Apple’s iPhone 17 vs. Samsung’s Galaxy S25: Comparing the Base Flagship Phones

There is a new flagship phone from Apple in town: the long -awaited iPhone 17. Iphone 17 of $ 799 is the basic model of New iPhone range, which is now on sale with the $ 999 iPhone Air,, $ 1,099 iPhone 17 pro and $ 1 199 iPhone 17 pro Max. Although the iPhone 17 is the most affordable option among new phones, there is nothing basic on this subject. It offers many updates such as a 120 Hz screen, upgraded cameras and a faster A19 chip.
Since there is a new basic iPhone, we believe that it is only necessary to compare it to one of its most difficult competitors: Samsung’s basic Galaxy S25. The two have very similar characteristics and would make excellent smartphones, depending on whether you are on the apple or android side of the division.
So how do these two flagship products accumulate? Let’s take a closer look.
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Display
One of the biggest updates of the iPhone 17 compared to its predecessor is that it finally has a promotion screen with a variable refresh rate of 120 Hz, which was only in the pro models of the iPhone at this stage. This allows a display always on the screen so that you can take a look at your notifications and live activities without having to wake the screen. In addition, it offers a more fluid experience to play games or scroll through the web. Aside from the cooling rate, the 6.3 -inch OLED screen of the iPhone 17 has a resolution of 2,622 x 1,206 pixels and 3,000 brightness.
Look at this: IPhone air review: joy to hold, at a cost
The Samsung Galaxy line has a variable cooling rate of 120 Hz for a while (from S20), and it is no different with the Galaxy S25. The S25 also has an always on display option, which can be configured to display all the time or by pressing the screen. Its 6.2 -inch AMOLED screen is not as clear with a resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 pixels, and it is not as bright, at 2,600 nits with maximum brightness.
The iPhone 17 has a 48 megapixel main camera and an ultrawid 48 megapixel camera.
Cameras
Regarding the number of cameras, the Galaxy S25 beat the iPhone 17. It does not have one, not two, but three cameras: a width of 50 megapixels, an ultra-refaction of 12 megapixels and a 10 megapixel telephoto. The iPhone 17, on the other hand, has just two: a wide of 48 megapixels and an ultrawide of 48 megapixels quite impressive. The Galaxy S25 telephotto camera supports a 3X optical zoom, while the iPhone 17 supports a 2x optical zoom.
The front camera of the S25 has a 12 megapixel lens, while the iPhone 17 has an 18 megapixel. The iPhone 17 also has a new central feature that allows you to take landscape selfies without running the phone.
In terms of video, the S25 can run on video 8K to 30 frames per second, while the iPhone 17 can run in 4K to 30 and 60 images per second.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 (right), illustrated here with the Plus edition, has three cameras. These include an ultrawide of 12 megapixels of 50 megapixels, 12 megapixels and a 10 megapixel telephoto.
Battery life
Apple did not share the exact specifications of the iPhone 17 battery, but we know that it has up to 30 hours of video playback. According to the company, it also uses a new adaptive supply function supplied by AI on iOS 26 This can help keep the battery life with performance adjustments.
The Galaxy S25 has a 4,000 mAh battery, which, according to Samsung, offers up to 29 hours of video playback. In our tests, we said that the Galaxy S25 lasts about a day and a half with regular use, while the iPhone 17 lasts more than a day. To date, we are still busy testing the iPhone 17, but it seems that the two phones are quite comparable with regard to the battery life.
Price
The iPhone 17 and the Samsung Galaxy S25 start at around $ 800, but with very different storage sizes. The iPhone 17 starts at $ 799 ($ 829 if you get it without operator) for the 256 GB version, while the Samsung Galaxy S25 will cost you $ 800 for the 128 GB model. Adaptation to the 256 GB edition of the Galaxy S25 adds $ 60 to the price.
Discover the table of specifications below for more comparisons between the iPhone 17 and the Galaxy S25.
Apple iPhone 17 against Samsung Galaxy S25
| IPhone 17 Apple | Samsung Galaxy S25 | |
|---|---|---|
| Display size, resolution | 6.3 inch oled; Resolution of 2,622×1 206 pixels; Variable refresh rate 1-120 Hz | 6.2 inch amoled; 2,340×1 080 pixels; Adaptive refresh rate 1 to 120 Hz |
| Pixel density | 460PPI | 416 PPI |
| Dimensions (thumbs) | 5.89 x 2.81 x 0.31 | 5.78 x 2.78 x 0.28 in. |
| Dimensions (millimeters) | 149.6 x 71.5 x 7.95 mm | 146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2 mm |
| Weight (ounces, grams) | 177 g (6.24 oz) | 162g (5.71 oz.) |
| Mobile software | iOS 26 | Android 15 |
| Camera | 48 megapixels (wide) 48 megapixels (ultrawide) | 50 megapixels (wide), 12 megapixels (ultrairs), 10 megapixels (3x telephoto lens) |
| Front camera | 18 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Video capture | 4K | 8k |
| Processor | Apple A19 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy |
| Aries / storage | RAM N / A + 256 GB, 512 GB | 12 GB of RAM + 128 GB, 256 GB |
| Extensible storage | None | None |
| Battery / charger | Up to 30 hours of video playback; Until 27 hours of video playback (broadcast) | 4,000 mAh |
| Fingerprint sensor | None (front id) | Sub-panel |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C |
| Headset | None | None |
| Special characteristics | Apple N1 wireless networking (Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 Mimo), Bluetooth 6, wire; Action button; Camera control button; Dynamic island; Apple Intelligence; Visual intelligence; Double Esim; 1 to 3,000 brightness brightness nits; IP68 resistance; Colors: black, white, blue, wise, lavender; Fast load up to 50% in 20 minutes using a 40 W or more adapter via the load cable; Fast load up to 50% in 30 minutes using an adapter 30W or more via the Magsafe charger. | 2,600 nit the maximum brightness; 7 years of operating system and security updates; 5G (mmwave); IP68 Resistance of water and shots; Wireless power to load other devices; 25W cable load (charger not included); Galaxy Ai; Wi-Fi 7 |
| Price excluding contract (USD) | $ 829 (256 GB) | $ 800 (128 GB) |
| Price (GBP) | £ 799 (256 GB) | £ 799 (128 GB) |
| Price (AUD) | $ 1,399 at (256 GB) | $ 1,399 at (256 GB) |


