Galaxy S25
iPhone 17
🏆 Verdict
Galaxy S25 is the better pick overall by 3 points, leading in Camera, Updates and Battery. iPhone 17 remains a strong contender elsewhere.
By category
Performance
Galaxy S25 is faster with the Snapdragon 8 Elite (performance index 96 vs 90). You notice it in heavy games and video editing, less in daily use. Galaxy S25 has more RAM (12 GB vs 8 GB), which helps multitasking.
Camera
Galaxy S25's main camera is 50 MP vs 48 MP. More pixels help cropping and digital zoom, but final quality depends on sensor size and processing. Only Galaxy S25 has an optical 3× telephoto; the other relies on digital zoom. iPhone 17 has the higher-resolution selfie camera (18 MP vs 12 MP).
Battery
Galaxy S25's battery is 308 mAh larger (4,000 vs 3,692 mAh), about 8% more. Real battery life also depends on chip and display efficiency.
Charging
iPhone 17 charges faster over cable (40W vs 25W). Wireless charging is faster on iPhone 17 (25W vs 15W).
Display
iPhone 17 has the larger screen (6.3" vs 6.2"). iPhone 17's screen gets brighter (3,000 vs 2,600 nits), which shows outdoors. iPhone 17's screen is sharper (458 vs 416 ppi).
Build & durability
Galaxy S25 is 15 g lighter.
Updates
Galaxy S25 should get OS updates for longer (7 vs 6 years, per the maker's policy at launch).
Specifications
| Galaxy S25 | iPhone 17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Snapdragon 8 Elite | Chipset | Apple A19 |
| 12 GB | RAM | 8 GB |
| 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB | Storage | 256 GB / 512 GB |
| 6.2" Dynamic AMOLED 2X | Display | 6.3" LTPO OLED |
| 120 Hz | Refresh rate | 120 Hz |
| 2340×1080 (416 ppi) | Resolution | 2622×1206 (458 ppi) |
| 2,600 nits | Peak brightness | 3,000 nits |
| 50 MP | Main camera | 48 MP |
| 12 MP | Ultrawide | 48 MP |
| 10 MP · 3× | Telephoto | None |
| 12 MP | Front camera | 18 MP |
| 4,000 mAh | Battery | 3,692 mAh |
| 25 W | Wired charging | 40 W |
| 15 W | Wireless charging | 25 W |
| IP68 | Water & dust rating | IP68 |
| aluminium | Frame | aluminium |
| 162 g | Weight | 177 g |
| 7 years | OS updates (estimated) | 6 years |
| $799 | Launch price | $799 |
| 2025-01 | Released | 2025-09 |
Galaxy S25
Pros
- Faster chip (Snapdragon 8 Elite)
- 12 GB RAM
- 3× optical zoom
- 4,000 mAh battery
iPhone 17
Cons
- Slower chip
- No optical telephoto
- Smaller battery
How is the score calculated?
Each phone gets 0–100 points in seven categories (performance, camera, battery, charging, display, build, updates), computed only from its published specs, then combined with fixed, published weights. A gap under 2.5 points counts as a tie. The performance index is an estimate based on benchmark results published at launch.
Figures come from the manufacturers’ official pages. Some specs vary by market. We do not sell devices or earn commissions.