iPhone 17 vs Samsung Galaxy S24: New Flagship vs Discounted Champion
iPhone 17 won Phone of the Year at MKBHD's 2025 Smartphone Awards. Samsung Galaxy S24 was runner-up Best Small Phone at the 2024 awards and is now widely discounted. They're priced $100–$200 apart and answer different ecosystem questions.
Updated · Verdict based on MKBHD Smartphone Awards results and spec analysis.
iPhone 17
Apple · 2025 · From $799
Samsung Galaxy S24
Samsung · 2024 · From $799
Round wins
iPhone 17: 3 · Samsung Galaxy S24: 1 ·Ties: 3
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | iPhone 17 | Samsung Galaxy S24 |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.1-inch OLED, 120Hz ProMotion | 6.2-inch FHD+ AMOLED, 120Hz |
| Processor | Apple A19 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB |
| Camera | 48MP main + 12MP ultrawide + 12MP front | 50MP main + 12MP ultrawide + 10MP 3x telephoto |
| Battery | 3,279 mAh | 4,000 mAh |
| OS | iOS 19 | Android 14 (One UI 6.1) |
| Starting price | $799 | $799 |
| Released | 2025 | 2024 |
Round-by-round breakdown
Display
Winner: iPhone 17iPhone 17 has ProMotion 120Hz; Galaxy S24 also has 120Hz. iPhone 17's brightness peak is roughly 15% higher. Both excellent.
Performance
Winner: iPhone 17A19 (iPhone 17) vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 / Exynos 2400 (S24). A19 is roughly 25% faster across CPU/GPU and meaningfully more efficient.
Camera
TieBoth have dual main + ultrawide setups (no telephoto). iPhone 17 wins on consistency and video; S24 wins marginally on zoom flexibility (digital crop on the 50MP main is similar to iPhone's 48MP).
Battery
Winner: iPhone 17Comparable battery sizes but iPhone 17's A19 efficiency wins by roughly 1 hour of screen-on time.
AI features
TieiPhone 17 has Apple Intelligence; Galaxy S24 has Galaxy AI. Both are useful, both are still maturing. Pick on platform preference.
Software updates
TieBoth ship 7 years of major OS updates. Functional parity for longevity.
Price
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S24Samsung Galaxy S24: now $599–$699 (vs $799 iPhone 17). The Samsung is the value pick by $200.
Final verdict
iPhone 17 is the better phone in 2026, but the S24 at $599–$699 is genuinely close on capability. Buy the iPhone 17 if you want Phone of the Year, the better long-term experience, and you're not already in the Galaxy ecosystem. Buy the S24 if you want Galaxy AI, want to save $200, or already have Samsung devices.
Frequently Asked Questions
iPhone 17 vs Galaxy S24: which to buy in 2026?
iPhone 17 if you want the latest and Phone of the Year-tier; Galaxy S24 at $599–$699 is the smarter value pick if you don't mind being one generation behind on chipset.
Is the Galaxy S24 still good in 2026?
Yes — it placed at MKBHD's 2024 awards and has 6 more years of Samsung software updates remaining. The discount makes it one of the best Android values in 2026.
Should I buy a discounted Galaxy S24 or new iPhone 17?
Stretch to the iPhone 17 if you can afford it. If $200 matters, the S24 is genuinely close on capability and a rational pick.