Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro: Our expectations
Intro
The new iPhone 16 series is already out, fighting the competition with Apple Intelligence tricks and the all-new Camera control button, but there's a hip new release that's right around the corner that can make the life of Apple's flagship models miserable, and no other than the Galaxy S25.
Тhe upcoming Galaxy S25 from Samsung's portfolio is a real threat to the iPhone 16 prospects. Today we're going to cook a little comparison between the aforementioned Galaxy S25 and the newly launched iPhone 16 Pro.
The Galaxy S25 is still under wraps, so our comparison relies on leaks and rumors when it comes to the Samsung phone, as well as our two-decade-long experience in the industry, but nevertheless, it's a glimpse at a very important fight that's coming. Which one will win the battle for the best compact flagship phone?
Galaxy S25 vs iPhone 16 Pro expected differences:
| Galaxy S25* | iPhone 16 Pro |
|---|---|
| A more compact phone | Potentially slightly larger and heavier |
| A smaller 6.2-inch screen, 120Hz refresh rate | 6.3-inch display, ProMotion 120Hz, 1-nit minimum brightness |
| Similar triple camera system | Similar camera system, 48MP stacked sensor for the main camera, 48MP ultrawide, tetraprism telephoto with 5x optical |
| Expected to get 12GB RAM | Less RAM at 8GB but not that important |
| 128GB of storage | Double the base storage at 256GB |
| A smaller 4,000mAh battery | A smaller 3,582 mAh battery |
| 25W wired charging, wireless charging | Similar speed wired and wireless charging |
Table of Contents:
Design and Display Quality
Compact flagships are growing bigger?
It seems that flaghsip phones continue to grow in size, even the smallest and most compact models. This is true for the new iPhone 16 series as well. The iPhone 16 Pro now sports a 6.3-inch display and weighs almost 200 grams.
We still don't know much about the Galaxy S25, as it's months away, but the latest information points toward the same 6.2-inch screen size as its predecessor. When it comes to design, both phones follow the same design language as their respective predecessors, but with the Galaxy S25, we have some rumors that say a radical change is in the works.
Another potential difference is the build materials. The iPhone 16 Pro uses Grade 5 titanium for its frame, while the Galaxy S25 might stick with aluminum.
The iPhone 16 Pro is available in four titanium shades: Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium, while the Galaxy S25's hues are still a mystery.
Moving to the displays, as we've mentioned, screen sizes will be pretty close, and screen tech will probably match between the two as well. We expect both phones to feature LTPO panels with a dynamic refresh rate of 1–120 Hz.
The iPhone 16 Pro managed "just" a tad over 1,000 nits of brightness in our tests, which starts to look low in 2024. We don't know how the Galaxy S25 will perform in that regard, but judging from the score of its predecessor, it might be a win for Samsung.
We still don't know much about the Galaxy S25, as it's months away, but the latest information points toward the same 6.2-inch screen size as its predecessor. When it comes to design, both phones follow the same design language as their respective predecessors, but with the Galaxy S25, we have some rumors that say a radical change is in the works.
Another potential difference is the build materials. The iPhone 16 Pro uses Grade 5 titanium for its frame, while the Galaxy S25 might stick with aluminum.
The iPhone 16 Pro is available in four titanium shades: Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium, while the Galaxy S25's hues are still a mystery.
Moving to the displays, as we've mentioned, screen sizes will be pretty close, and screen tech will probably match between the two as well. We expect both phones to feature LTPO panels with a dynamic refresh rate of 1–120 Hz.
Performance and Software
"For Galaxy" might give the A18 Pro a run for its money
It looks like the Galaxy S25 will get a supercharged Qualcomm chip once again with the "for Galaxy" stamp. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 for Galaxy will be faster than the regular version of the chipset, but will it be able to beat the A18 Pro? We're not sure about Exynos yet, though. Samsung's factories might be having some trouble making enough, so we could end up with just Snapdragon-equpped models next year.
The A18 Pro inside the iPhone 16 Pro is a beast, as expected, with Geekbench scores of 3330 and 8044 for single and multicore performance, respectively. We're not sure the Qualcomm silicon will be able to topple this, but the graphics performance should be much closer.
In terms of RAM, the S25 is expected to feature more (the iPhone 16 Pro has 8GB onboard), but the way iOS handles apps and the better optimization won't make a huge difference in real-life performance. The iPhone 16 Pro, on the other hand, has more base storage at 256GB in its cheapest variant.
The software situation is a bit uncertain. Apple has already introduced AI (a.k.a. Apple Intelligence, what a shameless abbreviation hijacking), but most of the features are either in beta or coming soon. Samsung has Galaxy AI with some additional mileage under its tires, so expect a fierce AI battle.
Camera
Three versus three
It’s still pretty early to know what the camera setup on the Galaxy S25 will be like. There are rumors that Samsung might switch from its usual ISOCELL sensors to Sony IMX ones. Chances are, the Galaxy S25 will keep the triple-camera system with a wide, ultrawide, and 3x telephoto lens, but beyond that, everything’s still up in the air.
The iPhone 16 Pro, on the other hand, is a known entity. We already tested the camera system, and it performed quite well, getting an overall score of 154 in our camera rating widget (158 for photo quality and 150 for video). There are three cameras here as well, a main 48MP camera, an ultrawide 48MP one, and a tertraprism 12MP telephoto with 5x native optical zoom.
Of course, we need to snap some samples and give you side-by-side comparison images to be able to judge which phone performs better, so stay tuned for that, as soon as the S25 goes official.
The iPhone 16 Pro, on the other hand, is a known entity. We already tested the camera system, and it performed quite well, getting an overall score of 154 in our camera rating widget (158 for photo quality and 150 for video). There are three cameras here as well, a main 48MP camera, an ultrawide 48MP one, and a tertraprism 12MP telephoto with 5x native optical zoom.
Battery Life and Charging
Probably a tie
Apple increased the battery capacity of all four models in the iPhone 16 series lineup, and this has resulted in better battery life. The iPhone 16 Pro comes with a 3582 mAh cell, which might not sound big, but in our battery tests the phone performed on par with other flagships with much larger batteries.
The Galaxy S25on the other hand, is expected to have the same 4,000 mAh battery as its predecessor, and the results should be similar as well. Given the different operating systems and app management, we expect very similar results from these two.
When it comes to charging, the iPhone 16 Pro retains the 25W wired charging from the last generation, at least on paper. Our tests have shown, though, that in certain scenarios the iPhone 16 Pro can charge faster.
The Galaxy S25on the other hand, is expected to have the same 4,000 mAh battery as its predecessor, and the results should be similar as well. Given the different operating systems and app management, we expect very similar results from these two.
Specs Comparison
Here's a quick specs comparison for the number nerds out there. You can check out our full Galaxy S25 vs iPhone 16 Pro specs comparison on PhoneArena.
| Specs | Galaxy S25* | iPhone 16 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | - | 149.6 x 71.5 x 8.3 mm |
| Weight | - | 199 g |
| Screen | 6.2-inch Super AMOLED 1-120Hz | 6.3-inch OLED 1-120Hz ProMotion |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 (for Galaxy) | Apple A18 Pro |
| RAM, Storage and Price | 12/128GB for $799 | 8/256 for $999 |
| Cameras | 50MP main 12MP ultra-wide 10MP telephoto, 3x zoom 12MP front | 48MP main 48MP ultra-wide 12MP telephoto, 5x zoom 12MP front |
| Battery Size | 4,000 mAh | 3582 mAh |
| Charging Speeds | 25W wired Wireless support | 25W wired 25W wireless with MagSafe |
*-rumored specs
Which one should you buy?
It's way too early to tell which model will win this battle. The iPhone 16 Pro has some very cool refinements, and even though it can't be seen as a groundbreaking innovation, the package is as strong as ever. The Galaxy S25, on the other hand, is still safely tucked away in some secret lab or a warehouse, and we don't know much about Samsung's new flagship, scheduled to make debut in early 2025.
That being said, we have the usual iOS vs Android battle between these two, and we should also mention that the vanilla Galaxy S25 is expected to be around $200 cheaper than the iPhone 16 Pro. Whether or not it will offer enough to make people chose it over the Apple's flagship, we still don't know.
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