The Samsung Galaxy S25 is here and ready to test the might of iPhone 16, in a matchup to see how the two biggest names in flagship phones compare. That’s what a Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 16 face-off will determine after we’ve put both handsets through rigorous testing.
When it launched last fall, we said how the new upgrades lessened the gap with the ‘Pro’ models in our iPhone 16 review. At the same time, we specifically call out how the new Galaxy AI amplifies the value of Samsung’s phone in our Galaxy S25 review.
Now that we have all the testing results in, along with photo comparisons, we have a better idea on which is better.
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 16: Specifications
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 16: Release and price
The Galaxy S25 debuted at Galaxy Unpacked in late January 2025 and eventually went on sale alongside the Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 Ultra starting on February 7. Thankfully, the Galaxy S25 didn’t get a price increase and remains at the same $799 cost for the base model with 128GB of storage.
It's also worth noting that extra storage is much cheaper at Samsung. You can get the 256GB Galaxy S25 for $859, which is just $60 more than the base model.
The iPhone 16 has been out since September 2024, so it's been available from carriers and retailers alike. Like the Galaxy S25, the iPhone 16 costs $799 for its 128GB base model. Upgrading to the 256GB iPhone 16 adds another $100 to the cost, while a 512GB model sells for $1,099.
Both are available in a wide range of colors, which is nice for anyone looking to get something besides black or white. The iPhone 16 comes in Black, White, Pink, Teal, Ultramarine, while the Galaxy S25 comes in Navy, Icyblue, Mint, Silver Shadow, Blueblack, Coralred, and Pinkgold.
The reason why we're giving it to the Galaxy S25 because of the amount of features it offers over the iPhone 16, namely how it has a triple camera system, faster 120Hz refresh rate, and longer software support.
Winner: Galaxy S25
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 16: Design
Samsung made only modest changes to the Galaxy S25, keeping the same overall look that its flagships have offered for a while. That said, the new model is shorter and thinner than its predecessor. It's also 0.2 ounces lighter. At this point, the design has been recycled for several generations, but at least it feels solidly constructed.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 also recycles its predecessor’s design with its flat-sided edges, with its signature Dynamic Island camera/Face ID cutout. However its rear cameras have changed position to mark the iPhone 16 out as new and different (and to enable Spatial Photo and Video recording), an Action Button has appeared to replace the mute slider with a more versatile key, and a new Camera Control has been added to help users adjust camera settings and take photos without using the on-screen buttons.
Between them, the iPhone 16’s design looks and feels bolder, even though the Galaxy S25 is lighter and slightly smaller.
Winner: iPhone 16
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 16: Display
At first glance, it appears that both phones are suited for watching videos. The iPhone 16 packs a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display that looks sharp, while the Galaxy S25 has an equally attractive (and slightly larger) 6.2-inch FHD AMOLED display. However, there’s one important difference between them — their display refresh rates.
Due to its adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, it gives the Galaxy S25 an edge over the locked-in 60Hz display Apple continues to use on its entry-level flagship. The Galaxy S25 also boasts a ProScaler feature that turns to AI to improve image accuracy.
At the same time, the Galaxy S25 has the brighter screen that reaches an impressive peak brightness of 1,789 nits. This makes a huge difference trying to look at both screens outside when the sun’s out because the iPhone 16 tops out at 1,348 nits. We much prefer watching videos and playing games on the Galaxy S25’s display for all of these reasons.
Winner: Galaxy S25
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 16: Cameras
Samsung made no hardware changes to its Galaxy S25 cameras, instead putting the focus on an upgraded ProVisual Engine for better image processing. Its triple camera system consists of a 50MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide, and 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom — all of which are unchanged from what the S24 featured last year, as well as what the S23 offered before that.
Still, Samsung enjoys a hardware edge, simply because the iPhone 16 has no dedicated telephoto lens. Instead, the 48MP main camera on Apple's device can crop in on shots to effectively create a 2x zoom.
For camera enthusiasts, the Galaxy S25’s camera app offers much more, including dedicated manual modes for photos and video. Speaking of video, both phones can record natively at 4K 60 fps, but the Galaxy S25 can go up to 8K 30 fps for added utility in post later on. Likewise, you can capture slow motion footage at up to 1080p 240 fps, but the Galaxy S25 has the added benefit of 4K 120 fps.
Their main cameras are excellent, but there are some differences that might persuade you to like one over the other. For example, the iPhone 16 applies a warmer color temperature and stronger contrast that makes the beach scene above pop out more than the Galaxy S25.
In tougher lighting conditions, the Galaxy S25’s selfie camera does a better job at boosting the exposure of faces, which is why we prefer it over the iPhone 16. Both phones do a nice job at capturing the textures of the jacket and facial features.
Since it offers a dedicated macro, we’re able to get much closer to subjects with the iPhone 16. As a result, it exposes more of the fine details of the rusty nail and split wooden railing in the photo comparison above.
Due to how it boosts the exposure throughout the scene, we like how the iPhone 16 captures panoramas more than the Galaxy S25. The stronger contrast also lends in making the clouds overhead look a lot more dramatic.
Given how the Galaxy S25 has a dedicated telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, it’s no surprise its zoom performance benefits from this. With these shots of the gazebo, I prefer the Galaxy S25’s brighter picture at 3x zoom — along with the finer details it’s able to capture over the iPhone 16 at 10x zoom.
When it comes to low light, I’d lean on the iPhone 16 for the occasion due to how it brightens up the scene better. The shots I took above were in a dark room, but while they both manage to expose the scene to make it look like the lights are turned on, I prefer the iPhone 16 for its stronger contrast and more vibrant looking shot. The Galaxy S25 looks a little washed out.
Winner: iPhone 16
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 16: Performance
The Galaxy S25 runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy system-on-chip, which is optimized more for performance over the non-Galaxy version. Even better, all Galaxy S25 models shipping in North America are powered by Qualcomm's new silicon. That's a stark departure from last year when Samsung used Exynos chips in the S24 models released outside of North America.
Against the iPhone 16 and its A18 chip, it’s neck and neck between the two in GeekBench 6, where the iPhone 16 posts the better score single core score while the Galaxy S25 does better with the multi core one. Over on the GPU side of things, the Galaxy S25 shows it’s better equipped for the occasion by delivering the smoother frame rates and score with 3DMark’s tests.
As much as benchmark scores give us a good indication of how they perform under these synthetic tests, our own real world experience using the two for all sorts of tasks don’t differ at all. In fact, they both deliver the smooth and responsive actions we expect with trivial things like running apps, surfing the web, and the occasional social media crawl — but the Galaxy S25’s smoother 120Hz display refresh rate makes it more satisfying.
With graphically intensive gaming, the Galaxy S25’s faster refresh rate makes a big difference in how animations look a lot smoother than on the iPhone 16.
Winner: tie
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 16: Battery and charging
Samsung didn't change the battery size from the 4,000 mAh power pack that the Galaxy S24 used. Despite this, the Galaxy S25 still manages to outlast the iPhone 16 in Tom’s Guide’s battery benchmark test. It reaches an average time of 15 hours and 51 minutes when set to its standard 60Hz refresh rate, while the iPhone 16 taps out after 12 hours and 13 minutes.That's more than 3.5 hours longer for the Galaxy S25, which is an impressive amount of endurance.
Even though Apple doesn’t disclose the charging speed of its iPhone 16, it manages to reach charging levels of 29% and 57% after charging for 15 and 30 minutes respectively. The Galaxy S25 has a 25W wired charging speed and pretty much matches the iPhone 16’s speeds in our testing.
Winner: Galaxy S25
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 16: Software and AI features
One UI 7 based on Android 15 makes its debut on the Galaxy S25, and it adds a number of AI-friendly features like writing tools, call transcripts and more. You can summon Google's Gemini with a long press of the S25's side button, and the assistant supports cross app actions, where you can access multiple apps at once. It's all part of the expanded Galaxy AI tools on the S25, which include an Audio Eraser feature for getting distracting sound out of the video you've captured and an updated version of Circle to Search.
Apple has been trying to up its own AI game with Apple Intelligence, which launched as part of the iOS 18.1 update last year. Some of Apple's AI tools are similar to what you get with Galaxy AI — including writing tools, summary features, photo-editing and a more advanced Siri. That said, Samsung's updates make its digital assistant far more powerful than what the revamped Siri can currently do.
When it comes to software support, Apple has pledged 5 years at least for the iPhone 16. That’s a little short when compared to the 7 years of major Android and security updates that the Galaxy S25 offers.
Another reason why I prefer the Galaxy S25’s software and experience is because it’s better suited for multi-tasking, where I can stack two apps on top of one another. Additionally, I really enjoy how Samsung DeX on the Galaxy S25 can emulate the desktop-PC experience when it’s connected to a monitor or external display.
From its superior AI features, to its handy multitasking capabilities, and longer software support, the Galaxy S25 offers the better software package.
Winner: Galaxy S25
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 16: Verdict
After tallying up the results, there are no surprises with this Galaxy S25 vs iPhone 16 comparison. Taking into consideration how they’re both priced at $799, the Galaxy S25 proves to me it’s the superior phone for the money — partly due to its better specs, longer battery life, brighter screen, and outstanding software. The latter is what wins it for me because of how much I can do with it more than the iPhone 16, plus the AI features are much more refined in my experience.
The iPhone 16 is still a solid best phone contender, but it shows how it’s lagging behind. I personally would love to see Apple go beyond having a 60Hz display refresh rate, plus Apple Intelligence features still need a bit of refinement before it matches what Galaxy AI is capable of doing. However, I can’t overlook its excellent cameras.
