Apple iPhone 15 vs Samsung Galaxy S24 (Snapdragon): which should you buy?

The short version

The iPhone 15 and the Galaxy S24 (Snapdragon) are the two default "compact flagship for normal money" picks of their generation, and in 2026 the used market has pulled them apart: roughly $350 for a 128 GB iPhone 15 against roughly $275 for the Galaxy S24. The honest answer is that each wins where its ecosystem lives — but the Samsung's discount is now real money, and it buys a lot of spec sheet.

Performance

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the S24 is the newer chip, and it shows in our gaming scores: 54/100 versus 45/100 for the A16-powered iPhone 15. In everyday apps both are effortless and will remain so for years — Apple commits to 7 years of iOS updates, Samsung to 7 years of One UI updates on the S24. Raw benchmark numbers favor the Snapdragon by about 30% multi-core; sustained 3D gaming favors it by a wider margin.

Display

This is the S24's clearest win: 120 Hz LTPO OLED at 2,600 nits peak versus the iPhone's 60 Hz panel at 2,000 nits. If you have ever used a 120 Hz phone, the iPhone 15's scrolling feels dated within a minute. Our screen-quality scores reflect it: 86/100 versus 56/100.

Camera

Different philosophies: the iPhone 15 has the better main sensor processing and dramatically better video (4K60 with best-in-class stabilization); the S24 has the more versatile hardware — a dedicated 12 MP 3x telephoto the iPhone lacks, plus 8K30 capture. Our camera scores put the S24 ahead at 42/100 versus 30/100, but video shooters should ignore that number and buy the iPhone.

Battery

Both are mid-pack: 17/100 (S24, 4,000 mAh) versus 6/100 (iPhone 15, 3,349 mAh). The S24 comfortably outlasts the iPhone in every scenario; neither supports truly fast charging (25 W vs 20 W).

Verdict

Buy the Galaxy S24 if you want the better screen, longer battery, zoom camera, and higher gaming ceiling — on pure hardware it wins most rows. Buy the iPhone 15 if you are in Apple's ecosystem, shoot video, or simply prefer iOS — the 60 Hz display is its real cost, everything else is preference.