Head to head
iPhone 16 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra leads 13 to 1 on the 14 rankable specs, but iPhone 16 Plus costs $400 less.
Catalog as of September 1, 2026
Why, in numbers
Swap
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Google Pixel 8a$499OnePlus 12$799iPhone 16$799Google Pixel 9$799Samsung Galaxy S24$799Samsung Galaxy S25$799iPhone 17$799ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra$899OnePlus 13$899iPhone 16 Pro$999Google Pixel 9 Pro$999Samsung Galaxy S24+$999Samsung Galaxy S25+$999iPhone 17 Pro$999iPhone Air$999Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6$1,099Google Pixel 9 Pro XL$1,099iPhone 16 Pro Max$1,199iPhone 17 Pro Max$1,199Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra$1,299Xiaomi 14 Ultra$1,399OnePlus Open$1,699Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold$1,799Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6$1,899Swap
Compare a different phone
Google Pixel 8a$499OnePlus 12$799iPhone 16$799Google Pixel 9$799Samsung Galaxy S24$799Samsung Galaxy S25$799iPhone 17$799ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra$899OnePlus 13$899iPhone 16 Pro$999Google Pixel 9 Pro$999Samsung Galaxy S24+$999Samsung Galaxy S25+$999iPhone 17 Pro$999iPhone Air$999Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6$1,099Google Pixel 9 Pro XL$1,099iPhone 16 Pro Max$1,199iPhone 17 Pro Max$1,199Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra$1,299Xiaomi 14 Ultra$1,399OnePlus Open$1,699Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold$1,799Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6$1,899Buying for
Your devices
Straight answer
Overall: 1 to 13
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
- Leads 13 of 14 rankable overall specs; iPhone 16 Plus takes 1.
- Size: 6.9 inches vs 6.7 inches
- RAM: 12 GB vs 8 GB
- iPhone 16 Plus is $400 cheaper. Pay the difference only if size matters to you.
Deal-breakers
tick what would make you walk away
- Trips:iPhone 16 Plus · NoClear:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · Yes (built-in S Pen with Bluetooth LE)
- Trips:iPhone 16 Plus · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · No
- Trips:iPhone 16 Plus · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · No
- Trips:iPhone 16 Plus · 60 HzClear:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · 120 Hz
- Trips:iPhone 16 Plus · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · No
At a glance
The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.
Weight
Apple
199 g (7.03 oz)
Samsung
219 g (7.72 oz)
Size
Apple
6.7 inches
Samsung
6.9 inches
Chipset≠
Apple
Apple A18 (3 nm)
Samsung
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm)
RAM
Apple
8 GB
Samsung
12 GB (16 GB option)
Max optical zoom
Apple
2x (sensor crop)
Samsung
5x optical zoom (10x optical quality, 100x Space Zoom)
Capacity
Apple
4,674 mAh
Samsung
5,000 mAh
True 3-Year Cost of Ownership (TCO)
iPhone 16 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
The 90-Day Owner Regret Check
Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.
Apple: What to watch for
- Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
Samsung: What to watch for
- Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
Body
6 differences| Dimensions | 160.9 × 77.8 × 7.8 mm | 162.8 × 77.6 × 8.2 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 199 g (7.03 oz) (wins this row: lower) | 219 g (7.72 oz) |
| Build | Aluminum frame with color-infused glass back | Titanium frame with Gorilla Armor 2 front and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 back |
| Water / dust rating | IP68 (up to 6m for 30 mins) | IP68 (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) |
| Colors | Black, White, Pink, Teal, Ultramarine | Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Whitesilver |
| Stylus | No | Yes (built-in S Pen with Bluetooth LE) (wins this row: has it) |
Display
leads 6-0| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.7 inches | 6.9 inches (wins this row: higher) |
| Resolution | 2796 × 1290 | 3120 × 1440 (QHD+) (wins this row: higher) |
| Pixel density | 460 ppi | 505 ppi (wins this row: higher) |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz (1–120Hz LTPO) (wins this row: higher) |
| Peak brightness | 2,000 nits outdoor peak / 1,000 nits typical | 2,600 nits peak (wins this row: higher) |
| HDR | HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG | HDR10+, HLG |
| Protection | Ceramic Shield (latest generation) | Corning Gorilla Armor 2 (anti-reflective) |
| Always-on display | No | Yes (wins this row: has it) |
Platform
5 differences| Operating system | iOS 18 | Android 15 (One UI 7) |
|---|---|---|
| Software support | 5+ years estimated (typically 6-7 years) | 7 generations of OS upgrades & 7 years security updates |
| Chipset | Apple A18 (3 nm) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm) |
| CPU | 6-core (2 performance + 4 efficiency) | 8-core Oryon CPU (2× 4.47 GHz Prime + 6× 3.53 GHz Performance) |
| GPU | 5-core Apple GPU | Adreno 830 |
Memory
leads 2-0| RAM | 8 GB | 12 GB (16 GB option) (wins this row: higher) |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 128 GB | 256 GB (wins this row: higher) |
| Storage options | 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB (UFS 4.0) |
| microSD | No | No |
Rear camera
leads 3-0| Main | 48 MP (f/1.6, 26mm, sensor-shift OIS, 2x telephoto crop) | 200 MP (f/1.7, 24mm, 1/1.3", multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS) (wins this row: higher) |
|---|---|---|
| Ultrawide | 12 MP (f/2.2, 13mm, 120°, autofocus macro) | 50 MP (f/1.9, 120° FOV, Dual Pixel PDAF, macro) (wins this row: higher) |
| Telephoto | None (2x optical-quality sensor crop via 48MP main) | 50 MP 5x periscope (f/3.4, 115mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS) + 50 MP 3x (f/2.4, 67mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS) |
| Max optical zoom | 2x (sensor crop) | 5x optical zoom (10x optical quality, 100x Space Zoom) (wins this row: higher) |
| Stabilization | Sensor-shift OIS on main camera | OIS on main and both telephoto cameras |
| Video | 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, Dolby Vision HDR, Spatial Video | 8K at 30 fps, 4K at 30/60/120 fps, HDR10+, 10-bit LOG video |
Front camera
2 differences| Selfie camera | 12 MP TrueDepth (f/1.9, autofocus) | 12 MP (f/2.2, 26mm, Dual Pixel PDAF) |
|---|---|---|
| Selfie video | 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, Dolby Vision HDR | 4K at 30/60 fps |
Battery & charging
leads 1-0| Capacity | 4,674 mAh | 5,000 mAh (wins this row: higher) |
|---|---|---|
| Wired chargingNot on the official sheet | Up to 50% in 30 min with 20W+ adapter (up to 27W peak) | 45W fast wired charging (up to 65% in 30 min) |
| Wireless charging | 25W MagSafe (with 30W adapter) / 15W Qi2 | 15W Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 |
| Reverse wireless | 4.5W wired reverse charging via USB-C | 4.5W Wireless PowerShare |
| Charger in box | No | No |
Audio
1 differences| Speakers | Stereo speakers | Stereo speakers tuned by AKG |
|---|---|---|
| Headphone jack | No | No |
Connectivity
6 differences| Cellular | 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave in US) | 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be tri-band) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| NFC | Yes (Apple Pay) | Yes (Samsung Pay / Google Pay) |
| USB | USB-C 2.0 (up to 480 Mbps) | USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (DisplayPort video out) |
| SIM | Dual eSIM (US model, no physical SIM tray) | Dual eSIM / Nano-SIM + eSIM |
Features
3 differences| Biometrics | Face ID (TrueDepth camera) | Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor + 2D Face unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Extra controls | Action Button, Camera Control button | S Pen air gestures |
| Standout features | Camera Control button, Action button, Apple Intelligence, Dynamic Island, Emergency SOS via satellite | Built-in S Pen, Galaxy AI 2.0 (Now Brief, Live Translate, Sketch to Image), Anti-reflective Gorilla Armor 2, Samsung DeX |
Which one should you buy
Pick this one if
iPhone 16 Plus
6.7-inch iPhone 16 Plus with A18 chip, Camera Control, 48MP Fusion camera, and extended battery life.
- Outstanding multi-day battery endurance
- Large 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR screen
- A18 chip and Camera Control button
What you give up
- 60Hz display refresh rate (no ProMotion)
- No dedicated optical telephoto camera
Pick this one if
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Flagship titanium smartphone with Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, built-in S Pen, 200MP quad camera with 50MP ultrawide and 50MP 5x telephoto, and Galaxy AI.
- Top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite 3nm custom Galaxy performance
- Upgraded 50MP ultra-wide and dual 50MP telephoto sensors with 200MP main
- Corning Gorilla Armor 2 anti-reflective display and built-in S Pen stylus
What you give up
- Premium $1,299 starting price
- Wired charging remains at 45W
Best for each use
Photos
For photos, buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
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 Ultra.
Done deciding?
Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.
Manufacturer pages: iPhone 16 Plus ↗ · Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra ↗
Common questions
Which is cheaper, the iPhone 16 Plus or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?
iPhone 16 Plus costs $400 less at list price.
What is the biggest catch with the iPhone 16 Plus or Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?
iPhone 16 Plus has this deal-breaker: no stylus. No pen input for handwritten notes or markup.
Which is better for photos, the iPhone 16 Plus or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?
For photos, buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Leads 3 of 3 rankable photos specs. Max optical zoom: 5x optical zoom vs 2x
What cannot be compared from spec sheets?
Of the 48 specs tracked here, 34 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.