Samsung Galaxy S25 vs iPhone 16: Setting a “Standard”

Samsung’s new Galaxy S25 series is here, and it brings some new improvements that are worth checking out. But this release can also be a cause for confusion among those who are split between the iPhone 16 or the Galaxy S25 and can’t decide which phone to go with. So now that the phone is out, and we have all the details, we can do a one-on-one Galaxy S25 vs iPhone 16 comparison and clear the clouds of confusion to tell you which is better overall.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs iPhone 16: Specifications

Let’s take a look at the specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S25 and see how it fares against the iPhone 16 on paper.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs iPhone 16: Design

While the phone itself is new, the same can’t be said for the design of the Galaxy S25. It looks identical to last year’s Galaxy S24, which looked like the S23 and so on. It’s almost a similar story on the iPhone 16, but they have rearranged the camera lenses vertically, like the older iPhone 12. Furthermore, it borrows the action button from last year’s Pro model and sports the new capacitive camera button.

Both phones have a rounded rectangular design, with the latter having more curved corners. They’re almost identical in size, and despite sporting flat sides, they are easier to hold. However, Samsung has shed extra bulk from all their devices this year. That is why the Galaxy is the lighter and slimmer of the two, weighing just 162 grams and 7.2mm in width, compared to the 170 grams of weight and 7.8mm thickness of the iPhone.

These flagship devices feature an aluminum frame with glass on the front and the back. To protect said fragile material, Samsung goes with Gorilla Glass Victus 2, while Apple relies on its Ceramic shield. So you can rest assured that your phone should be able to withstand minor scratches and small drops. They also feature IP 68 protection against dust and water. So if you asked me which one I’d pick for daily use, I’d blindly pick the S25 for its sleek and weightless form factor.

Display and Cameras

On the front, these compact competitors feature pretty decent displays. The S25 has a 6.2-inch 1080p LTPO AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 has a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen, which is capped at 60Hz. It’s hard to come to terms that Apple is still shipping 60Hz on a flagship phone in this day and age, and this is the biggest issue with this device.

You see, 120Hz provides a smoother experience, which is why the company has reserved it for its Pro models. But when budget phones are offering at least 90Hz, there’s no good reason for Apple not to do the same. Though it doesn’t affect the overall picture quality which is crisp and vivid on both devices. Surprisingly, the iPhone 16 takes the lead here with its higher resolution 1179p display in contrast to S25’s 1080p.

Now, going around the back, you’ll find a triple camera system on the Galaxy. This includes a 50MP f/1.8 main sensor, 10MP 3x telephoto, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. The iPhone 16’s camera setup comprises two lenses. One 48MP f/1.6 main and a 12MP ultrawide snapper. Surprisingly, both include a 12MP selfie shooter at the front.

Talking about the results, Samsung is known to shoot some remarkable images, and with their improved algorithms, I don’t think the phone will show any signs of slowing down. The iPhone 16 also produces similarly beautiful shots. On the video front, the iPhone can shoot in 4K@60FPS which is decent, but the S25 blows it out of the park with its 8K@30FPS recording capability. However, none of the two can shoot in 4K at 120FPS like their Pro counterparts.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs iPhone 16: Hardware

As mentioned, the externals of the two devices aren’t exactly that breathtaking, but it’s what’s on the inside that matters. The Galaxy S25 packs the all-new 3nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite (benchmarks) chipset that is 44% faster than the 8 Gen 3 from last year. This gives the S25 a huge leap over the 3nm A18 in the iPhone 16. The new 8 Elite gives the A18 Pro a run for its money in our comparison, so the regular A18 doesn’t stand a chance.

But these are pretty top-end specs, so you shouldn’t have anything to complain about the performance in everyday use. The S25 couples this beefy processor with 12GB RAM and 128/256GB of UFS 4.0 storage options. Apple does away with only 8GB RAM and the same storage variants, including an additional 512GB option.

Software and AI Features

Samsung Galaxy S25 ships with the latest One UI 7 skin based on Android 15. This has a refreshing new look with many new goodies to explore this time, but the Now bar is what steals the show. It shows live activities like the iPhone’s dynamic island but in a more stylish manner on the lock screen. I have grown to love this feature and expressed the same in my review of this new release.

The iOS 18 also includes some nifty additions in terms of customizations and quality-of-life improvements. There are a lot of new features here as well, but one thing I am happy about is that you won’t feel left out in terms of customizations that you used to feel back in the day with iOS.

One thing these UIs have in common is the incessant presence of AI. Samsung S25 includes some new Galaxy AI tricks that allow you to transcript ongoing calls, bring up AI Writing assist on any app, and cancel out noise on any video. Apple has also done its due diligence with Apple Intelligence which flexes its smarts with Writing Tools, ChatGPT integration, Genmoji, and more. But their AI-powered Siri is no match for Google’s Gemini assistant.

Samsung will also offer 7 years of promised Android updates to the S25, while I can’t say the same for the iPhone. But Apple has a good track record of delivering long-term support for their phones. So you can expect to receive five years of updates at least. Software is always a subjective component and a primary deciding factor for many. So which one you go with depends upon your experience with the two ecosystems.

Battery, Charging and Connectivity

Coming to the battery, neither of the two phones offers any award-winning battery life, but it’s still worth checking out their specs. You get a 4,000mAh capacity on the S25 and a 3,561mAh cell on the iPhone 16. Despite the difference in size, the two can offer 5 and a half to 7 hours of screen time.

That said, you will have to charge them by the end of the day. The S25 supports 25W charging that can fill up your phone to 50% in 30 minutes and just over an hour for a full 100. This is the same with the iPhone 16. The similarities don’t end here, as they both support only 15W wireless charging. These charging speeds feel ancient in an age where phones can top off faster than this with even bigger batteries. But this is likely a deliberate decision to slow down battery degradation.

On the connectivity part, both the Galaxy S25 and the iPhone 16 have Wi-Fi 7, NFC, and eSIM support. Apple does cut cheap out on this device by offering a USB Type C 2.0 port compared to the latest USB Type C 3.2 Gen 2 ports, which facilitates fast data transfers. You’ll also find the newer Bluetooth 5.4 on Samsung compared to 5.3 on the iPhone.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs iPhone 16: Conclusion

The Galaxy S25 and the iPhone 16 both will set you back $799.99 for their base 128GB variant. For this price, if the 60Hz display and the lack of a telephoto camera isn’t an issue to you, or you’re not a spec nerd like me, then the iPhone 16 shouldn’t sound like a bad option.

At the same time, the S25 offers everything missing on the iPhone, plus a slightly larger battery. This makes it a better overall deal of the two. I would personally pick Samsung because of the reasons I mentioned above. And the fact that One UI 7 is a better experience than iOS 18 plus includes more competent AI additions. So now that I have laid out all the facts, it is up to you entirely to decide which side of the demographics you want to pick.