How big an upgrade is it from Galaxy S24 Ultra to the latest Galaxy S25 Ultra?
Unveiled at the first Unpacked event of 2025, the Galaxy S25 Ultra, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, is one of the most expensive and expansive Android flagship smartphones of the year. From a new design language to an upgraded ultra-wide-angle lens, Samsung has made several changes to the Galaxy S25 Ultra. This phone, like its predecessor, could become the highest-selling Android flagship smartphone of the year.
However, if you already own the Galaxy S24 Ultra, is it worth upgrading to the all-new Galaxy S25 Ultra? Let us find out.
Improved design, bigger display, more compute power
The Galaxy S24 Ultra (review) stood out with its rectangular display and curved frame, but the Galaxy S25 Ultra (hands-on) takes a new design approach with flat frames and a flat display with rounded corners. While the Galaxy S24 Ultra featured anti-reflective Gorilla Glass Armor protection, the Galaxy S25 Ultra upgraded to Gorilla Glass Armor 2.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra also features a 6.9-inch QHD+ resolution screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, making it slightly larger than the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and despite this, it is 15 g lighter than the S24 Ultra.
Under the hood, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, offering 37 per cent more CPU performance, 30 per cent more graphics capabilities, and an NPU that is 40 per cent faster. While the memory and storage options remain the same—12 GB RAM and 256 GB/512 GB/1 TB variants—the new Snapdragon chip, co-optimised by Qualcomm and Samsung, ensures that the Galaxy S25 Ultra is snappier, faster, and more capable of handling multitasking and gaming.
The New S-Pen: A mixed bag
Depending on the specific use case, the new S-Pen accompanying the Galaxy S25 Ultra could be seen as a downgrade for some users, as it loses Bluetooth capabilities. This affects features like air actions, and the S-Pen can no longer be used as a camera trigger button. However, the new S-Pen is reportedly better for taking notes, thanks to its finer tip. For users who rely heavily on the advanced functionalities of the S-Pen, sticking with the S24 Ultra might be a better choice.
New 50 MP ultra-wide angle lens
Samsung retains most of the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s quad-camera setup with one major change: the 12 MP ultra-wide-angle sensor has been replaced by a higher-resolution 50 MP sensor. While the rest of the cameras remain the same—a 200 MP main camera, 10 MP 3x telephoto lens, 50 MP 6x telephoto lens, and 50 MP ultra-wide-angle lens—improved software optimisation ensures the Galaxy S25 Ultra captures slightly better photos and videos.
OneUI 7 with new AI experiences
Out of the box, the Galaxy S25 Ultra ships with OneUI 7 based on Android 15, featuring new AI experiences. The device will receive seven major Android OS upgrades. Most of these features will also roll out to the Galaxy S24 Ultra, likely by late February or early March, via the OneUI 7 update. These include an upgraded Gemini assistant, also available on the Google Pixel 9 series, personalised briefing, improved circle-to-search functionality, and an audio eraser. However, if you want to be among the first to experience these new capabilities, you may want to upgrade to the latest device.
Battery and fast charging remain the same
Samsung has made no changes to the battery or fast charging capabilities, which remain at a 5,000 mAh capacity with up to 45W fast charging. However, the Galaxy S25 Ultra supports Qi2 wireless charging, requiring an external case with a magnetic ring, similar to the OnePlus 13. Unfortunately, the wireless charging speed is still capped at 15W.
Conclusion
Design and performance are the two major upgrades on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. While most other aspects remain the same, the downgrade of the S-Pen is a compromise, especially for users who value Samsung smartphones for their unique functionalities.
