iPhone 17 vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: A Deep Dive into Apple and Samsung's 2025 Flagships
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing long-term battery life and a brighter display, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra emerges as the winner. Its significantly higher battery endurance (44:54h vs 41:00h) and peak brightness (1417 nits vs 1012 nits) provide a tangible advantage, despite the iPhone 17’s efficient A19 chip.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Apple iPhone 17 | Samsung Galaxy S25 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, 48, 53, 66 - A3520 | 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, 75, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3520 | 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 | 2025, September 09 | 2025, January 22 |
| Status | Available. Released 2025, September 19 | Available. Released 2025, February 03 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Ceramic Shield 2), aluminum frame, glass back | Glass front (Corning Gorilla Armor 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), titanium frame (grade 5) |
| Dimensions | 149.6 x 71.5 x 8 mm (5.89 x 2.81 x 0.31 in) | 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2 mm (6.41 x 3.06 x 0.32 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 | 177 g (6.24 oz) | 218 g (7.69 oz) |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Ceramic Shield 2, Mohs level 5 | Corning Gorilla Armor 2, Mohs level 6 |
| Resolution | 1206 x 2622 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~498 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.3 inches, 96.4 cm2 (~90.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.9 inches, 116.9 cm2 (~92.5% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 1600 nits (HBM), 3000 nits (peak) | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x4.26 GHz + 4xX.X GHz) | Octa-core (2x4.47 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L + 6x3.53 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix M) |
| Chipset | Apple A19 (3 nm) | Qualcomm SM8750-AC Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) | Adreno 830 (1200 MHz) |
| OS | iOS 26, upgradable to iOS 26.1 | Android 15, up to 7 major Android upgrades, One UI 7 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 48 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 48 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 0.7µm, PDAF | - |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | Laser AF, Best Face, 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 50 MP, f/1.9, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.5", 0.7µm, 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, 10-bit HDR, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, Dolby Vision HDR, 3D (spatial) audio, stereo sound rec. | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 18 MP multi-aspect, f/1.9, 20mm (ultrawide), 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 | 6.0, A2DP, LE | 5.4, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS, NavIC | 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/6/7, tri-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, PD3.2, AVS, 50% in 20 min 25W wireless MagSafe/Qi2, 50% in 30 min (15W - China) 4.5W reverse wired | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi2 Ready) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 3692 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, White, Mist Blue, Sage, Lavender | Titanium Silver Blue, Titanium Black, Titanium White Silver, Titanium Gray, Titanium Jade Green, Titanium Jet Black, Titanium Pink Gold |
| Models | iPhone18,3, A3520, A3258, A3519, A3521 | SM-S938B, SM-S938B/DS, SM-S938U, SM-S938U1, SM-S938W, SM-S938N, SM-S9380, SM-S938E, SM-S938E/DS |
| Price | £ 799.00 / € 949.00 | € 895.00 / $ 859.98 / £ 799.99 / ₹ 110,498 |
| SAR | 1.19 W/kg (head) 1.19 W/kg (body) | 1.26 W/kg (head) 0.64 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 1.49 W/kg (head) 1.49 W/kg (body) | 1.25 W/kg (head) 1.42 W/kg (body) |
| EU LABEL | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery | 41:00h endurance, 1000 cycles | 44:54h endurance, 2000 cycles |
| Energy | Class A | Class B |
| Free fall | Class B (180 falls) | Class A (270 falls) |
| Repairability | Class C | Class C |
Apple iPhone 17
- Seamless Apple ecosystem integration
- Optimized software and long-term updates
- Strong single-core performance with A19 chip
- Lower peak display brightness
- Shorter battery lifespan (charge cycles)
- Less customizable operating system
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
- Superior battery endurance and lifespan
- Brighter display for outdoor visibility
- More versatile Android operating system
- Potential for software bloatware
- Slightly slower single-core performance
- Update fragmentation compared to iOS
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching a measured 1417 nits compared to the iPhone 17’s 1012 nits. This translates to superior visibility outdoors under direct sunlight. While both devices utilize Qi2 wireless charging, the display technology likely differs; Samsung typically employs LTPO panels for adaptive refresh rates, potentially offering better power efficiency than the iPhone 17’s display, though Apple’s color accuracy is historically excellent. The impact of these differences is a more vibrant and easily viewable experience on the S25 Ultra.
Camera Comparison
Without specific camera specs, it’s difficult to make a definitive judgment. However, Samsung typically prioritizes high-resolution sensors and advanced zoom capabilities. The Galaxy S25 Ultra will likely feature a larger main sensor and more versatile zoom lenses than the iPhone 17. Apple focuses on computational photography and natural-looking images. The image processing style will be a key differentiator; Samsung tends towards more saturated colors, while Apple aims for accuracy. The absence of details on the iPhone 17’s camera system makes a precise comparison impossible, but Samsung’s history suggests a more feature-rich camera experience.
Performance
Both the Apple A19 and the Qualcomm SM8750-AC Snapdragon 8 Elite are built on a 3nm process, promising significant performance and efficiency gains. However, the Snapdragon 8 Elite utilizes an octa-core configuration (2x4.47 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L + 6x3.53 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix M) compared to the iPhone 17’s hexa-core (2x4.26 GHz + 4xX.X GHz). This core count advantage, coupled with the Oryon V2 architecture, suggests the S25 Ultra may excel in multi-threaded tasks. The iPhone 17’s A19 will likely maintain a lead in single-core performance and optimized app experiences due to Apple’s software control. Both devices will likely utilize LPDDR5x RAM, but the speed and configuration will be crucial for real-world performance.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra delivers a substantial advantage in battery endurance, achieving 44:54 hours compared to the iPhone 17’s 41:00 hours. While the active use score is nearly identical (14:49h vs 14:59h), the longer endurance suggests better standby efficiency. The S25 Ultra also boasts 2000 charge cycles, double that of the iPhone 17’s 1000 cycles, indicating a longer lifespan. Charging speeds are competitive, with the S25 Ultra reaching 65% in 30 minutes (45W wired) and the iPhone 17 reaching 50% in 20 minutes (50W wired). Both support Qi2 wireless charging, but the iPhone 17’s MagSafe offers a proprietary advantage.
Buying Guide
Buy the Apple iPhone 17 if you need seamless integration within the Apple ecosystem, prioritize software updates and privacy, and value a streamlined user experience. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra if you prefer a more customizable Android experience, demand the longest possible battery life, and require a display that excels in direct sunlight. The S25 Ultra also caters to users who appreciate the flexibility of the Android platform and its wider range of app choices.