The tech world often sees incremental upgrades year over year, but the jump from the Galaxy S24 Ultra to the Galaxy S25 Ultra might be the smallest we've witnessed in the Android flagship space. While most users with a year-old flagship won't be rushing to upgrade, compelling trade-in deals or upgrade programs might tempt some. But should you take the plunge? Let's delve into the specifics and see if the S25 Ultra offers enough to justify the cost.
Design and Hardware: A Subtle Shift
The Galaxy S25 Ultra presents two immediately noticeable changes: its shape and screen. While the core design language remains familiar, these alterations bring both advantages and disadvantages.
The S25 Ultra boasts slightly trimmed dimensions, resulting in smaller bezels and a marginally larger, more usable display. The flatter profile also improves usability, making the phone feel more comfortable in hand. A welcome surprise is the weight reduction – 14g lighter than its predecessor (218g vs. 232g). This might seem insignificant on paper, but the difference is noticeable in daily use, especially when paired with a case. However, the sharper corners, while providing a more secure grip for case installation and removal, can be uncomfortable for some users without a case. This necessitates the use of a case, somewhat mitigating the weight advantage.
The display, while technically larger at 6.9 inches, offers only a negligible increase. Both the S24 and S25 Ultra boast exceptional anti-glare coatings, impressive peak brightness, and top-tier in-display fingerprint scanners. Content consumption is a joy on both devices, with screens that are arguably the best in the mobile industry. The S25 Ultra's completely flat panel is a subtle improvement. The S24 Ultra has a tiny sliver of exposed bezel where the panel meets the frame, a potential weak point in case of drops.
A less positive change is the marginally smaller S Pen on the S25 Ultra. Due to the removal of certain functions and Bluetooth connectivity, it's now a basic stylus. This means the loss of hands-free features, a significant downgrade for those who rely on them. The S24 Ultra remains the last model to offer these functionalities.
Software and Performance: Incremental Improvements
Beyond the expected performance leap from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 to the Snapdragon 8 Elite, the internal hardware of the S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra is virtually identical. This raises questions about the actual improvements offered by the new chipset.
The user experience across One UI 7 (currently in beta for the S24 series as of February 2025) is remarkably similar on both devices for general tasks. Performance gains are primarily noticeable in AI-specific functions, thanks to the S25 Ultra's enhanced multimodal capabilities. This allows the on-device Gemini-powered systems to handle multiple requests simultaneously, currently limited to Samsung apps. For users uninterested in AI features, this "exclusive" functionality will have no impact on their experience.
The stable One UI 7 build, while not yet widely available for all S24 series devices, brings a smoother, cleaner interface and improved performance. Features like the Now Bar (offering passive AI functions) and a revamped lock screen with Live Activities provide a more refined user experience. The Android 15 update further enhances the S24 series' performance, narrowing the gap with the S25 lineup.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite offers performance bumps in CPU and GPU-intensive tasks, primarily benefiting gaming and potentially improving thermals due to an enhanced cooling system in the S25 Ultra. Both phones excel at high-end emulation, a key factor for many potential buyers.
A strong argument for sticking with the S24 Ultra is its continued software support. Both the S24 and S25 Ultra are slated to receive 7 years of OS updates, ensuring long-term usability.
Camera: A Subtle Refinement
The camera system sees minimal changes. Samsung has added new camera lens covers and upgraded the ultrawide lens to 50MP. The core system remains consistent, featuring a 200MP main sensor, a 10MP 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP 10x optical zoom. The S24 Ultra has a 12MP ultrawide compared to the 50MP on the S25 Ultra.
Image processing is reportedly enhanced with new algorithms for improved sharpness, reduced motion blur, and less noise. However, these improvements are barely noticeable in side-by-side comparisons. Even the upgraded ultrawide lens doesn't create a significant visual difference. Subtle tuning changes exist, but they are so minor that distinguishing photos from the two phones is nearly impossible, even with the selfie camera.
Video recording also shows minimal differences. Interestingly, the S24 Ultra sometimes surpasses the S25 Ultra in low-light video performance, potentially due to tuning differences, as the S25 Ultra's video appears more natural.
Battery: No Change Here
The battery capacity remains unchanged at 5,000mAh for both the S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra, as does the charging technology. Both phones support 45W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 5W reverse wireless charging. A full charge from 0-100% takes approximately one hour with a supported charger.
Samsung's recent phones have consistently delivered all-day battery life. While heavy gaming or extensive photo and video recording might yield slightly longer usage on the S25 Ultra, both phones will comfortably handle the demands of even the most demanding users.
Is the Galaxy S25 Ultra Worth It?
Apart from the design changes, there is very little to differentiate the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Unless you can secure an exceptionally high trade-in value or are drawn to a specific new color, upgrading is hard to justify. The practical differences are negligible, and you'll even lose some S Pen functionality.
The larger your performance gap, the larger the leap when switching between flagship phones in new generations. This year sees one of the smallest upgrades of any flagship Android phone we have come across in recent years. Beyond the new shape and an upgraded ultrawide camera, innovation is somewhat lacking. From a purely technological standpoint, this absence of significant upgrades is a tad disappointing.
Some might argue that Samsung has become complacent, lacking true competition, especially in North America, with the possible exception of the OnePlus 13 on paper. This lack of significant competition may lead to fewer meaningful changes. This somewhat dulls the sheen on an otherwise competent device that has all the hallmarks of a premium Samsung Galaxy flagship.
If you are determined to purchase the Galaxy S25 Ultra, you can find it at various retailers, including Samsung.com, Amazon (potentially with a gift card offer), Best Buy, and major carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.
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