Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 16 Pro (Max): which is the better choice?

The battle of the giants begins: I’m comparing the Galaxy S25 Ultra with the iPhone 16 Pro. I’m limiting myself to the points that are relevant from my point of view. The comparison isn’t complete, but my very individual opinion.

Design and weight

Design-wise, the two devices are more similar than ever. Like the iPhone, the S25 Ultra now has flat edges, and both sit very well in the hand. I find it surprising: the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the S25 Ultra both have 6.9 inches, but the S25 Ultra is 9 g lighter. And it has a bigger battery at 5,000 mAh than the iPhone 16 Pro Max with 4,685 mAh. It also has the S Pen integrated and the same materials, namely a glass back and a titanium frame. That the iPhone is comparatively heavy surprises me.

Display and speakers

The S25 Ultra has the higher screen-to-body ratio at 92.5%, so thinner bezels. It gets brighter at 2,600 nits than the iPhone 16 Pro at 2,000 nits and has the higher resolution at 498 ppi (iPhone: 460 ppi). With normal videos and movies, though, I don’t see a difference in quality, and both displays are mega good. The S25 Ultra’s colors are rather brighter, the iPhone’s rather richer. The S25 Ultra additionally has the anti-reflective display, which reduces reflections extremely and makes a difference indoors and outdoors.

When it comes to the speakers, the iPhone 16 Pro knocked my socks off. The S25 Ultra’s are good, but are beaten by a long way. The iPhone sounds almost like a complete Dolby surround system, which makes watching movies really fun. I mostly use headphones, but if you don’t, you’ll enjoy the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Camera control on the iPhone and S Pen on the Galaxy

A special feature of the iPhone 16 is the camera button on the side. I already said in the review that it’s a nice idea. Meanwhile, I’ve talked with many iPhone users, almost all of whom don’t use it or have even disabled it so that the camera doesn’t trigger by accident. Also, another button is another weak point on the housing. If it breaks after a fall, that can mean up to €700 in repair costs according to my research, because it’s built into the frame and has to be replaced along with it. I therefore recommend a suitable case.

The camera control is a capacitive touch button that also understands swipe gestures. Ad: most cases only have a cutout there, and the button stays unprotected. The cases from ESR are one of the few that have a real Camera Control button instead of the cutout, also capacitive. That way the full range of functions is retained, and the button is protected from damage and scratches. The Hybrid Case also has a stand in the camera frame, and all ESR cases are MagSafe compatible. This is an ad block for ESR; you’ll find the link with the purchase links.

The S25 Ultra also has a tool that probably few people use intensively: the S Pen. It can be helpful once you’ve found your use cases. I used it in the past to sign documents when I still had a MacBook without a touch display. With my Huawei MateBook X Pro, which like many Windows laptops has a touch display, I hardly use it anymore. Camera button and S Pen are both well meant, but I doubt they are used that extensively.

Camera

Both cameras are extremely strong, for photos as well as videos. It is often a matter of taste whether you like the shots from the iPhone or the S25 Ultra better. In the video, you can decide for yourself from the footage.

AI

In my view, 90% of the AI features on Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel are cool but less useful gimmicks in everyday life. 10% I find extremely useful. That includes Circle to Search at the very top, which I use every day. On top of that come new features with Gemini on the Galaxy smartphones: you can talk as with an assistant and have several tasks done one after another. That works really well.

In Germany, more than a year after the launch of Samsung’s and Google’s AI, there is still no official version of Apple Intelligence. We’ll probably only be able to use it in April, and only then do I want to evaluate it, not based on a beta. That iPhone users currently have to completely do without so many AI features I find difficult for Apple. Despite all the price, that means iPhones are no longer state of the art.

Ecosystem

Until five years ago, I would have said that nothing comes close to the Apple ecosystem. In 2025, Samsung especially has a much more extensive ecosystem with mobile devices, household and TV devices that can even communicate with each other with AI support. In 2025, there is no function in the Apple ecosystem anymore that doesn’t also exist in the Windows and Android world, except perhaps Apple TV. But for that I no longer need Apple devices, just the Apple ID.

Verdict

The iPhone 16 Pro is still a really good device that can keep up with the competition, but it lacks progress in large parts. That concerns the missing Apple AI, which hopefully comes soon, and the hardware. Samsung made the S25 Ultra slimmer and lighter, with a bigger battery, integrated S Pen and almost no display bezels left. Apple rests on the design from five years ago. I hope that changes with the iPhone 17.

If you’re thinking about switching from your current smartphone to an S25 Ultra or an iPhone 16 Pro, you should rather go for the S25 Ultra and get much more modern technology for it. Or you wait until September and hope that Apple wakes up with the iPhone 17. I miss Apple as it once was.