iPhone 17 vs Samsung Galaxy S25: Price, display, camera, battery and more compared

Apple launched its much-awaited iPhone 17 on Tuesday at the “Awe Dropping” Event with notable design changes and several key updates. With the new iPhone 17 lineup, Samsung and Apple are back in the spotlight, showing off their latest flagships: the iPhone 17 and the Galaxy S25. Both are powerful, polished and packed with features, but what is striking this year is just how different their visions of the smartphone have become. Here is a comparison between the flagships.

iPhone 17 vs Samsung Galaxy S25: Design and Display

On the outside, Apple has not reinvented the wheel, but the iPhone 17 does feel like a step up. The 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display is bigger and brighter, peaking at a blinding 3,000 nits outdoors. The new Ceramic Shield 2 makes the front glass tougher and less reflective, which is good news for anyone who is dropped their phone on the pavement or struggled to read the screen in sunlight.

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 goes for refinement. Its 6.2-inch AMOLED 2X screen may not match Apple’s brightness numbers, but with Vision Booster and adaptive colour tuning, it aims for balance, sharp, accurate visuals without draining the battery. Both phones deliver silky 120Hz refresh rates.

iPhone 17 vs Samsung Galaxy S25: Cameras

This is where Apple really wants to grab attention. For the first time, all of the iPhone 17’s rear lenses are 48MP. The main camera offers a 2x telephoto option, and the new ultra wide captures four times more detail than before. On the front, Apple introduces “Centre Stage”: an 18MP selfie camera that automatically adjusts the field of view, stabilises 4K video and even records with the front and back cameras at the same time.

Samsung takes a different approach with the Galaxy S25. The numbers on paper, 50MP wide, 12MP ultra wide, and 10MP telephoto, look less dramatic, but Samsung leans heavily on AI to make the difference. Smarter low-light shooting, noise reduction in video, and editing tricks like Audio Eraser mean users can get creative without third-party apps. In short, Apple is flexing its hardware muscle, while Samsung is betting on AI wizardry to close the gap.

iPhone 17 vs Samsung Galaxy S25: Performance and Battery Life

Inside, the iPhone 17 runs on the new A19 chip, built on a 3nm process. Apple says it is dramatically faster and more efficient than past models, with enough power to handle advanced AI features in iOS 26. Battery life gets a healthy boost too, up to 30 hours of video playback, and charging is quicker, hitting 50 per cent in just 20 minutes with Apple’s new 40W adapter.

The Galaxy S25 is powered by Qualcomm’s customised Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy. It is designed to handle AI tasks on the device without relying on the cloud, and it brings boosts across graphics, processing and efficiency. Gaming performance is stronger, with support for ray tracing and improved cooling. The 4,000mAh battery charges a bit slower than Apple’s, but Samsung argues that its power management makes the difference in daily use.

iPhone 17 vs Samsung Galaxy S25: Connectivity and Security

Apple continues its push toward eSIM-only models, expanding digital SIM support in more countries. The new N1 networking chip adds Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread, improving stability for features like AirDrop.

Samsung, meanwhile, is framing the S25 as one of the most secure devices around. It is the first Galaxy phone to introduce post-quantum cryptography, a technology designed to future-proof against tomorrow’s cyber threats. Combined with Knox Vault and a promise of seven years of updates, Samsung is clearly targeting buyers who keep their phones for the long haul.

iPhone 17 vs Samsung Galaxy S25: Software

Apple’s iOS 26 is all about refinement. Apple Intelligence introduces on-device tools like real-time translation and smarter content recognition, while the refreshed interface, called Liquid Glass, gives the system a cleaner, more expressive look.

Samsung goes all in on AI with One UI 7. Multimodal agents can understand text, images, voice and video together, while Google’s Gemini is built right in. From transcribing calls to suggesting edits or even expanding a sketch into a finished drawing, the Galaxy S25 wants to feel less like a phone and more like a personal assistant.

iPhone 17 vs Samsung Galaxy S25: Pricing in India

The iPhone 17 is priced at ₹82,900 for the 256GB storage variant and ₹1,02,900 for the 512GB storage model.

The Samsung Galaxy S25’s 12GB RAM with 256GB storage variant is currently priced at ₹74999 on its official store, while its 12GB RAM with the 512GB storage variant costs ₹86,999.

iPhone 17 vs Samsung Galaxy S25: Verdict

The iPhone 17 feels like Apple at its best: polished design, incredible cameras, and raw performance that should last years. The Galaxy S25 is more forward-looking, packed with AI features that try to anticipate your needs and help you do more with less effort.

Both phones are impressive, but they seem to be chasing very different ideals. Apple is doubling down on hardware and durability, while Samsung appears to be betting the future belongs to AI-powered experiences.