Apple iPhone Air vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
The Verdict
The Apple iPhone Air and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra sit in the same category and end up appealing to slightly different buyers. The Apple iPhone Air is the cheaper of the two at $1,199 versus $1,300, a difference of about $101. Apple iPhone Air stands out for thinnest iphone ever at 5.6mm, while Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is praised for class-leading 200 mp main camera with 5x periscope zoom. Use the side-by-side spec table below to compare cameras, displays, battery life and connectivity in detail and decide which one fits your priorities.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Apple iPhone Air if…
- →Thinnest iPhone ever at 5.6mm
- →Only 165g with titanium frame
- →A19 Pro chip in ultra-slim design
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra if…
- →Class-leading 200 MP main camera with 5x periscope zoom
- →Built-in S Pen for note-taking and productivity
- →Bright 2600-nit display with Gorilla Glass Armor 2
Pros & Cons
Apple iPhone Air
Pros
- Thinnest iPhone ever at 5.6mm
- Only 165g with titanium frame
- A19 Pro chip in ultra-slim design
- 3x more scratch-resistant Ceramic Shield 2
Cons
- Smaller 3149 mAh battery limits endurance
- Only 2x telephoto (no periscope)
- No ultrawide camera
- $1199 for fewer cameras than Pro
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Pros
- Class-leading 200 MP main camera with 5x periscope zoom
- Built-in S Pen for note-taking and productivity
- Bright 2600-nit display with Gorilla Glass Armor 2
- Snapdragon 8 Elite delivers top-tier performance
- 7 years of OS and security updates
Cons
- Very expensive at $1299 starting price
- S Pen lost Bluetooth remote features
- Charging speed still capped at 45W
- Large and heavy for one-handed use
Full Specifications
| Spec | Apple iPhone Air | Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Software | iOS 19 | Android 15, One UI 7 |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 165 g | 218 g |
| Material | Titanium frame, Ceramic Shield 2 | Titanium frame, Gorilla Glass Armor 2 |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Dimensions | 155 x 73 x 5.6 mm | 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2 mm |
| Camera | ||
| Main camera | 48 MP, f/1.6, OIS | 200 MP, f/1.7, OIS |
| Front camera | 24 MP, f/1.9, Center Stage | 12 MP, f/2.2 |
| Video | 4K@60fps, Dual Capture | 8K@30fps, 4K@120fps |
| Telephoto | 12 MP, f/2.8, 2x optical zoom | 50 MP 5x periscope + 10 MP 3x |
| Ultrawide | — | 50 MP, f/1.9 |
| Memory | ||
| RAM | 12 GB | 12 GB |
| Storage options | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB |
| Battery | ||
| Capacity | 3149 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Charging | 27W wired | 45W wired |
| Wireless charging | 15W MagSafe | 15W Qi2 |
| Display | ||
| Size | 6.5 inches | 6.9 inches |
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, ProMotion | Dynamic AMOLED 2X LTPO |
| Resolution | 1290 x 2796 | 3120 x 1440 |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 2000 | 2600 |
| Processor | ||
| CPU | 6-core | Octa-core (2x4.47 GHz + 6x3.53 GHz) |
| GPU | 6-core GPU | Adreno 830 |
| Chipset | Apple A19 Pro | Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy |
| Connectivity | ||
| 5G | ||
| NFC | ||
| USB | USB-C 3.2 | USB-C 3.2 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.4 |
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This comparison is based on verified manufacturer specifications covering display, performance, camera, battery, and build quality. Scores are generated by analyzing specs across weighted categories on a 10-point scale. Learn more about our methodology.
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