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In this article, we’ll be comparing the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro. The Galaxy S24 Ultra arrived back in January 2024, and was followed by the iPhone 16 Pro in September 2024. The latter smartphone is the current-gen model, while the Galaxy S24 Ultra got replaced by the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Still, some of you may still be looking to upgrade from the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and if the smaller iPhone flagship is an option, this comparison is just the right thing for you.
As per usual, we will first list the specifications of both smartphones. Following that, we will compare them across a number of categories, starting with design. That will be followed by the display, performance, battery, cameras, and audio comparisons. With that being said, let’s get to it, shall we?
Specs
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro, respectively
– Screen size:
6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X (flat, adaptive 120Hz, HDR10+, 2,600 nits max brightness)
6.3-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED ( flat, 120Hz, HDR, 2,000 nits max brightness)
– Display resolution:
3120 x 1440
2622 x 1206
– SoC:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4nm)
Apple A18 Pro (3nm)
– RAM:
12GB (LPDDR5X)
8GB
– Storage:
256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 4.0)
128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB (NVMe)
– Rear cameras:
200MP (wide, 1/1.3-inch sensor size, f/1.7 aperture, OIS, multi-directional PDAF, 0.6um pixel size), 12MP (ultrawide, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV, f/2.2 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF 1.4um pixel size), 10MP (telephoto, 1/3.52-inch sensor size, f/2.4 aperture, OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF, 1.12um pixel size, 3x optical zoom), 50MP (periscope telephoto, 1/2.52-inch sensor size, OIS, PDAF, 5x optical zoom)
48MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, 1/1.28-inch sensor, 1.22um pixel size, sensor-shift OIS), 48MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 0.7um pixel size, PDAF), 12MP (periscope telephoto, f/2.8 aperture, 1/3.06-inch sensor, 1.12um pixel size, 3D sensor-shift OIS, 5x optical zoom)
– Front cameras:
12MP (wide, f/2.2 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF, 22mm lens)
12MP (f/1.9 aperture, PDAF, 1/3.6-inch sensor size, OIS)
– Battery:
5,000mAh
3,582mAh
– Charging:
45W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless (charger not included)
38W wired, 25W MagSafe wireless, 15W Qi2 wireless, 7.5W Qi wireless, 5W reverse wired
– Dimensions:
162.3 x 79 x 8.6 mm
149.6 x 71.5 x 8.3 mm
– Weight:
232/233 grams
199 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3
– Security:
Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner & facial scanning
Face ID (3D facial scanning)
– OS:
Android 14 with One UI
iOS 18
– Price:
$749+ (refurbished)
$999+
– Buy:
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Best Buy)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro (Best Buy)
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro: Design
These two smartphones do look entirely different, from side. The Galaxy S24 Ultra has sharp corners, a flat display, and a slightly rounded frame on the sides. Its frame is flat at the top and bottom. The iPhone 16 Pro has considerably rounded corners, a flat display, and a frame that is flat all around. Samsung’s phone has a centered display camera hole up top, while the iPhone 16 Pro includes a much larger pill-shaped cutout. It’s called the Dynamic Island.
If we flip them around, you’ll notice five separate protrusions on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. All of them protrude directly from the backplate. Four of those are reserved for the phone’s cameras. The iPhone 16 Pro has a camera island in the top-left corner. There are three separate lenses included on the inside. Both devices have very thin bezels around the display, and uniform as well.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra includes all of its physical buttons on the right-hand side. The power/lock and volume rocker buttons are there. The S Pen stylus is docked at the bottom, in the bottom-left corner. The iPhone 16 Pro has more buttons in comparison. Its power/lock button is on the right, along with the Camera Control. On the left, you’ll find the volume up and down buttons, along with an Action button.
Both of these smartphones have frames made out of titanium. Both of them also include glass on the back. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is a considerably larger smartphone, though. It’s notably taller, wider, and slightly thicker. It’s also over 30 grams heavier in comparison. The iPhone 16 Pro is, after all, a compact flagship.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro: Display
The Galaxy S24 Ultra features a 6.8-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display with a resolution of 3120 x 1440. That panel is flat, and it supports HDR10+ content. Its refresh rate is adaptive (1-120Hz), and the peak brightness this display can deliver is 2,600 nits. The screen-to-body ratio is at around 88%, while the display aspect ratio is 19.5:9. The Gorilla Armor display protection from Corning is used here.
The iPhone 16 Pro, on the other hand, has a 6.3-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display. That panel is also flat, and it supports an adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz). It supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision, while the peak brightness of this display is 2,000 nits. The screen-to-body ratio here is at around 90%, while the display aspect ratio is 19.5:9. The Ceramic Shield glass is here to protect this panel.
Both of these displays are great, actually. They’re very vivid and plenty sharp, not to mention that they offer great viewing angles too. The blacks are deep on both panels, while both displays also get more than bright enough, even in direct sunlight. The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s panel does have one major advantage, though, the Gorilla Armor. Why? Well, because it battles glare like a champ, it’s a night-and-day difference.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro: Performance
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. That is a 4nm chip from Qualcomm. That processor is backed by 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage. The iPhone 16 Pro, on the flip side, is fueled by the Apple A18 processor. That is a 3nm flagship chip from Apple. It is paired with 8GB of RAM and NVMe flash storage. Neither phone offers storage expansion, though.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is a generation behind the Apple A18 chip. Still, it still keeps up performance-wise. The Apple A18 is more powerful, no doubt about it, and it does destroy the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in benchmarks. However, in day-to-day use, both of these chips perform admirably, and these two phones are living proof of that. They’re very snappy, regardless of what you’re doing.
Gaming is also not a problem for either device. You can run the most demanding games on their respective app stores without a problem. Yes, they’ll both get quite warm, especially with demanding titles, but that’s not an issue. Both of them can sustain prolonged gaming exposure, so no worries there. Their battery life will take a hit, but there’s no overheating or anything like that to worry about.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro: Battery
Samsung’s handset includes a 5,000mAh battery on the inside. The iPhone 16 Pro has a 3,582mAh unit. Do note that iPhones usually have smaller battery packs than their Android counterparts, and this phone also has a notably smaller display, so take that into account. Despite the notably smaller battery life, however, the iPhone 16 Pro offers outstanding battery life, as does the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Both of these phones are full-day smartphones when it comes to battery life and then some. Even if you’re a power user, both of these smartphones should be enough to get you to the end of the day. In fact, the iPhone 16 Pro did prove to offer a bit more battery juice than the Galaxy S24 Ultra in our tests. It managed to last longer ,more often than not. It’s always nice to see compact phones do so well in battery life tests.
When it comes to charging, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has an advantage in wired charging, while the iPhone 16 Pro has an edge in wireless charging. Samsung’s smartphone supports 45W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. The iPhone 16 Pro supports 30W wired, 25W MagSafe wireless, 15W Qi2 wireless, and 4.5W reverse wired charging. The Galaxy S24 Ultra takes slightly over an hour to charge via a wired, while it will take the iPhone 16 Pro around an hour and 40 minutes to fully charge. Neither phone comes with a charger in the box.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro: Cameras
The Galaxy S24 Ultra features four cameras on the back, while the iPhone 16 Pro has three. Samsung’s handset includes a 200-megapixel main camera (1/1.3-inch sensor size), a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV), a 10-megapixel telephoto unit (1/3.52-inch sensor size, 3x optical zoom), and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (1/2.52-inch sensor size, 5x optical zoom).
The iPhone 16 Pro, on the flip side, has a 48-megapixel main camera (1/1.28-inch sensor size), a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera (1/2.55-inch sensor size), and a 12-megapixel periscope telephoto unit (1/3.06-inch sensor size, 5x optical zoom). The images these two smartphones deliver are notably different. It is worth saying that the iPhone 16 Pro does lean more towards warmer colors in comparison, though.
Samsung’s images still look a bit more processed, though, in comparison. Both smartphones like brightening up the shadows during the day, while the Galaxy S24 Ultra images do end up looking more contrasty more often than not. We did prefer the shots from the iPhone 16 Pro more often, though.
Both ultrawide cameras do a good job of keeping with the main cameras’ color profile, though they’re a step below them in terms of quality. When it comes to telephoto cameras, it was a toss-up. It all depends on what you’re taking a picture of, how far it is, and what time of day it is. Samsung usually did a better job for farther shots, while they both did a nice job with closer subjects.
Audio
You will find stereo speakers inside both of these phones. The thing is, the ones in the Galaxy S24 Ultra do offer louder output. Not that the iPhone 16 Pro’s speakers are not loud enough, but the ones on the Galaxy S24 Ultra are louder. The sound quality is good on both ends.
There is no audio jack on either phone, but you can use their Type-C ports to connect your wired headphones. Both smartphones also support Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless audio connectivity, if you prefer that.