Samsung Galaxy S24+ vs iPhone 15 Plus: Which is the best big-screen phone of 2024?

21/01/2024

Apple and Samsung, the world’s biggest smartphone players, have one thing in common: both offer their flagship phones in different screen sizes. If Apple has the iPhone 15 Plus, Samsung rivals the Cupertino giant with the Galaxy S24+. Both devices are in the premium end of the market but aren’t pro-grade. If you’re trying to decide between two of the best phones money can buy, here’s a comparison between the Galaxy S24+ and iPhone 15 Plus based on their strengths, weaknesses, and the features that stand out.

Design

If two phones from the Android and iOS world complement each other, they are definitely the iPhone 15 Plus and the Galaxy S24+. In fact, the flat edges of the Galaxy S24+ make it look a lot like an iPhone. However, both have a different-looking camera module and even on the front, the punch-hole display on the Galaxy S24+ looks more modern, while the iPhone 15 Plus with a Dynamic Island offers more functionality.

The Galaxy S24+ and the iPhone 15 Plus have IP68 ingress protection and both phones can survive under the water for 30 minutes. While the Galaxy S24+ can be submerged with up to 1.5 meters, the iPhone 15 Plus can be submerged at a depth of 6 metres. There is also a stereo speaker setup, USB-C port, although, the data transfer speeds on the iPhone 15 Plus are limited to USB 2.0, while the Galaxy S24+ offers higher data transfer speeds.

Display

The Galaxy S24+ and the iPhone 15 Plus have a 6.7-inch screen with thin and uniform-sized bezels across the display, and the similarities end here. The display on the Galaxy S24+ is ahead of the iPhone 15 Plus’s display both in terms of resolution (QHD+ panel) and refresh rate (120Hz) with support for variable refresh rates of 1Hz to 120Hz.

Due to the smaller punch hole on the Galaxy S24+, it also looks more modern, and it also has a peak rated brightness of 2,600 nits versus the 2,000 nits of peak brightness on the iPhone 15 Plus. The better display on the Galaxy S24+ will be an added advantage for tasks like gaming and content consumption.

Performance and software experience

These new flagships make use of the in-house developed chips. The Galaxy S24+ (Indian variant) is powered by the Exynos 2400 SoC, which enables a plethora of Galaxy AI capabilities, while the iPhone 15 Plus is powered by a year-old A16 Bionic processor. Even when it comes to memory, the Galaxy S24+ offers 12 GB RAM, twice as much as the iPhone 15 Plus’s 6 GB RAM.

Like most modern iPhones, the iPhone 15 Plus is expected to receive at least four major OS upgrades, while the Galaxy S24+ has been confirmed to receive seven major OS upgrades, which is the highest in the industry and on par with the Pixel 8 series. The software experience on these phones is quite different from each other. While the iOS 17 is more optimised for regular usage, Samsung’s OneUI 6.1 offers enhanced multi-tasking features along with AI capabilities.

For someone who already has an iPhone, the iPhone 15 Plus will feel right at home, similarly, for a Galaxy or an Android smartphone user, the Galaxy S24+ will be more user-friendly.

Camera

On paper, the Galaxy S24+ has more cameras with a 50 MP wide-angle lens, a 12 MP ultra-wide angle shooter, and then a 10 MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. Similarly, the iPhone 15 Plus has a dual camera setup with a 48 MP wide-angle lens and a 12 MP ultra-wide angle lens. Both phones have a 12 MP selfie camera at the front.

While it’s too early to comment on the camera performance of the Galaxy S24+, considering their predecessors, the iPhone 15 Plus should have an edge over the Galaxy S24+ in terms of video recording capability, while the Galaxy S24+ with more cameras should offer more freedom while taking still photographs.

Battery and charging

The Galaxy S24+ has a large 4,900 mAh battery, while Apple officially does not reveal the battery capacity, reports indicate that iPhone 15 Plus has a 4,400 mAh battery, and none of these phones are champs when it comes to charging speed, which is capped at 45W on the Galaxy S24+ and the same is limited to 20W on the iPhone 15 Plus, while some reports suggesting a slightly higher rating of 27W.

Despite the difference in battery capacity, both devices should easily last at least for a day, and the iPhone 15 Plus could offer slightly better backup due to software optimisations. Both phones also have wireless charging support, and the Galaxy S24+ offers MagSafe with Qi2 compatibility, while the Galaxy S24+ offers reverse wireless charging.

Price

Samsung’s newly launched Galaxy S24+ is a bit more expensive than its predecessor and even the iPhone 15 Plus. It costs Rs 99,999 for the model with 256GB of storage. However, the iPhone 15 Plus is available in both 128 GB and 256 GB variants, making the phone even more accessible starting at Rs 85,000 (when you include additional discounts and bank offers).

Verdict

Technically, it is challenging to pick a winner between these two devices, as both have their own set of advantages and compromises. However, one has to make a choice considering their previous smartphone and whether they want to build a closed ecosystem around their smartphone. The Galaxy S24+ plays really well with devices like Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Watch, or any other WearOS-powered smartwatch. Similarly, the iPhone 15 Plus can be the device to consider for those who have or are planning to get accessories like an Apple Watch or AirPods.

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