PhoneLifespan

iPhone Air vs Galaxy S24 Ultra

vs

Winner

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

The Galaxy S24 Ultra wins this one, taking camera and battery decisively. Against the iPhone Air it's also the sounder buy at $17.13 per month of safe use.

Value Score: iPhone Air 62 · Galaxy S24 Ultra 70 — methodology

The lifespan decider

When specs are close, support length decides it — this is what each phone costs per month of safe use.

Apple iPhone Air $999
Safe to buy$13.32/mo
2025◆ Buy-by Sep 20302032
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra $949
Safe to buy$17.13/mo
2024◆ Buy-by Jan 20292031

Category by category

Display
iPhone Air 90Galaxy S24 Ultra 100

The Galaxy S24 Ultra's screen is the better one — 6.8-inch dynamic amoled 2x, qhd+ (3120×1440), 1–120hz, up to 2600 nits.

Performance
iPhone Air 100Galaxy S24 Ultra 92

The iPhone Air's Apple A19 Pro is simply the faster chip.

Camera
iPhone Air 50Galaxy S24 Ultra 96

The Galaxy S24 Ultra has the stronger camera system (4 real rear lenses vs 1).

Battery
iPhone Air 43Galaxy S24 Ultra 80

5,000mAh vs 3,149mAh — the Galaxy S24 Ultra lasts longer between charges.

Software longevity
iPhone Air 89Galaxy S24 Ultra 66

The iPhone Air is supported until Sep 2032 — 20 months longer than the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Value
iPhone Air 62Galaxy S24 Ultra 70

Overall value goes to the Galaxy S24 Ultra at $17.13 per month of safe use.

Full spec table
SpeciPhone AirGalaxy S24 Ultra
Price (street)$999$949
Display6.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, ProMotion 1–120Hz, up to 3000 nits peak6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, QHD+ (3120×1440), 1–120Hz, up to 2600 nits
ChipsetApple A19 ProSnapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy
RAM12GB12GB
Storage256GB/512GB/1TB256GB/512GB/1TB
Battery3,149 mAh5,000 mAh
ChargingWired — 50% in ~30 min with a 20W+ adapter; MagSafe/Qi2 wireless up to 20W45W wired, 15W wireless
Rear cameras48MP main200MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto 3x, 50MP telephoto 5x periscope
Dimensions156.2 × 74.7 × 5.64 mm162.3 × 79.0 × 8.6 mm
Weight165 g232 g
Water resistanceIP68IP68
Supported untilSep 2032Jan 2031
iPhone Air full verdict →Galaxy S24 Ultra full verdict →Longevity master board →

Scores and verdicts are computed from our verified database — see exactly how. Specs from manufacturer documentation; prices reflect major US retailers.