Head to head

iPhone 16 vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra leads 14 to 1 on the 15 rankable specs, but iPhone 16 costs $500 less.

Catalog as of September 1, 2026

Why, in numbers

Weight: iPhone 16 lists 170 g (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra lists 219 g (7.72 oz) (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02).
Size: iPhone 16 lists 6.1 inches (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra lists 6.9 inches (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02).
Chipset: iPhone 16 lists Apple A18 (3 nm) (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra lists Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm) (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02).
RAM: iPhone 16 lists 8 GB (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra lists 12 GB (16 GB option) (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02).
Max optical zoom: iPhone 16 lists 2x optical quality crop (10x digital) (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra lists 5x optical zoom (10x optical quality, 100x Space Zoom) (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: 1 to 14

Buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Leads 14 of 15 rankable overall specs; iPhone 16 takes 1.
Size: 6.9 inches vs 6.1 inches
RAM: 12 GB vs 8 GB
iPhone 16 is $500 cheaper. Pay the difference only if size matters to you.

1 iPhone 1615 rankable of 48 specsSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 14

Deal-breakers

tick what would make you walk away

No stylusrow
No pen input for handwritten notes or markup.
Trips:iPhone 16 · NoClear:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · Yes (built-in S Pen with Bluetooth LE)
No headphone jackrow
Wired headphones need a USB-C dongle.
Trips:iPhone 16 · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · No
No charger in the boxrow
Budget another $20 to $40 for a fast charger.
Trips:iPhone 16 · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · No
60 Hz screenrow
Scrolling looks noticeably less smooth than a 120 Hz rival.
Trips:iPhone 16 · 60 HzClear:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · 120 Hz
No microSD slotrow
Storage is fixed at what you buy.
Trips:iPhone 16 · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · No

At a glance

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

6 of 6 differ

Weight

Apple

170 g

Samsung

219 g (7.72 oz)

Size

Apple

6.1 inches

Samsung

6.9 inches

Chipset≠

Apple

Apple A18 (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

2x optical quality crop (10x digital)

Samsung

5x optical zoom (10x optical quality, 100x Space Zoom)

Capacity

Apple

3,561 mAh

Samsung

5,000 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 S25 Ultra

Upfront list price$1,299

3-Year Estimated Total$1,299

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$7991 win

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra$1,29914 wins

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

45 of 48 attributes differ. Identical rows are dimmed.

Body

6 differences

Body specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Dimensions	147.6 × 71.6 × 7.8 mm	162.8 × 77.6 × 8.2 mm
Weight	170 g (wins this row: lower)	219 g (7.72 oz)
Build	Ceramic Shield front, color-infused glass back, aluminum 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, White, Pink, Teal, Ultramarine	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 6-0

Display specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Type	Super Retina XDR OLED	Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X
Size	6.1 inches	6.9 inches (wins this row: higher)
Resolution	1179 × 2556	3120 × 1440 (QHD+) (wins this row: higher)
Pixel density	~460 ppi	505 ppi (wins this row: higher)
Refresh rate	60 Hz	120 Hz (1–120Hz 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+, HLG
Protection	Latest-generation Ceramic Shield	Corning Gorilla Armor 2 (anti-reflective)
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 S25 Ultra.
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 (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	5-core Apple GPU	Adreno 830

Memory

leads 2-0

Memory specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
RAM	8 GB	12 GB (16 GB option) (wins this row: higher)
Storage	128 GB NVMe	256 GB (wins this row: higher)
Storage options	128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB (UFS 4.0)
microSD	No	No

Rear camera

leads 3-0

Rear camera specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Main	48 MP Fusion, f/1.6, 26 mm, sensor-shift OIS, 2x in-sensor zoom	200 MP (f/1.7, 24mm, 1/1.3", multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS) (wins this row: higher)
Ultrawide	12 MP with Macro photography, f/2.2, 13 mm, 120°	50 MP (f/1.9, 120° FOV, Dual Pixel PDAF, macro) (wins this row: higher)
Telephoto	None (2x optical-quality crop from main sensor)	50 MP 5x periscope (f/3.4, 115mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS) + 50 MP 3x (f/2.4, 67mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS)
Max optical zoom	2x optical quality crop (10x digital)	5x optical zoom (10x optical quality, 100x Space Zoom) (wins this row: higher)
Stabilization	Sensor-shift OIS on main camera	OIS on main and both telephoto cameras
Video	4K 24/25/30/60 fps Dolby Vision, Spatial video capture	8K at 30 fps, 4K at 30/60/120 fps, HDR10+, 10-bit LOG video

Front camera

2 differences

Front camera specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Selfie camera	12 MP TrueDepth with autofocus, f/1.9	12 MP (f/2.2, 26mm, Dual Pixel PDAF)
Selfie video	4K 60 fps Dolby Vision	4K at 30/60 fps

Battery & charging

leads 2-0

Battery & charging specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Capacity	3,561 mAh	5,000 mAh (wins this row: higher)
Wired chargingNot on the official sheet	~20–25 W USB-C	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

Audio specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Speakers	Stereo speakers	Stereo speakers tuned by AKG
Headphone jack	No	No

Connectivity

6 differences

Connectivity specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Cellular	5G (sub-6 + mmWave)	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 2.0 (480 Mbps)	USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (DisplayPort video out)
SIM	eSIM (US) / nano-SIM + eSIM	Dual eSIM / Nano-SIM + eSIM

Features

3 differences

Features specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Biometrics	Face ID	Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor + 2D Face unlock
Extra controls	Action Button, Camera Control	S Pen air gestures
Standout features	Dynamic Island, Apple Intelligence, Spatial audio and video capture	Built-in S Pen, Galaxy AI 2.0 (Now Brief, Live Translate, Sketch to Image), Anti-reflective Gorilla Armor 2, 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 S25 Ultra 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 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

Full Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra specs →

Best for each use

Photos

Camera first: zoom reach, sensors, stabilisation and video

For photos, buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Leads 3 of 3 rankable photos specs.
Max optical zoom: 5x optical zoom vs 2x optical quality crop
Main: 200 MP vs 48 MP Fusion, f/1.6, 26 mm, sensor-shift…
iPhone 16 is $500 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

For battery & updates, buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Leads 2 of 2 rankable battery & updates specs.
Capacity: 5,000 mAh vs 3,561 mAh
Wired charging: 45W fast wired charging vs ~20–25 W USB-C
iPhone 16 is $500 cheaper. Pay the difference only if capacity matters to you.

Games & video

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

For games & video, buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Leads 4 of 4 rankable games & video specs.
RAM: 12 GB vs 8 GB
Size: 6.9 inches vs 6.1 inches
iPhone 16 is $500 cheaper. Pay the difference only if ram matters to you.

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 S25 Ultra spec sheet

Manufacturer pages: iPhone 16 ↗ · Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra ↗

Common questions

Which is cheaper, the iPhone 16 or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?

iPhone 16 costs $500 less at list price.

What is the biggest catch with the iPhone 16 or Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?

iPhone 16 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 S25 Ultra?

For photos, buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Leads 3 of 3 rankable photos specs. Max optical zoom: 5x optical zoom vs 2x optical quality crop

What cannot be compared from spec sheets?

Of the 48 specs tracked here, 33 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.

Other matchups

ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra vs Google Pixel 8a

ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra vs Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold

ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra vs Google Pixel 9 Pro XL