Head to head
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs iPhone Air
iPhone Air leads 7 to 3 on the 10 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: 3 to 7
Buy the iPhone Air.
- Leads 7 of 10 rankable overall specs; Samsung Galaxy S25 takes 3.
- Weight: 158 g vs 162 g
- Size: 6.55 inches vs 6.2 inches
- Samsung Galaxy S25 is $200 cheaper. Pay the difference only if weight 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
158 g (5.57 oz)
Size
Samsung
6.2 inches
Apple
6.55 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
2x (sensor crop)
Capacity
Samsung
4,000 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
leads 1-0| Dimensions | 146.9 × 70.4 × 7.2 mm | 156.0 × 74.5 × 5.6 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 162 g (5.71 oz) | 158 g (5.57 oz) (wins this row: lower) |
| Build | Enhanced Armor Aluminum frame with 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 | Silver Shadow, Midnight Black, Moon Night Blue, Sparkling Green | Space Black, Cloud White, Sky Blue, Light Gold |
| Stylus | No | No |
Display
leads 4-0| Type | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X | Super Retina XDR OLED with ProMotion |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.2 inches | 6.55 inches (wins this row: higher) |
| Resolution | 2340 × 1080 (FHD+) | 2736 × 1260 (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 (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
leads 1-0| RAM | 12 GB | 12 GB |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 128 GB | 256 GB (wins this row: higher) |
| Storage options | 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB |
| microSD | No | No |
Rear camera
leads 2-0| Main | 50 MP (f/1.8, 24mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, 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) | None |
| Telephoto | 10 MP (f/2.4, 67mm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom) | None (2x lossless crop via 48MP main) |
| Max optical zoom | 3x optical zoom (wins this row: higher) | 2x (sensor crop) |
| Stabilization | OIS on main and 3x telephoto cameras | Sensor-shift OIS on 48MP Fusion camera |
| Video | 8K at 30 fps, 4K at 30/60/120 fps, HDR10+ | 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 | 4,000 mAh (wins this row: higher) | 3,200 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 |
| 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 | None | Action Button, Camera Control button |
| Standout features | Compact 7.2mm lightweight design, Galaxy AI suite (Now Brief, Live Translate, Circle to Search), 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
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 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.
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 Air.
Done deciding?
Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.
Manufacturer pages: Samsung Galaxy S25 ↗ · iPhone Air ↗
Common questions
Which is cheaper, the Samsung Galaxy S25 or the iPhone Air?
Samsung Galaxy S25 costs $200 less at list price.
What is the biggest catch with the Samsung Galaxy S25 or iPhone Air?
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 Air?
For photos, buy the Samsung Galaxy S25. Leads 2 of 3 rankable photos specs; iPhone Air takes 1. Max optical zoom: 3x 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.