Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 15: worth jumping ship?

The Samsung Galaxy S25 has launched to a crowded arena, where it competes against multiple generations of iPhone. Don’t get us wrong — all are fantastic devices with specs that make expert guesses from a decade ago look wildly inaccurate — but with every new phone generation, there are objectively better picks. The Apple iPhone 15 may not be the latest version of Apple’s flagship, but it’s a strong smartphone, and if you’re using an iPhone 15, you may be wondering if it’s worth jumping ship when it’s time to upgrade.

So which one of these two phones is the better choice? There are a lot of factors involved, and it ultimately depends on what you’re most interested in: performance, storage, AI functionality, photographic potential, or something else. We’ll break down the differences between the two options, but as for which of the two phones is the better choice, that is up to you. Here’s what we think.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 15: specs

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 15: design and display

Although each new phone generation introduces a few subtle changes in design, both the Samsung Galaxy S25 and the iPhone 15 maintain the same design elements as previous generations. The S25 is slightly lighter than the S24, but only by a matter of a few grams. Even the rear camera setup is virtually the same, and where the iPhone 15 has Apple’s Dynamic Island feature, the Galaxy S25 has something similar in the Now Bar.

The displays are also quite similar, with the S25 sporting a 6.2-inch screen and the iPhone 15 a 6.1-inch screen. Despite having a smaller screen, the iPhone 15 has a higher resolution and greater pixel density, but the S25 beats it in terms of refresh rate and brightness. In our review, we noted that issues with auto-brightness that plagued Samsung’s earlier flagships appear to have been resolved, though we did notice a fair amount of glare due to the absence of a non-reflective layer on the screen, which we appreciated on the S24 Ultra.

Our reviewer also commented that the S25’s Armor Aluminum frame feels great in-hand, and that the navy blue, coral red, and light blue colors look stunning.

Both handsets are sleek and the culmination of many previous generations, but there aren’t really a lot of improvements on either front. The better design boils down to personal preference and whether you like the look of an iPhone or a Galaxy. The S25 absolutely has a better display though, and the continued use of a 60Hz panel on the basic iPhone range is a crime.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 15: performance

The Galaxy S25 is a brand-new flagship, with all the bells and whistles users expect from a new device. Comparatively speaking, the iPhone 15 lags a bit behind, especially when compared to the S25.

The Galaxy S25 comes with 12GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage in the US (512GB in some other regions), while the iPhone 15 tops out at 6GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The S25 is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor that’s faster than the iPhone 15’s A16 Bionic chip, but that’s largely when it comes down to things like benchmarks.

Our reviewer counts themselves as a fairly heavy user, with communication platforms, task management apps, music streaming, social media, and video editing taking up much of their average workday. The Galaxy S25 handled all of this adeptly and never struggled.

The situation was similar with gaming across graphics-intensive titles such as Diablo Immortal and Battleground Mobile (BGMI). Our reviewer only noted a few minor stutters during intense combat in BGMI, with frame rates set to Extreme+ and graphics quality at Smooth. Overall, they were impressed by the phone’s performance, which never dropped below 86fps across multiple gaming sessions. Overheating was never an issue, either, with the phone topping out at 40°C after a half-hour gaming session.

Overall, there has been a notable jump in performance compared to the S25’s predecessor and we didn’t spot any red flags during our time with the phone.

Love to play games, or regularly multitask? Then the winner is obvious. The newer device, with newer technology, is the clear victor. However, if 512gB of storage is a must for you, the iPhone 15 is the device to get.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 15: cameras

The Samsung Galaxy S25 packs a triple-lens rear setup, with 50MP main, 10MP telephoto, and 12MP ultrawide sensors, plus a 12MP selfie camera. While that might sound good on paper, it’s the same camera hardware as the S24. In our review, we felt the cameras didn’t justify the phone’s price tag and that they were underpowered compared to other Android phones in the same price bracket.

The main sensor captures beautiful, detailed shorts, especially if you’re a fan of saturation, while close-up shots look pretty good and portrait shots are also excellent, though the camera struggles with moving subjects. White balance uniformity across the camera lenses isn’t great, with some elements appearing washed out, and we noticed mixed low-light results, too, with grainy texture and aggressive denoising in shots taken in dim environments.

Our reviewer also noted that the 3x optically stabilized camera does a good job, however, it isn’t so great when going beyond the optical zoom range, with the camera algorithm oversharpening images.

The iPhone 15 packs a dual-lens rear setup, with a 48MP main sensor and a 12MP ultrawide lens with 120-degree field of view, plus a 12MP selfie camera. The ultrawide may lack autofocus, but overall the camera does a good job capturing details even in low-light environments. Photos are excellent, with rich, vibrant colors and sharp details — in our review, we particularly enjoyed the Auto Portrait feature which switches automatically to Portrait mode when the camera focuses on a person or pet.

For now, we’re giving this to the Galaxy S25 for its triple camera array, though that may change once we’ve spent more time with the phone.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 15: battery and charging

The Galaxy S25 comes with a 4,000mAh battery, the same as the S24. This time around, though, the battery has been optimised so you can easily go a full day on a single charge, even with fairly heavy usage. That might not be the case if you’re a gamer, however.

One area where the S25 falls short is its exceptionally slow charging. It takes well over an hour to fully charge from empty. Combined with the fact that there’s no magnetic wireless charging and you don’t get a charger in the box and this is pretty disappointing.

The iPhone 15 sports a 3,349mAh battery.  It’s been plagued by battery life issues experienced by many different users. Though estimates give the iPhone 15 an estimated max of 20 or so hours, its longevity under real conditions is closer to 11 hours. It takes around 30 minutes to reach 50% charge, with a 20W charger.

Despite its slow charging, the winner is clear, in this case, especially since the S25 requires a little extra power to keep its AI features running.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 15: artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence is the next great frontier for technology, and there are already quite a few names in the arena. Between ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini all working together with mobile device assistants, your phone is capable of much more than it ever has been before — but there are limits.

The Galaxy S25 is built around AI. Tools like Circle to Search, Call Transcript, Writing Assist and Drawing Assist make it easy to generate text or images as you need, perform searches for something you aren’t sure how to describe, or just review an important phone call. The S25 takes advantage of its ProScaler feature for AI image upscaling, resulting in a 40% improvement in image clarity. It’s not all good, though. In our review, we noted that Galaxy AI features didn’t always work as intended. The only features we found ourselves using frequently were the writing assist bundle, live translation for phone calls, and the interpreter mode that works offline for real-time translation. Many of these aren’t unique to Samsung devices, though.

The iPhone 15 has more limited AI functionality. It’s still capable of quite a bit, including image and text generation, but the S25 is on a completely different level. The iPhone 15 received AI features as an afterthought, with most of those aimed at the iPhone 16.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 15: software

The iPhone 15 shipped with iOS 17, but currently runs the most recent version of iOS 18. Though a generation older, the handset is still quick and smooth, able to handle the more modern OS with ease. As an added bonus, the jump to iOS 18 brought Apple Intelligence features like Genmoji, Image Playground, and more. It’ll even summarize some messages for you, although that feature has had varying (and sometimes shocking) results.

On the other hand, the Galaxy S25 ships with One UI 7. In our review, we called it “an acquired taste” thanks to the healthy dose of bloat, with more than a dozen in-house apps, Microsoft apps like LinkedIn and CoPilot, and Google’s Workspace apps. That bloat continues with Galaxy AI as we thought it rather strange that you get three AI assistant apps: CoPilot, Bixby, and Gemini Nano.

Speaking of Galaxy AI, the Now Bar is Samsung’s answer to the iPhone’s Live Activities system on the lock screen. It disappears when not in use, giving you back your screen. It also comes with several notable UI improvements and offers more customization options for your own layout. Perhaps one of the most exciting perks of One UI 7 is that you can choose between different charging speeds that let you top off your battery quickly, or charge at a lower speed in exchange for a healthier battery. We also liked the useful side panel for quick access to system tools and the Good Lock module for deeper customization.

Winner: Galaxy S25

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 15: pricing and availability

Both the Samsung Galaxy S25 and iPhone 15 carry a not-insignificant price tag, but the Galaxy S25 is new, whereas the iPhone 15 is one generation behind.

The Galaxy S25 starts from $800 for the 128GB variant, rising to $860 for the 256GB model, and is currently available from Samsung. Samsung does offer a few programs to help mitigate the cost, like the New Galaxy Club early upgrade program. You can sign up for a small amount each month and receive a new phone now, with the option to upgrade to the latest device after 12 months. The program includes one year of Samsung Care+, too.

The iPhone 15 is more affordable than the Galaxy S25, with prices now starting from $699. It’s available pretty much anywhere phones are sold, including from Apple and you shouldn’t have an issue finding one. Apple offers financing programs to help mitigate the cost, too. Another reason Apple is more affordable is because the company has discontinued the Pro options from the iPhone 15. Ultimately, it’s the less expensive option of the two.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 15: verdict

Both phones are solid choices, but in the end, it’s hard to recommend anything except the Galaxy S25 from a purely technical standpoint. If you already use an iPad and Mac on a daily basis, then the iPhone might be a better pick for you (if only because it slots right into the ecosystem), but only if you use those integrations. It might also be the device of choice for anyone who simply must have as much storage as possible, since the 512GB variant of the S25 isn’t available in the US.

If you’re after a powerful, more modern phone, the Galaxy S25 can’t be beat. It’s also future-proofed for the next seven years thanks to software and security updates, so you won’t have to think about an upgrade for a long time to come.