We often see minor changes from year to year in our tech, but this has never been more pronounced on Android than the jump from Galaxy S24 Ultra to Galaxy S25 Ultra. Here’s what you need to know.
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From a pure hardware perspective, there is very little to truly separate the Galaxy S24 and S25 series. Sure, most sane people will not be looking at the their one-year old flagship phone and even consider the possiblity of upgrading or ditching in favor of the newest handset. That said, there are some valid reasons to do so. Most of those boil down to excellent trade-in rates or upgrade plans.
If you fall into either of those categories then read on, but don’t expect major changes from the Galaxy S24 to the S25 Ultra this year…
Hardware and design
Two changes to the hardware system are instantly noticeable when looking directly at the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy S25 Ultra: the shape and the screen. Elsewhere the formula or core DNA remains the same.
This is both a positive and a negative. Firstly, the new shape and trimmed dimensions allow for smaller bezels and a larger usable display, while the flatter profile is better for usability. It doesn’t stop there; the Galaxy S25 Ultra is 14g lighter than the Galaxy S24 Ultra — 218g vs. 232g.
I have found that this is one of the changes that, on paper, seems insignificant but is a welcome change once you pick both up. Annoyingly, the corners are quite sharp and, in my hands, uncomfortable. Because of this, a case is a must – but you knew that anyway. The weight changes mean that even with a case, your phone will be lighter overall, so there are benefits to the new design change.
When comparing the displays, save the almost negligible bump to 6.9 inches and even smaller bezels; they are very comparable. You get the incredible anti-glare coating, impressive peak brightness levels, and superb in-display fingerprint scanners, and it’s a good time all around. For content, it’s hard to pick a better mobile screen. Period. No matter what you plan to do on your phone, these are the best in the business.
The S25 Ultra’s completely flat panel does have an undoubted edge. On the Galaxy S24 Ultra there is a tiny sliver of exposed bezel where the panel meets the frame edge. As silly as this sounds, this could be a weaker point should you drop the phone. It’s also worth noting that despite some comfort problems, the S25 Ultra’s sharper corners are easier to clasp or grasp case on or off.
Other changes in the design include a marginally smaller S Pen on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. This is due to the lack of some functions and Bluetooth connectivity. It is now just a regular stylus, which means certain hands-free features are missing entirely. If you don’t want to give these up, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the last to ship with them intact.
Software and performance
Aside from the supposed performance jump from Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 to Snapdragon 8 Elite, the core internals on the Galaxy S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra are identical. That is where we could see some confusion as to what has been improved.
You’re getting basically the same experience across all facets of One UI 7 – which is still in Beta for the S24 series as of February 2025. Side-by-side, the differences are non-existent when doing all kinds of “general use” tasks. You may see some boosts when doing AI-specific things. As the Galaxy S25 Ultra has some extra tricks up its sleeve with multimodal capabilities.
That just means that you can get the on-device Gemini-powered systems to accept multiple requests simultaneously. Currently, this only works with Samsung apps, which might lessen the appeal of using such commands to people who want to go beyond the default application set.
If you don’t like AI functions, this “exclusive” AI toolset will have zero effect on how you use and experience either the Galaxy S24 Ultra or S25 Ultra. While the stable One UI 7 build isn’t available for all S24 series devices just yet, the updated interface and tuning have been some of the best upgrades Samsung has made to its skin in a long time. It’s smoother and cleaner, and overall, it’s a great update. There are some functions here, like the Now Bar, which offers passive AI functions, and a new take on Live Activities for the lock screen.
In fact, with Android 15, the S24 series feels marginally smoother, and it helps improve performance while bridging the gap to the S25 lineup. You will not notice a change once this update arrives more widely.
To that end, the improved chipset will offer decent performance bumps in very few areas, save for things that require lots of CPU and GPU time. As always, this realistically means better gaming experiences and hopefully better thermals courtesy of an improved cooling system on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Both phones can handle high-end emulation, too, which is one of the reasons many might be interested in the duo.
One of the biggest arguments to stick with the older model is that it is still set to receive 6 years of OS updates. The update plan is 7 years for both phones, so you’re set for a long time to come.
Camera
Yet another area where changes are minuscule is the camera. Samsung added some camera lens covers and a new 50MP ultrawide lens. Beyond that, they are identical. So the core system includes a 200MP main sensor, 10MP 3x optical, and 50MP 10x optical. The Galaxy S24 Ultra has a 12MP ultrawide compared to the 50MP S25 Ultra.
As part of the chipset change, image processing is said to be enhanced with new algorithms to improve sharpness while reducing motion blur and noise. Honestly, it’s not quite as pronounced when you view images taken side-by-side. Even the upgraded ultrawide doesn’t make a huge visual difference. There are some super subtle tuning changes, but they are so minor in most circumstances that you will likely not be able to tell photos apart – including on the selfie camera.
This also applies to video, which is very similar. That said, low-light videos on the Galaxy S24 Ultra do actually surpass the Galaxy S25 Ultra in some circumstances. This could be due to some tuning differences, as the video looks more natural on the newer handset.
Battery
There are zero differences in the 5,000mAh internal cells in the Galaxy S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra. This extends to the battery charging tech. You’re still working with 45W wired, 15W wireless, and 5W reverse wireless charging as standard. When using a supported charger, it’ll take around an hour to go from 0-100%.
All-day battery life is something that Samsung phones have been excelling at for a while now. If you are doing lots of gaming or shooting tons of video and photos, you will get an extended lifespan with the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Either phone will be great for even heavy users.
Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Is there enough change?
About upgrading: 9to5Google often gives specific product recommendations. Sometimes, we may suggest not upgrading, due to various reasons including, but not limited to: increased device cost, negligible performance gains, or environmental impact. Whether to upgrade is always your call, but our aim is to help you make as informed a decision as possible.
Save the design changes; there is very little to separate the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Nobody should seriously consider an upgrade unless they can get incredible trade-in value or simply want one of the new colorways. You will notice practically zero differences, and you’ll also lose out on some wireless S Pen functions.
While it’s stupid to even say this; the older your phone, the bigger the leap when picking up the new generation of phones. This is the smallest upgrade of any major Android phone for some time. Aside from a new shape, there is only a change to the ultrawide camera. From a pure tech perspective, the lack of major upgrades is disappointing.
A highly critical take would be that Samsung has lost its way in recent years, with no true competitors, specifically in North America, save the OnePlus 13 on paper. The real lack of competition means we’re getting the least meaningful changes in a long time. It dulls the sheen of an otherwise very competent package that has all the hallmarks of a high-end Samsung Galaxy flagship.
If you insist on getting the Galaxy S25 Ultra, there are lots of place to pick it up including Samsung.com, Amazon (w/ $200 gift card), Best Buy, plus carriers including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more.
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