Galaxy S25 Edge vs iPhone 16 Plus shows huge disparity in battery life and near identical camera performance
Since the release of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge in May, we’ve seen the phone compared to its peers, from the Galaxy S25 Ultra to the iPhone 16 Pro Max. However, there haven’t been a ton of comparisons between the Galaxy S25 Edge and the Apple iPhone 16 Plus.
The Galaxy S25 Edge vs iPhone 16 Plus comparison makes a lot of sense. The iPhone 16 Plus and the Galaxy S25 Edge are roughly the same size and pack a dual-camera setup with one wide and one ultrawide shooter. Moreover, Apple is rumored to replace this year’s iPhone 17 Plus with the purported iPhone 17 Air, making it a direct competitor to the Galaxy S25 Edge.
Now, thanks to Versus on YouTube, we have a good Galaxy S25 Edge vs iPhone 16 Plus battle on our hands. The phones have been compared in departments like design, display, cameras, and more.
Galaxy S25 Edge vs iPhone 16 Plus: Design, audio, and display
With vertically placed dual cameras, frosted glass back, and smooth metal sides, the Galaxy S25 Edge won’t look out of place in Apple’s iPhone 16 lineup. Both the Galaxy S25 Edge and the iPhone 16 Plus look quite similar, especially from the back. Moreover, since both phones pack 6.7-inch OLED displays, the dimensions are also rather similar, except for thickness.
Unsurprisingly, the Galaxy S25 Edge is much slimmer than the iPhone 16 Plus at 5.8 mm vs 7.8 mm.
Around the front, both phones feature a 6.7-inch OLED panel. However, the Galaxy S25 Edge is clearly the winner with a sharper 1,440 x 3,120 LTPO display that can refresh at 120 Hz. The iPhone 16 Plus, although also sharp, features a lower 1,290 x 2,796 resolution and a disappointing 60 Hz refresh rate. The iPhone 16 Plus’ display is also dimmer, as Versus shows a 1,646 nits High and 2,893 nits Peak brightness for the Galaxy S25 Edge against the 1,088 nits High and 1,646 nits Peak brightness of the iPhone.
Moving on to the audio test, the iPhone 16 Plus appears to snag a win here through better bass. The audio coming out of the iPhone’s stereo setup also seems fuller with more depth. The Galaxy S25 Edge, on the other hand, has less punchy bass, probably a side effect of the thin design. However, the Galaxy still sounds pretty good.
Galaxy S25 Edge vs iPhone 16 Plus: Camera and battery life
Both the Galaxy S25 Edge and the iPhone 16 Plus have two cameras on the back:
- Wide: 200 MP f1.7 (Galaxy S25 Edge), 48 MP f1.6 (iPhone 16 Plus)
- Ultrawide: A 12 MP shooter with a 13 mm focal length on both devices
Like almost every flagship phone out there, daytime photos of both devices are quite similar. Versus claims that daytime shots of the wide camera of the Galaxy S25 Edge have a cooler color tone than the iPhone 16 Plus and better highlights. However, the iPhone 16 Plus shines in indoor scenes where it delivers lower noise and more natural colors.
The wide camera on both the Galaxy and the iPhone also does a solid job with 4K@30 FPS video recording. The results look extremely similar, with the Galaxy managing to deliver natural colors and the iPhone able to preserve more detail in dark areas.
When it comes to ultrawide results, both phones, once again, produce nearly the same results. The more obvious differences are in indoor shots, where the Galaxy delivers less noise, while the iPhone retains natural colors.
Versus also tests front camera performance and performance in portrait mode, portrait video, low light, and more. So, be sure to check out the full video linked below.
Finally, the Galaxy S25 Edge cannot compete with the iPhone 16 Plus in terms of battery life. The Galaxy S25 Edge has a 17% smaller capacity. Versus reports that during their performance testing, where both phones were charged to 100%, the iPhone 16 Plus still had some juice left in the tank, while the Galaxy S25 Edge gave up the ghost mid-way. While Samsung claims that their AI and software enhancements make battery life a non-issue, independent testing has verified that the Galaxy S25 Edge is a weak performer in this area.
So, is the Galaxy S25 Edge with 256 GB of storage worth it at $1,099 over the $999 256 GB configuration of the iPhone 16 Plus? The answer is: It depends.
With the Galaxy S25 Edge, you are getting a much better display, a lighter weight, a thinner build, and a versatile camera setup. The iPhone 16 Plus matches the camera quality and delivers better battery life, but it is heavier, thicker, and has a worse display.
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge | Apple iPhone 16 Plus (Renewed) on Amazon
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