Apple dominates premium smartphones and tablets with tighter software integration and higher profit margins, while Samsung leads in market share with diverse product categories across phones, TVs, semiconductors, and appliances. Apple's ecosystem generates 92% gross margin on devices, whereas Samsung's diversified business model yields lower but more stable revenue across multiple sectors.
Apple vs Samsung — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Premium hardware and software company specializing in iPhones, Macs, and vertical ecosystem integration.
Diversified global technology conglomerate manufacturing smartphones, displays, semiconductors, appliances, and consumer electronics.
Global Smartphone Market Share (2025). Gross Profit Margin. Annual Revenue (2024). Operating System Control. Product Categories. iPhone 16 Pro Starting Price. Employee Count
Choose Apple if you prioritize software-hardware integration, premium build quality, longer software support (7 years), and ecosystem lock-in benefits—best for users invested in iPhone, Mac, iPad, and Apple Watch. Choose Samsung if you want maximum choice across product categories, competitive pricing at multiple tiers, cutting-edge display technology, and don't require ecosystem continuity—best for consumers seeking value and flexibility across smartphones, appliances, and home electronics.
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 161,000 | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: $799 | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 68% | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: $42 billion | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 4.1★ | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Enterprise Product Innovation Review Count
Apple Inc.: 20,232 reviews | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 4.7★ | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 186 reviews | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: Not specified | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Enterprise Integration Capabilities Rating
Apple Inc.: Below 5.0★ | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 15+ devices | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 4.4 stars | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 275 reviews | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: Emerging competitor with new features (multi-stop, cycling nav) | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: Limited to Apple ecosystem | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: End-to-end encryption enabled (iOS 26.5+) | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: Minimal collection; on-device processing prioritized | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: Privacy-preserving on-device AI processing | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: $999+ | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: $143.76 billion | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: $2.37 billion | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: Services-focused (not specified) | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Commercial Remaining Performance Obligations
Apple Inc.: Not disclosed as separate metric | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: $85.27 billion (+23.3% YoY) | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 920% | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Trailing 12-Month Revenue Growth (3-Year Period)
Apple Inc.: 3,000+ | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: $29.9B | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 7+ | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 150+ | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Ecosystem App Availability (Android/iOS equivalent)
Apple Inc.: 1.96M apps (App Store) | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: $3.5 trillion | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 46.2% | Samsung Electronics: 32.1%
Apple Inc.: $93.7B | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 161K | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 7.8% | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 231M devices | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 30.7% | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: $391.4B | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: $3.5T | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 27% (Apple Arcade subscribers: 25M) | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: $84.3B (22% of total) | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 9.5/10 (fully vertical) | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 8% (emerging with Vision Pro) | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 30.1% | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 28% (iOS) | Samsung Electronics: 21.8%
Apple Inc.: 7 years | Samsung Electronics: 5 years
iPhone 16 Pro / Galaxy S25 Ultra Display
Apple Inc.: 120Hz Super Retina XDR | Samsung Electronics: 120Hz AMOLED Vision
Apple Inc.: $999 | Samsung Electronics: $1,299
Apple Inc.: 7 major categories | Samsung Electronics: 15+ major categories
Apple Inc.: 89/100 | Samsung Electronics: 79/100
Apple Inc.: 22% | Samsung Electronics: N/A
EV Market Share / Product Category Dominance
Apple Inc.: 56% (smartphone OS) | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 1200% | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 16% | Samsung Electronics: 19%
Apple Inc.: $963 | Samsung Electronics: $412
Apple Inc.: 7+ years | Samsung Electronics: 4 years
Apple Inc.: $391.04B | Samsung Electronics: $223.2B
Apple Inc.: 8 categories | Samsung Electronics: 15+ categories
iPhone 15 Resale Value Retention After 1 Year
Apple Inc.: 72% | Samsung Electronics: 58%
Apple Inc.: 99.8% | Samsung Electronics: 98.2%
Apple Inc.: 16% | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 31.5% | Samsung Electronics: 12.3%
Apple Inc.: $394.3B | Samsung Electronics: $256.4B
Apple Inc.: $999 | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 2,800+ | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 7 years minimum | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 3.5 million (App Store) | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 18% | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: $391.0 billion | Samsung Electronics: $230.7B
Apple Inc.: 29.9% | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 927 million active devices | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: N/A (hardware-focused) | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: $429 (iPhone 15) | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 73 (Apple) | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: 45+ data centers | Samsung Electronics: N/A
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: 200MP (Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra)
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: 7 years guaranteed
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: 6.9-inch AMOLED (Galaxy S26 Ultra)
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: 3120x1440 (Galaxy S26 Ultra)
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: 120Hz AMOLED standard
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: $1,400+ (Galaxy S26 Ultra)
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: 4 cameras (Galaxy S26 Ultra)
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: #2 phone brand in US market
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: $799 (Galaxy S24)
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: 7 years
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: 45W (Galaxy S24)
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, 2992x1344
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: 22.3%
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: 28,000+
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: 82%
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: 0%
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: $24.8B
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: 267,000+
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: N/A (Samsung is hardware maker, not OS)
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: 21.8%
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: 3.8 million (same ecosystem)
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: 4 years for flagship Galaxy devices
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: 5 years for Galaxy S-series flagships
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: $230-300 (Samsung Galaxy A-series)
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: 1 (Samsung only)
Apple Inc.: N/A | Samsung Electronics: Medium: One UI customization limited to Samsung's framework
How to choose between Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics
Compare Apple Inc. vs Samsung Electronics
Apple vs Samsung — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Apple vs Samsung. Contains 107 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Apple vs Samsung — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Apple vs Samsung.
Is Apple or Samsung better for long-term use?
Both now offer 7 years of software support (Apple: iOS updates; Samsung: Android updates on Galaxy S/Z series). Apple has a longer track record of delivering major feature updates to older devices. In practice, iPhones tend to feel more capable for longer due to Apple's silicon efficiency advantage. Resale value strongly favors Apple — a 3-year-old iPhone typically holds 40-50% of original value vs 20-30% for Samsung flagships.
Which has a better camera — iPhone or Samsung Galaxy?
Both trade places at the top of camera rankings annually. The iPhone 16 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra both score in the top 5 at DxOMark. Apple is generally praised for natural colors, video quality, and computational photography consistency. Samsung cameras have historically over-processed images with heavy AI sharpening; this has improved in recent generations. For video recording, iPhone maintains an advantage, particularly for ProRes and LOG format shooting.
Yes, switching is technically straightforward — Samsung's Smart Switch app can transfer contacts, photos, and some settings. The harder part is ecosystem friction: you lose seamless iMessage group chats (they become SMS/MMS with iPhone contacts), AirDrop, AirPods seamless switching, and iCloud integration. Family groups on Apple devices are the hardest to leave. For solo users without heavy Apple ecosystem usage, switching is much easier.
Does Samsung make the screens in iPhones?
Yes, Samsung Display is a major supplier of OLED panels to Apple for iPhone. The two companies have a complex relationship: Samsung Electronics' Galaxy phones are Apple's biggest smartphone competitors, while Samsung Display and Samsung Semiconductor supply components to Apple. Apple has been diversifying its display supply to LG Display and BOE over time to reduce Samsung dependence.
Is Apple or Samsung more popular globally?
Samsung leads globally by unit volume — it shipped approximately 220 million smartphones in 2024 vs Apple's 232 million, making it very close. But regionally they differ significantly: Apple dominates the US and Japan (70%+ market share), while Samsung leads in emerging markets and Europe. Apple dominates the premium ($800+) segment globally; Samsung commands the mid-range and high-end volume.
How to Choose Between Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics
Consider: Global Smartphone Market Share (2025)
Global Smartphone Market Share (2025): Apple Inc. has 16.2%, while Samsung Electronics has 21.8%.
Gross Profit Margin: Apple Inc. has 46.2%, while Samsung Electronics has 32.1%.
Annual Revenue (2024): Apple Inc. has $391.4 billion, while Samsung Electronics has $230.7 billion.
Operating System Control: Apple Inc. has Proprietary iOS/macOS, while Samsung Electronics has Licensed Android + OneUI.
Product Categories: Apple Inc. has 7 (phones, tablets, laptops, wearables, audio, TV, software), while Samsung Electronics has 15+ (phones, tablets, TVs, semiconductors, appliances, displays, batteries, home appliances).
iPhone 16 Pro Starting Price: Apple Inc. has $999, while Samsung Electronics has Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: $1,299.
Employee Count: Apple Inc. has 161,000, while Samsung Electronics has 267,000.
Apple Inc. is better than Samsung Electronics
Apple dominates premium smartphones and tablets with tighter software integration and higher profit margins, while Samsung leads in market share with diverse product categories across phones, TVs, semiconductors, and appliances. Apple's ecosystem generates 92% gross margin on devices, whereas Samsun