Head to head
iPhone 16 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra leads 11 to 1 on the 12 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: 1 to 11
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
- Leads 11 of 12 rankable overall specs; iPhone 16 Pro takes 1.
- Size: 6.9 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 S25 Ultra · Yes (built-in S Pen with Bluetooth LE)
- Trips:iPhone 16 Pro · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · No
- Trips:iPhone 16 Pro · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · No
- Trips:iPhone 16 Pro · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · No
At a glance
The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.
Weight
Apple
199 g
Samsung
219 g (7.72 oz)
Size
Apple
6.3 inches
Samsung
6.9 inches
Chipset≠
Apple
Apple A18 Pro (3 nm)
Samsung
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm)
RAM
Apple
8 GB
Samsung
12 GB (16 GB option)
Max optical zoom≠
Apple
5x optical (25x digital)
Samsung
5x optical zoom (10x optical quality, 100x Space Zoom)
Capacity
Apple
3,582 mAh (typical)
Samsung
5,000 mAh
True 3-Year Cost of Ownership (TCO)
iPhone 16 Pro
Samsung Galaxy S25 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)
Standard smartphone width
Desk Typing Table Wobble
Large triangular stove-top camera island wobbles on table tap
Corner camera bump causes minor wobble
Pocket Weight & Heft
199g (balanced titanium heft)
Standard phone weight
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
- Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
Body
6 differences| Dimensions | 149.6 × 71.5 × 8.3 mm | 162.8 × 77.6 × 8.2 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 199 g (wins this row: lower) | 219 g (7.72 oz) |
| Build | Ceramic Shield front, textured matte glass back, grade 5 titanium frame | Titanium frame with Gorilla Armor 2 front and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 back |
| Water / dust rating | IP68 (6 m / 30 min) | IP68 (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) |
| Colors | Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium | Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Whitesilver |
| Stylus | No | Yes (built-in S Pen with Bluetooth LE) (wins this row: has it) |
Display
leads 4-0| Type | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.3 inches | 6.9 inches (wins this row: higher) |
| Resolution | 1206 × 2622 | 3120 × 1440 (QHD+) (wins this row: higher) |
| Pixel density | ~460 ppi | 505 ppi (wins this row: higher) |
| Refresh rate | 1–120 Hz ProMotion | 120 Hz (1–120Hz 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+, HLG |
| Protection | Ceramic Shield (2024) | Corning Gorilla Armor 2 (anti-reflective) |
| Always-on display | Yes (Dynamic Island) | Yes |
Platform
5 differences| Operating system | iOS 18 | Android 15 (One UI 7) |
|---|---|---|
| Software support | Typically 6+ years of major iOS versions | 7 generations of OS upgrades & 7 years security updates |
| Chipset | Apple A18 Pro (3 nm) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm) |
| CPU | 6-core (2 performance + 4 efficiency) | 8-core Oryon CPU (2× 4.47 GHz Prime + 6× 3.53 GHz Performance) |
| GPU | 6-core Apple GPU | Adreno 830 |
Memory
leads 1-0| RAM | 8 GB | 12 GB (16 GB option) (wins this row: higher) |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 256 GB NVMe | 256 GB |
| Storage options | 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB (UFS 4.0) |
| microSD | No | No |
Rear camera
leads 3-0| Main | 48 MP Fusion, f/1.78, 24 mm, sensor-shift OIS | 200 MP (f/1.7, 24mm, 1/1.3", multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS) (wins this row: higher) |
|---|---|---|
| Ultrawide | 48 MP, f/2.2, 13 mm, 120° | 50 MP (f/1.9, 120° FOV, Dual Pixel PDAF, macro) (wins this row: higher) |
| Telephoto | 12 MP, f/2.8, 120 mm, 5x optical, 3D sensor-shift OIS | 50 MP 5x periscope (f/3.4, 115mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS) + 50 MP 3x (f/2.4, 67mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS) (wins this row: higher) |
| Max optical zoom | 5x optical (25x digital) | 5x optical zoom (10x optical quality, 100x Space Zoom) |
| Stabilization | Sensor-shift OIS on main and telephoto | OIS on main and both telephoto cameras |
| Video | 4K 24/25/30/60/120 fps, ProRes, Log, spatial video | 8K at 30 fps, 4K at 30/60/120 fps, HDR10+, 10-bit LOG video |
Front camera
2 differences| Selfie camera | 12 MP, f/1.9, autofocus, Retina Flash | 12 MP (f/2.2, 26mm, Dual Pixel PDAF) |
|---|---|---|
| Selfie video | 4K 60 fps, cinematic mode | 4K at 30/60 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) | 45W fast wired charging (up to 65% in 30 min) (wins this row: higher) |
| Wireless charging | MagSafe up to 25 W, Qi2 | 15W Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 |
| Reverse wireless | No | 4.5W Wireless PowerShare |
| Charger in box | No | No |
Audio
1 differences| Speakers | Stereo (bottom + earpiece) | Stereo speakers tuned by AKG |
|---|---|---|
| Headphone jack | No | No |
Connectivity
6 differences| Cellular | 5G (sub-6 + mmWave, region-dependent) | 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be tri-band) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| NFC | Yes (Apple Pay) | Yes (Samsung Pay / Google Pay) |
| USB | USB-C 3 (up to 10 Gbps) | USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (DisplayPort video out) |
| SIM | eSIM (US) / dual nano + eSIM (many other regions) | Dual eSIM / Nano-SIM + eSIM |
Features
3 differences| Biometrics | Face ID (no fingerprint) | Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor + 2D Face unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Extra controls | Action Button, Camera Control | S Pen air gestures |
| Standout features | Dynamic Island, Apple Intelligence, MagSafe, Find My | Built-in S Pen, Galaxy AI 2.0 (Now Brief, Live Translate, Sketch to Image), Anti-reflective Gorilla Armor 2, Samsung DeX |
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 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
Best for each use
Photos
For photos, buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Battery & updates
For battery & updates, buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Games & video
For games & video, buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Done deciding?
Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.
Manufacturer pages: iPhone 16 Pro ↗ · Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra ↗
Common questions
Which is cheaper, the iPhone 16 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?
iPhone 16 Pro costs $300 less at list price.
What is the biggest catch with the iPhone 16 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S25 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 S25 Ultra?
For photos, buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Leads 3 of 3 rankable photos specs. Main: 200 MP vs 48 MP Fusion, f/1.78, 24 mm, sensor-shift OIS
What cannot be compared from spec sheets?
Of the 48 specs tracked here, 36 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.