Head to head
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone Air
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra leads 7 to 3 on the 10 rankable specs, but iPhone Air costs $300 less.
Catalog as of September 1, 2026
Why, in numbers
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Compare a different phone
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Your devices
Straight answer
Overall: 7 to 3
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
- Leads 7 of 10 rankable overall specs; iPhone Air takes 3.
- Size: 6.9 inches vs 6.55 inches
- Max optical zoom: 5x optical zoom vs 2x
- iPhone Air is $300 cheaper. Pay the difference only if size matters to you.
Deal-breakers
tick what would make you walk away
- Clear:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · Yes (built-in S Pen with Bluetooth LE)Trips:iPhone Air · No
- Trips:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · NoTrips:iPhone Air · No
- Trips:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · NoTrips:iPhone Air · No
- Trips:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · NoTrips:iPhone Air · No
At a glance
The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.
Weight
Samsung
219 g (7.72 oz)
Apple
158 g (5.57 oz)
Size
Samsung
6.9 inches
Apple
6.55 inches
Chipset≠
Samsung
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm)
Apple
Apple A19 Pro (3 nm)
RAM≠
Samsung
12 GB (16 GB option)
Apple
12 GB
Max optical zoom
Samsung
5x optical zoom (10x optical quality, 100x Space Zoom)
Apple
2x (sensor crop)
Capacity
Samsung
5,000 mAh
Apple
3,200 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
6 differences| Dimensions | 162.8 × 77.6 × 8.2 mm | 156.0 × 74.5 × 5.6 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 219 g (7.72 oz) | 158 g (5.57 oz) (wins this row: lower) |
| Build | Titanium frame with Gorilla Armor 2 front and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 back | Titanium-aluminum hybrid frame with Ceramic Shield front and back |
| Water / dust rating | IP68 (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) | IP68 (up to 6m for 30 mins) |
| Colors | Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Whitesilver | Space Black, Cloud White, Sky Blue, Light Gold |
| Stylus | Yes (built-in S Pen with Bluetooth LE) (wins this row: has it) | No |
Display
leads 3-1| Type | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X | Super Retina XDR OLED with ProMotion |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.9 inches (wins this row: higher) | 6.55 inches |
| Resolution | 3120 × 1440 (QHD+) (wins this row: higher) | 2736 × 1260 |
| Pixel density | 505 ppi (wins this row: higher) | 460 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz (1–120Hz LTPO) | 120 Hz (1–120Hz ProMotion) |
| Peak brightness | 2,600 nits peak | 3,000 nits outdoor peak / 1,000 nits typical (wins this row: higher) |
| HDR | HDR10+, HLG | HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Armor 2 (anti-reflective) | Ceramic Shield (front and back) |
| 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 Pro (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 | 6-core Apple GPU with ray tracing |
Memory
2 differences| RAM | 12 GB (16 GB option) | 12 GB |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 256 GB | 256 GB |
| Storage options | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB (UFS 4.0) | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB |
| microSD | No | No |
Rear camera
leads 2-0| Main | 200 MP (f/1.7, 24mm, 1/1.3", multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS) (wins this row: higher) | 48 MP Fusion (f/1.6, 26mm, sensor-shift OIS, 2x in-sensor zoom) |
|---|---|---|
| Ultrawide | 50 MP (f/1.9, 120° FOV, Dual Pixel PDAF, macro) | None |
| Telephoto | 50 MP 5x periscope (f/3.4, 115mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS) + 50 MP 3x (f/2.4, 67mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS) | None (2x lossless crop via 48MP main) |
| Max optical zoom | 5x optical zoom (10x optical quality, 100x Space Zoom) (wins this row: higher) | 2x (sensor crop) |
| Stabilization | OIS on main and both telephoto cameras | Sensor-shift OIS on 48MP Fusion camera |
| Video | 8K at 30 fps, 4K at 30/60/120 fps, HDR10+, 10-bit LOG video | 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 | 5,000 mAh (wins this row: higher) | 3,200 mAh |
|---|---|---|
| Wired chargingNot on the official sheet | 45W fast wired charging (up to 65% in 30 min) | Fast charging up to 50% in 30 min |
| Wireless charging | 15W Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 | 25W MagSafe / 15W Qi2 |
| Reverse wireless | 4.5W Wireless PowerShare | 4.5W wired reverse charging |
| Charger in box | No | No |
Audio
1 differences| Speakers | Stereo speakers tuned by AKG | Stereo acoustic transducers 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 3.2 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps) |
| 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 | S Pen air gestures | Action Button, Camera Control button |
| Standout features | Built-in S Pen, Galaxy AI 2.0 (Now Brief, Live Translate, Sketch to Image), Anti-reflective Gorilla Armor 2, Samsung DeX | Ultra-thin 5.6mm chassis, A19 Pro chip, Apple N1 wireless chip, Camera Control button, Action button, Apple Intelligence |
Which one should you buy
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
Pick this one if
iPhone Air
Ultra-thin 5.6mm premium smartphone featuring titanium-aluminum design, 6.55-inch 120Hz ProMotion display, and A19 Pro processor.
- Ultra-thin 5.6mm lightweight design (under 160g)
- A19 Pro performance and 120Hz ProMotion display
- Sleek futuristic minimalist aesthetic
What you give up
- Single 48MP rear camera without dedicated ultrawide or telephoto lenses
- Smaller battery capacity due to ultra-thin chassis
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
Tied on games & video. iPhone Air is cheaper.
Done deciding?
Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.
Manufacturer pages: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra ↗ · iPhone Air ↗
Common questions
Which is cheaper, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra or the iPhone Air?
iPhone Air costs $300 less at list price.
What is the biggest catch with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra or iPhone Air?
iPhone Air has this deal-breaker: no stylus. No pen input for handwritten notes or markup.
Which is better for photos, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra or the iPhone Air?
For photos, buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Leads 2 of 3 rankable photos specs; iPhone Air takes 1. Max optical zoom: 5x optical zoom vs 2x
What cannot be compared from spec sheets?
Of the 48 specs tracked here, 38 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.