Samsung has revealed its latest set of flagship phones, the Galaxy S25 Series.
The 2025 series includes the entry-level Galaxy S25, large-screen Galaxy S25+ and the high-end Galaxy S25 Ultra, but how much is there between the most affordable and the most premium phones in this line-up?
Keep reading to discover how the Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy S25 compare when it comes to pricing, design, cameras, performance and battery life.
Price
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy S25 will both be available to buy from February 7 with pre-orders open now.
Prices for the Galaxy S25 Ultra start at £1249 for the 256GB model. 512GB and 1TB configurations are also available for those interested in more storage, coming in at £1349 and £1549, respectively.
The Galaxy S25, meanwhile, starts at a much more affordable £799 for 256GB or £859 for the same 256GB available on the Ultra. There’s also a 512GB option, which comes in at £979.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a larger screen
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a larger display than its entry-level sibling, which is important because this is the only model to come with the S Pen for doodling, note-taking and use of Google’s Circle To Search AI tool. The latter is also available on the cheaper models – you’ll just need to use your finger to do the circling.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra features a 6.9-inch display with a QHD+ resolution, while the Galaxy S25 has a more pocket-sized 6.2-inch screen with a FHD+ resolution.
Both displays feature Samsung’s Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology and offer 120Hz refresh rates and 2600 nits of brightness. The S25 Ultra does, however, also benefit from the latest Corning Gorilla Armor 2 for greater durability compared to the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the Galaxy S25.
One benefit to the smaller screen on the S25 is that it allows the phone to be a bit smaller, slimmer and more lightweight compared to the Ultra model. This is ideal if you’re concerned about the size of your phone or whether it’ll fit in your pocket.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a 200MP main camera
When it comes to their respective camera arrays, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra benefits from higher-megapixel counts in its main and ultra-wide sensor, as well as an additional telephoto camera for further optical zoom.
The S25 Ultra features a 200-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide camera and two telephoto lenses, including one 50-megapixel and another 10-megapixel, offering up to 5x optical zoom in total to get you closer to your subject.
The Galaxy S25, on the other hand, makes use of a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera and a single 10-megapixel telephoto camera for up to 3x optical zoom.
If you’re in need of the highest camera resolution and the closest zoom Samsung has to offer, we’d definitely recommend opting for the Ultra model over the S25 as these have impressed us most in the past. However, you’ll have to wait for our full reviews to learn how these two new camera phones compare in our real-world experience.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 is powered by the same chipset
Unlike previous models, Samsung has fitted its latest S Series models with Snapdragon chips across the board – even in the UK. This means that all three models are powered by the same Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy with 12GB RAM.
This means the Galaxy S25 can support all the same features and handy AI tools as the pricier S25 Ultra. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean the performance will match up exactly.
The S25 Ultra actually takes advantage of a larger vapour chamber, allowing for better thermal management. This should help improve performance, meaning we could see faster benchmarking test results from the more premium model, though you’ll have to wait for our full reviews to find out just how big the gap is between these two new models.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a bigger battery
Finally, the Galaxy S25 Ultra has a larger 5000 mAh battery compared to the 4000 mAh one in the Galaxy S25.
That doesn’t necessarily mean it will outlast the smaller phone as factors like the display and performance can put more strain on the battery. Again, You’ll have to wait for our full review to see how the phones compare in this area.
When it comes to charging, both phones support 15W wireless charging, but where the S25 offers 25W fast charging, the S25 Ultra increases this to 45W. According to Samsung, the S25 should be capable of charging to 50% in about 30 minutes, while the S25 Ultra could reach 65% in the same 30 minutes.
Early verdict
The S25 and the S25 Ultra feature the same size battery, the same 120Hz refresh rate and the same chipset, but the Ultra still has the edge when it comes to its display, cameras, performance and charging speed.
Keep an eye out for our full reviews to learn how these two phones compare in our benchmarking tests and real-world experience.
