iPhone 17 Pro vs Galaxy S25 Ultra: Which Pill to Pick?

Oil and water. Batman and Joker. Pineapple on pizza lovers and, well, normal people.

Some things are just destined to be opposites, and that brings us to today’s showdown between the iPhone 17 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. These two couldn’t be more different if they tried.

You’ve got Apple doing what Apple does best – making everything stupidly simple and pretty (and expensive). Then there’s Samsung basically throwing every single feature they could think of into one phone and saying “here, figure it out.”

After fiddling between these two flagship devices we have found that choosing between them is harder than picking your favorite child. They’re both incredible, from their own perspective.

So grab your popcorn because we’re about to settle this once and for all.

Quick Specs Comparison

Before we dive, let’s take a look at all the key specs of the iPhone 17 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra:

Feature	iPhone 17 Pro	Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Display	6.3″ Super Retina XDR OLED, 2622×1206 px, 120 Hz, 3000 nits brightness	6.9″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 3120×1440 px, 120 Hz, 2600 nits peak brightness
Processor	Apple A19 Pro, Hexa Core (4.044 GHz + 2.424 GHz), 3 nm	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, Octa Core (4.47 GHz + 3.5 GHz), 4 nm
RAM	12 GB LPDDR5X	12 GB
Storage Options	256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB	256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB, no memory card
Rear Camera	Triple 48 MP + 48 MP + 48 MP, OIS	Quad 200 MP + 50 MP + 10 MP + 50 MP, OIS
Front Camera	18 MP, ƒ/1.9 aperture, autofocus	12 MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture, autofocus
Battery	~3988 mAh, ( 4252 mAh – eSIM only model) 35W fast charging, wireless charging	5000 mAh, 45W fast charging, 15W wireless charging, reverse wireless charging
Operating System	iOS 26	Android 15 with One UI 7
Weight	206 g	218 g
Build Material	Ceramic Shield Glass 2	Gorilla Glass Armor 2
Additional Features	Always-On Display, ProMotion 120 Hz, Dynamic Island	Always-On Display, HDR10+, S Pen support, Gorilla Glass Armor

iPhone 17 Pro Max

• Design: Sleek, premium craftsmanship with elegant details
• Display: LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, cinematic brilliance
• Performance: A19 Pro chip for seamless multitasking & speed
• Camera: Revolutionary periscope telephoto for precision zoom
• Video: 4K recording with Dolby Vision for cinematic quality
• Connectivity: Lightning-fast downloads & uploads

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Design & Display

iPhone 17 Pro	Galaxy S25 Ultra
6.3 inches	6.9 inches
LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED	Dynamic AMOLED 2X
120 Hz	120 Hz
Up To 3000 Nits Peak Brightness	Up To 2600 Nits Peak Brightness

Let’s talk about how these two look and feel. The iPhone 17 Pro ditched the titanium frame and went back to aluminum this year. Why? Heat management was getting messy, so Apple threw in a vapor chamber to keep things cool. It’s sitting pretty at 6.3 inches, which honestly feels perfect if you’ve got normal-sized hands. The colors this time around actually pop – that Deep Blue is gorgeous.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra? This thing looks like it means business. Samsung wasn’t playing around with the design – it’s all sharp edges and that boxy look that says “I’m here to get work done.” The S Pen slides right into those corners like it was meant to be there. At 6.9 inches, you’re getting a lot more screen, but forget about one-handed texting.

Both phones rock 120Hz OLED displays, but Apple cranked up the brightness to 3,000 nits while Samsung’s hitting 2,600. Apple nailed the color accuracy right out of the box, but Samsung smartphones lets you mess with everything until it looks exactly how you want. The iPhone’s got better pixel density thanks to the smaller screen, but if you’re doing spreadsheets or editing docs, that Samsung real estate is hard to beat. Different phones for different people, really.

Read More: iPhone 17 vs Galaxy S25

Performance & Hardware

iPhone 17 Pro	Galaxy S25 Ultra
Apple A19 Pro (3 nm)	Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm)
Hexa-core CPU, Up to 4.26 GHz	Octa-core CPU Up to 4.47 GHz
6 Core Apple GPU	Adreno 830 GPU
Max. 1TB ROM, 12GB RAM | NVMe Storage	Max. 1TB ROM, 16GB RAM | UFS 4.0 Storage
USB 3.2 Gen 2 + DisplayPort	USB 3.2 + DisplayPort 1.2 & OTG

Now we’re getting to the good stuff. Apple’s A19 Pro chip is basically their flex on everyone else in the industry. Built on that 3nm process, this thing handles everything you throw at it without breaking a sweat. Gaming? Smooth. Video editing? No problem. Running seventeen apps at once because you have zero self-control? Still purring like a kitten.

Samsung went with the Snapdragon 8 Elite, and honestly, it’s no slouch either. This chip is a beast in benchmarks and real-world performance. Where it really shines though is in AI processing – Samsung packed this thing with 12GB of RAM standard, going up to 16GB on higher models. That’s serious multitasking power.

Here’s where things get interesting. The iPhone dominates in single-core performance and sustained performance thanks to that vapor chamber keeping temps down. But the Galaxy fights back with raw multitasking muscle and better gaming thermals over longer sessions. Do note the S25 Ultra also has a vapor chamber and has been including it since the S10.

Apple’s got that ecosystem magic where everything talks to each other perfectly. Samsung gives you the horsepower to actually let you work on the go. Both will last you years, but the iPhone typically ages better with iOS updates while Samsung gives you more power upfront.

Galaxy S25 Ultra 5G

• Design: Flat sleek titanium frame, premium durability
• Display: Large AMOLED with smooth high refresh rate
• Performance: Snapdragon 8 Elite for lightning-fast speed
• AI Features: Personalized AI-driven productivity insights
• Camera: Quad-lens setup with pro-level versatility
• Battery: Long-lasting with flash charging support

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Camera & Photography

iPhone 17 Pro	Galaxy S25 Ultra
Rear: Triple 48 MP Fusion (Wide + Periscope Telephoto + Ultrawide)	Rear: Quad 200 MP + 50 MP + 10 MP + 50 MP, OIS
Rear Video: 4K, 120 FPS | 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision | Apple Log 2	Rear Video: 8K, 30 FPS | 10-bit HDR, HDR10+ | Galaxy Log
Front: 18 MP Multi-aspect | OIS	12 MP Wide | HDR10+
Front Video: 4K 60 FPS | 1080p 120 FPS	Front Video: 4K, 60 FPS | 1080p, 30 FPS
Centre Stage	Best Face

Here’s where things get spicy. Apple basically said “let’s make every photo look like a magazine cover” and built the iPhone 17 Pro around that philosophy. The main 48MP sensor pulls in crazy amounts of light, and that computational photography magic makes even your worst selfies look decent. Portrait mode is amazing now – the edge detection actually works wonders, and the bokeh looks natural.

Samsung took a completely different route. The S25 Ultra is like having a professional camera that happens to make phone calls. We’re talking a 200MP main sensor with legitimate optical zoom that goes way further than Apple’s setup. The S Pen integration for camera controls is actually genius – you can trigger shots remotely or fine-tune settings without fumbling around the screen.

Low light is where both phones flex differently. The iPhone produces cleaner, more natural shots that look great on social media. Samsung gives you more detail and lets you actually see in the dark, but sometimes it can look a bit over-processed.

Video is iPhone territory though. That Action Mode stabilization is insane, and if you’re shooting anything for TikTok or YouTube, Apple’s color science just hits different. Samsung’s improving fast, but iPhone video still feels more polished straight out the camera.

Read More: iPhone 17 Pro vs Galaxy S25

Battery Life & Charging

iPhone 17 Pro	Galaxy S25
Li-Ion 3988 mAh / Li-Ion 4252 mAh	Li-Ion 5000 mAh
Wired: PD3.2 using AVS	Wired 45W PD3.0
Wireless: 25W MagSafe / Qi2 | 4.5W Reverse Wired	Wireless: 15W Qi2 | 4.5W reverse wireless

Battery life is where these phones show their personalities. The iPhone 17 Pro packs either a 3,988mAh or 4,252mAh Li-Ion battery depending on the model, which is actually a decent jump from previous generations. Apple’s finally listening to people who want more juice. Combined with iOS efficiency, you’re looking at solid all-day performance, maybe stretching into day two if you’re not glued to the screen.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra just steamrolls through battery life with that massive 5,000mAh pack. This thing handles heavy usage like it’s nothing – gaming sessions, video calls, productivity work. You’re easily getting day-and-a-half usage for most people, sometimes pushing two full days if you’re not going crazy with it.

Charging speeds are still a mystery for the iPhone since Apple hasn’t spilled those details yet. Samsung’s rocking 45W fast charging that’ll get you from dead to usable in about 30 minutes. Their wireless charging is pretty quick too. The iPhone typically holds its battery health better over the long haul. After two years, you’ll probably still hit that full day without issues.

Which One to Pick?

So which phone deserves your money? It honestly depends on who you are.

Get the iPhone if you just want your phone to work. Seriously. You take photos, text people, watch Netflix, maybe play some games. You don’t want to mess around with settings or figure out seventeen different ways to do the same thing. The iPhone does everything well without making you think about it.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is for people who actually use their phones for real work. You’re editing documents, taking notes with that S Pen, need multiple apps running at once. You probably complained that your old phone didn’t have enough features. This thing has every feature.

It’s honestly that simple. The iPhone is for living your life. The Samsung is for getting stuff done. Both cost way too much money, but hey, at least you’ll be broke with a really nice phone.

And if you are confused on where to get these devices from you can check out Apple Gadgets as we always have the latest devices with proper support.