Technologies

Apple’s iPhone 17 vs. Samsung’s Galaxy S25: Comparing the Base Flagship Phones

Apple and Samsung each offer a lot in their $800 phones, so we’ll compare to see the biggest differences.

There’s a new Apple flagship phone in town: the long-awaited iPhone 17. The $799 iPhone 17 is the base model of the new iPhone lineup, which is now on sale with the $999 iPhone Air, $1,099 iPhone 17 Pro and $1,199 iPhone 17 Pro Max. While the iPhone 17 is the most affordable option among the new phones, there’s nothing basic about it. It features plenty of updates like a 120Hz display, upgraded cameras and a faster A19 chip.

Since there’s a new base iPhone, we figure it’s only fitting to compare it to one of its toughest competitors: the base Galaxy S25 from Samsung. The two have very similar characteristics and would make excellent smartphones, depending on whether you’re on the Apple or Android side of the divide.

So how do these two flagships stack up? Let’s take a closer look.

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Display

One of the biggest updates to the iPhone 17 over its predecessor is that it finally has a ProMotion display with a 120Hz variable refresh rate, which has only been in the iPhone’s Pro models to this point. This allows for an always-on display so you can glance at your notifications and Live Activities without having to wake the screen. Plus, it offers a smoother experience when playing games or scrolling through the web. Aside from the refresh rate, the iPhone 17’s 6.3-inch OLED screen has a 2,622×1,206-pixel resolution and 3,000 nits of brightness.

Samsung’s Galaxy line has had a 120Hz variable refresh rate for a while (ever since the S20), and it’s no different with the Galaxy S25. The S25 also has an always-on display option, which can be configured to show all the time or by tapping the screen. Its 6.2-inch AMOLED display isn’t quite as sharp with a 2,340×1,080-pixel resolution, and it’s also not quite as bright, at 2,600 nits at peak brightness.

Cameras

When it comes to the number of cameras, the Galaxy S25 has the iPhone 17 beat. It has not one, not two, but three cameras: A 50-megapixel wide, a 12-megapixel ultrawide and a 10-megapixel telephoto. The iPhone 17, on the other hand, just has two: a 48-megapixel wide and a rather impressive 48-megapixel ultrawide. The Galaxy S25’s telephoto camera supports a 3x optical zoom, while the iPhone 17 supports a 2x optical zoom.

The S25’s front-facing camera has a 12-megapixel lens, while the iPhone 17’s has an 18-megapixel one. The iPhone 17 also boasts a new Center Stage feature that lets you take landscape selfies without rotating the phone.

In terms of video, the S25 can shoot in 8K video at 30 frames per second, while the iPhone 17 can shoot in 4K at 30 and 60 frames per second.

Battery life

Apple hasn’t shared the exact battery specs of the iPhone 17, but we do know it has up to 30 hours of video playback. According to the company, it also uses a new AI-powered Adaptive Power feature on iOS 26 that can help conserve battery life with performance adjustments.

The Galaxy S25 has a 4,000-mAh battery, which Samsung says provides up to 29 hours of video playback. In our tests, we said that the Galaxy S25 lasts around a day and a half with regular use, while the iPhone 17 lasts more than a day. As of this writing, we’re still busy testing the iPhone 17, but it appears that the two phones are pretty comparable when it comes to battery life.

Price

Both the iPhone 17 and the Samsung Galaxy S25 start at around $800, but at very different storage sizes. The iPhone 17 starts at $799 ($829 if you get it without a carrier) for the 256GB version, while the Samsung Galaxy S25 will cost you $800 for the 128GB model. Stepping up to the 256GB edition of the Galaxy S25 adds $60 to the price.

Check out the specs chart below for more comparisons between the iPhone 17 and the Galaxy S25.

Apple iPhone 17 vs. Samsung Galaxy S25

	Apple iPhone 17	Samsung Galaxy S25
Display size, resolution	6.3-inch OLED; 2,622×1,206 pixel resolution; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate	6.2-inch AMOLED; 2,340×1,080 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate
Pixel density	460ppi	416 ppi
Dimensions (inches)	5.89 x 2.81 x 0.31 in	5.78 x 2.78 x 0.28 in.
Dimensions (millimeters)	149.6 x 71.5 x 7.95 mm	146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2 mm
Weight (ounces, grams)	177 g (6.24 oz)	162g (5.71 oz.)
Mobile software	iOS 26	Android 15
Camera	48-megapixel (wide) 48-megapixel (ultrawide)	50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto)
Front-facing camera	18-megapixel	12-megapixel
Video capture	4K	8K
Processor	Apple A19	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
RAM/Storage	RAM N/A + 256GB, 512GB	12GB RAM + 128GB, 256GB
Expandable storage	None	None
Battery/Charger	Up to 30 hours video playback; up to 27 hours video playback (streamed)	4,000 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	None (Face ID)	Under display
Connector	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	None	None
Special features	Apple N1 wireless networking chip (Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO), Bluetooth 6, Thread; Action button; Camera Control button; Dynamic Island; Apple Intelligence; Visual Intelligence; Dual eSIM; 1 to 3,000 nits brightness display range; IP68 resistance; Colors: black, white, mist blue, sage, lavender; Fast charge up to 50% in 20 minutes using 40W adapter or higher via charging cable; Fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using 30W adapter or higher via MagSafe Charger.	2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dust resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; 25W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7
Price off-contract (USD)	$829 (256GB)	$800 (128GB)
Price (GBP)	£799 (256GB)	£799 (128GB)
Price (AUD)	AU$1,399 (256GB)	AU$1,399 (256GB)

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Sept. 21 #567

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Sept. 21, No. 567.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is a tough one. The words are long and there are many that could fit the category. If you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Stand by me.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Need a friend to lean on?

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

PORT, SODA, SECT, MOST, RENT, RENTS, FORT, FOOL, FOOLS, PORT, RATS, STAR, SPOT, TOPS

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

BOLSTER, COMFORT, FORTIFY, SUPPORT, STRENGTHEN

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is SOLIDARITY. To find it, look for the S that’s four letters down on the far-right row, and wind across.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Sept. 21, #833

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Sept. 21, #833.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle features another one of those purple categories where you need to play with the letters in the word to figure out their connection. It’s fun, but tricky. Need help? Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Computer technique.

Green group hint: Calm down.

Blue group hint: Here are your menus.

Purple group hint: Not fruits.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Touchscreen gestures.

Green group: Relax.

Blue group: Restaurant seating options.

Purple group: Vegetables with first letter removed.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is touchscreen gestures. The four answers are pinch, scroll, swipe and tap.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is relax. The four answers are chill, loaf, lounge and veg.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is restaurant seating options. The four answers are bar, booth, counter and table.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is vegetables with first letter removed. The four answers are ale (kale), eek (leek), hive (chive) and quash (squash).

Technologies

Pumpkin, Fanta or Cheetos: What Flavor of Orange Is the Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro?

We did some extremely scientific tests, and it turns out that the new cosmic orange iPhone is really, well, orange.

The new iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are officially on sale and start at $1,099 and $1,199, respectively. The phones feature a new unibody redesign, a new telephoto camera, an updated screen and a larger battery.

The iPhone 17 Pro is also available in some fresh and eye-catching colors, including silver, dark blue and cosmic orange. Black, space gray and white are now passé. The new innovative colors have some people scratching their heads, and others falling in love.

Say goodbye to titanium metal finishes, and hello to a new orange color that’s as divisive as it is bold. Its hue makes it double as a road hazard warning sign, and that’s one reason not everyone is a fan.

«Apple may be calling it ‘cosmic orange,’ but there’s absolutely nothing heavenly about it,» according to CNET’s Macy Meyer.

Rival phone makers like Motorola are also experimenting with divisive colors and alternatives to a glass back (you can get the Motorola Razr with a wood back). It seems here that in response to criticism about its mostly colorless titanium finishes on recent Pro iPhone models, Apple is now offering a color you can’t ignore.

As I was testing the iPhone 17 Pro Max for my review, the bold, bright orange drew multiple «Is that the new iPhone?» inquiries from passersby.

But is an orange iPhone not what we need right now, as my colleague argues? Will it look less appealing when we hit next year?

«Bold colors can work. Ferrari red? Iconic. Deep midnight blue? Elegant. I even really like the iPhone 15 that’s Barbie pink,» Meyer writes. «But fluorescent traffic-sign orange? That’s a statement that’ll look like a seasonal prop left over from Halloween exactly three months from now.»

To show you just how orange the iPhone 17 Pro Max is, we snapped pictures of it next to as many orange things as I could find.

Looking to order the iPhone 17 Pro Max? Check out our deals guide to learn if you can get it free and other great offers.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

For more about the new Pro phone, check out my iPhone 17 Pro Max review. And if you’re curious about the other phones Apple released, read our iPhone Air review and our in-depth look at the iPhone 17.