Come the start of 2025, the Samsung Galaxy S25 is expected to arrive. And the iPhone 16 will be waiting for it.
The iPhone 16, only a couple months old right now, is an excellent affordable flagship phone, especially if paying a grand and up for the iPhone 16 Pro is out of the question. The Galaxy S25 is likely to become the closest Android equivalent, although some of the rumored upgrades sound like they'll make the Samsung phone far better value.
For this comparison, I'm going to focus on the basic Galaxy S25 and iPhone 16, rather than any Pro, Plus or Ultra variants. So if that sounds good to you, let's start digging through the specs and features.
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 16: Possible release date and price
The Galaxy S25 will probably launch in January, just like the past few years of Galaxy S models have done. But the launch could come coupled with a price increase, because of the expensive chip they're expected to use (more on that below). The Galaxy S24 launched at $800, the same price that the iPhone 16 goes for, so we hope Samsung doesn't give Apple an advantage by raising the cost of its new model.
The new iPhone 16 arrived in September, and is gradually shipping out after the usual rush of demand around launch day. While it may receive a new color option in spring 2025, going by Apple's previous habits, the iPhone we have is the one we're going to get until next September or so, when we should see the iPhone 17 emerge.
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 16: Design and display
Samsung isn't expected to change too much about the Galaxy S25 compared to the S24 going by leaked renders, so expect the new Galaxy to have a flat screen, slightly curved edges and three individually-ringed cameras on the back. But the size could be different, with a display size of 6.36 inches, up from the 6.2-inch Galaxy S24. That would make the S25 closer in size to the iPhone 16 Pro, rather than the smaller 6.1-inch iPhone 16.
The iPhone 16 is still a familiar flat-sided device, 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.
We should also expect the Galaxy S25 to keep the same bright OLED screen tech as its predecessors, with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate. The iPhone 16 uses a similar OLED screen to Samsung's other Galaxy S models, but has unfortunately been stuck once again with an old-fashioned 60Hz refresh rate, which makes scrolling apps and high-performance games look choppy.
There are currently no strong color rumors for the Galaxy S25 yet, although we can expect another mix of four or so options. The iPhone 16's a particularly colorful phone, on offer in Black, White, Pink, Teal and Ultramarine, so we hope Samsung has some equally vivid choices for the S25.
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 16: Cameras
Even without any meaningful changes, the Galaxy S25 should be ahead of the iPhone 16. It uses a 48MP main, 12MP ultrawide and 12MP selfie combination, which covers most of your photography needs but without a dedicated zoom lens, the iPhone would always lose out in at least one camera comparison against the Galaxy S25.
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 16: Performance
It's a bit of a mystery right now as to what chip will run the Galaxy S25. The obvious guess to anyone who's watched Samsung's choice of silicon for the past several years would be the rumored Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. This would be a strong choice too given some impressive alleged benchmarks for this chip.
However, the Galaxy S25 could also use Samsung's in-house Exynos 2500 chip, or even a MediaTek Dimensity 9400, which we wouldn't have thought was likely except Samsung just used Dimensity chips in its latest tablets, the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus and S10 Ultra. We're going to have to wait for more rumors to appear or for certain sources to retract their claims before this picture's clearer.
As for the iPhone 16, it contains an Apple A18 chip. While not as powerful as the A18 Pro, is still a mighty chip, beating the current Galaxy S24 on CPU benchmarks but losing out to the Samsung on GPU tests. It'll be interesting to see if it can still keep up with whatever chip ends up in the Galaxy S25.
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 16: Battery and charging
It's claimed that the Galaxy S25 could require a larger battery to account for the power consumption of its new chip (assuming it's the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, which could sacrifice the strong battery life of the Galaxy S24 in favor of ultimate processing power. But equally there's the more optimistic view that the S25's new chip will help push the already strong battery life of Samsung's phones even further with its more efficient 3-nanometre process.
Apple improved the battery life of the iPhone 16 compared to the iPhone 15, but it's still behind that of the Galaxy S24. It charges faster, which is perhaps a benefit to some, but otherwise Samsung's ahead where it counts.
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 16: Software and AI features
Although it's not yet released, One UI 7 (based on Android 15) should be Samsung's software of choice for the Galaxy S25. As well as new design elements that have been teased, we will probably see the S25 debut with a new or updated generation of Galaxy AI features like transcription, translation, summary and image and video editing.
It could also gain satellite connectivity, similar to Apple's Emergency SOS via Satellite or Google's Satellite SOS. And going by the Galaxy S24's promised seven years of updates, the Galaxy S25 will get a similarly lengthy update schedule.
Launching with iOS 18, the iPhone 16 still feels distinctly Apple despite its new customization options. A big part of the phone is its ability to use Apple Intelligence features, although these are expected to go live only at the end of October 2024, almost two months after the phone's launch.
Apple normally offers new iPhones about five years of updates before they are kicked off, presumably giving the Galaxy S25 an advantage when it comes to keeping the phone going for as long as possible. But that could change if Apple feels like following Samsung and other brands' example.
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 16: Outlook
We still have a few months to wait until anything's certain about the Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 16 match-up, even from a basic on-paper comparison. But taking the leaks as accurate, it's likely to be a familiar story.
For pure value, the Galaxy S25 is likely to be the better phone, with a larger display, a chipset that's superior for graphics-heavy applications and a longer battery life. But the iPhone 16 is, well, an iPhone, and that counts for a lot when it comes to upgrades when you consider how many users already have iPhones, or want to try out Apple Intelligence or the Camera Control. We'll keep following the rumors as they develop, but this is definitely going to be an interesting face-off once the Galaxy S24 makes its first appearance and steps up to face the iPhone 16.
