iPhone 16 Pro with Galaxy S25 Ultra in the background
Samsung’s latest flagship is yet to go on sale, but it’s already setting the stage for what’s to come this year—a ton of AI. While it doesn’t feature an extensive list of upgrades, there are a few things Apple could borrow for the iPhone 17 Pro series. After all there’s no harm in picking great features from your competitors.
From a display that’s a joy to use to UI features that help you stay productive, here are three Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra features I want to see on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
A Better Use Of The Big Screen
Galaxy S25 Ultra display
The iPhone 16 Pro Max features a 6.9-inch display but feels limited by its user interface. It seems like a blown-up version of the 6.1-inch iPhone 16 with not much use.
While it’s a similar story for the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Ultra, Samsung’s One UI is miles ahead of iOS in terms of productivity. It takes full advantage of the big screen with features like multiwindow and the Edge Panel—both of which are also present on the base Galaxy S25 but feel more intuitive and useful on the Ultra’s larger display.
Whenever I switch back to a Galaxy Ultra phone, I find myself dragging Gooogle Keep from the Edge Panel to the top of the screen while researching in Chromte on the bottom half. It works seamlessly, and I miss this feature whenever I am on the iPhone. Apple’s take on multitasking through Dynamic Island simply isn’t as comprehensive as Samsung’s.
An Anti-Reflective Display
Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro side by side in same sunlight
When I first used the Galaxy S24 Ultra, I wrote this: I can’t believe how good the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s display is. The anti-reflective coating was a game-changer for outdoor use and direct indoor lighting, making a significant difference when reading or watching videos. Sure, you can apply a matte screen protector to an iPhone, but it’s not the same as Gorilla Armor’s built-in coating.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra takes this even further with Gorilla Armor 2, which promises better drop protection and overall durability while also addressing the grainy screen issue reported by some users.
I haven’t drop-tested my Galaxy S25 Ultra, so I can’t comment on durability, but the new Armor 2 glass is equally enjoyable for content consumption. I can read and watch media without adjusting my phone to avoid glare. Plus, it outperforms the iPhone 16 Pro’s Ceramic Shield in fingerprint resistance—I don’t have to wipe my Galaxy S25 Ultra every time I need to use it when outside.
Less Power-Hungry AI
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Now Brief
Since installing Apple Intelligence, my iPhone 16 Pro’s battery life has taken a hit. It used to last an entire day, but now I have to charge it twice daily. This wasn’t an issue with the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and it’s not a problem with the Galaxy S25 Ultra either because they came optimized for Galaxy AI out of the box.
I’m still skeptical about the usability of AI features, but Galaxy AI is less power-hungry than Apple Intelligence on the iPhone 16 Pro series. I’m not a fan of all the generative AI features, but some, like notification summaries (for friends’ messages and not news) on iPhones and AI Select on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, are genuinely useful. The problem is that Apple’s AI drains battery so much that I have to consider turning it off—something I never had to do with Samsung’s implementation.
I’ve been hoping for a better user interface, especially for the big-screen iPhones, but Apple doesn’t seem keen on offering true multitasking features on iOS. However, an anti-reflective display like the one on the Galaxy S25 Ultra would certainly make a lot of iPhone fans happy. For now, I’ll stick with the Galaxy S25 Ultra over my iPhone 16 Pro for the superior screen and user interface.
