Summary
- The iPhone 17 Pro brings several improvements, including those in the hardware and software departments. However, it has become $100 more expensive than last year.
- The Galaxy S25 Ultra, on the other hand, should be available at a discounted price given that it was launched in January 2025.
- If you’re in the market for a new flagship smartphone and are confused between these two phones, this comparison will help you make an informed decision.
The iPhone 17 Pro is here, featuring a new unibody design, a more powerful A19 Pro chipset, an enhanced camera setup, and various other upgrades. But does it have what it takes to beat the Galaxy S25 Ultra? Let’s find out.
Aluminum vs. Titanium Body
Table of Contents
To begin with, the iPhone 17 Pro no longer features a titanium frame. Instead, the company has returned to aluminum for the handset’s skeleton (what it’s called the “forged aluminum unibody”). On the back of the iPhone is a new camera plateau, which protrudes quite a bit from the otherwise flat panel, and houses all the cameras (in a triangular pattern) and related sensors.
The dual-tone finish on the Pro iPhone is the result of using metal and the Ceramic Shield back (both of which have a different texture). In comparison, the Galaxy S25 Ultra appears to be a more subtle and minimalist option. It offers a titanium frame, a punch-hole screen at the front, and a flat back panel with raised lenses.
Justin Duino / How-To Geek
The iPhone 17 Pro is significantly smaller than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, to the point where I wouldn’t recommend the latter for those who prefer one-handed usage. But somehow, Samsung’s full-scale flagship manages to maintain a slimmer profile (8.2mm vs. 8.8mm). The iPhone 17 Pro Max, on the other hand, is even bigger than the S25 Ultra.
On the surface, both phones have an IP68 rating. However, Apple’s iPhones are rated to survive in up to six meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes, whereas Samsung’s protection maxes out at 1.5 meters for the same duration. Last but not least, Apple sells the Pro iPhone in three colors (including the fiery Cosmic Orange option), while Samsung provides its customers with seven different options.
iPhone 17 Pro Offers a Brighter Screen
Compared to the iPhone 17 Pro’s 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen, the Galaxy S25 Ultra features a massive 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x, making it the ultimate multimedia consumption device. The former is brighter (3,000 nits vs. 2,600 nits), while the latter is sharper (460 ppi vs. 498 ppi); however, both utilize an LTPO panel capable of variable refresh rates (1-120Hz).
Although Samsung’s Ultra phone has featured an anti-reflective coating for quite some time, Apple has included one — for the first time — on the iPhone 17 models. Last but not least, the iPhone features Ceramic Shield 2 protective glass, while the Ultra utilizes Gorilla Glass Armor 2 for protection.
The S25 Ultra does come with the S Pen, but it doesn’t include the Air Actions.
A19 Pro vs. Snapdragon 8 Elite
For the A19 Pro (3nm) chipset, Apple is still using a hexa-core CPU paired with a six-core GPU (with Neural Accelerators for each core) and a 16-core Neural Engine. There’s a new heat dissipation mechanism on the Pro models, with which they can offer up to “40% better sustained performance.”
Apple paired the A19 Pro on the iPhone 17 Pro with 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of NVMe storage. If you want the 2TB storage variant, you’ll have to pay more for the Pro Max. To summarize, the Pro models offer the best performance on any iPhone, enabling you to run AAA video games at higher settings and frame rates, or create and edit content on the go.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3nm) also utilizes TSMC’s foundries, but is based on the older N3E process, as compared to the newer M3P process used on the A19 Pro. However, even so, the S25 Ultra remains strong with its Adreno 830 GPU and Hexagon NPU, which can handle several AI-based processes offline. The S25 Ultra is available with 12GB of RAM (16GB on the top variant) and 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage.
And while the handset ruled with its performance in the mainstream flagship category, the A19 Pro is over 25% faster in single-core and 5% faster in the multicore GeekBench scores, leaving some scope for improvement (and expectation) from Qualcomm for the chipset’s successor.
Technicalities aside, you shouldn’t face any performance issues with either smartphone, whether you’re an average or power user. Both of them run on their respective operating systems—iOS 26 with the Liquid Glass design and One UI 8 with deeper Gemini AI integration—which offer several user-centric improvements in the user interface, system apps, and other functionalities.
While Samsung commits to providing seven years of operating system updates with the Galaxy S25 Ultra, iPhones usually get around five years of software support.
Triple vs. Quad Cameras
When it comes to cameras, the Apple and Samsung flagships follow a similar formula, incorporating at least three cameras with distinct focal lengths and perspectives.
| iPhone 17 Pro | Galaxy S25 Ultra | |
| Primary Camera | 48MP (f/1.6, 1/1.28″, sensor-shift OIS) | 200MP (f/1.7, 1/1.3″, OIS) |
| Ultrawide Camera | 48MP (f/2.2, 1/2.55″, PDAF) | 50MP (f/1.9, 1/2.5″, PDAF) |
| Telephoto Camera I | 48MP (f/2.8, 1/2.55″, sensor-shift OIS) 4x optical zoom | 10MP (f/2.4, 1/3.52″, OIS) 3x optical zoom |
| Telephoto Camera II | N.A. | 50MP (f/3.4, 1/2.52″, OIS) 5x optical zoom |
| Selfie Camera | 18MP Center Stage (f/1.9, PDAF, OIS) | 12MP (f/2.2, 1/3.2″, PDAF) |
What’s new in the iPhone 17 Pro’s triple 48MP setup is the zoom camera, which features a 56% larger sensor and, therefore, performs better in low-light environments. Using the optical zoom range of the camera, which maxes out at 4x, it can provide up to 8x optical quality zoom (and digital zoom of up to 40x).
Other new features on the iPhone 17 Pro’s cameras include Cinematic Mode and Action Mode recordings in Dolby Vision format, ProRes RAW video (with Genlock support), Apple Log 2, and Dual Capture (4K Dolby Vision at 30 fps). There’s a new 18MP Center Stage front camera as well, which lets you capture selfies in multiple aspect ratios with its ultrawide field of view and square sensor.
Last but not least, the iPhone retains the Camera Control button added with the iPhone 16.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra’s primary camera should capture more details, especially in the high-resolution mode. Its zoom cameras provide 5x optical zoom, 10x optical-quality zoom, and up to 100x Space Zoom. While both phones can record 4K videos at 120 fps and support RAW photography, the S25 Ultra also supports 8K (30 fps) videos.
The front camera on the Ultra isn’t as good as the one on the Pro iPhone. However, it redeems itself with the Pro Mode (available for both photos and videos), which allows users to take manual control of camera settings, including ISO, shutter speed, and white balance.
Additional features include support for 10-bit HDR and Log video, a Virtual Aperture button, and the Audio Eraser feature. You also get plenty of AI-based photo editing features on the flagships, but Samsung currently has an edge over Apple in that regard.
Different Capacity, Similar Battery Life
The iPhone 17 Pro features a larger battery than its predecessor, which is how it bumps up the video playback time from 27 hours to 31 hours. Apple also mentions that the eSIM-only models (those sold in the United States and other regions) provide an additional two hours of video playback. With a 40W or higher adapter, the handset charges up to 50% in 20 minutes (via the USB-C port) or 30 minutes (via MagSafe charging).
Samsung’s S25 Ultra still features a 5,000 mAh battery that claims to provide 31 hours of video playback (similar to the iPhone 17 Pro). Furthermore, it supports 45W wired and 15W wireless (Qi2-ready) charging; however, a magnetic charging case is required to fully utilize Qi2-compatible charging accessories.
And yes, the iPhone 17 Pro has the new N1 networking chip that supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0 (vs. Bluetooth 5.3 on the Ultra), and Thread smart-home networking protocol. The chip also improves the performance for AirDrop and Personal Hotspot on the iPhone. Finally, both phones offer satellite connectivity.
Which Flagship Is Right for You?
Both the flagships represent the pinnacle of smartphone engineering technology, but they appeal to slightly different target audiences.
The iPhone 17 Pro, for instance, is for buyers who want refinement and power in a compact, easy-to-carry body. Backed by the raw performance of the A19 Pro processor, the triple 48MP camera setup, and professional-grade video tools like ProRes RAW, Genlock, and Apple Log 2, the smartphone is designed for professionals or power users who can effectively utilize all these features. You can also get a similar experience with the iPhone 17 Pro Max, but with a larger screen and a higher price tag.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra, by contrast, offers the ultimate big-screen multimedia experience, featuring solid performance, unmatched camera zoom, and more AI-based options, not just for editing photos, but also through the operating system, along with a promise of seven years of software upgrades. If any of these things are on your priority list, get the S25 Ultra
I’ve also compiled a comparison between the iPhone 17 and the Galaxy S25, so check that out too.
