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Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 16: I compared the base models that most people should buy
Samsung just launched its new lineup of flagship Galaxy smartphones at its Unpacked event, and they're packed with AI features, additional integrations, and a powerful, energy-efficient processor. This year's Galaxy S25 base model comes with a 6.2-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, 12GB of memory, and a 50MP main camera, all of which go head-to-head with the other big smartphone on the market right now: the iPhone 16.
Also: Best Samsung Galaxy S25 deals: $200 gift cards and free offers at T-Mobile and Verizon
Both devices have their own set of pros and cons, so if you can't decide which way you want to go, we don't blame you. We've broken down some of the standout feature sets from both phones to compare how they differ, highlighting the specs and use cases so you can choose the right device for your needs.
If neither of these phones does it for you, Samsung also released an S25+ and S25 Ultra version, which feature bigger displays, better cameras, more battery power, and of course, more storage. But let's start by comparing the S25 with Apple's base model iPhone 16.
Specifications
| Galaxy S25 | iPhone 16 | |
| Starting price | $799 | $799 |
| Display | 6.2" Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2600 nits peak | 6.1'' Super Retina XDR OLED, 1000 nits peak |
| Resolution | FHD+ 2340 x 1080 pixels | 2556 x 1179 pixels |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Elite | Apple A18 |
| RAM | 12GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Main camera | 50MP f/1.8 wide, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto - 8K at 30fps, 4K at 60fps | 48MP Fusion f/1.6 wide, 12MP ultrawide - 4K at 24/25/30/60fps |
| Front camera | 12MP f2.2 - 4K at 60fps | 12MP f/1.9 - 4K at 24/25/30/60fps |
| Battery | 4,000mAh | 3,561mAh |
| Durability | IP68, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 Armor with aluminum frame | IP68, Corning-made glass front and back with aluminum frame |
| Colors | Icyblue, Navy, Mint, Silver Shadow | Black, White, Pink, Teal, Ultramarine |
You should buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 if...
1. You want one of the fastest smartphone right now
The iPhone 16's Apple A18 processor is undoubtedly fast, but the Galaxy S25's Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip is one of the fastest on the market. In fact, Samsung says the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip is the most powerful processor ever placed in a Galaxy phone, with a 40% performance increase to the NPU, 37% increase to the CPU, and 30% to the GPU compared to the Galaxy S24.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite chip was designed specifically for the Galaxy S25. It has two primary cores and six performance cores, providing a higher baseline performance while also being more energy efficient. The jump-up in performance also applies to mobile gaming, with improved ray tracing and a 40% larger vapor chamber to keep things running cool.
Also: I went hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy S25 - and the AI features were surprisingly polished
All in all, this chip allows for more efficient multitasking, while the customized architecture brings more power to the camera, the visuals, and processing speeds, especially for AI tasks. Paired with the 12GB of RAM compared to the iPhone 16's 8GB should result in a blazing-fast user experience.
2. You want fully-integrated AI (that actually works)
Samsung didn't want to just throw an AI assistant in with the S25's app selection, it wanted to make the phone a true AI companion with a contextual understanding of users' needs. Even better: Galaxy S25 buyers receive a six-month subscription to Gemini Advanced for free, a service that is normally $20/month.
The S25's multimodal AI agents can interpret speech, video, and images for natural, context-aware interactions without the need to prompt or tee it up. The multimodal AI automatically recognizes what's on the screen, be it phone numbers, emails, or website URLs.
Also: Everything announced at Samsung Unpacked 2025: Galaxy S25, Gemini AI, more
Also, the Now Brief feature utilizes AI to provide a summary of your day based on data found in the calendar, Samsung Health, and a host of other apps. For example, if your health app recorded poor sleep the night before, it might suggest you take it easy or postpone a tough planned workout for the following day.
The AI takes it a step further by attempting to predict user behavior, for example, automatically switching to the corresponding app when you share a GIF or opening the calendar if you save time and date details. Pressing and holding the side button activates Gemini, which is streamlined across your Google and Samsung devices and even the third-party apps that they're associated.
By contrast, the Apple Intelligence features loaded on the iPhone 16 have received lukewarm reviews with many of the features still in development or not fully rolled out to their final versions.
3. You own other Samsung devices
Integration between other devices in Samsung's ecosystem remains one of the company's foremost goals, and the Galaxy S25 comes with some new features to further improve seamless integration between devices. You can make the argument that Samsung took a page or two out of Apple's book for this but with improved functionality.
Also: The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge was sneakily the best announcement at Unpacked 2025
The Now Bar is a new feature on the Galaxy S25 and is Samsung's take on Live Activities. The Now Bar aims to be more intuitive, however, displaying different apps or devices as stacked cards on the lock screen that can be swiped through and paused/played in real-time.
If you have a Samsung Galaxy Book laptop, you can remote into your phone and vice versa with Samsung Flow to share files, images, and videos seamlessly, while multi-control lets you share Bluetooth devices like keyboards and mice between different Galaxy devices. Essentially, Samsung's goal here is to make all of your Galaxy devices work and deliver a single streamlined experience.
You should buy the iPhone 16 if...
1. You're comfortable in Apple's ecosystem
This is a no-brainer. Apple has gone to great lengths to create the seamless ecosystem that exists across its products, and its something that Samsung is only now coming to replicate. If you have other Apple devices such as a MacBook, iMac, or iPad, you have established ways of working between these devices, and switching to an Android-based Galaxy S25 now could be a big process.
Apple's "walled garden" has, for better or for worse, become a comfortable, familiar place for millions of users, and there's something to be said about sticking with the device that you know how to use. If you know the iPhone 16 will be compatible with your AirPods, Apple Watch, and the myriad of apps that those products are tied to, you might be forced to stick with the iPhone.
Also: Forget the Ray-Ban Metas: Samsung's upcoming smart glasses are the wearables I've been waiting for
Being fully immersed in the Apple ecosystem means you'd have to actively want to uproot yourself in order to switch to a Samsung device. You'll have to re-learn to navigate the Android OS, potentially transfer over huge amounts of files or photos, and swap all your apps to an Android format. If you are getting anxious just reading this, you might be better off sticking with your Apple device for now.
2. You're an emoji aficionado
Apple Intelligence may have taken a bit longer to get up and running, but some of the AI features that rolled out recently for the iPhone 16 may have been worth the wait. Take the new Genmoji feature, which went live with iOS update 18.2, and allows users to generate their emojis using text prompts.
The emojis can then be sent as stickers, used inline with text messages, or even added to Tapback reactions, sprucing up Apple's messaging ecosystem with more customizability. With additional text effects also going live (usable by additional iPhone models), if you're a texter who's glued to iMessage for all your communication, Apple still does it the best.