Head to head
iPhone 16 Pro vs Galaxy S24 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra leads 8 to 3 on the 11 rankable specs, but iPhone 16 Pro costs $300 less.
Catalog as of September 1, 2026
Why, in numbers
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Your devices
Straight answer
Overall: 3 to 8
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
- Leads 8 of 11 rankable overall specs; iPhone 16 Pro takes 3.
- Size: 6.8 inches vs 6.3 inches
- RAM: 12 GB vs 8 GB
- iPhone 16 Pro is $300 cheaper. Pay the difference only if size matters to you.
Deal-breakers
tick what would make you walk away
- Trips:iPhone 16 Pro · NoClear:Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra · S Pen (integrated, IP68)
- Trips:iPhone 16 Pro · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra · No
- Trips:iPhone 16 Pro · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra · No
- Trips:iPhone 16 Pro · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra · No
At a glance
The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.
Weight
Apple
199 g
Samsung
232 g
Size
Apple
6.3 inches
Samsung
6.8 inches
Chipset≠
Apple
Apple A18 Pro (3 nm)
Samsung
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4 nm)
RAM
Apple
8 GB
Samsung
12 GB
Max optical zoom≠
Apple
5x optical (25x digital)
Samsung
5x optical (10x lossless / 100x digital)
Capacity
Apple
3,582 mAh (typical)
Samsung
5,000 mAh
True 3-Year Cost of Ownership (TCO)
iPhone 16 Pro
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Pocket, Palm & Desk Usability Check
One-handed reachability, pocket weight, and table wobble when typing without a case.
One-Handed Palm Reach
6.3" display with 71.5mm slim bezels (manageable one-handed)
6.8" display with 79.0mm wide squared edges (stretches palms)
Desk Typing Table Wobble
Large triangular stove-top camera island wobbles on table tap
Individual camera lens rings cause corner wobble on flat tables
Pocket Weight & Heft
199g (balanced titanium heft)
232g (substantial titanium brick)
The 90-Day Owner Regret Check
Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.
Apple: What to watch for
- Ergonomics
Camera Control button placement feels awkward in portrait orientation.
Samsung: What to watch for
- Ergonomics
Sharp 90-degree squared corners dig aggressively into palms.
- Hardware Quirk
Anti-reflective Gorilla Armor glass smudges easily with skin oils.
Body
leads 1-0| Dimensions | 149.6 × 71.5 × 8.3 mm | 162.3 × 79.0 × 8.6 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 199 g (wins this row: lower) | 232 g |
| Build | Ceramic Shield front, textured matte glass back, grade 5 titanium frame | Gorilla Armor front and back, titanium frame |
| Water / dust rating | IP68 (6 m / 30 min) | IP68 (1.5 m / 30 min) |
| Colors | Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium | Titanium Black, Gray, Violet, Yellow (plus exclusives) |
| Stylus | No | S Pen (integrated, IP68) |
Display
leads 4-0| Type | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, flat |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.3 inches | 6.8 inches (wins this row: higher) |
| Resolution | 1206 × 2622 | 1440 × 3120 (QHD+) (wins this row: higher) |
| Pixel density | ~460 ppi | ~505 ppi (wins this row: higher) |
| Refresh rate | 1–120 Hz ProMotion | 1–120 Hz LTPO |
| Peak brightness | 2,000 nits outdoor / ~1,000 nits typical | 2,600 nits peak (wins this row: higher) |
| HDR | Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG | HDR10+ |
| Protection | Ceramic Shield (2024) | Corning Gorilla Armor, anti-reflective |
| Always-on display | Yes (Dynamic Island) | Yes |
Platform
5 differences| Operating system | iOS 18 | Android 14, One UI 6.1 (upgradable) |
|---|---|---|
| Software support | Typically 6+ years of major iOS versions | 7 major OS versions + 7 years security |
| Chipset | Apple A18 Pro (3 nm) | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4 nm) |
| CPU | 6-core (2 performance + 4 efficiency) | 8-core (1× Cortex-X4 + 5× A720 + 2× A520) |
| GPU | 6-core Apple GPU | Adreno 750 |
Memory
leads 1-0| RAM | 8 GB | 12 GB (wins this row: higher) |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 256 GB NVMe | 256 GB UFS 4.0 |
| Storage options | 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB | 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB |
| microSD | No | No |
Rear camera
leads 2-1| Main | 48 MP Fusion, f/1.78, 24 mm, sensor-shift OIS | 200 MP, f/1.7, 24 mm, 1/1.3", OIS, multi-direction PDAF (wins this row: higher) |
|---|---|---|
| Ultrawide | 48 MP, f/2.2, 13 mm, 120° (wins this row: higher) | 12 MP, f/2.2, 13 mm, 120° |
| Telephoto | 12 MP, f/2.8, 120 mm, 5x optical, 3D sensor-shift OIS (wins this row: higher) | 10 MP 3x + 50 MP 5x periscope (both OIS) |
| Max optical zoom | 5x optical (25x digital) | 5x optical (10x lossless / 100x digital) |
| Stabilization | Sensor-shift OIS on main and telephoto | OIS on main and both telephotos |
| Video | 4K 24/25/30/60/120 fps, ProRes, Log, spatial video | 8K 30 fps, 4K 120 fps, HDR10+ |
Front camera
2 differences| Selfie camera | 12 MP, f/1.9, autofocus, Retina Flash | 12 MP, f/2.2, punch-hole |
|---|---|---|
| Selfie video | 4K 60 fps, cinematic mode | 4K 60 fps |
Battery & charging
leads 2-0| Capacity | 3,582 mAh (typical) | 5,000 mAh (wins this row: higher) |
|---|---|---|
| Wired chargingNot on the official sheet | ~20–25 W USB-C (no charger in box) | 45 W (charger sold separately) (wins this row: higher) |
| Wireless charging | MagSafe up to 25 W, Qi2 | 15 W Qi / Fast Wireless |
| Reverse wireless | No | 4.5 W Wireless PowerShare |
| Charger in box | No | No |
Audio
1 differences| Speakers | Stereo (bottom + earpiece) | Stereo tuned by AKG |
|---|---|---|
| Headphone jack | No | No |
Connectivity
3 differences| Cellular | 5G (sub-6 + mmWave, region-dependent) | 5G (sub-6 + mmWave, region-dependent) |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| NFC | Yes (Apple Pay) | Yes (Samsung Pay / Google Wallet) |
| USB | USB-C 3 (up to 10 Gbps) | USB-C 3.2 |
| SIM | eSIM (US) / dual nano + eSIM (many other regions) | Dual nano-SIM + eSIM (region-dependent) |
Features
3 differences| Biometrics | Face ID (no fingerprint) | Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint + face unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Extra controls | Action Button, Camera Control | S Pen button, programmable side key |
| Standout features | Dynamic Island, Apple Intelligence, MagSafe, Find My | S Pen, Samsung DeX, Galaxy AI, Vision Booster |
Which one should you buy
Pick this one if
iPhone 16 Pro
Titanium iPhone 16 Pro with A18 Pro, Camera Control, and a 48MP Fusion camera system.
- A18 Pro performance and video
- Lighter, smaller Pro body
- Camera Control and Apple Intelligence
What you give up
- Slower wired charging than Android flagships
- No fingerprint sensor
- Only 5x optical zoom
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
Best for each use
Photos
For photos, buy the iPhone 16 Pro.
Battery & updates
For battery & updates, buy the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Games & video
For games & video, buy the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Done deciding?
Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.
Manufacturer pages: iPhone 16 Pro ↗ · Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra ↗
Common questions
Which is cheaper, the iPhone 16 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra?
iPhone 16 Pro costs $300 less at list price.
What is the biggest catch with the iPhone 16 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra?
iPhone 16 Pro has this deal-breaker: no stylus. No pen input for handwritten notes or markup.
Which is better for photos, the iPhone 16 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra?
For photos, buy the iPhone 16 Pro. Leads 2 of 3 rankable photos specs; Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra takes 1. Ultrawide: 48 MP, f/2.2, 13 mm, 120° vs 12 MP, f/2.2, 13 mm, 120°
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.