Head to head

iPhone 16 vs Samsung Galaxy S24

Samsung Galaxy S24 leads 8 to 2 on the 10 rankable specs.

Catalog as of September 1, 2026

Why, in numbers

Weight: iPhone 16 lists 170 g (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy S24 lists 167 g (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02).
Size: iPhone 16 lists 6.1 inches (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy S24 lists 6.2 inches (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02).
Chipset: iPhone 16 lists Apple A18 (3 nm) (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy S24 lists Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4 nm) (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02).
Max optical zoom: iPhone 16 lists 2x optical quality crop (10x digital) (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy S24 lists 3x optical (30x digital Space Zoom) (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02).
Capacity: iPhone 16 lists 3,561 mAh (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy S24 lists 4,000 mAh (Samsung 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: 2 to 8

Buy the Samsung Galaxy S24.

Leads 8 of 10 rankable overall specs; iPhone 16 takes 2.
Weight: 167 g vs 170 g
Size: 6.2 inches vs 6.1 inches
Same list price, so the spec lead is the whole story.

2 iPhone 1610 rankable of 48 specsSamsung Galaxy S24 8

Deal-breakers

tick what would make you walk away

No stylusrow
No pen input for handwritten notes or markup.
Trips:iPhone 16 · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S24 · No
No headphone jackrow
Wired headphones need a USB-C dongle.
Trips:iPhone 16 · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S24 · No
No charger in the boxrow
Budget another $20 to $40 for a fast charger.
Trips:iPhone 16 · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S24 · No
60 Hz screenrow
Scrolling looks noticeably less smooth than a 120 Hz rival.
Trips:iPhone 16 · 60 HzClear:Samsung Galaxy S24 · 1–120 Hz LTPO
No microSD slotrow
Storage is fixed at what you buy.
Trips:iPhone 16 · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S24 · No

At a glance

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

5 of 6 differ

Weight

Apple

170 g

Samsung

167 g

Size

Apple

6.1 inches

Samsung

6.2 inches

Chipset≠

Apple

Apple A18 (3 nm)

Samsung

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4 nm)

RAMsame

Apple

8 GB

Samsung

8 GB

Max optical zoom

Apple

2x optical quality crop (10x digital)

Samsung

3x optical (30x digital Space Zoom)

Capacity

Apple

3,561 mAh

Samsung

4,000 mAh

True 3-Year Cost of Ownership (TCO)

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

iPhone 16

Upfront list price$799

Essential add-ons (20W USB-C charging brick (no charger in box))+$29

3-Year Estimated Total$828

Samsung Galaxy S24

Upfront list price$799

Essential add-ons (25W USB-C charging brick (no charger in box))+$25

3-Year Estimated Total$824

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.

Apple

6.1" display with 71.6mm width (easy one-handed thumb reach)

Samsung

Standard smartphone width

Desk Typing Table Wobble

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

Apple

Vertical pill camera bump causes minor tilt on flat surfaces

Samsung

Corner camera bump causes minor wobble

Pocket Weight & Heft

Apple

170g (featherweight in pocket)

Samsung

Standard phone weight

The 90-Day Owner Regret Check

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

Post-Purchase Truths

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: 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.

iPhone 16$7992 wins

Samsung Galaxy S24$7998 wins

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

41 of 48 attributes differ. Identical rows are dimmed.

Body

leads 1-0

Body specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy S24.
Dimensions	147.6 × 71.6 × 7.8 mm	147.0 × 70.6 × 7.6 mm
Weight	170 g	167 g (wins this row: lower)
Build	Ceramic Shield front, color-infused glass back, aluminum frame	Gorilla Glass Victus 2 front/back, Armor Aluminum 2 frame
Water / dust rating	IP68 (6 m / 30 min)	IP68 (1.5 m / 30 min)
Colors	Black, White, Pink, Teal, Ultramarine	Onyx Black, Marble Gray, Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow
Stylus	No	No

Display

leads 4-2

Display specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy S24.
Type	Super Retina XDR OLED	Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X
Size	6.1 inches	6.2 inches (wins this row: higher)
Resolution	1179 × 2556 (wins this row: higher)	1080 × 2340 (FHD+)
Pixel density	~460 ppi (wins this row: higher)	~416 ppi
Refresh rate	60 Hz	1–120 Hz LTPO (wins this row: higher)
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	Latest-generation Ceramic Shield	Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Always-on display	No	Yes (wins this row: has it)

Platform

5 differences

Platform specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy S24.
Operating system	iOS 18	Android 14, One UI 6.1
Software support	Typically 6+ years of major iOS versions	7 major OS updates + 7 years security patches
Chipset	Apple A18 (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	5-core Apple GPU	Adreno 750

Memory

2 differences

Memory specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy S24.
RAM	8 GB	8 GB
Storage	128 GB NVMe	128 GB UFS 3.1
Storage options	128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB	128 GB / 256 GB
microSD	No	No

Rear camera

leads 2-0

Rear camera specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy S24.
Main	48 MP Fusion, f/1.6, 26 mm, sensor-shift OIS, 2x in-sensor zoom	50 MP, f/1.8, 24 mm, 1/1.56", Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS (wins this row: higher)
Ultrawide	12 MP with Macro photography, f/2.2, 13 mm, 120°	12 MP, f/2.2, 13 mm, 120°
Telephoto	None (2x optical-quality crop from main sensor)	10 MP, f/2.4, 67 mm, 3x optical zoom, PDAF, OIS
Max optical zoom	2x optical quality crop (10x digital)	3x optical (30x digital Space Zoom) (wins this row: higher)
Stabilization	Sensor-shift OIS on main camera	OIS on main and telephoto lenses
Video	4K 24/25/30/60 fps Dolby Vision, Spatial video capture	8K 30 fps, 4K 60 fps, 1080p 240 fps

Front camera

2 differences

Front camera specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy S24.
Selfie camera	12 MP TrueDepth with autofocus, f/1.9	12 MP, f/2.2, 26 mm, Dual Pixel PDAF
Selfie video	4K 60 fps Dolby Vision	4K 60 fps

Battery & charging

leads 1-0

Battery & charging specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy S24.
Capacity	3,561 mAh	4,000 mAh (wins this row: higher)
Wired chargingNot on the official sheet	~20–25 W USB-C	25 W fast wired (50% in 30 min)
Wireless charging	MagSafe up to 25 W, Qi2	15 W Fast Wireless
Reverse wireless	No	4.5 W Wireless PowerShare
Charger in box	No	No

Audio

1 differences

Audio specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy S24.
Speakers	Stereo speakers	Stereo speakers tuned by AKG
Headphone jack	No	No

Connectivity

4 differences

Connectivity specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy S24.
Cellular	5G (sub-6 + mmWave)	5G (sub-6 + mmWave)
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 7	Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.3
NFC	Yes (Apple Pay)	Yes
USB	USB-C 2.0 (480 Mbps)	USB-C 3.2 Gen 1
SIM	eSIM (US) / nano-SIM + eSIM	Dual nano-SIM + eSIM

Features

3 differences

Features specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy S24.
Biometrics	Face ID	Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint + Face unlock
Extra controls	Action Button, Camera Control	Power and Volume keys
Standout features	Dynamic Island, Apple Intelligence, Spatial audio and video capture	Circle to Search, Live Translate, Note Assist, Samsung DeX

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

iPhone 16 source Samsung Galaxy S24 source

Which one should you buy

Pick this one if

iPhone 16

Standard flagship featuring A18 chip, Camera Control button, Action button, and 48MP Fusion camera.

Powerful Apple A18 processor built for Apple Intelligence
Camera Control button and Action button included on standard tier
Vibrant saturated color-infused back glass designs

What you give up

Display still restricted to 60Hz refresh rate
No dedicated optical telephoto camera lens

Full iPhone 16 specs →

Pick this one if

Samsung Galaxy S24

Compact Android powerhouse with 6.2-inch 120Hz LTPO display, 3x telephoto, and Galaxy AI suite.

Extremely lightweight and compact 167g pocket-friendly design
Dedicated 3x optical telephoto camera on a base model
Bright 2,600 nit 1-120Hz LTPO display

What you give up

Charging capped at 25W wired
Base model starts with 128GB UFS 3.1 storage

Full Samsung Galaxy S24 specs →

Best for each use

Photos

Camera first: zoom reach, sensors, stabilisation and video

For photos, buy the Samsung Galaxy S24.

Leads 2 of 2 rankable photos specs.
Max optical zoom: 3x optical vs 2x optical quality crop
Main: 50 MP, f/1.8, 24 mm, 1/1.56", Dual Pixel… vs 48 MP Fusion, f/1.6, 26 mm, sensor-shift…
Same list price, so the spec lead is the whole story.

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: ~20–25 W USB-C vs 25 W fast wired
Wireless charging: MagSafe up to 25 W, Qi2 vs 15 W Fast Wireless

Games & video

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

For games & video, buy the Samsung Galaxy S24.

Leads 3 of 3 rankable games & video specs.
Size: 6.2 inches vs 6.1 inches
Refresh rate: 1–120 Hz LTPO vs 60 Hz
Same list price, so the spec lead is the whole story.

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.

iPhone 16 spec sheet Samsung Galaxy S24 spec sheet

Manufacturer pages: iPhone 16 ↗ · Samsung Galaxy S24 ↗

Common questions

Which is cheaper, the iPhone 16 or the Samsung Galaxy S24?

Both list at the same price.

What is the biggest catch with the iPhone 16 or Samsung Galaxy S24?

Both has this deal-breaker: no stylus. No pen input for handwritten notes or markup.

Which is better for photos, the iPhone 16 or the Samsung Galaxy S24?

For photos, buy the Samsung Galaxy S24. Leads 2 of 2 rankable photos specs. Max optical zoom: 3x optical vs 2x optical quality crop

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.

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