Head to head

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs iPhone Air

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra leads 5 to 4 on the 9 rankable specs, but iPhone Air costs $300 less.

Catalog as of September 1, 2026

Why, in numbers

Weight: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra lists 232 g (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02); iPhone Air lists 158 g (5.57 oz) (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02).
Size: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra lists 6.8 inches (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02); iPhone Air lists 6.55 inches (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02).
Chipset: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra lists Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4 nm) (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02); iPhone Air lists Apple A19 Pro (3 nm) (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02).
Max optical zoom: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra lists 5x optical (10x lossless / 100x digital) (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02); iPhone Air lists 2x (sensor crop) (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02).
Capacity: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra lists 5,000 mAh (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02); iPhone Air lists 3,200 mAh (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02).

Manufacturer list price, not a live offer. Confirm current pricing before you buy.

Buying for

Every rankable spec counts once. Pick a lens to score only what matters for your phone.

Your devices

Select your ecosystem to flag non-functional features or platform lock-in.

Straight answer

Overall: 5 to 4

Buy the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Leads 5 of 9 rankable overall specs; iPhone Air takes 4.
Size: 6.8 inches vs 6.55 inches
Max optical zoom: 5x optical vs 2x
iPhone Air is $300 cheaper. Pay the difference only if size matters to you.

5 Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra9 rankable of 48 specsiPhone Air 4

Deal-breakers

tick what would make you walk away

No stylusrow
No pen input for handwritten notes or markup.
Clear:Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra · S Pen (integrated, IP68)Trips:iPhone Air · No
No headphone jackrow
Wired headphones need a USB-C dongle.
Trips:Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra · NoTrips:iPhone Air · No
No charger in the boxrow
Budget another $20 to $40 for a fast charger.
Trips:Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra · NoTrips:iPhone Air · No
No microSD slotrow
Storage is fixed at what you buy.
Trips:Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra · NoTrips:iPhone Air · No

At a glance

The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.

5 of 6 differ

Weight

Samsung

232 g

Apple

158 g (5.57 oz)

Size

Samsung

6.8 inches

Apple

6.55 inches

Chipset≠

Samsung

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4 nm)

Apple

Apple A19 Pro (3 nm)

RAMsame

Samsung

12 GB

Apple

12 GB

Max optical zoom

Samsung

5x optical (10x lossless / 100x digital)

Apple

2x (sensor crop)

Capacity

Samsung

5,000 mAh

Apple

3,200 mAh

True 3-Year Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Upfront price + 3 years of consumables, fees & essential add-ons

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Upfront list price$1,299

Essential add-ons (45W Super Fast Charging 2.0 brick (no charger in box))+$35

3-Year Estimated Total$1,334

iPhone Air

Upfront list price$999

3-Year Estimated Total$999

Pocket, Palm & Desk Usability Check

One-handed reachability, pocket weight, and table wobble when typing without a case.

Ergonomic & Spatial Check

One-Handed Palm Reach

Widths under 72mm allow thumb access to opposite screen edges without shifting grip.

Samsung

6.8" display with 79.0mm wide squared edges (stretches palms)

Apple

Standard smartphone width

Desk Typing Table Wobble

Horizontal visor cameras sit flat on desks without annoying rocking while typing.

Samsung

Individual camera lens rings cause corner wobble on flat tables

Apple

Corner camera bump causes minor wobble

Pocket Weight & Heft

Samsung

232g (substantial titanium brick)

Apple

Standard phone weight

The 90-Day Owner Regret Check

Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.

Post-Purchase Truths

Samsung: What to watch for

Ergonomics
Sharp 90-degree squared corners dig aggressively into palms.
One-handed typing causes the pointed lower corner to dig into your palm tissue unless cushioned by a rounded silicone case.
Hardware Quirk
Anti-reflective Gorilla Armor glass smudges easily with skin oils.
While outdoor glare reduction is class-leading, finger oils create noticeable rainbow sheen smudges in bright sunlight.

Apple: What to watch for

Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
Packaging contains only a Type-C cable; high-speed wall charging bricks must be purchased separately if you do not already own one.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra$1,2995 wins

iPhone Air$9994 wins

Body Display Platform Memory Rear camera Front camera Battery & charging Audio Connectivity Features

43 of 48 attributes differ. Identical rows are dimmed.

Body

leads 1-0

Body specifications. Middle column is Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, right column is iPhone Air.
Dimensions	162.3 × 79.0 × 8.6 mm	156.0 × 74.5 × 5.6 mm
Weight	232 g	158 g (5.57 oz) (wins this row: lower)
Build	Gorilla Armor front and back, titanium frame	Titanium-aluminum hybrid frame with Ceramic Shield front and back
Water / dust rating	IP68 (1.5 m / 30 min)	IP68 (up to 6m for 30 mins)
Colors	Titanium Black, Gray, Violet, Yellow (plus exclusives)	Space Black, Cloud White, Sky Blue, Light Gold
Stylus	S Pen (integrated, IP68)	No

Display

8 differences

Display specifications. Middle column is Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, right column is iPhone Air.
Type	Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, flat	Super Retina XDR OLED with ProMotion
Size	6.8 inches (wins this row: higher)	6.55 inches
Resolution	1440 × 3120 (QHD+)	2736 × 1260 (wins this row: higher)
Pixel density	~505 ppi (wins this row: higher)	460 ppi
Refresh rate	1–120 Hz 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+	HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG
Protection	Corning Gorilla Armor, anti-reflective	Ceramic Shield (front and back)
Always-on display	Yes	Yes

Platform

5 differences

Platform specifications. Middle column is Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, right column is iPhone Air.
Operating system	Android 14, One UI 6.1 (upgradable)	iOS 19
Software support	7 major OS versions + 7 years security	5+ years estimated (typically 6-7 years)
Chipset	Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4 nm)	Apple A19 Pro (3 nm)
CPU	8-core (1× Cortex-X4 + 5× A720 + 2× A520)	6-core CPU (2 performance + 4 efficiency)
GPU	Adreno 750	6-core Apple GPU with ray tracing

Memory

2 differences

Memory specifications. Middle column is Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, right column is iPhone Air.
RAM	12 GB	12 GB
Storage	256 GB UFS 4.0	256 GB
Storage options	256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB
microSD	No	No

Rear camera

leads 2-0

Rear camera specifications. Middle column is Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, right column is iPhone Air.
Main	200 MP, f/1.7, 24 mm, 1/1.3", OIS, multi-direction PDAF (wins this row: higher)	48 MP Fusion (f/1.6, 26mm, sensor-shift OIS, 2x in-sensor zoom)
Ultrawide	12 MP, f/2.2, 13 mm, 120°	None
Telephoto	10 MP 3x + 50 MP 5x periscope (both OIS)	None (2x lossless crop via 48MP main)
Max optical zoom	5x optical (10x lossless / 100x digital) (wins this row: higher)	2x (sensor crop)
Stabilization	OIS on main and both telephotos	Sensor-shift OIS on 48MP Fusion camera
Video	8K 30 fps, 4K 120 fps, HDR10+	4K at 24/25/30/60 fps Dolby Vision HDR, Spatial Video

Front camera

leads 1-0

Front camera specifications. Middle column is Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, right column is iPhone Air.
Selfie camera	12 MP, f/2.2, punch-hole	24 MP TrueDepth with Center Stage (f/1.9, autofocus) (wins this row: higher)
Selfie video	4K 60 fps	4K at 24/25/30/60 fps Dolby Vision HDR

Battery & charging

leads 1-0

Battery & charging specifications. Middle column is Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, right column is iPhone Air.
Capacity	5,000 mAh (wins this row: higher)	3,200 mAh
Wired chargingNot on the official sheet	45 W (charger sold separately)	Fast charging up to 50% in 30 min
Wireless charging	15 W Qi / Fast Wireless	25W MagSafe / 15W Qi2
Reverse wireless	4.5 W Wireless PowerShare	4.5W wired reverse charging
Charger in box	No	No

Audio

1 differences

Audio specifications. Middle column is Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, right column is iPhone Air.
Speakers	Stereo tuned by AKG	Stereo acoustic transducers with Spatial Audio
Headphone jack	No	No

Connectivity

6 differences

Connectivity specifications. Middle column is Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, right column is iPhone Air.
Cellular	5G (sub-6 + mmWave, region-dependent)	5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave in US)
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 7	Wi-Fi 7 with Apple N1 wireless chip
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.4
NFC	Yes (Samsung Pay / Google Wallet)	Yes (Apple Pay)
USB	USB-C 3.2	USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps)
SIM	Dual nano-SIM + eSIM (region-dependent)	Dual eSIM (US model, no physical SIM tray)

Features

3 differences

Features specifications. Middle column is Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, right column is iPhone Air.
Biometrics	Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint + face unlock	Face ID (TrueDepth camera)
Extra controls	S Pen button, programmable side key	Action Button, Camera Control button
Standout features	S Pen, Samsung DeX, Galaxy AI, Vision Booster	Ultra-thin 5.6mm chassis, A19 Pro chip, Apple N1 wireless chip, Camera Control button, Action button, Apple Intelligence

Most rows are from the official spec sheet. Marked rows are other published figures or our summary, not lab tests we ran.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra source iPhone Air source

Which one should you buy

Pick this one if

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Android flagship with S Pen, 200MP camera, 6.8-inch QHD+ AMOLED, and seven years of OS updates.

S Pen built in
200MP main + 5x periscope telephoto
7 years of OS and security updates

What you give up

Larger and heavier than iPhone 16 Pro
No charger in the box
Flat 6.8-inch body is harder one-handed

Full Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra specs →

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

Full iPhone Air specs →

Best for each use

Photos

Camera first: zoom reach, sensors, stabilisation and video

For photos, buy the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Leads 2 of 3 rankable photos specs; iPhone Air takes 1.
Max optical zoom: 5x optical vs 2x
Main: 200 MP, f/1.7, 24 mm, 1/1.3", OIS,… vs 48 MP Fusion
iPhone Air is $300 cheaper. Pay the difference only if max optical zoom matters to you.

Battery & updates

All-day battery, fast top-ups and years of software support

Too close to call on battery & updates from the spec sheets. Only capacity is rankable here.

Wired charging: 45 W vs Fast charging up to 50% in 30 min
Wireless charging: 15 W Qi / Fast Wireless vs 25W MagSafe / 15W Qi2

Games & video

Games and streaming: chip, refresh rate, brightness, speakers

Tied on games & video. iPhone Air is cheaper.

The 2 rankable games & video specs split 1 to 1.
Saves $300 at list price.

Every answer above is scored from published figures. A lens uses only the rows that matter for that use, including marked rows that are not on the official sheet. Switch lenses interactively in the panel above.

Done deciding?

Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra spec sheet iPhone Air spec sheet

Manufacturer pages: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra ↗ · iPhone Air ↗

Common questions

Which is cheaper, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra or the iPhone Air?

iPhone Air costs $300 less at list price.

What is the biggest catch with the Samsung Galaxy S24 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 S24 Ultra or the iPhone Air?

For photos, buy the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Leads 2 of 3 rankable photos specs; iPhone Air takes 1. Max optical zoom: 5x optical vs 2x

What cannot be compared from spec sheets?

Of the 48 specs tracked here, 39 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.

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