Samsung started 2025 on a strong note with the release of the Galaxy S25 range , comprised of the S25 , S25 Plus and S25 Ultra – but how does this yr ’s top - oddment model compare to last year ’s Galaxy S24 Ultra ?
regard both theSamsung Galaxy S25 UltraandGalaxy S24 Ultraearned a near - perfect 4.5 - star evaluation from us and a spot on ourbest smartphonelist , both are well worthy of your well - earned hard currency . However , there are elusive deviation between the two flagships that broaden beyond the Galaxy S25 Ultra ’s refreshed design .
So , whether you ’re deciding if the Galaxy S25 Ultra is deserving upgrading to from last yr ’s Galaxy S24 Ultra or if you ’re simply curious , here are the key differences between the two top - ending flagships .
Specs comparison table
Pricing and Availability
Available globally from 7th February 2025 , the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a start RRP of £ 1249/$1299 for the 256 GB French telephone .
Last class ’s flagship , Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra presently has the same RRP of its harbinger , at £ 1249/$1299 for its 256 GB model . It ’s deserving noting that we do ask this cost to drop in the coming weeks plus you ’re course more probable to find a deal for the elder French telephone .
Design
Prior to the S25 launching , the Galaxy Ultra in Samsung ’s S - serial has always sported pointed corner , while the regular Galaxy and Galaxy Plus French telephone offered a rounded option . Samsung has meld this up with the S25 Ultra and has unified the intact lineup , with all handsets boasting the same rounded corners and flat - edged combination .
Either way , both the S25 Ultra and S24 Ultra still feel nice and rich in mitt , so whether you prefer the rounded or pointed box is purely down to your personal predilection .
Despite being slightly short , slender and thinner than the S24 Ultra , the S25 Ultra actually has a marginally larger screen at 6.9 inches compared to 6.82 in .
While both French telephone still come equipped with the hallmark S Pen , a stylus for doodling and short letter - taking , the S25 Ultra ’s stylus has seen a detectable downgrade as it no longer offers Bluetooth connectivity . This means that you may no longer utilise the stylus as a remote shutter for engage photos , though the core writing experience remains identical .
Winner : Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Screen
Although there are a few tweaks here and there with the Galaxy S25 Ultra , its display is in the main unchanged from the S24 Ultra . This is certainly not a forged thing , as we were earnestly impressed with the S24 Ultra ’s blind and hailed it as plainly “ recherche ” .
Both handset have aDynamic AMOLED 2X displaywith an LTPO - enabled 120Hz refresh rate , HDR10 reinforcement and 2600 nit peak luminousness , however the S25 Ultra does have a few extra john up its arm .
first of all , it shoot a line better screenland protective cover with CorningGorilla Armor 2 , while the S24 Ultra is fitted withGorilla Armor . The S25 Ultra also sports even slimmer bezels than its predecessor , which help create a more immersive consider experience .
If we ’re being picky , we ’d have wish to see the Galaxy S25 Ultra welfare from a encouragement in vertex brightness to equalise theHonor Magic 7 Pro ’s whopping 5000nits . Having articulate that , we found both French telephone are easy to use when alfresco in undimmed light .
Cameras
We loved the photography artistry of the Galaxy S24 Ultra , and found it capable of capturing elaborated , vibrant images in most light status , so the fact the S25 Ultra ’s camera hardware is familiar is n’t necessarily a bad thing . Even so , much like its display , the S25 Ultra does see some update .
While the S25 Ultra retains the 200MP main , 10MP 3x and 50MP 5x lenses of the S24 Ultra , it has elevate last class ’s 12MP ultrawide up to 50MP . The dispute is that the S25 Ultra ’s ultrawide is now more capable when capture shot in abject - light surround .
There are also notable improvements in the S25 Ultra ’s processing , particularly with the 50MP 5x telephoto lens . Whether you stupefy to the 5 - 10x range or boost the right way up to 30x zoom , images are detail with a solid line . However , much like last year ’s , zoom from 3x to 4.9x view a slight fall in quality compared to the other lens .
In true Samsung fashion , most image bear an too vibrant colour palette , especially when equate to the likes of thePixel 9 Pro XLwhich offers some of the most true - to - spirit colour recreation we ’ve seen in a smartphone .
Performance
In term of bold force , the Galaxy S25 Ultra is emphatically one to watch this yr . Running on a custom version of Qualcomm ’s 2025 flagship chipset , Snapdragon 8 Elitefor Galaxy , the S25 Ultra not only crush theiPhone 16 Pro Maxbut also offers smooth day - to - day carrying out and an excellent play experience .
Speaking of gaming , we saw an average of 78fps with Aztec Ruins while the S24 Ultra reached a ( still self-coloured ) 63fps . In fact , at the clip of writing the S25 Ultra is bested only by theAsus ROG Phone 9 Pro .
Even so , the Galaxy S24 Ultra is sure no slouch thanks to last twelvemonth ’s flagshipSnapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxyprocessor , which we found a joyousness to utilize .
Otherwise , the S25 Ultra charter our benchmark tests in its stride , scoring a monolithic exclusive - kernel grievance of 2886 and a multi - core sexual conquest of a jaw - dropping 9515 in Geekbench 6 , leaving the S24 Ultra go after behind with 2229 and 6853 severally .
The two custom Snapdragon chipsets also turn on the use of Samsung’sGalaxy AItoolkit , which we ’ll front into next .
Software and AI
Arguably the main focus of both the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the new S25 Ultra is their respective AI abilities , courtesy of the ever - growing Galaxy AI toolkit . While the S25 Ultra will see new pecker such asNow Briefand theNow Bar , it sees the return of old favourites such asCircle to Searchand Gemini .
The S25 Ultra also benefits from Android 15 and OneUI 7 straight from the box and , much like last year ’s batting order , it will see seven OS acclivity , taking it up to Android 22 . The S24 Ultra will fall somewhat forgetful of this , only reaching up to Android 21 , but this stay one of the more generous offerings we ’ve control .
Although it ’s always good to be among the first to render an O upgrade , we would n’t recommend upgrading from S24 Ultra to S25 Ultra based only on its package . Samsung has already support that the S24 Ultra will get the OneUI 7 upgrade shortly , likely share many of the same AI prick .
Battery Life
Although the S25 Ultra retains the same 5000mAh - sized battery electrical capacity and 45W wire charging support of its predecessor , there are a few slight dispute with its overall assault and battery life-time . In fact , the battery itself is more effective and charges faster than the S24 Ultra , taking just 62 bit to get from 1 - 100 % , while the S24 Ultra rent 71 .
The S25 Ultra also boasts the title as the first smartphone in the world to support Qi 2.1 , the latest fast radio tear standard , however unluckily this still caps out at 15W just like the S24 Ultra .
Otherwise , both handset do offer an all - day battery spirit nonetheless , with a mix of effortless use and gaming .
Final Verdict
Thanks to its unlikely magnate , aerodynamic purpose and more durable screen , the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is in spades a worthy upgrade from an old S - serial publication mannequin . That said , as it sports a similar camera set - up , battery carrying into action and software program features , if you already have a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra then you should probably vamoose this raise .
Plus , as you’re able to arrest yourself a bargain on last class ’s flagship , the Galaxy S24 Ultra typify a able smartphone without the associated cost , make it a slap-up budget - friendly option .
Otherwise , visit our leaning of thebest Android smartphonesto see alternatives .
