At a Glance: Buy a New Phone after reading the breakdown review of released versions of iPhone, Pixel & Galaxy S25
| Feature | iPhone 16 Pro Max | Google Pixel 9 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra |
| Best For | Video, smooth experience, Apple users | Photos, smart AI features, Google fans | All-around use, zoom photography, S Pen users |
| Camera | Very consistent and great for video. | Best for still photos, especially low-light. | Highly versatile with a powerful zoom lens. |
| Main Camera | 48MP | 50MP | 200MP |
| Telephoto Zoom | 5x optical zoom | 5x optical zoom | 3x and 5x optical zoom |
| Chip / Performance | A18 Pro chip. Excellent for long, heavy use. | Tensor G4 chip. Optimized for AI tasks. | Snapdragon 8 Elite chip. Very fast and powerful. |
| Special Features | Seamless connection with other Apple devices. | Advanced AI features like “Circle to Search”. | Built-in S Pen for notes and drawing. |
| Operating System | iOS 18 | Android 15 | Android 15 with One UI 7 |
| Battery Life | Class-leading, very long-lasting. | Good, uses AI to save power. | Reliable and long-lasting. |
Here is a simple breakdown of what each phone does best and where it might not be the top choice.
Camera
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: The iPhone is a top choice for people who shoot a lot of video. Its cameras are known for being very consistent and easy to use. The latest model has also improved its ultrawide camera, making it better at capturing wider shots and for close-up macro photos.
- Google Pixel 9 Pro: This phone is the king of still photos, thanks to Google’s smart software (AI). It produces very realistic-looking pictures with great detail. The Pixel is also a great choice for taking pictures in low light and for things like astrophotography (pictures of the night sky).
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: The S25 Ultra is known for its versatility. It has a powerful camera system with multiple lenses, including a high-resolution 200MP main camera and multiple zoom lenses. This makes it excellent for getting close-up shots from far away, earning it the title of “best for zoom.”
Performance
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: With its A18 Pro chip, the iPhone offers smooth and fast performance. It is especially good at keeping up peak performance for a long time without getting too hot.
- Google Pixel 9 Pro: The Tensor G4 chip in the Pixel 9 Pro is very good at handling all the AI features Google builds into the phone. While it’s very fast for everyday tasks, some reports suggest it might not be as strong as the other two for long periods of heavy use.
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: The S25 Ultra, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, is a powerhouse. It offers raw speed and is a great choice for gaming and other demanding tasks.
Battery Life
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: The iPhone is a leader in battery life. It has a large battery and its software is very efficient, which means the phone can last a very long time on a single charge.
- Google Pixel 9 Pro: The Pixel 9 Pro’s battery life is good, and it uses AI to help save power and extend how long the phone can be used.
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: The S25 Ultra has a large 5000mAh battery. Its battery life is reliable and it also charges quickly.
Special Features
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Its main strength is the Apple ecosystem, where all your Apple devices work together seamlessly. It also has a very durable design.
- Google Pixel 9 Pro: This phone stands out because of its smart AI features. Google’s AI makes the phone’s camera, search, and other functions smarter and easier to use.
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: This phone comes with a built-in S Pen stylus, which is great for artists or anyone who likes to take notes or draw on their phone. It also offers a “desktop-like” experience called Samsung DeX when you connect it to a monitor.
Final Verdict
This table makes it easy to see the main strengths of each phone.
- The iPhone 16 Pro Max is the best if you want the most reliable and easy-to-use phone, especially for video and if you already own other Apple products.
- The Google Pixel 9 Pro is the top choice if your number one priority is taking the best photos with smart, helpful features built-in.
- The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is the winner if you want a phone that does everything at a very high level and you like the extra features of the S Pen and its powerful zoom.
Upcoming Phone Models
iPhone 17 series: Apple officially announced the iPhone 17 series at its “Awe Dropping” event on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. The phones, including the new iPhone Air, are available for pre-order as of Friday, September 12, 2025, with the official release date and in-store availability set for Friday, September 19, 2025.
Google Pixel 10 series: Google also recently announced the Pixel 10 series at its “Made by Google” event on Wednesday, August 20, 2025. The new phones became available for general purchase on Thursday, August 28, 2025.
Samsung Galaxy S26 series: While the other two companies have released their new phones, the Samsung Galaxy S26 is still on the way. Based on Samsung’s recent release patterns, it is expected to be announced and released in January or February of 2026.
If interested please go through our blog related to the evolution of iPhones https://okjango.com/trends/tracing-the-evolution-of-the-iphone/
Reference Links
Apple iPhone
- Official iPhone page: https://www.apple.com/iphone/
- Apple Store page to buy iPhones: https://www.apple.com/ca/shop/buy-iphone
Google Pixel
- Official Google Pixel phones page: https://store.google.com/category/phones
- Google Pixel for Business page: https://pixel.google/business/
Samsung Galaxy
- Official Samsung Galaxy page: https://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/
- Page to view all Galaxy smartphones: https://www.samsung.com/ca/smartphones/all-smartphones/
