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 year’s top-end model compare to last year’s Galaxy S24 Ultra?
Considering both the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy S24 Ultra earned a near-perfect 4.5-star rating from us and a spot on our best smartphone list, both are well worthy of your well-earned cash. However, there are subtle differences between the two flagships that extend beyond the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s refreshed design.
So, whether you’re deciding if the Galaxy S25 Ultra is worth upgrading to from last year’s Galaxy S24 Ultra or if you’re simply curious, here are the key differences between the two top-end flagships.
Pricing and Availability
Available globally from 7th February 2025, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a starting RRP of £1249/$1299 for the 256GB handset.
Last year’s flagship, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra currently has the same RRP of its predecessor, at £1249/$1299 for its 256GB model. It’s worth noting that we do expect this price to drop in the coming weeks plus you’re naturally more likely to find a deal for the older handset.
Design
- The Galaxy S25 Ultra has rounded corners while the S24 Ultra’s are sharper
- At 6.9 inches, the Galaxy S25 Ultra has a marginally larger screen than the S24 Ultra
- The S25 Ultra’s S Pen no longer offers Bluetooth
Prior to the S25 launch, the Galaxy Ultra in Samsung’s S-series has always sported pointed corners, while the regular Galaxy and Galaxy Plus handsets offered a rounded alternative. Samsung has mixed this up with the S25 Ultra and has unified the entire 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 robust in hand, so whether you prefer the rounded or pointed corners is purely down to your personal preference.
Despite being slightly shorter, slimmer and thinner than the S24 Ultra, the S25 Ultra actually has a marginally larger screen at 6.9 inches compared to 6.82 inches.
While both handsets still come equipped with the trademark S Pen, a stylus for doodling and note-taking, the S25 Ultra’s stylus has seen a noticeable downgrade as it no longer offers Bluetooth connectivity. This means that you can no longer use the stylus as a remote shutter for taking photos, though the core writing experience remains identical.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Screen
- The S25 Ultra’s screen remains largely unchanged
- Both are Dynamic AMOLED 2X screens with a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR support and 2600nits peak brightness
- S25 Ultra has slimmer bezels and tougher Gorilla Glass
Although there are a few tweaks here and there with the Galaxy S25 Ultra, its display is mainly unchanged from the S24 Ultra. This is certainly not a bad thing, as we were seriously impressed with the S24 Ultra’s screen and hailed it as simply “exquisite”.
Both handsets have a Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with an LTPO-enabled 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10 support and 2600 nits peak brightness, however the S25 Ultra does have a few extra tricks up its sleeve.
Firstly, it boasts better screen protection with Corning Gorilla Armor 2, while the S24 Ultra is fitted with Gorilla Armor. The S25 Ultra also sports even slimmer bezels than its predecessor, which helps create a more immersive viewing experience.
If we’re being picky, we’d have liked to see the Galaxy S25 Ultra benefit from a boost in peak brightness to match the Honor Magic 7 Pro’s whopping 5000nits. Having said that, we found both handsets are easy to use when outside in bright light.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Cameras
- Other than a new 50MP ultrawide, the S25 Ultra’s camera hardware is identical
- Both offer excellent photos, albeit with Samsung’s trademark over-saturation
- S25 Ultra sees notable improvements in image processing
We loved the photography prowess of the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and found it capable of capturing detailed, vibrant images in most light conditions, so the fact the S25 Ultra’s camera hardware is familiar isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Even so, much like its display, the S25 Ultra does see some updates.
While the S25 Ultra retains the 200MP main, 10MP 3x and 50MP 5x lenses of the S24 Ultra, it has upgraded last year’s 12MP ultrawide up to 50MP. The difference is that the S25 Ultra’s ultrawide is now more capable when capturing shots in low-light environments.
There are also notable improvements in the S25 Ultra’s processing, especially with the 50MP 5x telephoto lens. Whether you stick to the 5-10x range or boost right up to 30x zoom, images are detailed with a solid contrast. However, much like last year’s, zooming from 3x to 4.9x sees a slight drop in quality compared to the other lenses.
In true Samsung fashion, most images bear an overly vibrant colour palette, especially when compared to the likes of the Pixel 9 Pro XL which offers some of the most true-to-life colour recreation we’ve seen in a smartphone.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Performance
- The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra runs on Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, while the S24 Ultra runs on Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy
- Incredible benchmark scores seen with the Galaxy S25 Ultra
- Both Snapdragon chipsets enable the use of Galaxy AI
In terms of sheer power, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is definitely one to watch this year. Running on a custom version of Qualcomm’s 2025 flagship chipset, Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, the S25 Ultra not only trounces the iPhone 16 Pro Max but also offers smooth day-to-day performance and an excellent gaming experience.
Speaking of gaming, we saw an average of 78fps with Aztec Ruins while the S24 Ultra reached a (still solid) 63fps. In fact, at the time of writing the S25 Ultra is bested only by the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro.
Even so, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is certainly no slouch thanks to last year’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy processor, which we found a joy to use.
Otherwise, the S25 Ultra took our benchmark tests in its stride, scoring a massive single-core score of 2886 and a multi-core score of a jaw-dropping 9515 in Geekbench 6, leaving the S24 Ultra trailing behind with 2229 and 6853 respectively.
The two custom Snapdragon chipsets also enable the use of Samsung’s Galaxy AI toolkit, which we’ll look into next.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Software and AI
- S25 Ultra comes with Android 15 and OneUI 7
- New additions to Galaxy AI including Now Brief
- OneUI 7 has had an update, with new icons, animations and a brand-new split control centre
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 tools such as Now Brief and the Now Bar, it sees the return of old favourites such as Circle to Search and Gemini.
The S25 Ultra also benefits from Android 15 and OneUI 7 straight from the box and, much like last year’s lineup, it will see seven OS upgrades, taking it up to Android 22. The S24 Ultra will fall slightly short of this, only reaching up to Android 21, but this remains one of the more generous offerings we’ve seen.
Although it’s always good to be among the first to try an OS upgrade, we wouldn’t recommend upgrading from S24 Ultra to S25 Ultra based solely on its software. Samsung has already confirmed that the S24 Ultra will get the OneUI 7 upgrade shortly, likely sharing many of the same AI tools.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Battery Life
- Both sport an uninspiring 5000mAh battery
- The S25 Ultra is the first smartphone in the world to support Qi 2.1, but still caps out at 15W
- All-day battery life with both handsets
Although the S25 Ultra retains the same 5000mAh-sized battery capacity and 45W wired charging support of its predecessor, there are a few slight differences with its overall battery life. In fact, the battery itself is more efficient and charges faster than the S24 Ultra, taking just 62 minutes to get from 1-100%, while the S24 Ultra took 71.
The S25 Ultra also boasts the title as the first smartphone in the world to support Qi 2.1, the latest fast wireless charging standard, however unfortunately this still caps out at 15W just like the S24 Ultra.
Otherwise, both handsets do offer an all-day battery life nonetheless, with a mix of casual use and gaming.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Final Verdict
Thanks to its unbelievable power, sleek design and more durable screen, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is definitely a worthy upgrade from an older S-series model. That said, as it sports a similar camera set-up, battery performance and software features, if you already have a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra then you should probably skip this upgrade.
Plus, as you can nab yourself a bargain on last year’s flagship, the Galaxy S24 Ultra represents a capable smartphone without the associated cost, making it a great budget-friendly alternative.
Otherwise, visit our list of the best Android smartphones to see alternatives.
