack detailed PWM dimming rate information, but the iPhone 15’s historically consistent display quality suggests a well-tuned experience. The S24 Ultra’s larger screen size and potentially higher refresh rate (based on Samsung’s typical implementation) contribute to a more immersive viewing experience, though this wasn’t directly measured in the provided data.
Camera Comparison
Both devices are equipped with capable photo and video systems, but the provided data doesn’t allow for a detailed comparison. Sensor size, lens apertures, and image processing algorithms are key differentiators. Samsung typically emphasizes computational photography and vibrant colors, while Apple aims for more natural and accurate image reproduction. Without specific sensor details, it’s difficult to assess low-light performance or dynamic range capabilities. The absence of information regarding optical image stabilization (OIS) further limits a meaningful comparison.
Performance
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra leverages the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4nm) with an 8-core CPU configuration, offering a broader range of core types – including the high-performance Cortex-X4 – compared to the iPhone 15’s hexa-core Apple A16 Bionic (4nm). While core count isn’t everything, the Snapdragon’s architecture suggests potential advantages in multi-threaded tasks. However, Apple’s A16 Bionic is renowned for its single-core performance and efficient power management. The S24 Ultra’s LPDDR5x RAM (spec not provided, but standard for the platform) likely complements the Snapdragon’s processing power, though the iPhone 15’s RAM specifications are not available for comparison. Thermal management will be crucial; the Snapdragon’s more complex architecture could lead to higher temperatures under sustained load.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra demonstrates a clear advantage in battery endurance, achieving an active use score of 13:49h versus the iPhone 15’s 13:20h. While the difference is less than 30 minutes, it’s a measurable benefit. The S24 Ultra’s 45W wired charging with PD3.0 allows for a 65% charge in 30 minutes, significantly faster than the iPhone 15’s 50% charge in the same timeframe using PD2.0. Both offer 15W wireless charging, but the iPhone 15 supports Qi2 (requiring iOS 17.2) and MagSafe, offering potentially more efficient wireless charging. Both also offer 4.5W reverse wired charging, a niche feature for topping up accessories.
Buying Guide
Buy the Apple iPhone 15 if you need seamless integration with other Apple devices, prioritize a streamlined user experience with iOS, and value Apple's long-term software support. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra if you prefer the flexibility of Android, demand the longest possible battery life, and require the fastest charging speeds available in a flagship smartphone.