Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 16 vs. Pixel 9: Which One Should You Buy?

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The Samsung Galaxy S25 has finally been unveiled, joining the ranks of the iPhone 16 and Google Pixel 9. And the competition between the Samsung Galaxy S25, iPhone 16, and Google Pixel 9 is fiercer than ever, as these flagship devices bring unique strengths to the table. Let’s break down each aspect in detail to help you decide which one to pick.

Design 

The Galaxy S25 boasts a sleek design, measuring just 7.2 mm in thickness and weighing 162g, making it the slimmest and lightest of the three. Samsung uses its premium Armor Aluminum frame, paired with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both the front and back. It also comes with IP68 water and dust resistance, allowing it to survive depths of 1.5m for up to 30 minutes

The iPhone 16, on the other hand, sticks to its tried-and-true design principles. At 7.8 mm and 193g, it’s slightly thicker and heavier, but it comes with a superior IP68 rating that allows submersion up to 6m for 30 minutes. Its Ceramic Shield glass and aluminum frame make it robust and refined. 

Apple iPhone 16 Review with Pros Cons & verdict - Smartprix.com-26

The Pixel 9 takes a slightly bulkier approach, with an 8.5mm thickness and a weight of 198g. It features the same Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection as the S25, but its heft makes it less pocket-friendly. Like its rivals, it’s also IP68 certified.

Winner: If slimness and lightweight are priorities, S25 is ideal. For durability underwater, the iPhone 16 excels.

Display 

When it comes to display technology, the Galaxy S25 is a clear frontrunner. It features a 6.2-inch LTPO AMOLED 2X panel with a 120 Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ support. The display has a peak brightness of 2600 Nits.

The iPhone 16, meanwhile, offers a slightly smaller 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with Dolby Vision and a 60 Hz refresh rate. While its peak brightness of 2000 Nits is impressive, it falls short of Samsung’s offering. 

Apple iPhone 16 Review with Pros Cons & verdict - Smartprix.com-11

The Pixel 9 provides the largest display of the three, with a 6.3-inch OLED panel. It also supports a 120 Hz refresh rate and HDR10+, but its peak brightness of 2700 Nits is ahead of both the S25 and iPhone 16. 

Winner: Galaxy S25/Pixel 9.

Cameras 

The camera systems on these smartphones highlight their different philosophies. The Galaxy S25 comes equipped with a versatile triple-camera setup, featuring a 50 MP wide lens with dual-pixel PDAF and OIS, a 10 MP telephoto lens with 3X optical zoom, and a 12 MP ultra-wide lens. It also supports 8K video recording and HDR10+ for cinematic video quality. 

The iPhone 16 adopts a more streamlined dual-camera system, including a 48 MP wide lens with sensor-shift OIS and a 12 MP ultra-wide lens with AF, enabling macro photography. While it lacks a telephoto lens, its video recording capabilities are unmatched, with Dolby Vision HDR and ProRes support. 

Apple iPhone 16 Review with Pros Cons & verdict - Smartprix.com-14

The Pixel 9, as expected, focuses heavily on computational photography. Its dual-camera system includes a 50 MP wide lens with OIS and a 48 MP ultra-wide lens with AF (macro), complemented by Google’s advanced AI features like Best Take and Magic Eraser. It does have the best main camera and ultra-wide hardware of the three.

CameraSamsung Galaxy S25iPhone 16Pixel 9
Main Camera50 MP, f/1.8, 24 mm, 1/1.56-inch, PDAF, OIS48 MP, f/1.6, 26 mm, 1/1.56-inch, PDAF, OIS50 MP, f/1.7, 25 mm, 1/1.31-inch, PDAF, OIS
Telephoto10 MP, f/2.4, 67 mm, 1/3.94-inch, PDAF, OIS, 3X optical zoom
Ultrawide12 MP, f/2.2, 13 mm, 120˚, 1/2.55-inch12 MP, f/2.2, 13 mm, 120˚, PDAF48 MP, f/1.7, 123˚, 1/2.55-inch, PDAF
Selfie Camera12 MP, f/2.2, 26 mm, 1/3.2-inch, PDAF12 MP, f/1.9, 23 mm, 1/3.6-inch, PDAF10.5 MP, f/2.2, 20 mm, 1/3.1-inch, PDAF

Winner: Pixel 9/ Galaxy S25.

Software 

Software is another area where these phones differentiate themselves. The Galaxy S25 runs on One UI 7, based on Android 15, and promises a groundbreaking 7 years of software updates. Samsung’s Galaxy AI also brings new exciting features.

The iPhone 16 runs iOS 18, maintaining Apple’s reputation for seamless ecosystem integration and user-friendly interfaces. Apple also offers Apple Intelligence, its own suite of AI features. As for software support, the iPhone 16 should get 6 years of updates.

Apple iPhone 16 Review with Pros Cons & verdict - Smartprix.com-27

The Pixel 9 delivers a clean stock Android experience with Android 14 out of the box (now running Android 15) and 7 years of updates, just like Samsung. Google also has its own AI features, such as Call Screen, Pixel Screenshots, Pixel Studio, and Live Translate.

Winner: Non-conclusive.

Performance 

Performance is another decisive factor, and a major one because here’s where huge differences are seen. The Galaxy S25 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, built on a 3 nm process, with Oryon cores and the Adreno 830 GPU. This makes it a beast for gaming and heavy multitasking. Only Samsung features a cooling system.

The iPhone 16 uses Apple’s A18 chip, also built on a 3 nm process, which combines raw power with unmatched efficiency. The Hexa-core setup and Apple GPU give strong competition to the Snapdragon 8 Elite on the Galaxy S25.

Apple iPhone 16 Review with Pros Cons & verdict - Smartprix.com-17

The Pixel 9, equipped with Google’s Tensor G4 chip, is not even close to the performance of the Galaxy S25 or the iPhone 16. While it should handle daily tasks just fine, it’s not for gaming or any other medium to heavy tasks. The Pixel 9, just like iPhone 16, lacks a proper cooling system and hence the thermals are not great.

Samsung Galaxy S25iPhone 16Pixel 9
ProcessorSnapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm)Apple A18 (3 nm)Google Tensor G4 (4 nm)
CPUOcta-core: 2x 4.47 GHz + 6x 3.53 GHzHexa-core: 2x 4.04 GHz + 4x 2.2 GHzOcta-core: 1x 3.1 GHz + 3x 2.6 GHz + 4x 1.92 GHz
GPUAdreno 830Apple GPU (5-core graphics)Mali-G715 MC7
RAM12 GB8 GB12 GB
Storage TypeUFS 4.0NVMeUFS 3.1

Winner: Galaxy S25/iPhone 16

Battery and Charging 

Battery life and charging speeds can significantly impact daily usability. All of these phones neither have huge batteries nor do they charge very fast. The Galaxy S25 packs a 4,000 mAh battery with support for 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. 

The iPhone 16 features a 3,561 mAh battery, and while its capacity is smaller, iOS optimization ensures excellent battery life. It also supports 27W fast wired charging and up to 25W MagSafe wireless charging. It doesn’t support reverse wireless charging, though.

The Pixel 9 leads in battery capacity with a 4,700 mAh cell, with 27W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. For battery life and even charging, I would say, the iPhone is the best choice because of the better optimization.

Winner: iPhone 16

Pricing 

Finally, the Galaxy S25 starts at ₹80,999 for the 12 GB RAM + 256 GB storage model. The iPhone 16 begins at ₹79,900 for the 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage variant, with the 256 GB model priced at ₹89,900. The Pixel 9 is priced at ₹79,999 for the 12 GB RAM + 256 GB storage configuration. 

All three are similarly priced, however, you cannot ignore the bank offers that are usually available on all three devices. The Galaxy S25 also has an optional 512 GB variant that costs ₹92,999.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. iPhone 16 vs. Pixel 9


Samsung Galaxy S25iPhone 16Pixel 9
Display6.2-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120 Hz, 2600 Nits peak6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 60 Hz, 2000 Nits HBM6.3-inch OLED, 120 Hz, 2700 Nits peak
SoCQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm)Apple A18 (3 nm)Google Tensor G4 (4 nm)
Main Camera50 MP + 10 MP 3X + 12 MP 48 MP + 12 MP 50 MP + 48 MP 
Selfie Camera12 MP 12 MP 10.5 MP
Battery4,000 mAh3,561 mAh4,700 mAh
Charging25W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless27W wired, 25W MagSafe27W wired, 15W wireless, reverse wireless
Weight and Thickness168g, 7.2mm thickness170g, 7.8mm thickness198g, 8.5mm thickness
Software and Update PolicyAndroid 15, One UI 7, 7 major updatesiOS 18, upgradable to iOS 18.2.1, 5-6 years updatesAndroid 14, 7 major updates
RAM12 GB8 GB12GB
Storage128 GB/256 GB/512 GB128 GB/256 GB/512 GB128 GB/256 GB
Price
₹80,999 (12GB/256GB)
₹92,999 (12GB/512GB)
₹79,900 (8GB/128GB)
₹89,900 (8GB/256GB)
₹99,900 (12GB/512GB)
₹79,999 (12GB/256GB)

Which One Should You Buy?

The Galaxy S25 feels like the most complete package. Its telephoto lens gives it an edge in camera versatility, and being the newest of the three, it comes with the latest hardware and AI features. If you want the best performance, the S25 is the clear winner.

On the other hand, the iPhone 16 is ideal if you’re into the iOS ecosystem, need a smaller, consistent performer, and value optimized battery life. It’s dependable but less versatile in terms of camera hardware. 

Lastly, the Pixel 9 is for those who love stock Android, want to experiment with rooting, or don’t prioritize raw performance. Which one would be your pick? Let me know in the comments.

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Mehtab AnsariMehtab Ansari
Mehtab Ansari is a tech enthusiast who also has a great passion in writing. During his two years of career, he has covered news, features, and evergreen content on multiple platforms. Apart from keeping a close eye on emerging tech developments, he likes spending time at the gym.

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