Between the Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 17 Air, the Galaxy S25 Ultra comes out ahead in main camera and wired charging, while the iPhone 17 Air wins on weight. Overall, the Galaxy S25 Ultra scores 73.9 and the iPhone 17 Air scores 60.3 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 13.6 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the Galaxy S25 Ultra if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. The biggest gaps in its favor are main camera, wired charging, battery capacity, among others.
Pick the iPhone 17 Air if you carry the device everywhere and weight or thickness has been the deciding factor before. Its strongest claims are weight.
Both ship with comparable refresh rate, 5g support, water resistance, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Galaxy S25 Ultra is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Samsung - Galaxy S25 Ultra wins
- ▲Main camera — 316.67% more. 200 MP vs 48 MP.
- ▲Wired charging — 125.00% more. 45 W vs 20 W.
- ▲Battery capacity — 72.41% more. 5000 mAh vs 2900 mAh.
- ▲RAM — 50.00% more. 12 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲AnTuTu — 9.69% more. 2150000 vs 1960000.
- ▲Pixel density — 8.91% more. 501 ppi vs 460 ppi.
- ▲Screen size — 4.55% more. 6.9 " vs 6.6 ".
- ▲Promised OS updates: 7 (vs 6).
Why Apple - iPhone 17 Air wins
- ▲Weight — 72.00 g less. 146 vs 218.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S25 Ultra | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 218 g | 146 glead |
| Thickness | 8.2 mm | 5.6 mmlead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S25 Ultra | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.9 "lead | 6.6 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 501 ppilead | 460 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2600 nitslead | 2200 nits |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S25 Ultra | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 200 MPlead | 48 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S25 Ultra | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 5000 mAhlead | 2900 mAh |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 45 Wlead | 20 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 W | 15 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S25 Ultra | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy S25 Ultra | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | iOSlead |
| Promised OS updates | 7 yearslead | 6 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, Galaxy S25 Ultra or iPhone 17 Air?+
Galaxy S25 Ultra has 72.4% more battery — 5000 mAh vs 2900 mAh.
Which is lighter, Galaxy S25 Ultra or iPhone 17 Air?+
iPhone 17 Air is 72g lighter — 218g vs 146g.
Is Galaxy S25 Ultra waterproof?+
Galaxy S25 Ultra has an IP68 rating.
Does iPhone 17 Air support 5G?+
Yes, iPhone 17 Air supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, Galaxy S25 Ultra or iPhone 17 Air?+
Galaxy S25 Ultra offers 12GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, Galaxy S25 Ultra or iPhone 17 Air?+
Galaxy S25 Ultra has a 200 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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