I love comparing phones that have no business being mentioned in the same article. By every technical measure, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is a significantly better phone than the Moto G Stylus 2025. However, devices shouldn’t be judged on a spec sheet, and real-world experiences often differ from expectations. The Galaxy S25 Ultra may be the superior phone, but there’s a price difference to consider.
Samsung’s latest flagship is almost $1,000 more than Moto’s midranger. While you undoubtedly get more from the Galaxy S25 Ultra, it’s enough of a difference to give you pause. I used both devices side-by-side for a week to determine what you gain by buying the more expensive phone. The Moto G Stylus 2025 doesn’t beat the Galaxy S25 Ultra in any categories, but it doesn’t have to. It merely has to show that it’s not $1,000 behind Samsung’s best, and you’d be surprised at how well it does.
What I like about the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Gorgeous display and fantastic performance
I disagree with Samsung’s direction with the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but it’s hard to argue that the phone isn’t excellent. My misgivings centered around the company not upgrading the Galaxy S25 Ultra as much as I thought they should, especially with a $1,300 price tag. However, what the company did offer us runs well. The Galaxy S25 Ultra has one of the best smartphone displays I’ve ever seen. Its 6.9-inch panel is brilliant, and the anti-reflective layer makes you feel like you’re touching what’s on the screen. Samsung displays have traditionally been fantastic, but the Galaxy S25 Ultra features the best yet.
Performance is another area where the Galaxy S25 Ultra excels. Believe everything you’ve heard about the Snapdragon 8 Elite. It’s an excellent chipset, and while there were some concerns about power efficiency early on, I’ve had no issues with battery drain or overheating. I barely find chipsets from three years ago limiting for daily use. Still, the Snapdragon 8 Elite is particularly snappy, and I get fantastic performance on my Galaxy S25 Ultra with multitasking and intensive gaming. I wanted Samsung to include 16GB of RAM, but that was for future-proofing. The 12GB on the Galaxy S25 Ultra is more than enough for the next couple of years, if not longer, and you’ll have zero problems doing everything you wish on your S25 Ultra.
One UI 7 isn’t for everyone, but if you’re a fan of Samsung’s software, you’ll be pleased by the company’s changes. Despite plenty of noise surrounding its release, I’ve found the software experience to be solid. I’m still not sold on the practical uses for Galaxy AI, but I’m happy with Samsung’s other changes to One UI 7. I didn’t mind Samsung’s software aesthetic, but One UI 7 is a refreshing visual overhaul. It also includes a proper app drawer, something long-time Samsung fans were clamoring for. However, it’s not just the software experience that gives the Galaxy S25 Ultra an edge; it’s the software support. Samsung promises 7 years of upgrades and security updates for the Galaxy S25 Ultra, meaning your device will be viable for a long time. Sure, you pay for the privilege, but at least you get something in return.
I was upset that Samsung didn’t increase the battery size of the Galaxy S25 Ultra from 5,000mAh this year. I was also shocked when the company didn’t use newer silicon-carbon battery technology, like OnePlus used in the OnePlus 13. However, I have to be fair. While the battery size remains unchanged, I am seeing slightly better performance. The Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset is power-efficient, allowing Samsung to stretch the capabilities of the existing 5,000mAh battery. I easily get a day and a half on a single charge, and while I’d love faster wired recharging, 45W is an improvement over previous Galaxy phones.
An underrated element of the Galaxy S25 Ultra is its camera system. While Google Pixels take excellent photos, I’ve preferred the color science of Samsung devices over the last few years. I enjoy the warmer tones from the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and the added saturation makes the photos excellent for social media. I appreciate that Google is trying to be color accurate, but sometimes you want a vibrant image. Compared to the Moto G Stylus 2025, the Galaxy S25 Ultra has a much more versatile camera system, but that’s what you’d expect for $1,300.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra camera samples
What I like about the Moto G Stylus 2025
Stylus functionality and value
I went over what I like about the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra first, because I wanted to highlight how many of the same things you’ll find on the Moto G Stylus 2025. It’s a matter of degree, but many of the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s strengths are also features that make the G Stylus worth considering, especially for a wallet-friendly $400.
I’m not going to claim that the pen in the Moto G Stylus is as good as the S pen in the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Even without Bluetooth functionality, the S pen is pressure-sensitive, and the response time is quicker. Still, the Moto G Stylus covers 95% of what I want a stylus to do on a smartphone. I can still scribble on screenshots to send to friends and jot down quick notes, such as phone numbers. GIF Maker is my favorite stylus app on Motorola devices, as it’s fantastic for turning a YouTube video or other media into a quick item to send to friends. Samsung’s S pen may be more technologically impressive, but the stylus on my Moto G Stylus has little noticeable input delay. If you love a stylus on your phone, the Moto G Stylus experience is close enough for much less.
The Moto G Stylus 2025 display is gorgeous. It has a 6.7-inch OLED panel refreshing at 120Hz. It’s not QHD+ like the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but it’s still a crisp 1080p display. I love that Motorola increased the brightness this year, and I’ve had no issues viewing my G Stylus outdoors. It doesn’t have the anti-reflective layer of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and it doesn’t feature Gorilla Glass Victus 2, but the viewing experience is still fantastic. So, while it’s not nearly as premium, the Moto G Stylus display punches above its weight.
I also enjoy the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset on the Moto G Stylus 2025. I don’t get nearly the same high graphical settings or fast frame rates I get on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but most games are still playable. Genshin Impact runs smoothly on low settings, and Pokémon GO is still a fantastic experience. Multitasking works well, and Instagram scrolls are smooth on the Moto G Stylus. I wouldn’t rely on the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 for intense video editing or processing on-device AI functions, but if you don’t need that, you’ll be surprised just how well you get by with less raw performance. Moto also fitted the G Stylus with 8GB of RAM, meaning more apps can be cached. The Moto won’t have the future-proofing of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but that becomes less of an issue when you’re paying significantly less.
While the Moto G Stylus also runs Android 15, Hello UI differs from Samsung’s One UI. Hello UI is a relatively stock Android experience, but Motorola doesn’t offer nearly the same support as Samsung. The Moto G Stylus 2025 will get 2 major Android upgrades and 3 years of security updates. Unlike Samsung, which gets updates out mostly on time, Motorola can make users wait a while for promised support. It’s another item to consider when buying a phone, and if you upgrade every two years, limited support may not be a deciding factor for you.
It’s not a traditional Motorola strong suit, but the cameras on the Moto G Stylus hold their own. Yes, it’s a dual-camera setup, but the only lens worth focusing on is the 50MP primary sensor. It’s capable of fantastic photos in good lighting, and I love the vibrant colors. It’s a tad on the saturated side, but I don’t mind, as it gives the photos some life. I wouldn’t buy the Moto G Stylus for its camera, but I wouldn’t avoid it either.
Moto G Stylus 2025 camera samples
Battery life is equally excellent on the Moto G Stylus as on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but for different reasons. The Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 demands less power as a midrange chipset, and the G Stylus only pushes a 1080p display. Still, the result is the same, and I get almost two days of use on a single charge from my G Stylus. The Moto is faster with recharging, though, with 68W wired charging for quick top-offs.
It’s not always an easy choice
While it’s plain to see the Galaxy S25 Ultra is better than the Moto G Stylus, buying decisions aren’t that simple. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is significantly more expensive, and you may not care about the extras Samsung included to justify the higher price. Meanwhile, the Moto G Stylus may not have fancy Galaxy AI features or a flagship build quality, but it’ll do the basics well, and I’m sure you can think of much better things to do with that $1,000 extra. If you’re looking for a stylus phone in 2025, you’re no longer limited to just one option.
