Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: An upgrade worth waiting for?

It might seem odd to compare Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra at this point in time, considering that the former isn't even official yet. However, thanks to a steady stream of leaks and rumors, we have a fairly good idea as to what to expect from the S25 line-up. As the next standard-bearer of Samsung's slab-style flagship family, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is expected to pack a number of noticeable design improvements over the soon-to-be previous-gen model. And, of course, you can expect the latest and greatest in terms of hardware, cameras, and software as well.

But just how significant are all these speculative upgrades? Are they really worth waiting until January 2025? Or should you simply go ahead and get the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which is—and is likely to remain, at least for a few years—one of the most feature-packed Android smartphones out there? Let's find out.

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

Over the last few years, the design language of all three members of the Galaxy S series has remained quite consistent. Furthermore, the 'Ultra' model has always been easily distinguishable from its two younger siblings, primarily because of those right-angled corners and a slightly curved frame. However, things could finally change in 2025 with the Galaxy S25 series.

If the recently leaked renders are to be believed, the Galaxy S25 Ultra will come with more rounded corners, even though they won't be nearly as rounded as the corners of the Galaxy S25 and the Galaxy S25 Plus. Add a fully flat frame to the mix, and the Galaxy S25 trio could finally have a unified design language across the board. The renders also highlight changes to the rear camera array, with the individual lenses now being surrounded by thicker, ribbed rings similar to the ones on the Galaxy Z Fold 6. However, according to another leaker, the design of the primary camera setup could see some tweaks.

Samsung's Ultra phones have always been big (at least when compared to the other two members of the line-up) , and the Galaxy S25 Ultra will be no different. That said, another rumor says that the phone will be not only be slightly taller, but also a little narrower and thinner, as well as lighter in comparison to its predecessor.

The display is likely to remain unchanged, but considering that the 6.8-inch LTPO Dynamic AMOLED screen of the Galaxy S24 Ultra is one of the most gorgeous-looking panels on any smartphone in the market, that's not a bad thing. All other goodies such as Corning's Gorilla Armor protection and an anti-reflective coating are expected to be carried forward as well, albeit with minor improvements.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: Hardware and cameras

A smartphone this 'Ultra' needs equally 'Elite' innards, which is why it's all but certain that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will be driven by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, Qualcomm's newest top-of-the-line chipset. The company could also use its own Exynos 2500 SoC for some regional models, as has been the case in the past. That said, there are a lot of conflicting reports going around regarding this, so we'll only know for sure once Samsung makes things official.

Even though the Exynos 2500 is likely going to be quite a capable chipset when it launches, we're not sure if it'll be any match for Snapdragon 8 Elite, which is a whole different beast altogether. Undeniably the most powerful mobile SoC ever made for Android smartphones, the platform uses a custom Oryon CPU with prime cores that can hit up to 4.32GHz of clock speeds.

According to Qualcomm, this should result in a performance boost of up to 45 percent in comparison to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 platform, which powers the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It's also expected that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will be offered with up to 16GB of RAM, a noteworthy upgrade over the 12GB that the previous-gen model maxes out at. Onboard storage configurations are likely to remain the same, with 1TB being the highest option.

While all that's great, it's worth mentioning that Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is—and will remain for quite some time—a powerhouse capable of handling everything you throw at it without breaking a sweat. The performance gains from the new hardware will primarily come in handy for things like faster on-device processing of AI-based tasks. It goes without saying that we'll only be able to comment on the Galaxy S25 Ultra's real-world performance improvements after it's launched and we put it through its paces.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra's quad-lens rear camera system makes it one of the best Android camera phones you can buy right now. You get a 200MP wide-angle sensor with OIS, a 10MP telephoto module with 3x optical zoom, a 50MP periscope telephoto unit with 5x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. Of course, there's also a diverse range of shooting modes, Galaxy AI-powered editing capabilities, and whatnot thrown into a mix.

In his dedicated Galaxy S24 Ultra camera review of the device, Android Central's Nicholas Sutrich called the setup even better than what you get with a Google Pixel, which is arguably the highest praise any Android smartphone's camera(s) can get.

And you know what's the best part? The rumors claim that the Galaxy S25 Ultra's primary camera system is going to be largely the same, complete with Samsung's very own ISOCELL sensors. That's quite interesting, considering that the camera arrays of the other two members of the Galaxy S25 family are expected to come with Sony sensors.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: Software and battery life

Samsung has been quite late to the software update party this time, with its Android 15 rollout yet to commence. This is primarily due to One UI 7—the next version of the company's custom UI overlay—which is going to be a massive overhaul packed with a plethora of cosmetic and functional changes. The wait is almost over, though, as One UI 7 will be finally making its debut alongside the Galaxy S25 trio in January 2025.

Set to introduce a redesigned quick settings panel, updated icons, better animations, and even more Galaxy AI-powered features with integrated parental controls, One UI 7 will surely go a long way in making the Galaxy S25 Ultra a productivity powerhouse. However, it's pointless to get the new phone just for its software, as the Galaxy S24 Ultra will eventually get the exact same experience via a future update. And thanks to Samsung's excellent support policy, both phones will likely be getting seven years of OS and security updates, so longevity is guaranteed.

Coming to endurance, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is expected to have a 5,000mAh battery with support for 45W wired, as well as 15W wireless charging. If these numbers look familiar, it's because they're exactly the same specifications that the Galaxy S24 Ultra comes with.

Considering that you can get similar (or better) charging speeds even on Android phones costing hundreds of dollars less, that's underwhelming. However, with the Galaxy S24 Ultra already having a two-day battery life, we're certain that the Galaxy S25 Ultra—with its power-efficient hardware—won't disappoint us, even if we take the slow charging speeds into account.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: Should you wait?

It's true that the Galaxy S25 Ultra is shaping up to be a solid upgrade over the device it'll eventually succeed. With a refreshed and slightly more compact chassis, top-of-the-line hardware, feature-laden software, and much more, it'll undeniably end up at the top of the mountain as far as the best Android phones are concerned, just like its predecessor.

But here's the thing! Samsung's upcoming top-tier smartphone will likely end up being more expensive than the Galaxy S24 Ultra—which already costs a fortune—but might see a reduction in its price once the newer model is launched.

So, if you're in the market for a premium Android smartphone and can't wait until January 2025, we suggest getting the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It's a high-end device that'll continue to serve you well for years to come, even when it's no longer the newest thing in town. If you buy one during festive-season sales like Black Friday, you can even save a lot of cash.

Conversely, if you must have the freshest Android flagship and money is no object, waiting for the Galaxy S25 Ultra is absolutely going to be worth it.