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Smartphone comparison

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs iPhone Air

Compare cameras, battery, screen and everyday features.

Compared products
01Selected
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

  • About 120 Hz display refresh rate.
  • About 6.8 inch screen.
  • Qualcomm SM8650-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm) processor.
  • 12 GB RAM in this version.
  • Storage: UFS 4.0.
KSh 121,000In Stock
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02
iPhone Air

iPhone Air

  • 165 g.
  • About 6.5 inch screen.
  • Apple A19 Pro (3 nm) processor.
  • 12 GB RAM in this version.
  • Storage: NVMe.
KSh 123,000In Stock
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2 spaces available

Samsung Galaxy S26 UltraKSh 124,000
Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraKSh 113,000
Google Pixel 10 Pro XLKSh 129,500
Google Pixel 11 Pro XL 256GBKSh 132,000
OnePlus Ace 5 ProKSh 120,500
iPhone 17KSh 117,000
OnePlus 15 5GKSh 111,000
2 of 4 products

Our quick verdict

With the same 12 GB of RAM and IP68 rating, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra runs Android and has a much bigger battery (5,000 mAh), optical zoom, a higher-resolution main camera (200 MP) and a larger 6.8-inch screen, while the iPhone Air runs iOS, has a brighter screen for outdoor use and sharper selfies (18 MP) and is lighter (165 g) and slimmer.

Display

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
About 6.8 inch screen
iPhone Air
About 6.5 inch screen

Performance

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Qualcomm SM8650-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm) processor
iPhone Air
Apple A19 Pro (3 nm) processor

Storage

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
UFS 4.0
iPhone Air
NVMe

Battery capacity

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
5,000 mAh battery capacity
iPhone Air
3,149 mAh battery capacity

Charging

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
45 W wired, 15 W wireless charging
iPhone Air
Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min

Key differences

The main differences to help you choose.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

  • Bigger battery: 5,000 mAh (vs 3,149 mAh).
  • Telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom.
  • Higher-resolution main camera: 200 MP (vs 48 MP).
  • Larger 6.8-inch screen (vs 6.5-inch).
  • Higher frame rates for 4K recording: up to 120 fps (vs 60 fps).
  • 8K video recording (vs 4K).

iPhone Air

  • Higher rated immersion depth: 6 m (vs 1.5 m), both IP68.
  • Brighter display: up to 3,000 nits (vs 2,600).
  • Newer Bluetooth 6.0 (vs 5.3).
  • Higher-resolution selfie camera: 18 MP (vs 12 MP).
  • Lighter: 165 g (vs 232 g).
  • Slimmer: 5.6 mm thick (vs 8.6 mm).

What matters most to you?

Choose any priorities

How each product answers the questions buyers ask most. Tick a topic to add it, untick one to hide it.

More topicsFewer topics
6 priorities selected.
How each product answers the selected priorities
PrioritySamsung Galaxy S24 UltraiPhone Air
Display6.8-inch OLED display, 120 Hz, 505 ppi6.5-inch OLED display, 120 Hz, 460 ppi
Camera200 MP main camera with OIS, plus a 3x telephoto camera48 MP main camera with OIS
PerformanceQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processorApple A19 Pro processor
Battery capacity5,000 mAh battery3,149 mAh battery
Charging45 W wired, 15 W wireless chargingWired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min
Weight232 g165 g

Detailed comparison

Explore the full specifications, section by section.

General

General specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy S24 UltraiPhone Air
BrandSamsungApple
ModelGalaxy S24 UltraApple iPhone Air
Announced2024, January 172025, September 09
Release statusAvailable. Released 2024, January 24Available. Released 2025, September 19
Model numbersSM-S928B, SM-S928B/DS, SM-S928U, SM-S928U1, SM-S928W, SM-S928N, SM-S9280, SM-S928E, SM-S928E/DSiPhone18,4, A3517, A3260, A3518, A3516
SAR1.26 W/kg (head)     0.62 W/kg (body)—
SAR EU1.06 W/kg (head)     1.30 W/kg (body)1.49 W/kg (head) 1.49 W/kg (body)
Device type / form family—Smartphone
SAR (US)—1.19 W/kg (head) 1.19 W/kg (body)
Measured display brightness—998 nits max brightness (measured)
Measured loudspeaker loudness—-29.8 LUFS (Average)
Battery test—Active use score 12:44h
EU label energy—Class A
EU label battery—40:00h endurance, 1000 cycles
EU label free fall—Class B (180 falls)
EU label repairability—Class C

Design

Design specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy S24 UltraiPhone Air
Dimensions162.3 x 79 x 8.6 mm (6.39 x 3.11 x 0.34 in)156.2 x 74.7 x 5.6 mm (6.15 x 2.94 x 0.22 in)
Weight232 g or 233 g (8.18 oz)165 g (5.82 oz)
Build materialsGlass front (Corning Gorilla Armor), glass back (Corning Gorilla Armor), titanium frame (grade 2)Glass front (Ceramic Shield 2), titanium frame (grade 5), glass back (Ceramic Shield)
Stylus supportStylus (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro)—

Display

Display specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy S24 UltraiPhone Air
DisplayDynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak); 6.8 inches, 113.5 cm2 (~88.5% screen-to-body ratio)LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 1600 nits (HBM), 3000 nits (peak); 6.5 inches, 104.9 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio)
Screen resolution1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~505 ppi density)1260 x 2736 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density)
Display protectionCorning Gorilla ArmorCeramic Shield 2
Display featuresDynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak) DX anti-reflective coatingAnti-reflective coating
Display technology—LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED
Display size—6.5 inches, 104.9 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio)
Refresh rate—120Hz
Brightness—1000 nits (typ), 1600 nits (HBM), 3000 nits (peak)
HDR formats—HDR10, Dolby Vision
Pixel density—~460 ppi
Aspect ratio—19.5:9 ratio
Screen-to-body ratio—~89.9% screen-to-body ratio

Performance

Performance specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy S24 UltraiPhone Air
ProcessorQualcomm SM8650-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm)Apple A19 Pro (3 nm)
CPU8-core (1x3.39GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x3.1GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.9GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.2GHz Cortex-A520)Hexa-core (2x4.26 GHz + 4x2.60 GHz)
GPUAdreno 750 (1 GHz)Apple GPU (5-core graphics)
Process node—3 nm

Memory & Storage

Memory & Storage specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy S24 UltraiPhone Air
RAM12GB12GB
Storage256GB / 512GB / 1TB256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Storage technologyUFS 4.0NVMe
Expandable storageNoNo
Memory configurations256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM

Cameras

Cameras specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy S24 UltraiPhone Air
Rear camera200 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.3", 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 50 MP, f/3.4, 111mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.52", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video48 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS
Front camera12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF18 MP multi-aspect, f/1.9, 20mm (ultrawide), PDAF; SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)
Rear camera featuresLaser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panoramaDual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)
Rear camera video8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec.
Front camera featuresHDR, HDR10+HDR, Dolby Vision HDR, 3D (spatial) audio, stereo sound rec.
Front camera video4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS
Wide camera—48 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS

Battery & Charging

Battery & Charging specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy S24 UltraiPhone Air
BatteryLi-Ion 5000 mAhLi-Ion 3149 mAh
Charging45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wirelessWired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min; 20 wireless MagSafe/Qi2, 50% in 30 min (15W - China); 4.5W reverse wired
Wireless charging15W wireless (Qi); 4.5W reverse wireless20 wireless MagSafe/Qi2, 50% in 30 min (15W - China)
Reverse charging4.5W reverse wireless4.5W reverse wired
Battery technology—Li-Ion

Software

Software specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy S24 UltraiPhone Air
Operating systemAndroid 14, upgradable to Android 17, up to 7 major OS updates, One UI 9iOS 26, upgradable to iOS 27

Network

Network specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy S24 UltraiPhone Air
NetworkGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) - INT · Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) - USA · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM - CNeSIM + eSIM (8 or more, max 2 at a time)
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900; CDMA 800 / 1900 & TD-SCDMAGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900; CDMA 800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100; CDMA2000 1xEV-DOHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100; CDMA2000 1xEV-DO
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71 - USA1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53, 66 - A3517; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 53, 66, 71 - A3260; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66 - A3518
5G bands1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International; 1, 7, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 257, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 75, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3517; 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 75, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3260; 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 75, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A3518
Network speedHSPA, LTE (CA), 5GHSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps

Connectivity

Connectivity specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy S24 UltraiPhone Air
NFCYesYes
Bluetooth5.3, A2DP, LE6.0, A2DP, LE
Wi-FiWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, hotspot
PositioningGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSSGPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, QZSS, BDS, NavIC
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort 1.2, OTGUSB Type-C 2.0
Ultra Wideband (UWB)Ultra Wideband (UWB) supportUltra Wideband (UWB) support (gen2 chip)
Satellite features—Emergency SOS, Messages and Find My via satellite

Durability

Durability specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy S24 UltraiPhone Air
Water resistanceIP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro)IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 6m for 30 min)

Features

Features specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy S24 UltraiPhone Air
SensorsFingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometerFace ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
ColorsTitanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow, Titanium Blue, Titanium Green, Titanium OrangeSpace Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, Sky Blue
Desktop modeSamsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support)—

Audio

Audio specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy S24 UltraiPhone Air
LoudspeakersYes, with stereo speakersYes
3.5 mm headphone jackNoNo
Audio featuresHigh-bitrate audio support—

Tests

Tests specifications comparison
SpecificationSamsung Galaxy S24 UltraiPhone Air
PerformanceAnTuTu: 1453497 (v9), 1823822 (v10) GeekBench: 7076 (v6) 3DMark: 4983 (Wild Life Extreme)—
Display1447 nits max brightness (measured)—
CameraPhoto / Video—
Loudspeaker-24.6 LUFS (Very good)—
BatteryActive use score 13:49h—

Similarities

  • Both have 12 GB RAM.
  • Both have 120 Hz displays.
  • Both are rated IP68.
  • Both have optical image stabilisation.
  • Both support Wi-Fi 7.
  • Both have NFC.

In summary

For most buyers the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the better buy; the iPhone Air makes sense if you want iOS.

Back to compared products ↑

In-stock alternatives

Samsung Galaxy S26 UltraFor Samsung Galaxy S24 UltraSamsung Galaxy S26 UltraView product ↗Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraFor Samsung Galaxy S24 UltraSamsung Galaxy S25 UltraView product ↗iPhone 17For iPhone AiriPhone 17View product ↗iPhone 16 ProFor iPhone AiriPhone 16 ProView product ↗

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