It’s been nine months since the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra was released, and I’m still trying to find ways to love the phone.
Samsung didn’t do much with the hardware or design, and the company’s promised Galaxy AI upgrades fell flat. Despite my reservations, there are plenty of reasons to buy one, especially if you’re a fan of Galaxy smartphones.
However, I put my SIM back in the Galaxy S24 Ultra to find out just how much change you recognize now that it has One UI 8.
The answer isn’t surprising, but it’s worth noting how much you can save if you’re in the market for a new device — you even pick up features Samsung dropped on the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
If you love saving money, here’s why I’d seriously consider buying a Galaxy S24 Ultra over an S25 Ultra.
What I love about the Galaxy S24 Ultra
You won’t miss much
The Galaxy S24 Ultra doesn’t feel like a flagship from nearly two years ago when you start using one, and I even prefer the design.
It’s thicker than the Galaxy S25 Ultra at 8.6mm, but its slightly rounded frame feels better to hold. I never minded the sharp corners of the device — I don’t dig my phone into my palm that hard.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra also retained some character, a quality that Samsung lost with the Galaxy S25 Ultra design.
You may love it or hate it, but the Galaxy S24 Ultra still felt like a Galaxy Note. It’s part of the reason I always paid extra for the Ultra, and I’m sad that the Note legacy is gone.
I may not be inspired by the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but that doesn’t mean I think it’s a bad phone.
I’ll be the first to admit that Bluetooth S pen functionality isn’t a feature everyone uses. Still, if I’m spending the extra money on a Galaxy S Ultra device, I want everything included.
Thankfully, if you buy an older S24 Ultra, you can still take photos using the S pen, and gestures work.
The 6.8-inch LTPO AMOLED display on the Galaxy S24 Ultra dazzles, and it includes the anti-reflective coating I love.
An anti-reflective coating makes the phone much easier to use outdoors, and it should be a standard feature on flagship phones.
Performance isn’t bad, either. I didn’t expect any slowdowns after I updated to One UI 8, but the Galaxy S24 Ultra is as smooth as the day I got it.
If anything, it’s been improved. One UI 7 was Samsung’s best software in years, and One UI 8 builds on that success.
The animations are excellent, and I enjoy the changes the company made to the user experience.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset with 12GB of RAM chews through everything I throw at it, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra is a stronger choice for gamers than the newer Pixel 10 Pro XL.
The battery life on my Galaxy S24 Ultra is outstanding, and you won’t notice a huge difference between devices.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite in the Galaxy S25 Ultra is more efficient, but most users won’t go a full two days without plugging in their phone, and even then, the extra hour or so might not be worth it.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra does have advantages
It’s not like Samsung did nothing
I may not be inspired by the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but that doesn’t mean I think it’s a bad phone. Quite the opposite, as it’s a fantastic premium flagship.
My frustrations are with Samsung, not the device, as the company needs to do more for the money it charges.
However, if you’re a Samsung fan and pick up a Galaxy S25 Ultra, you’ll be pleased.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite is a legitimately impressive chipset. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is still capable, but if you keep your phone for years, you’ll notice the performance difference as the device ages.
If you do a lot of photo and video editing on your phone, the Snapdragon 8 Elite might be worth spending extra on a Galaxy S25 Ultra.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is also noticeably lighter, making it more pleasant to have in your pocket.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s display is gorgeous, but the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s screen is one of the best I’ve ever seen on a smartphone. It’s bright, vibrant, and it looks like your content is alive.
Samsung made the display brighter and tougher, and the slimmer bezels on the Galaxy S25 Ultra allowed Samsung to increase the screen size from 6.8 inches to 6.9 inches.
Samsung didn’t significantly upgrade the cameras for 2025, but a new 50MP ultrawide lens is available, offering improved quality when switching sensors.
In testing, it doesn’t make a huge difference, but the ultrawide photos are better.
Spending more doesn’t always get you (much) more
If you’re buying a phone through your carrier and need something new, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is a fine choice for many.
However, if you love getting phones unlocked and have the option, you might consider spending less on a Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Galaxy S25 Ultra prices are still above $1,000, with various trade-in discounts and memory upgrade options available.
Still, it’s hard to pass up the Galaxy S24 Ultra for around $600, especially if you’re comfortable with a renewed phone.
You’ll get much of the same performance and flagship feel as the newer Galaxy, without having to part with more money.
If I had to choose a Galaxy to put in my pocket in 2025, it would still be the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
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- SoC
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
- RAM
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12GB
- Storage
-
256GB, 512GB, 1TB
- Battery
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5,000mAh
- Ports
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USB-C
- Operating System
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Android 15 and One UI 7
Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra leaves the Note-like design behind for the very first time. With flat edges, curved corners, and a massive 6.9-inch display, this is a modern flagship through and through — and yes, that S Pen is still here too.
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- SoC
-
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy
- RAM
-
12GB
- Storage
-
256GB, 512GB, or 1TB
- Battery
-
5,000mAh
- Ports
-
USB-C
- Operating System
-
Android 14 and OneUI 6.1
It’s not an overhaul by any means, but even small changes like (finally) swapping back to a flat touchscreen and seven years of system updates help the Galaxy S24 Ultra stand apart from its predecessors. Galaxy AI’s suite of features are front and center, as well as Google’s latest utilities like Circle to Search, and this AI craze even brings its magic to the Ultra’s cameras for after-the-fact super slo-mo.
