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The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is still a capable premium Android phone, with a large display, versatile cameras, an included S Pen and a long software-support commitment. But it is no longer Samsung’s newest Ultra: in 2026, the S26 Ultra is the relevant alternative. The S25 Ultra makes the most sense when its price is meaningfully lower in your market; there is no reliable universal discount threshold, so compare current prices for the same storage and condition before buying.
What the Galaxy S25 Ultra offers
Samsung’s S25 Ultra is a refinement of the Ultra formula rather than a wholesale redesign. Samsung lists a 6.9-inch display, a titanium frame, Gorilla Armor 2 glass and an IP68 rating. These are manufacturer specifications; the IP rating reflects controlled test conditions, not a reason to deliberately expose the phone to water.
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The large screen and premium construction are central to the phone’s appeal, alongside a camera system spanning several perspectives and an S Pen that stores in the phone. Its strengths are most relevant if you want a large-screen Android flagship and will use the stylus, long support commitment or multiple camera focal lengths.
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The rear camera system comprises a 200MP main camera, a 50MP ultrawide, a 10MP 3x telephoto and a 50MP 5x telephoto. Samsung raised the ultrawide resolution from 12MP on the previous generation, making it the most notable hardware change to the camera array. That combination gives you a dedicated ultrawide view and two telephoto options rather than relying on digital zoom alone.
#1 Best Overall
- Stunning 6.9″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X QHD+ display with adaptive 1–120 Hz refresh rate, ultra‑bright up to ~2600 nits, HDR support, “Vision Booster,” and adaptive color tone — giving vivid colours, great outdoor visibility, and super‑smooth scrolling.
- Powerful internals: it runs on the new Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm) chip, with 12 GB (or in some markets up to 16 GB) RAM and up to 1 TB UFS 4.0 storage — offering significantly improved CPU/GPU/NPU performance, especially for AI tasks, gaming, and heavy multitasking.
- Advanced quad‑camera system: 200 MP wide main sensor, plus a 50 MP ultrawide, a 50 MP periscope telephoto (5× optical zoom), and a 10 MP telephoto (3× optical zoom) — giving flexibility from ultra‑wide through detailed telephoto shots, and strong performance in varied lighting.
- 5,000 mAh battery with 45 W fast wired charging, wireless charging (Qi2) and reverse wireless charging — balancing long battery life with flexible charging options.
- Durable, premium build: Titanium‑frame body, protected by Corning Gorilla Armor 2 glass, with IP68 dust/water resistance, ultrasonic in‑display fingerprint sensor, modern connectivity (5G, Wi‑Fi 7, Bluetooth, UWB, USB‑C), and long‑term software support (Android 15 / One UI 7, promised 7 major OS/security updates).
Samsung also highlights low-light video processing. Treat that as a manufacturer claim, not an independently established result here. The newer S26 Ultra is reported to improve low-light capture with wider camera apertures, so buyers whose priority is night photography should compare the newer phone’s results as well as its price.
How long does the battery last?
Tom’s Guide measured 17 hours and 14 minutes for the Galaxy S25 Ultra in its 2025 continuous 5G web-browsing test, with the screen set to 150 nits. In the same publication’s test with the display set to 60Hz, the phone lasted 18 hours and 35 minutes. These are controlled test results, not a prediction of how long every owner’s charge will last: brightness, refresh rate, signal quality and workload all affect endurance.
Rank #2
- Stunning 6.9″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X QHD+ display with adaptive 1–120 Hz refresh rate, ultra‑bright up to ~2600 nits, HDR support, “Vision Booster,” and adaptive color tone — giving vivid colours, great outdoor visibility, and super‑smooth scrolling.
- Powerful internals: it runs on the new Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm) chip, with 12 GB (or in some markets up to 16 GB) RAM and up to 1 TB UFS 4.0 storage — offering significantly improved CPU/GPU/NPU performance, especially for AI tasks, gaming, and heavy multitasking.
- Advanced quad‑camera system: 200 MP wide main sensor, plus a 50 MP ultrawide, a 50 MP periscope telephoto (5× optical zoom), and a 10 MP telephoto (3× optical zoom) — giving flexibility from ultra‑wide through detailed telephoto shots, and strong performance in varied lighting.
- 5,000 mAh battery with 45 W fast wired charging, wireless charging (Qi2) and reverse wireless charging — balancing long battery life with flexible charging options.
- Durable, premium build: Titanium‑frame body, protected by Corning Gorilla Armor 2 glass, with IP68 dust/water resistance, ultrasonic in‑display fingerprint sensor, modern connectivity (5G, Wi‑Fi 7, Bluetooth, UWB, USB‑C), and long‑term software support (Android 15 / One UI 7, promised 7 major OS/security updates).
The phone supports 45W wired and 15W wireless charging, according to the current comparison in TechRadar’s S25/S26 coverage. The newer S26 generation is listed at up to 60W wired and 25W wireless, making charging one of the concrete areas where the newer model advances.
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What does the S Pen do—and what is missing?
The S Pen is included and remains useful for writing, drawing and interacting with the screen. However, the S25 Ultra’s pen omits Bluetooth remote functions available on earlier Ultra pens. If you used the stylus to trigger the camera remotely or relied on Air Actions, that is a meaningful loss; the pen’s core writing and drawing role remains.
Rank #3
- Stunning 6.9″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X QHD+ display with adaptive 1–120 Hz refresh rate, ultra‑bright up to ~2600 nits, HDR support, “Vision Booster,” and adaptive color tone — giving vivid colours, great outdoor visibility, and super‑smooth scrolling.
- Powerful internals: it runs on the new Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm) chip, with 12 GB (or in some markets up to 16 GB) RAM and up to 1 TB UFS 4.0 storage — offering significantly improved CPU/GPU/NPU performance, especially for AI tasks, gaming, and heavy multitasking.
- Advanced quad‑camera system: 200 MP wide main sensor, plus a 50 MP ultrawide, a 50 MP periscope telephoto (5× optical zoom), and a 10 MP telephoto (3× optical zoom) — giving flexibility from ultra‑wide through detailed telephoto shots, and strong performance in varied lighting.
- 5,000 mAh battery with 45 W fast wired charging, wireless charging (Qi2) and reverse wireless charging — balancing long battery life with flexible charging options.
- Durable, premium build: Titanium‑frame body, protected by Corning Gorilla Armor 2 glass, with IP68 dust/water resistance, ultrasonic in‑display fingerprint sensor, modern connectivity (5G, Wi‑Fi 7, Bluetooth, UWB, USB‑C), and long‑term software support (Android 15 / One UI 7, promised 7 major OS/security updates).
How long will Samsung support it?
Samsung announced seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates for the Galaxy S25 series. That is a substantial commitment for people who keep a phone for several years. Samsung’s announcement describes the series-wide promise; it does not guarantee that every feature will be available in every country or on every carrier at the same time. TechRadar’s comparison says the S26 gets one additional year of support runway.
Are Galaxy AI features a reason to buy?
Not on their own. Samsung says Galaxy AI availability can vary by country, carrier, device model and software version. Its UK product page also says Samsung makes no promise or guarantee about the accuracy, completeness or reliability of AI-feature output. Check the feature list for your region and treat generated results as something to verify, not as authoritative information. A launch-era Gemini Advanced offer was limited to six months and should not be treated as a current promotion.
Rank #4
- Stunning 6.9″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X QHD+ display with adaptive 1–120 Hz refresh rate, ultra‑bright up to ~2600 nits, HDR support, “Vision Booster,” and adaptive color tone — giving vivid colours, great outdoor visibility, and super‑smooth scrolling.
- Powerful internals: it runs on the new Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm) chip, with 12 GB (or in some markets up to 16 GB) RAM and up to 1 TB UFS 4.0 storage — offering significantly improved CPU/GPU/NPU performance, especially for AI tasks, gaming, and heavy multitasking.
- Advanced quad‑camera system: 200 MP wide main sensor, plus a 50 MP ultrawide, a 50 MP periscope telephoto (5× optical zoom), and a 10 MP telephoto (3× optical zoom) — giving flexibility from ultra‑wide through detailed telephoto shots, and strong performance in varied lighting.
- 5,000 mAh battery with 45 W fast wired charging, wireless charging (Qi2) and reverse wireless charging — balancing long battery life with flexible charging options.
- Durable, premium build: Titanium‑frame body, protected by Corning Gorilla Armor 2 glass, with IP68 dust/water resistance, ultrasonic in‑display fingerprint sensor, modern connectivity (5G, Wi‑Fi 7, Bluetooth, UWB, USB‑C), and long‑term software support (Android 15 / One UI 7, promised 7 major OS/security updates).
Pros and cons at a glance
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
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Should you buy the S25 Ultra or the S26 Ultra?
Use the price difference in your country as the main decision point. Current local prices and inventory were not established here, so there is no sound basis for naming a universal price at which the S25 Ultra becomes the better buy. Compare the same storage capacity, seller, condition and warranty terms before deciding.
| Decision factor | Galaxy S25 Ultra | Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Camera | 200MP main, 50MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x telephoto and 50MP 5x telephoto; Samsung highlights low-light video processing. | TechRadar reports wider apertures and improved low-light capture. |
| Charging | 45W wired; 15W wireless. | Up to 60W wired; 25W wireless. |
| Software support | Samsung announced seven OS generations and seven years of security updates for the S25 series. | TechRadar’s comparison says it receives one additional year of support. |
| Price and value | Check current local pricing for the exact storage and condition; a meaningful saving is the key reason to choose it. | Compare its current local price against the S25 Ultra rather than assuming the newer model is worth the difference. |
Choose the S25 Ultra if it is substantially cheaper and its camera, S Pen and support package meet your needs. Favor the S26 Ultra if its low-light camera improvements, faster charging or longer support runway justify the local price gap. If you are upgrading from an older Ultra, account for the S Pen’s missing remote features before deciding.
Best Value
- PRIVACY DISPLAY: Automatically hide your screen from those beside you. The built-in privacy display can be preset¹ to turn on when receiving notifications, typing passwords, or using specific apps
- TYPE IT IN. TRANSFORM IT FAST: Enhance any shot in seconds on your smartphone by using Photo Assist² with Galaxy AI.³ Add objects, restore details, or apply new styles by simply typing or tapping
- NIGHTS, CAPTURED CLEARLY: From gigs to city lights, record and capture moments after dark with clarity using Nightography so your photos and videos stay crisp and clear on your Samsung Galaxy
- MAKE IT. EDIT IT. SHARE IT: Turn everyday moments into something personal with creative tools built right into your mobile phone, whether it’s a special contact photo, custom wallpaper, an invitation or more⁴
- HELP THAT KEEPS UP: Stay in the moment while Now Nudge with Galaxy AI helps you respond faster and stay organized with smart suggestions⁵ that appear exactly when you need them on your phone
Verdict
The Galaxy S25 Ultra remains a well-equipped premium phone, not a poor choice simply because a successor exists. Its display, camera range, battery-test result and long support promise make a persuasive package, while the missing S Pen remote functions and slower charging are clear compromises. In 2026, its value depends on the deal available where you live: compare it directly with the S26 Ultra and buy the S25 only if the savings are substantial enough for the features you give up.
Quick Recap
Sources
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra product page
- Samsung Galaxy S25 series launch announcement
- Tom’s Guide Galaxy S25 Ultra review and battery test
- Android Central’s one-year observations
- TechRadar’s Galaxy S26 Ultra and S25 Ultra comparison
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
