Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Galaxy S24 Ultra: the biggest expected improvements

We probably still have a few months before Samsung unveils its next big flagship, the Galaxy S25. However, for those considering an upgrade, comparing the Galaxy S24 Ultra to the specs of the rumored Galaxy S25 Ultra can give you a good idea of whether to start saving for a new phone now or wait for the next generation.

With the Galaxy S25 Ultra expected to launch early next year, now is the perfect time to compare it to the current flagship. And while the Galaxy S24 Ultra tops our ranking of the best Samsung phones, the question is whether the Galaxy S25 Ultra will offer enough new improvements for people to consider spending the money to buy a new phone.

Below, we’ve compiled all the rumors and leaks that have emerged about the Galaxy S25 Ultra so far to see how it compares to the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Galaxy S24 Ultra: Technical specifications

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Row 0 – Cell 0	Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (rumors)	Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Display	6.86 inches with a refresh rate of 120 Hz	6.8 inches with a refresh rate of 120 Hz
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4	Qualcomm SM8650-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4nm)
Storage options	128GB, 256GB, 1TB	128GB, 256GB, 1TB
Rear cameras	200MP main telephoto lens, 50MP dual telephoto lens with 3x and 5x optical zoom, 50MP ultra-wide angle	Main 200 MP (f/1.7), 50 MP 5x telephoto f/3.4), 10 MP 3x telephoto (f/2.4) 12 MP ultra-wide angle (f/2.2)
Front camera	12 MP (f/2.2)	12 MP (f/2.2)
Battery	5000 mAh	5000 mAh
Color options	Titanium black, titanium gray, titanium purple, titanium yellow	Titanium black, titanium gray, titanium purple, titanium yellow

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: Price

While it’s too early in the rumor cycle to say definitively when the Galaxy S25 Ultra will reach our customers, if the story is true, it will appear in stores in early 2025, likely in January February.

For comparison, this year’s Galaxy S24 launch was the earliest in the flagship’s history – the Galaxy Unpacked event took place on January 17, and the S24 models shipped two weeks later, on January 31.

The price of the Galaxy S24 Ultra also saw an increase over its predecessor, jumping to $1,299 from the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s price of $1,199. In the case of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, that price may increase even more, and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, which is expected to power the upcoming flagship, could increase the cost of the phone. But nothing more concrete has emerged yet.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: Design and Display

(Photo: Ice Universe on X)

The Galaxy S24 Ultra already has a massive 6.8-inch screen, but the Galaxy S25 Ultra can kick it up a notch. Renowned leaker Ice Universe reported in August that the upcoming Galaxy S25 Ultra would have a 6.86-inch display – not a huge difference, but on par with its competitor, Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro Max.

What’s notable about the larger screen is that Samsung has chosen to shave off the bezels of the flagship, thus reducing the overall dimensions of the phone despite the larger display. The same leak claims that the S25 Ultra will be 77.6mm wide, which is a slight drop from the 79mm width found on the current S24 Ultra. We’ve also heard reports that Samsung is switching to rounded corners on the S25 Ultra and ditching the square corners that Ultra phones have had since the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

With a more curved design, thinner bezels, and a narrower bezel, the S25 Ultra should be slightly easier to hold for longer periods of time than its predecessor.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: Cameras

The Galaxy S24 Ultra ranks high on our list of the best camera phones, featuring a 200MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera, a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and a new 50MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom.

Early rumors about the Galaxy S25 Ultra camera suggest we can expect modest improvements, such as a move from a 12MP to 50MP ultra-wide-angle sensor on the upcoming flagship. The 200MP main camera, 12MP selfie camera, and 50MP telephoto camera are expected to remain unchanged, although they may receive some under-the-hood improvements that will improve the smoothness of use.

Rumor has it that the S25 Ultra’s telephoto lens will have “variable capabilities” that could range from 4-5x to 6-7x fixed focal lengths, which will streamline the video recording process. Another rumor suggests that Samsung may do away with the second telephoto lens altogether, leaving the S25 Ultra with three lenses instead of four.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: Performance

(Image source: Future)

Considering the use of Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the Galaxy S24 Ultra, there is a high probability that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will be equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset. Qualcomm has already confirmed that we will see Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 in October, which coincides with the launch of the flagship series Samsung in early 2025.

However, it’s not worth covering the early leaked Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 benchmarks. According to leaked Geekbench scores, Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 tops the score achieved by an iPhone powered by the A18 Bionic processor. In our tests, the iPhone 16 Pro achieved Geekbench scores of 3,400 and 8,341 for single-core and multi-core, respectively, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max was close to scores of 3,386 and 8,306 – while one report saw the Galaxy S25 Ultra with a Snapdragon 8 gen. 3069 and 9080 respectively.

Another credible rumor suggests that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will gain faster UFS 4.1 speeds, which will further boost the phone’s performance. RAM capacity could also increase, increasing from 12GB in the current Galaxy S24 Ultra to 16GB in the Galaxy S25 Ultra. This would make it better equipped to handle multitasking and process Galaxy AI requests.

Speaking of AI features, there’s a good chance the Galaxy S25 Ultra will add more of them post-launch, just like the S24, but there’s no word yet on what those features might be.

When it comes to battery life, the Galaxy S24 Ultra already makes it onto our list of the best cellphone batteries with a 5,000 mAh cell that lasts almost 17 hours in our battery tests. Rumors suggest that the Galaxy S25 Ultra may retain the same 5,000mAh battery and 45W charging speed.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Galaxy S24 Ultra: Outlook

It’s still a little too early to definitively say whether it’s worth considering upgrading to the Galaxy S25 Ultra when it launches. From what we know so far, the hardware improvements over the Galaxy S24 Ultra seem minimal, but Samsung may have some fancy new tech or AI-based features up its sleeve to sweeten the deal.

Considering Apple emerged as the clear leader in our iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra showdown, Samsung has a lot to offer for its next flagship phones. We should learn more about what to expect from the S25 Ultra as we get closer to launch, but in the meantime, it might be worth holding off on upgrading for now.