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The latest from 2025Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra packs everything you want in a modern flagship, including a massive display that supports the S Pen stylus, all the Galaxy AI features you dreamed about, a versatile camera setup, and a more refined footprint that’s easier to hold and use with one hand.
Pros & Cons- Superb performance
- Versatile camera setup
- S Pen support
- Expensive
- Another small refinement
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The best from 2024
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
The 2024 flagship from Samsung still holds its ground as one of the best smartphones. It remains a solid option for those wanting a massive display with support for a stylus, flagship performance, and an excellent camera setup. It’ll continue to receive updates for up to seven years, and it remains an excellent option for those looking for a flagship for less.
Pros & Cons- Large, beautiful display
- Flagship performance
- S Pen support
- Camera could be better
- Still expensive
No Thanks, Keep Reading
Samsung unveiled its Galaxy S25 series of flagships on January 22, bringing its latest and most powerful Galaxy S25 Ultra. The new device is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, has an enormous 6.9-inch display, a considerable battery, and several under-the-hood changes to improve the experience.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24 Ultra continues to receive price cuts, remaining a solid contender and an excellent pick for those who want to save money and those who don’t mind picking up an over-one-year-old flagship. We tested the two Samsung top-of-the-line Galaxy flagships to uncover the differences, comparing the performance, design changes, and more.
Price, specs, and availability
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is available from Samsung.com, carriers, and online and offline retailers. On the official Samsung website, the device comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage configurations, each retailing for $1,300, $1,420 and $1,660, respectively. It is available in four colors: Titanium Black, Titanium Grey, Titanium Whitesilver, and Titanium Silverblue. It is also available in Samsung.com exclusive colors: Titanium Pinkgold, Titanium Jetblack, and Titanium Jadegreen.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is available at most shops, carriers, and Samsung. The S24 Ultra is available in three configurations, each having 12GB of RAM and an option of 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage. Each model retails for $1,300, $1,420, and $1,660, respectively. Given the Galaxy S24 Ultra is over a year old, customers can find it below its official MSRP price, and it’ll likely receive further discounts as stores try to deplete their remaining stock.
All models are available in Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow, Titanium Black, and Titanium Gray. Samsung offers Titanium Green, Blue, and Orange colors that are exclusively available through Samsung’s online store.
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Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy Display type LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz AMOLED, 120Hz Display dimensions 6.9″ 6.8″, 19.3:9 Display resolution 3120 x 1440 3088 × 1440 RAM 12GB 12GB Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB Battery 5,000mAh 5,000mAh Charge speed 45W 45W Charge options USB-C wired, Qi wireless USB-C wired, Qi wireless Ports USB-C USB-C Operating System Android 15 and One UI 7 Android 14 and OneUI 6.1 Front camera 12MP f/2.2 12MP f/2.2 Rear camera 200MP f/1.7 main, 50MP f/1.9 ultrawide, 10MP f/2.4 telephoto, 50MP f/3.4 telephoto 200MP f/1.7 OIS main, 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide, 10MP f/2.4 telephoto, 50MP f/3.4 telephoto Cellular connectivity Sub-6 & mmWave 5G Sub-6 & mmWave 5G Wi-Fi connectivity Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi 7 Connectivity NFC, UWB NFC, UWB Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.4 Bluetooth 5.3 Dimensions 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2 mm 162.6 × 79.0 × 8.6mm Weight 218g 233g IP Rating IP68 IP68 Colors Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Whitesilver, Titanium Silverblue Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow Stylus Yes, S Pen Yes, S Pen Price $1,300 $1,300
Read our hands-on
Read our review
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is still the best, unless you take photos
Samsung’s latest phablet feels like a do-over
Design
Slightly smaller and curvier
The new Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra looks familiar because Samsung hasn’t changed much on the outside. However, as part of the iterative upgrade, the company made small refinements, producing the “slimmest, lightest, and most durable Galaxy Ultra device ever.” The phone is easier to handle and use with one hand.
Old and new devices use a titanium frame. The Galaxy S24 Ultra used Corning’s Gorilla Glass Armor, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra ups it by using the new Gorilla Glass Armor 2 glass panels. They’re both tough and have an anti-reflective coating. Samsung kept the anti-reflective coating on the Galaxy S25 Ultra that most people seem to enjoy on the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Ingress protection remains the same as last year’s model, pertaining to the IP68 certificate that protects both devices for up to 1.5m for 30 minutes. Dust resistance remains the same, making the new Galaxy S25 series as rugged as the previous generation.
The two devices are similar in size. The Galaxy S25 Ultra measures 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2 mm, making it the same height, 1.4mm narrower, and 0.4mm thinner than the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s 162.3 x 79 x 8.6 mm size. It’s fair to say that the difference is minimal. Still, it feels slightly different and is easier to manage. As for weight, the S25 Ultra is 14 grams lighter than its predecessor.
Display
0.1 inches bigger than the Galaxy S24 Ultra
The Galaxy S25 Ultra packs a 6.9-inch QHD+, Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. It supports the usual HDR10+ standards. The Galaxy S24 Ultra has a smaller 6.8-inch QHD+, Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with the same 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.
On paper, the only difference is the size, which appears to be more impressive, as Samsung shrunk the bezels, giving the S25 Ultra an extra 0.1 inches. The difference may be minimal, and that’s because it is. Still, it’s an impressive result.
Given that Samsung supplies its displays to most OEMs, you might not be surprised that this panel uses the latest technology, making it the best display on a Samsung flagship.
We haven’t tested it. However, if the screen size is an area where every inch counts, the Galaxy S25 Ultra wins this round by a thin margin. Both phones rely on the same under-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor and face recognition that uses the punch-hole selfie camera.
Software and performance
Even more Galaxy AI features and the same outstanding 7 years of support
During the Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung revealed that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will launch with the new One UI 7 update, based on Android 15. The Galaxy S24 Ultra will receive the same update sometime in 2025, making the two phones nearly identical in software and features.
The only difference between the two devices is that the Galaxy S25 series launched with these features. Still, given Samsung’s history of bringing new features to its older flagships, we could see some trickle-down to the older generation and the foldables.
The new features include Audio Erases to remove unwanted noise in videos, a DSLR-like experience to control the Virtual Aperture, Expert RAW integrated into the camera, and Galaxy Log to create cinematic videos with precise color grading options.
Related
What is Galaxy AI, what can it do, and how do I use it?
Learn more about Galaxy AI and how to use it on your Samsung Galaxy S24 phone
This is possible thanks to the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which Samsung claims helps “deliver a performance boost of 40% in NPU, 37% in CPU and 30% in GPU compared to the previous generation.” The Galaxy S25 phones are the first devices to process more AI experiences on-device without relying on cloud-based AI tasks, such as Generative Edit.
Battery life
Samsung is still behind the curve
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra arrived in 2021 with a 5,000 mAh battery, as did the Galaxy S22 Ultra, S23 Ultra, and last year’s S24 Ultra. These devices relied on the same Lithium-ion battery technology. The new Galaxy S25 Ultra relies on the same technology and battery capacity. We’ve yet to see new and innovative battery solutions from Samsung, while companies like OnePlus lead the way with larger, thinner, and safer cells.
Samsung is as stubborn as ever about upgrading the charging speed on its high-end devices. As a result, the Galaxy S25 Ultra only supports 45W fast wired charging, the same charging speed as on the Galaxy S22 Ultra and newer devices.
The company claims it can reach up to 65% of its charge in 30 minutes. Fast wireless charging is still there. We also know that while Qi2 wireless charging isn’t present, it’s possible with certified third-party cases. However, we haven’t yet seen what charging speeds this supports.
Camera
The Galaxy’s next-gen ProVisual Engine promises better results
Samsung uses a similar setup to the one on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, holding on to the same quad camera setup. It consists of a 200MP f/1.7 wide, a 50MP f/1.9 ultrawide, a 10MP f/2.4 telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP f/3.4 periscope telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom.
Last year’s S24 Ultra was considered an excellent smartphone with superb camera performance, but it didn’t stand out much as it didn’t include a ton of improvements from the year before. While this year’s camera hardware appears similar, Samsung promises better performance as it uses the next-generation ProVisual Engine and the power of the Snapdragon 8 Elite for the Galaxy platform with more processing power.
The camera results have yet to be determined, and we’re already writing up our findings. Based on what we’ve seen on stage, we expect great results as the new Galaxy AI and engine should yield better results in most lighting conditions. The front-facing camera is a 12MP f/2.2 sensor with autofocus. In terms of numbers, Samsung boasts an impressive camera array, and we have high expectations.
Which is right for you?
If you have the Galaxy S24 Ultra, the new Galaxy S25 Ultra might seem like another small iterative upgrade. However, Samsung has changed its strategy in recent years. It aims to appeal to users who hold on to their smartphones for two to four years. The Galaxy S25 Ultra could be a noteworthy upgrade with significant improvements for these users.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra leaves the Note-like design behind for the very first time. With flat edges, curved corners, and a massive 6.9-inch display, this is a modern flagship through and through — and yes, that S Pen is still here too.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is faster, has slimmer bezels, a slightly smaller form factor with a bigger display, and is the thinnest Ultra device in Samsung’s lineup. It has a powerful quad-camera setup. While the battery capacity and charging speeds aren’t as impressive as those of its competition, it remains a viable alternative.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
$100
It’s not an overhaul by any means, but even small changes like (finally) swapping back to a flat touchscreen and seven years of system updates help the Galaxy S24 Ultra stand apart from its predecessors. Galaxy AI’s suite of features are front and center, as well as Google’s latest utilities like Circle to Search, and this AI craze even brings its magic to the Ultra’s cameras for after-the-fact super slo-mo.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra was often called the best overall flagship of 2024 for a few good reasons. It excelled at nearly everything. While it wasn’t a class-leading device in any category, it did an excellent job at most tasks with few compromises. If you’re looking for a top-of-the-line flagship to hold onto for the next several years at a lower price than ever, it remains an exceptional choice for the years to come.
