The day many Android fans have been waiting for has finally arrived. On Wednesday, Samsung debuted the new Galaxy S25 series lineup at its January Galaxy Unpacked event. The base Galaxy S25 is excellent if you need an essential upgrade, but for most people, the choice between the Galaxy S25+ and the Galaxy S25 Ultra will be a personal preference.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra has all the bells and whistles—a larger display, titanium body, embedded S Pen, and more. But at a steep starting price of $1,299, are all these premium upgrades worth it?
The Galaxy S25+ starts at $999 — just $200 more than the base Galaxy S25 — and features a high-res, large display and a battery nearly as big as the S25 Ultra's. For most people, the Galaxy S25+ is the best pick. But for others, paying an extra $300 for the Galaxy S25 Ultra could be well worth it.
We'll compare the Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S25 Ultra side by side, examining performance, battery life, camera setup, and more to help you decide which phone to upgrade to.
Galaxy S25+ vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Specs compared
Here's a quick overview of the main specs compared between Samsung's mid-range Galaxy S25+ and the premium Galaxy S25 Ultra.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Galaxy S25+ | Galaxy S25 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Snapdragon® 8 Elite for Galaxy (3nm) | Snapdragon® 8 Elite for Galaxy (3nm) |
| OS | Android 15 / One UI 7 | Android 15 / One UI 7 |
| Dimensions | 75.8 x 158.4 x 7.3 mm | 77.6 x 162.8 x 8.2 mm |
| Memory / Storage | 12GB RAM | 256GB, 512GB | 12GB RAM | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Screen | 6.7" QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate | 6.9" QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate |
| Battery | 4900mAh | 5000mAh |
| Colors | Icyblue, Navy, Mint, Silver Shadow | Titan Black, Titan Gray, Titan Silverblue, Titan Whitesilver |
| Wired charging | Super Fast Charging 2.0 | Super Fast Charging 2.0 |
| Wireless charging | Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare | Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare |
| Durability | IP68, Corning® Gorilla® Glass Victus® 2, Armor Aluminum (Frame) | IP68, Enhanced Corning® Gorilla® Armor (front glass), Corning® Gorilla® Glass Victus® 2 (rear glass), Titanium (Frame) |
| Biometrics | Ultrasonic Fingerprint, Face Recognition | Ultrasonic Fingerprint, Face Recognition |
| Wi-Fi | 5G (sub6, mmW) Wi-Fi 7 UWB | 5G (sub6, mmW) Wi-Fi 7 UWB |
| Other | Galaxy AI, Cross-app action with AI Agent and native app integration, Now Bar, Now Brief, Audio Eraser for Videos, ProScaler for QHD+, improved Cooling System | Embedded S Pen (passive experience), Galaxy AI, Cross-app action with AI Agent and native app integration, Now Bar, Now Brief, Audio Eraser for Videos, ProScaler for QHD+, improved Cooling System, High-res details near and far |
If the quality of photos and videos taken on your Galaxy phone is an important deciding factor, here's a deep dive into the front camera and rear camera array on the Galaxy S25+ and the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Galaxy S25+ | Galaxy S25 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | Row 0 - Cell 1 | Row 0 - Cell 2 |
| Wide | 50MP Wide AF OIS | 200MP Wide AF OIS |
| Ultra wide | 12MP Ultra Wide | 50MP Wide AF OIS |
| Telephoto | 10MP 3x Tele AF OIS | 10MP 3x Tele AF OIS 50MP 5x Tele AF OIS |
| Zoom | 3x Optical Zoom (2x Optical Quality)30x Space Zoom | 3x, 5x Optical Zoom(2x, 10x Optical Quality) 100x Space Zoom |
| Video | 4K @ 60fps 8K @ 30fps | 4K @ 120fps 8K @ 30fps |
| Selfie camera | Row 6 - Cell 1 | Row 6 - Cell 2 |
| Wide | 12MP Wide AF | 12MP Wide AF |
| Video | 4K @ 60fps | 4K @ 60fps |
| Misc. camera features | ProVisual Engine, HDR Portraits, Selfie AI ISP, Nightography, Log Video, False Color, Zebra Pattern | ProVisual Engine, HDR Portraits, Selfie AI ISP, Nightography, Log Video, False Color, Zebra Pattern, high-res Macro shots, high-res zoom photos/video |
Galaxy S25+ vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Performance
The Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S25 Ultra are both going to perform well. Both phones are equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and 12GB of RAM, so we expect similar Geekbench scores once reviews start rolling out. Leaked Geekbench 6 scores for the Galaxy S25 Ultra indicate it could have a multi-core score of over 10,000.
We can look at Samsung's previous-gen Galaxy S24 phones to predict just how similar performance will be in these new flagships. For reference, both the Galaxy S24+ and S24 Ultra phones are decked out with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and 12GB of RAM.
In our Galaxy S24 Ultra review, the phone clocked a Geekbench 6 multi-core score of 7,249. In the Tom's Guide's Galaxy S24+ review, the phone delivered a similarly impressive multi-core score of 7,083.
In terms of real-world performance, a difference of less than 200 between multi-core scores won't be noticeable. We expect the difference between Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S25 Ultra performance to be this minimal.
Galaxy S25+ vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Design
The design differences between the Galaxy S25+ vs. S25 Ultra are subtle, but they're certainly there, and this could easily be a deciding factor for many people.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is a bit larger and heavier on paper, but you may not notice these differences much in hand. The Galaxy S25+ measures 2.98 x 6.24 x 0.28 inches and weighs 0.42 pounds, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra has dimensions of 3.05 x 6.41 x 0.32 inches and weighs 0.48 pounds.
More noticeably, the Galaxy S25+ has more rounded corners than the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The S25 Ultra's corners aren't nearly as sharp as those of its predecessor, the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but they're certainly more angular than those of the Galaxy S25+.
Another big difference is the construction of each phone's frame. The Galaxy S25+ features an aluminum frame, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra has a stronger titanium frame.
This difference in frame material also brings unique colorways to each phone. You can pick up a Galaxy S25+ in Icyblue, Navy, Mint, or Silver Shadow or grab a Galaxy S25 Ultra in Titan Black, Titan Gray, Titan Silverblue, or Titan Whitesilver.
Or, if you order directly through Samsung's website, there are a few exclusive colorways to choose from. For the Galaxy S25+, Samsung offers Blueblack, Coralred, and Pinkgold shades. For the Galaxy S25 Ultra, online Samsung customers can choose between Titanium Jetblack, Titanium Jadegreen, and Titanium Pinkgold.
Galaxy S25+ vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Display
Samsung excels at making gorgeous smartphone displays, and that's true for the Galaxy S25 series. That said, if you're looking for the biggest, best display Samsung has to offer, you'll find it in the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is decked out with a 6.9-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. The Galaxy S25+ features a slightly smaller 6.7-inch display, but all other display specs are the same when compared to the S25 Ultra.
We can't talk about the display without talking about the protective glass on top as well. The Galaxy S25+ features Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 glass in front and back. Alternatively, the Galaxy S25 Ultra has Gorilla Glass Victus 2 in back and Enhanced Gorilla Armor 2 glass in front, which has been proven to improve screen durability and decrease needed repairs.
Galaxy S25+ vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Battery life
There is a tiny 100 mAh variance between the battery capacity of the Galaxy S25+ (4,900 mAh) and the Galaxy S25 Ultra (5,000 mAh), but it probably won't make much of a difference in overall battery life. Of course, we can't say this for sure until we see how long each phone lasts in battery tests, but we can look to the previous-gen Galaxy S24 series for a prediction.
The Galaxy S24+ similarly has a 4,900 mAh battery, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra a 5,000 mAh battery. In battery tests published by Tom's Guide, the Galaxy S24 Ultra lasted 16 hours and 46 minutes, and the Galaxy S24+ lasted 16 hours and 32 minutes.
In the big scheme of things, battery life won't be a deciding factor for most people.
Galaxy S25+ vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Cameras
One of the biggest differences between the Galaxy S25+ and the Galaxy S25 Ultra is the rear camera array. Both smartphones feature the same 12-megapixel wide, autofocus-capable front camera, but the rear camera setup on the Galaxy S25 Ultra is much stronger compared to that of the Galaxy S25+.
The Galaxy S25+ features a main wide 50-megapixel camera on the back, while the S25 Ultra features a sharp 200-megapixel main wide camera. This is the camera sensor most people are going to use when simply pulling out their phone to snap a quick photo, and that boost in quality will be recognizable.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra also features a 50-megapixel ultra-wide lens, better than the Galaxy S25+'s 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra again wins in terms of telephoto sensor and overall zoom. The Galaxy S25+ has a single 10-megapixel 3x telephoto sensor, while the S25 Ultra features the same 10-megapixel 3x telephoto sensor and a 50-megapixel 5x telephoto sensor.
Ultimately, these telephoto lenses allow for 3x Optical Zoom, 2x Optical Quality, and 30x Space Zoom on the Galaxy S25+ and 3x, 5x, 2x, 10x Optical Quality, and 100x Space Zoom on the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
All of these camera boosts make the S25 Ultra capable of snapping high-res macro shots, and high-res zoom photos and videos, whereas the Galaxy S25+ cannot.
Believe it or not, the differences don't stop there. Regarding video recording quality, the S25 Ultra has a leg up on its mid-range sibling. The Galaxy S25+ can record in 4K resolution at 60 frames per second (fps) or 8K at 30 fps, whereas the S25 Ultra can record in 4K resolution at 120 fps or 8K at 30 fps.
Galaxy S25+ vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Other features
For the most part, the Galaxy S25+ and S25 Ultra boast the same features. Both phones will be capable of performing every new Galaxy AI feature Samsung just announced, including the helpful summary briefs for mornings, afternoons, and evenings, Galaxy AI editing tools, and AI-powered communication tools.
The main feature difference between these two flagships is the embedded S Pen that comes with the Galaxy S25 Ultra. You can use the S Pen to draw, write, utilize the Circle to Search tool, and bring up the Air Command shortcut menu. And this time around, the S Pen doesn't feature Bluetooth, which means users won't have to worry about keeping it charged.
Galaxy S25+ vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Which is better?
Objectively, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is a better phone compared to the Galaxy S25+, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's better for everyone's individual needs.
For those who tend to only upgrade their smartphones every three to five years, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is a worthwhile investment. In exchange for an extra $300, you'll get a larger display that's more durable, an embedded, multi-use S Pen, a stronger titanium frame, better color options (in my opinion), and a stellar rear camera array.
However, I'd say that if you'd prefer to have a slightly smaller display or you know you won't be taking a lot of photos and videos with your smartphone, the Galaxy S25+ will likely be a better fit for you and save you $300.
