u/Fortisgen

This may sound simple but I am basically stuck between Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 17 Pro as my future phone upgrade. My current phone is a Galaxy M34.

Prices (Türkiye)

• iPhone 17 Pro 256 GB - 100K TL
• Galaxy S25 Ultra 512 GB - 75K TL

I currently use a Galaxy Watch7 and an iPad Pro. I use my watch mainly for fitness/health metrics (sleep, HR, stress levels, etc.) and my iPad Pro for my medical studfies, note taking, and digital art/content creation. I also plan to get a MacBook to compliment my iPad in the future but I am not sure about that. (my current PC is a gaming laptop from 2017)

I can't exactly pinpoint how I would use my phone as I sometimes get transient interests but I am planning to use my phone for photography, content creation (vlogging or something else), perhaps gaming, and the usual web browsing/social media stuff. But I sometimes get interested in things like customization or sideloading in short bursts, like I randomly find out something on YouTube that intrigues me and then I proceed to do it. I also care a lot about AI features and innovations and I don't want something that is somewhat stuck in 2020.

The main reason I consider an iPhone is its video quality and integration with Apple devices. There's also the fact that iPhones are better optimized for social media and apps are higher quality. But I also get curious about these cool Android features like split screen or S Pen. AI features also work better on the Galaxy than the iPhone.

Samsung S25 Ultra 512 GB - 75000 TL

Things I like

• Versatile camera with PRO features - I care more about overall cam quality but fully manual mode is nice to have
• Galaxy AI - I see that as super useful but I haven't really felt a deficit by not having it, sure the photo editing feature is fantastic but I am not sure if that is a must-have for me
• Typing + text selection - Yeah the experience was better than on iPhone but iPhone wasn't absolutely terrible at that either
• Snappy and fast UI - Well, both of them are fast and fluid but One UI felt even faster
• CUSTOMIZATION and SIDELOADING - Super nice to have that freedom though I don't see it as an ABSOLUTE must-have
• All the fancy features like S Pen or split screen - again useful but not must-have at all costs but my opinion may change
• Works with my watch!

Things I don’t

• Video + microphone quality (especially selfie and low light) - MAJOR DEALBREAKER
• Less ecosystem integration - minor issue, there are cross-platform apps + new AirDrop feature
• Google will restrict sideloading… - fear that an Android will be no longer worth it
• App optimization (especially social media) - minor issue but iPhones are better at it
• Software update system - minor issue but I want good updates

iPhone 17 Pro 256GB - 100000 TL

Things I like

• Video quality is the BEST on ANY smartphone - I care about video quality as I may get into vlogging or other forms of content creation
• UI feels premium and sophisticated - One UI is fast and snappy but may feel "cheaper"
• Ecosystem integration with my iPad Pro (and my future MacBook) - Possible with Android but best with iPhone
• Apps are highly optimized - Android is close but not perfect, especially social media!
• Timely software updates
• Haptics are HEAVEN - Yeah the iPhone had the best haptics which makes the experience better, but S25 Ultra comes close
• Social media works the best here

Things I don’t

• Apple Intelligence feels immature - I feel "stupid" to buy an iPhone knowing that but maybe iOS 27 will be a big improvement
• Doesn’t work with my watch (need to replace) - I use my watch mainly as a fitness tracker but this may be a dealbreaker
• Typing experience not as good - Not absolutely awful but still better on Galaxy
• Not as many features to show off - Android has many cool-to-have-but-not-a-must-have features but my opinion may change
• No fully manual camera without third-party app - I rarely use fully manual mode but it is nice to have

One side of me wants to try out an iPhone and get the best video quality as well as the most optimized experience. But my other side wants to try out every feature of the Android as well as things like customization/sideloading. If the video + microphone quality was equal between iPhone vs Galaxy, I would most likely get the Galaxy. But here we are, as iPhones have the best video camera and I have to choose between freedom and video quality. Though there are rumors that the Android freedom will be taken away by Google. If I would get the Galaxy, how much worse the video and microphone quality will be? Would it be as bad as iPhone 11? I have also tried both in the store and the Samsung had issues with the microphone mixing in videos as it made my voice "robotic" while the iPhone had a much better result.

Oh, and I play Geometry Dash and it works way better on Galaxy as it runs at 120 FPS while the iPhone version is stuck at 60 FPS. You can also install mods way easier on Android.

TL;DR by Gemini: You are caught between the 75K TL Galaxy S25 Ultra, which offers superior freedom, AI, and watch compatibility, and the 100K TL iPhone 17 Pro, which delivers unmatched video quality and seamless integration with your iPad. While you lean toward Android for customization, features like the S Pen, and value, Samsung’s lower-tier low-light video and microphone quality represent a major dealbreaker for your content creation goals. On the other hand, choosing the iPhone means sacrificing your current Galaxy Watch7, enduring an inferior typing experience, and accepting Apple Intelligence's current immaturity. Ultimately, your choice hinges on whether you value creative freedom and ecosystem synergy over the digital independence and value-for-money offered by Android.