I used the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and OnePlus 15, and one makes me angry

It’s hard not to be disappointed when I use the OnePlus 15. It’s not because there’s anything wrong with the phone. It’s a frustrating reminder of what could have been if Samsung had legitimate competition in the United States.

It’s snappy, feature-rich, and boasts a battery life that outperforms Samsung’s. Still, it’s not a phone that will make a dent in Samsung’s sales — because OnePlus doesn’t have the infrastructure to compete stateside.

Meanwhile, Samsung doesn’t have that problem, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra is on every carrier store shelf. It’s not an unworthy smartphone by any means, and in several key areas, it still goes toe-to-toe with the OnePlus 15.

I’ve used the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the OnePlus 15. Here’s why Samsung’s flagship is the phone most people should buy by default.

What I like about the OnePlus 15

Outstanding performance and excellent battery life

I was confused when OnePlus decided to change the design again. I liked the OnePlus 13, and I hoped that the company would spend another year refining the look.

Its 2.5D glass was the perfect compromise between those ridiculous, waterfall-curved displays and flat glass.

Still, no one can accuse OnePlus of stagnation, so we have a new design for the company’s flagship. It feels a lot better than it looks, and I’m thrilled with the Sand Storm colorway.

The countless Darude references I’ve made in the last two weeks make the phone worth the price of admission. Nostalgia aside, I love the Sand Storm variant. Pictures don’t do the shade justice, and if you’re buying a OnePlus 15, it’s definitely worth considering.

The OnePlus 15 boasts a stunning 6.78-inch AMOLED display. It’s not the QHD+ panel that the OnePlus 13 had, but I don’t notice the change in resolution. It’s bright, with saturated colors that look fantastic when playing games.

When gaming, the screen can achieve a refresh rate of up to 165Hz. In normal use, the display was smooth — 120Hz is fine for most tasks.

Much like the Snapdragon 8 Elite before it, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 doesn’t disappoint. Ridiculous name aside, it provides snappy performance, even in more intensive games.

I also didn’t notice any undue overheating, and I’m pleased that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is a power-efficient chipset like its predecessor.

All told, most of us don’t need a fraction of the power available on the OnePlus 15, but it’s a device for enthusiasts, and I love that the extra overhead is there.

I also appreciate that OnePlus made a 16GB variant available for $100 extra. I don’t think $900 is unreasonable for 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, but I love that I can pick up a 16GB variant for still much less than a base Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Battery life is where the OnePlus 15 excels. We’ve all heard about its 7,300mAh battery, but it’s much more impressive in actual use than it sounds on paper.

I get multiple days of battery life from my OnePlus 15. The standby drain is virtually non-existent, and if you don’t heavily tax your phone, it’s possible to get through a third day of use on a single charge.

It’s changed the way I think about smartphone batteries. I don’t know how many days I picked up my OnePlus 15 with 65% battery life remaining and didn’t sweat it. It’s outstanding, and it should be the bar for flagship batteries going forward.

Exceptional battery life only tells half the story on the OnePlus 15. It also features fast charging speeds. An 80W wired charging adapter is included in the box, and an additional adapter supporting 100W speeds is available for purchase.

The OnePlus 15 supports 50W wireless charging, which is faster than the wired charging speeds of the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Topping off in a hurry is convenient, and it’s a significant advantage for the OnePlus 15.

OnePlus is moving forward without the Hasselblad partnership that’s branded its flagship smartphone cameras for the last several years.

The orange shutter button in the camera app may be gone, but I’m relatively impressed by the photos from the OnePlus 15. The images are sharp, and the colors are accurate. Low-light photos are detailed, and the 3.5x telephoto lens adds versatility.

I’ve never been satisfied with the photos I’ve taken on OnePlus devices, but I have confidence that the OnePlus 15 will capture the shot I want.

Another reason you’d consider the OnePlus 15 over the Galaxy S25 Ultra is the price. At $900, the OnePlus 15 is worth the compromises the company made this year.

It provides all the flagship power you could want for sub-$1,000, while Samsung charges $1,300 for its base flagship model.

What I like about the Galaxy S25 Ultra

Software support and a fantastic display

I’ve written extensively about the Galaxy S25 Ultra this year, and it’s not an easy phone to write about. It’s about as interesting as vanilla ice cream, and it’s not a phone that inspires you to run out and buy it.

However, bland doesn’t mean bad, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra is well-designed, speedy, and packs a fantastic camera system.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra still features the best smartphone display I’ve used this year — the OnePlus 15 doesn’t top it.

It’s sharp, vibrant, and the anti-reflective layer is outstanding for easier viewing outdoors. The content looks and feels alive on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and after a couple of years of shying away from vibrancy, I’m glad color saturation is back.

I get that it’s technically not the latest and greatest anymore, but I’ve yet to find a ceiling for the Snapdragon 8 Elite.

Benchmarks aren’t actual usage, and for everything you’ll want to do with a smartphone in the near future, the Galaxy S25 Ultra will be capable of it.

I wish Samsung offered more, but 12GB of RAM on the Galaxy S25 Ultra is enough to keep things running smoothly.

If you’re looking for the main reason to choose a Galaxy S25 Ultra over a OnePlus 15, it’s software. OxygenOS 16 is solid, and it’s built on the progress the company made with OxygenOS 15.

OnePlus’s software isn’t the negative it was just a couple of years ago, and while I don’t care much for the new AI features, Open Canvas offers the best multitasking experience on Android.

Still, One UI 8 on the Galaxy S25 Ultra bests what OnePlus offers. It’s better supported, with Samsung promising seven years of software updates.

That might not mean anything to you, but I appreciate the job Samsung’s done optimizing software updates for older hardware. In addition, One UI 8 is the more polished experience.

I appreciate the improvements OnePlus has made to its cameras this year, but the Galaxy S25 Ultra still produces excellent photos.

I love the output from the 200MP primary sensor, and the upgraded 50MP ultrawide does eliminate a huge drop-off in quality while switching lenses.

Samsung’s color science is warmer and more saturated than in previous years, and I get more social-media-ready photos from my Galaxy S25 Ultra than from any other device I’ve used.

There’s no way to avoid saying that the battery life on the Galaxy S25 Ultra isn’t nearly as good as that of the OnePlus 15. Samsung’s 5,000mAh lithium-ion cell is no match for the dual-cell silicon-carbon monster in the OnePlus 15.

Still, for most, that won’t matter, as the Galaxy S25 Ultra gets me through an entire day and well into a second without needing a recharge.

Samsung makes more sense for most people

I prefer Samsung’s software and support, but there are other reasons why it’s the best choice for most people.

You can visit a carrier store or a Samsung store in the US and receive support for your phone. Carrier finance deals also matter, and until (or if) OnePlus returns to carrier stores in the US, I don’t see the company making a meaningful dent.

Still, if you’re an enthusiast, the OnePlus 15 is an excellent choice. It provides all the power and value you’ve come to know and love from OnePlus, and its gaming performance is superb.

The OnePlus 15 is formidable, and in another universe, it would challenge Samsung for the Android crown. However, in this world, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is still the best choice for most.