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The second half of 2025 brings us Apple’s iPhone 17, which is the company's most modern base iPhone in years. It finally comes with a 120Hz display, but also a sharper 18 MP selfie camera with OIS and a pro-grade ultrawide camera.
Meanwhile, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 has already set the bar high as one of the lightest Android flagships of the year, offering sleek design, a dedicated telephoto camera, and Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chip.
Both phones start at $799 and target the same “affordable flagship” space, but which one is the better deal?
iPhone 17: pre-order for $0.00/mo. at Verizon
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Get the iPhone 17 and enjoy improved design, better battery life, and top-tier performance. Right now, you can pre-order the device for $0.00/mo. with phone trade-ins and new line activation on a select Unlimited plan at Verizon.
The slimmest iPhone is here! You can now pre-order the powerful iPhone Air at Verizon for $0.00/mo. with a new line activation on the Unlimited Ultimate plan and a trade-in. This is an online-only offer.
The iPhone 17 is larger, as Galaxy S25 stays the compact king at just 7.25mm. | Image credit — Apple
The Galaxy S25 is still the most compact mainstream flagship phone you can buy right now. It weighs just 162g and measures a sleek 7.25mm in thickness, making it one of the slimmest flagship phones in years. Samsung uses an aluminum frame combined with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both the front and the back for durability.
Apple’s iPhone 17, on the other hand, is taller, thicker, and heavier than its predecessor, and even more so when compared to the S25. Apple uses an aluminum frame with a Ceramic Shield 2 front (which it claims is three times more scratch-resistant than the previous generation) and a reinforced glass back. Unlike the Pro models, though, the back does not get Ceramic Shield 2.
iPhone 17
Galaxy S25
Thickness 8 mm
Thickness 7.25 mm
Dimensions 149.6 x 71.5 mm
Dimensions 146.9 x 70.5 mm
Weight 177 grams
Weight 162 grams
The iPhone 17 sticks to the vertical pill-shaped camera bump with two lenses and a mostly unchanged rear design from the iPhone 16. The S25 keeps Samsung’s signature vertically stacked triple-camera layout. Both should share IP68 water and dust resistance.
There is a lot more to choose from when it comes to the Galaxy S25 colors:
Icy Blue
Mint
Navy
Silver Shadow
Pink Gold
Coral Red
Blue Black
Display Differences
iPhone 17 now has Apple's brightest display yet, finally with 120Hz ProMotion. | Image credit — Apple
The iPhone 17 brings one of the most important upgrades in years for Apple’s base models: a 1-120Hz ProMotion OLED display. It’s also larger than before at 6.3 inches and now peaks at 3000 nits outdoors, making it the brightest iPhone display to date, while HDR content reaches 1600 nits.
The Galaxy S25 has a slightly smaller 6.2-inch AMOLED panel, which also comes with a 1-120Hz refresh rate. It's slightly less bright, peaking at 2600 nits, but should still be plenty bright to offer excellent for visibility under direct sunlight.
Apple has refined the iPhone 17 series display with a seven-layer anti-reflective coating.
While it is still behind the Galaxy S25 Ultra in this regard, footage from YouTuber MrWhoseTheBoss shows it cutting glare noticeably more than the iPhone 16 series.
iPhone 17
Galaxy S25
Size 6.3"
Size 6.2"
Brightness 3,000 nits (peak)
Brightness 2,600 nits (peak)
Both phones offer symmetrical bezels, though Apple trimmed them further with the iPhone 17. For biometrics, Apple sticks with Face ID in the Dynamic Island, while Samsung uses an ultrasonic fingerprint reader under the display, supplemented by basic Face Unlock.
Performance and Software
Snapdragon 8 Elite vs A19
iPhone 17 gets faster and more efficient, but Galaxy S25 leads with more RAM. | Image credit — Apple
Apple’s iPhone 17 runs on the A19 Bionic, built on TSMC’s refined 3nm (N3P) process. The company claims this new chip is more efficient and better optimized for sustained workloads compared to the A18. It is paired with 8 GB of RAM and a base storage of 256 GB, which is double the iPhone 16, all without any price increase.
Samsung powers the Galaxy S25 with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite, which is also built on a 3nm node. It comes with 12 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of UFS 4.0 storage, giving it an advantage in memory and storage speed. The increased memory is especially helpful for tackling on-device AI features, which is an area where the iPhone is still lagging behind.
iPhone 17
Galaxy S25
Chip A19
Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite
Process 3nm
Process 3nm
RAM, Storage --- 8/256 GB 8/512 GB
LPDDR5X RAM NVMe storage
RAM, Storage 12/128 GB 12/256 GB 12/512 GB
LPDDR5X RAM UFS 4.0 storage
On the software side:
iPhone 17launches with iOS 26, introducing the new Liquid Glass interface, Call Screening, Live Translate, smarter Messages, and Apple Intelligence. However, many advanced AI features, including Siri 2.0, won’t roll out until 2026 or later.
Galaxy S25 ships with One UI 7 on Android 16, with Galaxy AI fully integrated. This includes Circle to Search, real-time Live Translate, Note Assist, and generative photo editing.
Samsung promises 7 years of software updates, and while Apple doesn't make any promises when it comes to software support, iPhones are typically supported for at least 5 years, often more than that.
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Camera
Apple still won't offer a dedicated telephoto camera
iPhone 17 gains sharper ultrawide and smarter selfies, but still lacks real zoom. | Image credit — Apple
Apple has given the iPhone 17 camera system a good boost. While it keeps the 48 MP main camera from last year, the ultrawide has been upgraded to 48 MP (up from 12 MP), delivering sharper detail and improved macro photography.
On the front, we have a brand new 18 MP camera with Center Stage, which uses a larger square sensor that captures both portrait and landscape selfies without rotating the phone, automatically widening the frame for group shots. It also supports stabilized (with optical image stabilization) 4K HDR video and Dual Capture for recording with both front and back cameras.
The Galaxy S25 has a more versatile triple-camera system, adding the benefits of a dedicated telephoto camera. Its main snapper has a 50 MP sensor, complemented by a 12 MP ultrawide and a 10 MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom. This gives the S25 more flexibility in zoom shots, which is something the iPhone 17 still cannot offer.
For the first time the iPhone has better charging than its Galaxy counterpart
The iPhone 17 comes with faster charging speeds. | Image credit — Apple
Apple does not disclose the battery capacities of its phones, but we expect the iPhone 17 to have approximately 3600 mAh. It is a stacked battery, which improves density and should improve the battery's lifespan. Apple quotes up to 30 hours of video playback, significantly more than the 22 hours rated for the iPhone 16.
Samsung’s Galaxy S25 has a slightly larger 4000 mAh battery, but slower charging: 25W wired and 15W wireless, though it supports reverse wireless charging, which Apple still hasn't included in any of its phones.
The iPhone 17 is Apple’s most complete base iPhone in years. With a 1-120Hz display, 3000-nit peak brightness, a 48 MP ultrawide, and a sharper 18 MP selfie camera with OIS, it finally feels like a flagship, limiting the need to go "Pro." Not to mention it comes with faster charging, longer battery life, and double the base storage for the same $799 price tag.
The Galaxy S25, however, still makes a strong case in some areas. It has a lighter, slimmer build, 12 GB RAM, and a telephoto camera. Samsung also remains ahead in AI integration, thanks to Gemini-powered tools built directly into One UI 7.
Of course, we won't have the complete picture until we compare test results between the two phones, so stay tuned for those and camera samples, coming soon!
Aleksandar is a tech enthusiast with a broad range of interests, from smartphones to space exploration. His curiosity extends to hands-on DIY experiments with his gadgets, and he enjoys switching between different brands to experience the latest innovations. Prior to joining PhoneArena, Aleksandar worked on the Google Art Project, digitizing valuable artworks and gaining diverse perspectives on technology. When he's not immersed in tech, Aleksandar is an outdoorsman who enjoys mountain hikes, wildlife photography, and nature conservation. His interests also extend to martial arts, running, and snowboarding, reflecting his dynamic approach to life and technology.
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