{"slug":"iphone-16-pro-vs-galaxy-s25-ultra","question":"iPhone 16 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: 2026 Flagship Showdown","answer":"The iPhone 16 Pro Refurb at $759 is the better value in 2026; the Galaxy S25 Ultra at $999 sale is the better hardware. If you have other Apple devices, iPhone wins regardless of specs.","answer_curated":true,"verdict":"Galaxy S25 Ultra wins on hardware (larger battery, 200MP camera, S Pen, bigger screen); iPhone 16 Pro wins on value ($240 cheaper refurb), ecosystem integration, and video quality.","keyDifferences":[{"label":"Battery life","winner":"b","entityAValue":"3,582 mAh — ~6-7 hrs screen-on, 27W wired","entityBValue":"5,000 mAh — ~8-9 hrs screen-on, 45W wired"},{"label":"Street price (May 2026)","winner":"a","entityAValue":"$759 (Apple Certified Refurb)","entityBValue":"$999 (samsung.com sale) / $1,299 MSRP"},{"label":"Camera versatility","winner":"b","entityAValue":"48MP main + 12MP 5x periscope telephoto","entityBValue":"200MP main + 50MP 5x periscope + 10MP 3x telephoto"},{"label":"Video quality","winner":"a","entityAValue":"4K 120fps Dolby Vision + Log — best for creators","entityBValue":"8K 30fps — impressive but harder to edit"},{"label":"Chipset","winner":"tie","entityAValue":"Apple A18 Pro — leads single-core","entityBValue":"Snapdragon 8 Elite — leads multi-core (~9,400 vs ~8,400 Geekbench multi)"}],"winner":{"slug":"galaxy-s25-ultra","name":"Galaxy S25 Ultra"},"confidence":"high","entities":[{"name":"iPhone 16 Pro","slug":"iphone-16-pro","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/iphone-16-pro","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/iphone-16-pro"},{"name":"Galaxy S25 Ultra","slug":"galaxy-s25-ultra","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/galaxy-s25-ultra","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/galaxy-s25-ultra"}],"faqs":[{"question":"Is the iPhone 16 Pro or Galaxy S25 Ultra better in 2026?","answer":"It depends on your ecosystem and use case. The iPhone 16 Pro Refurb at $759 is the better value in 2026; the Galaxy S25 Ultra at $999 sale is the better hardware. If you have other Apple devices, iPhone wins regardless of specs."},{"question":"Should I buy the iPhone 16 Pro now in 2026 or step up to the iPhone 17 Pro?","answer":"For most buyers, iPhone 16 Pro Refurb at $759 is the better deal — the iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099, a $340 premium for incremental camera, A19 Pro, and first-day Apple Intelligence gains. Heavy users (>4 hrs/day, photo enthusiasts, gamers) benefit from the upgrade; everyone else is better served by the refurb."},{"question":"Is the Galaxy S25 Ultra worth $999 if the S26 Ultra is already out?","answer":"Yes, unless you need the S26 Ultra's specific upgrades. At $999 the S25 Ultra saves $300 versus the $1,299 S26 Ultra and stays flagship-grade — the S Pen, 200 MP camera, and 5,000 mAh battery are unchanged year-over-year. The main argument for the S26 Ultra is its longer warranty horizon if Samsung Care+ matters to you."}],"attribution":{"source":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/iphone-16-pro-vs-galaxy-s25-ultra","license":"CC BY 4.0","citationFormat":"According to A Versus B (https://www.aversusb.net/compare/iphone-16-pro-vs-galaxy-s25-ultra), The iPhone 16 Pro Refurb at $759 is the better value in 2026; the Galaxy S25 Ultra at $999 sale is the better hardware. If you have other Apple devices, iPhone wins regardless of specs.","dateModified":"2026-05-23T07:00:05.227Z"},"relatedQuestionsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/faq/iphone-16-pro-vs-galaxy-s25-ultra","relatedComparisonsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/related/iphone-16-pro-vs-galaxy-s25-ultra","knowledgeGraphUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/knowledge-graph/iphone-16-pro-vs-galaxy-s25-ultra","claimReviewSchema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ClaimReview","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/iphone-16-pro-vs-galaxy-s25-ultra#claimreview","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/iphone-16-pro-vs-galaxy-s25-ultra","inLanguage":"en-US","isAccessibleForFree":true,"conditionsOfAccess":"Free","claimReviewed":"iPhone 16 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: 2026 Flagship Showdown","reviewBody":"The iPhone 16 Pro Refurb at $759 is the better value in 2026; the Galaxy S25 Ultra at $999 sale is the better hardware. If you have other Apple devices, iPhone wins regardless of specs.","datePublished":"2026-05-23T06:59:51.727Z","dateModified":"2026-05-23T07:00:05.227Z","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":5,"worstRating":1,"bestRating":5,"alternateName":"High Confidence"},"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net"},"itemReviewed":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/iphone-16-pro-vs-galaxy-s25-ultra","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/iphone-16-pro-vs-galaxy-s25-ultra","name":"iPhone 16 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: 2026 Flagship Showdown","inLanguage":"en-US"}}}