With the release of the Galaxy S25 Ultra just a few months away, it’s time to examine how it measures up against Samsung’s current flagship, the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The S24 Ultra has earned a reputation as the “smartphone of the year,” but can the S25 Ultra bring enough innovation to make it a worthwhile upgrade? Let’s dive into the ten major upgrades expected in the S25 Ultra and see how it compares to its predecessor.
1. Sleeker Design
The S25 Ultra will feature a refined design, swapping the S24 Ultra's sharper, angular corners for more rounded edges. This change maintains Samsung’s signature Note aesthetic but softens the phone’s overall look and feel. Samsung is also tweaking the camera lens rings, inspired by the design language of the Galaxy Z Fold 5, with textured ridges encircling each lens.
2. Enhanced Display
Samsung is pushing the S25 Ultra’s screen to the edge, with ultra-thin bezels that make it potentially the slimmest bezel design on any mainstream phone. The frame is also slightly narrower, yet the screen itself is wider. The display will maintain the same M11 panel as the S24 Ultra, but Samsung is promising improvements in brightness, viewing angles, and color accuracy. While some may be disappointed that Samsung hasn’t upgraded to the M14 panel, these optimizations could still deliver a noticeable enhancement.
3. More Comfortable and Lightweight Build
Samsung has made the S25 Ultra more comfortable to hold, reducing its weight by 14 grams and slimming it down by 0.4mm. Remarkably, this slimmer design retains the same battery capacity and includes the S Pen, making it an impressive feat in engineering.
4. Increased RAM for Enhanced Performance
The S25 Ultra will come with 16GB of RAM, an increase of 4GB over the S24 Ultra. Some of this RAM is allocated specifically for AI processing, which should make tasks faster and more efficient. This isn’t just a spec boost for show—users are likely to notice the difference in performance.
5. Satellite Connectivity for Emergency Situations
The S25 Ultra will support satellite connectivity, allowing emergency access in areas without cellular coverage. While Samsung hasn’t disclosed the exact details, users may wonder if this feature will be limited to emergencies or if two-way messaging will be available. Additionally, Samsung’s pricing approach for this feature is yet to be revealed, particularly since Google’s Pixel 9 charges a subscription after an initial free period.
6. Improved Ultra-Wide Camera
The ultra-wide camera on the S25 Ultra is getting a significant upgrade to a 50MP sensor, up from the 12MP sensor on the S24 Ultra. Though the rest of the camera setup will largely remain the same, an updated image signal processor should yield better photo and video quality overall.
7. Better Video Recording
Samsung has made strides in video quality, and the S25 Ultra aims to compete directly with Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro Max. The new Snapdragon “Ital” chip, developed by former Apple engineers, is expected to enable video quality that could place Samsung ahead of its competitors.
8. Gemini Nano2 AI Model Integration
The S25 Ultra will introduce the Gemini Nano2 AI model, an upgrade from the previous generation. This model can handle more complex tasks with improved accuracy by processing data from various sources like text, images, and audio directly on the device—no cloud reliance necessary. The AI features will be comparable to those found on the Pixel 9, including intelligent screenshot management and voice recognition.
9. One UI 7 Experience
The S25 Ultra will launch with Samsung’s biggest software update yet, One UI 7. While the S24 Ultra will also receive this update, it is expected to run more smoothly on the S25 Ultra thanks to the extra RAM, faster processor, and upgraded AI capabilities.
10. Snapdragon 8 Elite Processor
At the heart of the S25 Ultra is the Snapdragon 8 Elite, which boasts the most substantial year-over-year performance improvement in Snapdragon’s history. Expect a 45% boost in CPU, 40% in graphics, and 44% better efficiency compared to the S24 Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The AI processing power is 40% faster and enables features like real-time object removal in video. Notably, this chipset surpasses even Apple’s latest, solidifying Samsung's place as a leader in performance.
Conclusion
The Galaxy S25 Ultra introduces several noteworthy upgrades over the S24 Ultra. While some changes are subtle, others, like the new processor, AI capabilities, and camera improvements, are substantial. For S24 Ultra owners, these upgrades might not justify an immediate upgrade. However, if you’re a tech enthusiast or simply want the latest and greatest, the S25 Ultra offers plenty to get excited about.
Comments (5)