Is iPhone 17 or Samsung Galaxy S25 the best small flagship? Everything to consider

Apple has a new crop of smartphones, and the iPhone 17 feels like the first base model in years to be truly competitive with the best Android phones. In the past, it was easy to criticize Apple for seemingly holding back basic features, like always-on displays and high refresh rates, from the cheapest new iPhone. The iPhone 17 flips the script, adding both of those long-awaited features and a whole lot more to make the base model eye-catching.

For those looking for a small and cheap flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S25 has looked great on paper for the past few years. It's the most compact out of the top options from Apple, Samsung, and Google, and it added a third rear camera before it was cool. Now, it's time to see whether the iPhone 17 can beat the Galaxy S25 at its own game in base-model value.

iPhone 17 vs. Samsung Galaxy S25: Design and display

Why you can trust Android Central Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

The iPhone 17 and the Galaxy S25 are both small flagships, but Apple's smartphone is heavier and less compact than Samsung's. It comes down to the displays — Samsung is still using a 6.2-inch AMOLED panel on the Galaxy S25, whereas Apple moved to a larger 6.3-inch screen. Both are now capable of hitting 120Hz refresh rates, and have AOD options.

Apple is using Ceramic Shield 2 glass on the iPhone 17, and Samsung opted for Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the Galaxy S25. Both are made by Corning, but the key difference is that the iPhone 17's cover glass is optimized for scratch protection and has anti-reflective properties. To get an anti-reflective screen on a Samsung Galaxy phone, you have to go with the expensive Galaxy S25 Ultra model.

It's hard to understate the difference in size between the iPhone 17 and Galaxy S25. By just comparing the screen sizes, the gap looks minuscule, but there's more to the story. The iPhone measures 149.6 x 71.5 x 8mm and weighs 177 grams, which is larger by every measure compared to the Galaxy S25's dimensions of 146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2 mm. The Samsung base model's weight is particularly impressive at just 162 grams — even lighter than the iPhone Air.

Surprisingly, the Galaxy S25 packs flagship specs and a larger battery capacity than the iPhone 17 in that small form factor. The only key compromise here is the display, which is smaller by one tenth of an inch. Only you can decide whether the bigger, thicker, and heavier design of the iPhone 17 is a dealbreaker, but I prefer the compact and lightweight build of the Galaxy S25.

As for durability, both phones sport an IP68 certification against dust and water ingress. They're also made out of aluminum and have frosted glass backs.

iPhone 17 vs. Samsung Galaxy S25: Hardware and specs

Apple and Samsung both equipped their cheapest flagship phones with current-generation processors, but the Galaxy S25 goes a step further. It's powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy mobile platform, the same one that powers Samsung's most expensive handsets. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 runs on an Apple A19 chip that's a lower-tier offering compared to the A19 Pro in the Air and Pro models. This could help the Galaxy S25 excel in AI tasks and gaming, but that remains to be seen.

Samsung has the advantage in on-device memory, with 12GB of RAM on the Galaxy S25 compared to the iPhone 17's 8GB. However, the iPhone 17 crucially starts with 256GB of base storage at the same price as the 128GB Galaxy S25. There's more storage available on the higher-end configurations, too. You can buy an iPhone 17 with up to 512GB of storage, while the Galaxy S25 tops out at 256GB.

In terms of connectivity, the iPhone 17 and the Galaxy S25 both support Wi-Fi 7, 5G, satellite connectivity, and NFC. The iPhone 17 does support Bluetooth 6 compared to Bluetooth 5.4 on the Galaxy S25. On the flip side, the Galaxy S25 has a physical SIM tray, and all iPhones are eSIM-only in the U.S.

Samsung gave the Galaxy S25 slightly more battery life, but it charges more slowly and doesn't have internal magnets for Qi2 or MagSafe. The iPhone 17 can now do 40-60W fast wired charging and take advantage of Qi2.2 25W wireless charging, which is great to see.

While the A19 chip is a capable performer, Samsung likely does more with its on-device Galaxy AI processing than Apple does with Apple Intelligence at the moment. Between Galaxy AI and Gemini, the Galaxy S25 has the more robust AI suite.

iPhone 17 vs. Samsung Galaxy S25: Cameras

The iPhone 17 received a few major camera upgrades this year, headlined by the 18MP selfie camera. This new camera lens now uses a square sensor, a shift from typical 4:3 sensor. The practical benefit of this change is being able to take selfies in either orientation, portrait or landscape, without having to physically rotate your phone. And when there's a big group shot, Center Stage uses AI to automatically expand the view to fit everyone in.

The rear cameras are a bit less exciting — they're 48MP sensors, a main and an ultrawide. Still, they look to perform great and provide the stabilization and video recording Apple is known for.

Samsung has an extra rear telephoto lens, which adds a 3x optical zoom length into the mix. It's the handy tool in a triple-camera system that also consists of a 50MP, f/1.8 main sensor and a 12MP, f/2.2 ultrawide with a 120-degree field of view. Google followed suit this year, adding a telephoto camera to its base-model Pixel 10, but Samsung pioneered this offering on cheaper flagships.

Compared to the 2x optical-quality zoom the iPhone 17 achieves using sensor crop, the Galaxy S25's true 3x optical zoom will undoubtedly produce better results.

iPhone 17 vs. Samsung Galaxy S25: Which should you buy

The iPhone 17 and Samsung Galaxy S25 are more similar than you may think — both feature the same chassis design as older models and come with key limitations compared to their higher-end counterparts. However, both also stand out in their own way. Aside from the obvious iOS 26 vs. One UI 7 debate, these phones focus on completely different things.

The iPhone 17 clearly puts an emphasis on the cameras, making it a great option for creators or anyone who loves to take photos or videos. Yes, it has one fewer rear camera than the Galaxy S25, but its 48MP main and ultrawide cameras are top-notch. Plus, the square front-facing camera that makes it possible to capture vertical or horizontal selfies without rotating your device is a standout feature.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S25 has more raw power with the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, and it does more with it thanks to Galaxy AI and Gemini. It'll run circles around Apple Intelligence, and the smarts may even help the phone beat the iPhone 17 in gaming and intensive tasks.

You can't go wrong with either one, but if you happen to care about camera or AI features, you may want to pick the iPhone 17 or Galaxy S25, respectively.