Head to head
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs iPhone 17 Pro
iPhone 17 Pro leads 7 to 4 on the 11 rankable specs, but Samsung Galaxy S25 costs $200 less.
Catalog as of September 1, 2026
Why, in numbers
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Your devices
Straight answer
Overall: 4 to 7
Buy the iPhone 17 Pro.
- Leads 7 of 11 rankable overall specs; Samsung Galaxy S25 takes 4.
- Size: 6.3 inches vs 6.2 inches
- Max optical zoom: 5x optical zoom vs 3x optical zoom
- Samsung Galaxy S25 is $200 cheaper. Pay the difference only if size matters to you.
At a glance
The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.
Weight
Samsung
162 g (5.71 oz)
Apple
204 g (7.20 oz)
Size
Samsung
6.2 inches
Apple
6.3 inches
Chipset≠
Samsung
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm)
Apple
Apple A19 Pro (3 nm)
RAMsame
Samsung
12 GB
Apple
12 GB
Max optical zoom
Samsung
3x optical zoom
Apple
5x optical zoom (up to 25x digital zoom)
Capacity
Samsung
4,000 mAh
Apple
3,650 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 | 150.0 × 71.9 × 8.75 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 162 g (5.71 oz) (wins this row: lower) | 204 g (7.20 oz) |
| Build | Enhanced Armor Aluminum frame with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 back | Grade 5 Titanium frame with textured matte 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 Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium |
| Stylus | No | No |
Display
leads 4-0| 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+) | 2622 × 1206 (wins this row: higher) |
| Pixel density | 416 ppi | 460 ppi (wins this row: higher) |
| 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 Glass Victus 2 | Ceramic Shield (latest generation) |
| Always-on display | Yes | Yes (Always-on display) |
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 hardware ray tracing |
Memory
1 differences| RAM | 12 GB | 12 GB |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 128 GB | 128 GB |
| Storage options | 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB | 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB |
| microSD | No | No |
Rear camera
6 differences| Main | 50 MP (f/1.8, 24mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS) (wins this row: higher) | 48 MP Fusion (f/1.78, 24mm, second-gen sensor-shift OIS) |
|---|---|---|
| Ultrawide | 50 MP (f/1.9, 120° FOV, Dual Pixel PDAF) (wins this row: higher) | 48 MP (f/2.2, 13mm, 120° FOV, hybrid Focus Pixels) |
| Telephoto | 10 MP (f/2.4, 67mm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom) | 48 MP 5x Telephoto (f/2.8, 120mm, tetraprism, 3D sensor-shift OIS) (wins this row: higher) |
| Max optical zoom | 3x optical zoom | 5x optical zoom (up to 25x digital zoom) (wins this row: higher) |
| Stabilization | OIS on main and 3x telephoto cameras | 3D sensor-shift OIS on main and 5x telephoto cameras |
| Video | 8K at 30 fps, 4K at 30/60/120 fps, HDR10+ | 4K at 24/25/30/60/120 fps Dolby Vision HDR, ProRes LOG, 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) | 3,650 mAh |
|---|---|---|
| Wired chargingNot on the official sheet | 25W wired fast charging (up to 50% in 30 min) | Fast charging 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 reverse wired 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 3.2 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps, DisplayPort out) |
| 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 with tactile force sensor |
| Standout features | Compact 7.2mm lightweight design, Galaxy AI suite (Now Brief, Live Translate, Circle to Search), Samsung DeX | Apple Intelligence, Camera Control button, Action button, Apple N1 wireless chip, Second-gen UWB, Dynamic Island, Satellite Emergency SOS |
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 Pro
6.3-inch iPhone 17 Pro with A19 Pro chip, 48MP triple camera system, ProMotion 120Hz display, and titanium enclosure.
- A19 Pro performance and efficiency in a compact 6.3-inch frame
- All-48MP camera system with 5x optical tetraprism telephoto
- ProMotion 120Hz LTPO display with 3,000 nits peak outdoor brightness
What you give up
- Base model starts at 128GB storage
- Slightly thicker 8.75mm profile than standard models
Best for each use
Photos
For photos, buy the iPhone 17 Pro.
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 iPhone 17 Pro.
Done deciding?
Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.
Manufacturer pages: Samsung Galaxy S25 ↗ · iPhone 17 Pro ↗
Common questions
Which is cheaper, the Samsung Galaxy S25 or the iPhone 17 Pro?
Samsung Galaxy S25 costs $200 less at list price.
What is the biggest catch with the Samsung Galaxy S25 or iPhone 17 Pro?
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 Pro?
For photos, buy the iPhone 17 Pro. Leads 3 of 5 rankable photos specs; Samsung Galaxy S25 takes 2. Max optical zoom: 5x optical zoom vs 3x optical zoom
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.