iPhone 16 vs Galaxy S24: Which should you buy?

The iPhone 16 family is now official. Apple and Samsung both launch their flagships with a base model and a larger Plus variant, in addition to their Pro-level devices like the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the iPhone 16 Pro Max.  Android fans may be curious about how this new pairing compares to Samsung’s latest and greatest. Find out in this iPhone 16 vs Galaxy S24 comparison!

Keep in mind this is an early on paper versus, designed to give you a closer look at how the phones compare. We’ll go into greater detail once we have hands-on time with all the devices.

iPhone 16 vs Galaxy S24: Specs

iPhone 16 vs Galaxy S24: Design, size comparison, and colors

Neither Samsung nor Apple’s flagships have seen significant design changes in recent years, but the Galaxy S24 did swap to a slightly larger 6.2-inch display this year. The iPhone 16 kept the same screen sizes on both models, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t make any design changes. You’ll notice right away that the iPhone 16 now has two new buttons: the customizable Action Button, which debuted on the iPhone 15 Pro series, and the new Camera Control, which we’ll discuss later in this comparison.

The iPhone 16 measures 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm and weighs 170g, while the Galaxy S24 measures 147.0 x 70.6 x 7.6mm and weighs 167g. The iPhone is slightly heavier and bigger, but you likely won’t notice a difference when holding the device.

The iPhone 16 Plus measures 160.9 x 77.8 x 7.8mm and weighs 199g, while the Galaxy S24 Plus is slightly smaller at 158.5 x 75.9 x 7.7mm and weighs 197g. Again, the difference is negligible.

Both phones come in various colors. The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus offer four colorways: Ultramarine, Teal, Pink, White, and Black. The Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus offer more choices with Onyx Black, Marble Gray, Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow, and Samsung.com exclusives Jade Green, Sapphire Blue, and Sandstone Orange.

iPhone 16 vs Galaxy S24: Features

While the Apple iPhone 16 and Samsung Galaxy S24 don’t look dramatically different from one another at a passing glance these days, there are definitely some notable differences when it comes to the features the companies prioritize. The Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus put greater emphasis on display technology, offering higher refresh rates than the less impressive 60Hz offered on the iPhone 16 family as well as better image quality, always-on display tech, and a few other extras.

On the flip side, the Galaxy S24 has a weaker SoC, even if just by a small margin. While Apple doesn’t disclose everything about its SoCs we know the Apple A18 has a 6-core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores. There’s also a 5-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine. Even without full specs, we know it’s going to be a monster of a processor. That’s not the only advantage Apple has here, as its control of the SoC and operating system allows it to optimize performance to a level that its Android competitors simply can’t (outside of perhaps Google with the Pixel 9 series).

The Galaxy S24 isn’t a slouch though and likely you won’t notice any real world difference, especially if you have a Qualcomm model. The S24 and S24 Plus use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy on the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus in the US and the Exynos 2400 elsewhere. Honestly, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is likely a slightly more powerful chip if you were to ignore the software optimization differences. Even with this difference, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 can handle any Android game, app, or experience without skipping a beat so it’s not like you’ll feel a loss of speed here.

Those with the Galaxy S24 Plus will also enjoy a bit more RAM at 12GB, versus the 8GB found on the Galaxy S24. Apple doesn’t disclose its RAM size but it did say it has increased it making it very likely the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus both utilize 8GB of RAM this time around. The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus also have the same storage configurations as the S24 Plus, but the standard Galaxy doesn’t offer a 512GB option.

Apple doesn’t disclose battery sizes and we don’t have any firm details on that front yet, but we’d expect them to be similar or slightly larger than last year and should make it through a full day’s use, similar to the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus. Once you deplete them, that’s where you’ll see a notable difference.

Apple again didn’t get into specifics about charging speeds but if it had improved them you can bet they would have made a big deal about it on stage. It is likely the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will still take fairly close to two hours to charge up to one hundred percent from empty. On the bright side, the iPhone does have MagSafe cables that make it easier to line up chargers and attach accessories.

Samsung and Apple utilize different sensors and take pretty different approaches with the camera but both end up with some of the best photography experiences you’ll find on a mobile device.  The Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus feature three rear cameras (wide, ultrawide, and 3x telephoto), while the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have just two, though at least the iPhone finally adds macro support and autofocus.

Even more exciting is the new Camera Control key. We mentioned this earlier but now it’s time to talk about what it does. In short, it acts like a smart camera shutter key. There’s not only support for swipe gestures that let you zoom in and out but also the ability to light press for a cleaner viewfinder UI and more.

While Google and Samsung have dominated the AI conversation, Apple’s iPhone 16 represents the company’s first time designing a phone from the ground up with AI in mind. As you’d expect, Apple Intelligence is at the forefront of these efforts and it promises plenty of new features. Just be aware not all of them are coming from day one, as many of the exciting extras aren’t coming until later this year aren’t coming until later this year including the Image Playground tool, Image Wand, Genmoji, the upgraded Siri, and ChatGPT integration. This puts the iPhone 16 family at a temporary disadvantage over Samsung and its Galaxy AI features, though Apple says the missing abilities will roll out in the “months following”.

As for what Apple will give its users from the beginning? You can expect writing tools, natural language search from photos, the ability to create movies from memories using prompts, Smart Replies, and the new Clean Up tool (Apple’s version of Magic Eraser).

Lastly, let’s talk about software briefly. The iPhone 16 family runs on iOS 18 while the Galaxy S24 series utilizes Android 14 with its One UI on top. These are very different experiences, with Samsung offering superior customization options, even if Apple has greatly improved its game there in recent years. We won’t talk about whether iOS or Android is better but I do want to point out the Galaxy S24 offers seven years of OS upgrades and security fixes, while Apple doesn’t have an actual fixed guarantee but typically provides at least five years of updates. If you like knowing how much time you’ll get the latest software in stone, that’s another advantage on Samsung’s part.

iPhone 16 vs Galaxy S24: Price and availability

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus were announced on September 9, with pre-orders starting on September 13. You’ll find the iPhone 16 in stores beginning September 20. The iPhone 16 starts at $799 for the 128GB model, while the iPhone 16 Plus with 128GB starts at $899, making it about $100 less than the Galaxy S24 Plus.

Samsung launched the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus on January 17 this year, and they’ve been available at major retailers ever since. Prices start at $799.99 for the Galaxy S24 and $999.99 for the Galaxy S24 Plus.

iPhone 16 vs Galaxy S24: Which should you buy?

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are solid phones with several major upgrades, including the new A18 chip, Apple Intelligence integration, and other enhancements. However, the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus are also impressive devices. For most people, it really comes down to which ecosystem you prefer.

If you’re open to switching between operating systems, ask yourself: do you want a straightforward, streamlined experience or a highly customizable one with a wide array of features? If simplicity is what you value, stick with Apple. For greater customization, the Galaxy is the better choice. If you’re after high-end features, consider the iPhone 16 Pro ($999 at Apple), Pro Max ($1199 at Amazon), or the Galaxy S24 Ultra ($1419.99 at Amazon).