Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 17
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra wins 5 of 5. Buy Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra if you want better photos, longer battery life, more speed for games, the longest software support and to spend less.
The short answer
- CameraSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Takes the better photos: camera score 9 out of 10, against 7.
- BatterySamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Lasts longer on a charge: battery score 7 out of 10, against 6. It has a 5000 mAh battery.
- SpeedSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Faster for games and heavy apps: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, speed score 9 out of 10, against 8.
- UpdatesSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Android upgrades: until about Jan 2032 (7 upgrades). Security patches: until about Jan 2032 (7 years from launch).
- PriceSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Costs 10% less.
Overall, Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra wins 5 of 5. The full details are below.
Side by side
Compared like for like: each phone in the version closest to the same memory and storage. Change a version at the top of its column.
| Spec | Your main pickSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra | Apple iPhone 17 | Suggested by TuvvoiQOO 15Wins 8 of 10 key areas against Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra₹3,996 cheaper for 12GB + 256GB, longer battery life, faster, smoother screen, brighter screen outdoors, faster charging, better water protection, security fixes for longer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | ₹89,995 12GB + 256GB | ₹99,900 8GB + 256GB | Best price of these phones₹85,999 12GB + 256GB | |
| Price since launch | Down ₹40,004 (31%) ₹1,29,999 at launch, ₹89,995 now 12GB + 256GB model | Up ₹17,000 (21%) ₹82,900 at launch, ₹99,900 now 8GB + 256GB model | Up ₹13,000 (18%) ₹72,999 at launch, ₹85,999 now 12GB + 256GB model | |
| Versions | 12GB + 256GB: ₹89,995 12GB + 512GB: price not known 12GB + 1TB: price not known | 8GB + 256GB: ₹99,900 8GB + 512GB: ₹1,24,900 | 12GB + 256GB: ₹85,999 16GB + 512GB: ₹93,999 | |
| Stands out for | Best camera in its price range: scored 9/10 | Nothing that leads its price range | Nothing that leads its price range | |
| Launched | 22 January 2025 | 9 September 2025 | 26 November 2025 | |
| Big upgrades | Best big upgrades of these phonesAndroid upgrades: until about Jan 2032 (7 upgrades) | iOS upgrades: no fixed promise from Apple, expected until about Sep 2030 | Android upgrades: until about Nov 2030 (5 upgrades) | |
| Security patches | Security patches: until about Jan 2032 (7 years from launch) | Security patches: until about Sep 2030 (5 years from launch) | Best security patches of these phonesSecurity patches: until about Nov 2032 (7 years from launch) | |
| Software now | One UI 9 (Android 17), launched with One UI 7 (Android 15) | iOS 27.0.1, launched with iOS 26 | OriginOS 6 (Android 16) (same as launch) | |
| Rating | 8.4/10 | Best rating of these phones8.8/10 | Best rating of these phones8.8/10 | |
| Battery | Easily lasts a full day; 45W charging is fine, not fast. 5000 mAh | Comfortably lasts a day for most people, and charges to half in about 20 minutes. 3692 mAh | Best battery of these phonesExcellent battery life from 7000mAh, with 100W wired and 40W wireless charging. 7000 mAh | |
| Camera | Best camera of these phonesExcellent: 200MP main, 3x and 5x zoom lenses, and a sharper 50MP ultrawide. | Reliable 48MP main and 48MP ultrawide cameras, plus a very good selfie camera; no zoom lens. | Strong main and 3x zoom cameras; the wide-angle and selfie cameras are less sharp. | |
| Speed | Snapdragon 8 Elite is among the fastest chips, great for heavy games. | Fast and smooth for everything, though it warms up in long games. | Best speed of these phonesTop Snapdragon chip with big cooling, though long-session performance dipped versus last year. | |
| Screen size | 6.9 inch | 6.3 inch | 6.85 inch | |
| Smooth scrolling | 120Hz, very smooth | 120Hz, very smooth | Best smooth scrolling of these phones144Hz, very smooth | |
| Outdoor brightness | 2,600 nits, easy to read in sun | 3,000 nits, very easy to read in sun | Best outdoor brightness of these phones6,000 nits, very easy to read in sun | |
| Charging | 45W wired, 15W wireless | Not officially stated, 25W wireless | Best charging of these phones100W wired, 40W wireless | |
| Wireless charging | Yes | Yes | Best wireless charging of these phonesYes | |
| Water and dust | IP68: survives a dunk in water | IP68: survives a dunk in water | Best water and dust of these phonesIP68/IP69: survives a dunk and hot water jets | |
| Weight | 218 g | Best weight of these phones177 g | 215 g | |
| Thickness | 8.2 mm | Best thickness of these phones8 mm | 8.1 mm | |
| 5G | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Tap to pay (NFC) | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Speakers | Two (stereo) | Two (stereo) | Two (stereo) | |
| Headphone jack | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | |
| Memory card slot | No | No | No | |
| Colours | Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Whitesilver | Black, White, Mist Blue, Sage, Lavender | Legend, Alpha Black | |
| Catch | Big and heavy at 218g. Samsung still lists it at ₹1,29,999, so only buy at the store discount. | No telephoto zoom camera, slow USB 2.0 cable transfers, and it can get warm under heavy load. | Speakers are underwhelming, and the India price has risen well above launch. | |
| What owners say | No owner reports yet | No owner reports yet | No owner reports yet | |
| Expert reviews | GSMArena Android Central | GSMArena Digit 82.6% | GSMArena Smartprix 8.6/10 |
marks the strongest phone on each row, Tuvvo's suggestion included. For price, weight and thickness, that's the lowest.
Full specifications (tap to open)
Every spec side by side
Compared like for like: each phone in the version closest to the same memory and storage. Change a version at the top of its column.
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra | Apple iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.9-inch QHD+ (1440 x 3120) Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, 2600 nits peak, anti-reflective Gorilla Armor 2 | 6.3-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz ProMotion with Always-On, 1600 nits HBM, 3000 nits peak, Ceramic Shield 2 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3nm) | Apple A19 (3nm) |
| CPU | 2x Oryon V2 Phoenix L @ 4.47GHz + 6x Oryon V2 Phoenix M @ 3.53GHz | 6-core: 2x performance @ 4.26GHz + 4x efficiency @ 2.60GHz |
| Graphics (GPU) | Adreno 830 | Apple 5-core GPU |
| AI chip (NPU) | Qualcomm Hexagon NPU (TOPS not officially stated) | 16-core Neural Engine (TOPS not officially stated) |
| RAM and storage | 12GB + 256GB, 12GB + 512GB, 12GB + 1TB (UFS 4.0; LPDDR5X) | 8GB + 256GB, 8GB + 512GB (NVMe storage; RAM type not officially stated) |
| Battery | 5000 mAh | 3692 mAh |
| Charging | 45W wired PD (about 65% in 30 min), 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless | Wired USB-C PD (50% in about 20 min), 25W MagSafe/Qi2 wireless, 4.5W reverse wired |
| Cameras | 200MP main (f/1.7, OIS) + 50MP ultrawide (f/1.9) + 10MP 3x telephoto (f/2.4, OIS) + 50MP 5x periscope (f/3.4, OIS); 12MP front | 48MP Fusion main (f/1.6, 1/1.56", sensor-shift OIS) + 48MP ultrawide (f/2.2); 18MP Center Stage front (f/1.9) |
| Water and dust | IP68 (1.5m for 30 mins) | IP68 |
| Size and weight | 8.2mm thick, 218g | 8mm thick, 177g |
| Software | One UI 7 (Android 15) at launch, One UI 9 (Android 17) now | iOS 26 at launch, iOS 27.0.1 now |
| Updates | 7 years promised | 5 years promised |
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, UWB, USB-C 3.2 with DisplayPort | Wi-Fi 7 (Apple N1 chip), Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C 2.0 with DisplayPort, 2nd-gen UWB, satellite SOS |
| Modem | Integrated Snapdragon 5G modem (model not officially stated) | Qualcomm Snapdragon X80 5G modem (found in teardowns) |
| Speakers and haptics | Stereo speakers tuned by AKG; S Pen (no Bluetooth features) | Stereo speakers (quieter than iPhone 16 per GSMArena); haptics not officially detailed |
| Screen flicker (PWM) | Not officially stated | Not officially stated |
| Cooling | Larger vapour chamber than S24 Ultra | No vapor chamber; GSMArena found it heats up and throttles under sustained load |
| Colours | Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Whitesilver | Black, White, Mist Blue, Sage, Lavender |
Where to buy
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra₹89,995
Pick your version and colour, then your store:
Opens 12GB + 256GB.
- Apple iPhone 17₹99,900
Pick your version and colour, then your store:
Opens 8GB + 256GB.
Store links may earn Tuvvo a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes our rankings.
Waiting for a better price?See it here next time you open Tuvvo if any of these phones drops in price.
Common questions
- Which is better, Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra or Apple iPhone 17?
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra wins 5 of 5 areas (camera, battery, speed, updates and price). Buy Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra if you want better photos, longer battery life, more speed for games, the longest software support and to spend less.
- Which has the better camera?
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra takes the better photos.
- Which has the better battery life?
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra lasts longer on a charge.
- Which is faster for gaming?
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is faster for games and heavy apps.
- How much do they cost?
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (12GB + 256GB) costs ₹89,995, Apple iPhone 17 (8GB + 256GB) costs ₹99,900.
- Which gets software updates for longer?
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, now on One UI 9 (Android 17). Android upgrades: until about Jan 2032 (7 upgrades). Security patches: until about Jan 2032 (7 years from launch). Apple iPhone 17, now on iOS 27.0.1. iOS upgrades: no fixed promise from Apple, expected until about Sep 2030. Security patches: until about Sep 2030 (5 years from launch).
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