Each year, a new iPhone – and its Samsung counterpart – is released, with each phone more advanced than the last. The phone market is very competitive, with Apple and Samsung being the two most popular brands. For years, there has been debate about which of these two brands is better. This year, Apple’s iPhone 15 came out in four versions on September 22nd, 2023 and Samsung’s Galaxy S24 came out in three versions on January 17th, 2024. The two phones have their pros and cons, but which one is better? Although personal preference is a factor, aspects such as camera, battery life, overheating, and materials are crucial to deciding which one is superior. I personally like the iPhone, since it has features such as FaceTime and a more efficient operating system. But at the end of the day, because of its better camera zoom performance, price, and build quality, the S24 reigns superior.

Camera
The S24 Ultra has features that my iPhone doesn’t have. Samsung also touts better user experience even with some features that are common to both models. The S24 has a great camera. First off, it is able to zoom 20 times more than the iPhone 15 Pro. Already, Samsung has surpassed Apple – however, the iPhone manages to get some ground back. While the S24 has some impressive photo taking abilities, its video taking performance cannot beat the iPhone’s. The iPhone has a feature called “action mode,” which makes videos shot while the user is in motion, such as hiking or running, appear more smooth. It also has a feature called “cinematic mode,” specifically for movie making

Battery Life
Although Apple claims that all iPhone 15 models’ batteries last a day, the normal iPhone 15 can last only up to ten hours. As someone who has an iPhone 15, I’d say the phone has a good battery life. Whenever I’m watching YouTube, it can go an hour without losing battery life. As for the 15 Pro, I can’t say much. One reason it might lose a lot of battery is because of its “always on” display, meaning the screen dims instead of shutting off. Luckily, this feature can be turned off, but only if you know how, which many don’t. (If you are one of these confused customers, go to “display and brightness” in Settings and turn “always on display” off.) When compared, the iPhone 15 battery life ultimately lasted longer than the S24 – however, the difference was only around ten minutes. Overall, the battery life on both phones is pretty good and is enough for everyone.

Overheating issues
On all the iPhone 15 Pro models, Apple claims that you can play games such as “Sea of Thieves” without the phone overheating. However, the phone not only can’t play these games without overheating, but is also reported to have been overheating while using apps such as YouTube and TikTok. Some iPhone 15 Pro users have claimed that they needed to put their phone in the freezer. The fix Apple provided was iOS 17.0.3, which the company claimed would prevent the iPhone 15 Pro models from overheating so often. Some claimed it fixed their overheating issues, while others said the update made the problem worse.
The phones were overheating because of their chips. However, this only applies to the iPhone 15 Pro. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus received the same chip the iPhone 14 Pro models did, the A16 bionic. Almost no one complained about the iPhone 15 or 15 Plus overheating. As someone who has the standard iPhone 15, I can say that I have had no issues with overheating. So, while the iPhone 15 Pro overheats very often, this does not apply to the other iPhone 15 models. However, the S24 hasn’t had any issues with overheating at all.

Durability
This year on the iPhone 15 Pro, the phones’ material changed. Normally, the Pro models would be made of stainless steel. Despite that fact, this year the phones are fashioned out of titanium. This wasn’t any ordinary titanium – this is the same titanium that Mars rover Perseverance is made of. In other words, the iPhone 15 Pro models are really strong. Still, a tech review YouTuber, Phone Repair Guru, compared the iPhone 15 Pro with an iPhone 14 Pro. What was different was that the 14 Pro had metal to support the black glass, while the 15 Pro didn’t. This difference showed that, despite its material, the 15 Pro was weaker. Still, while the iPhone 15 Pro is weaker, this doesn’t mean it is easy to break. The regular iPhone 15 models are a bit stronger than the regular iPhone 14 models.The S24 is made out of the same material, yet was able to come out much better. The same YouTuber tested the S24 and the result was pretty good. The only real damage was some scratches on the screen and the frame.

So in conclusion, while I personally prefer the iPhone, the S24 seems to be the better option. It has a better camera, better durability, and less issues with overheating. I recommend the S24.