Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Specs, US price, release date, and Android Hire verdict
Samsung's titanium-framed flagship pairs a 200MP camera system and built-in S Pen with the fastest Snapdragon chip Samsung has ever shipped.
- Class-leading Geekbench and AnTuTu scores from the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
- Versatile quad-camera system with dual telephoto lenses (3x and 5x optical)
- Titanium frame with Gorilla Armor 2 glass improves durability and anti-reflective glare
- Built-in S Pen remains standard equipment, unlike rival flagships
- Promised 7 major Android OS updates, among the longest in the industry
- Bright 2600-nit LTPO display measured at over 1400 nits in real-world testing
- S Pen no longer supports Bluetooth, dropping air actions and remote shutter
- 45W wired charging is noticeably slower than Chinese rivals' 80-100W+ charging
- Still no charger in the box and no 3.5mm headphone jack
- Only 15W Qi2 wireless charging, behind some competitors
- Price climbs quickly at higher storage tiers ($1,659.99 for 1TB)
Android Hire Verdict — Best overall flagship
The Galaxy S25 Ultra refines rather than reinvents the formula, but the combination of a faster Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, a genuinely useful multi-lens camera, a built-in S Pen, and seven years of promised updates makes it one of the most complete Android flagships available. It's an easy recommendation for anyone who wants top-tier performance and productivity in one device, provided they can stomach the price and 45W charging ceiling.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra in depth
Who the Galaxy S25 Ultra is actually for
This is Samsung's kitchen-sink flagship: a titanium-frame phone built for buyers who want the S Pen, a genuinely versatile dual-telephoto camera (3x and 5x optical), and the longest Android update runway Samsung offers, seven major OS versions. If any of those three things don't matter to you specifically, cheaper flagships get you similar day-to-day performance.
It's a poor fit if fast charging matters to you — 45W is well behind the 80-100W now common on Chinese flagships and even OnePlus's own phones — or if you don't use the S Pen, since you're paying for hardware that sits unused in the chassis.
How it compares to the phones next to it
Against its own successor, the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the S25 Ultra loses on charging speed (45W vs 60W) and thickness, but keeps the same S Pen and a very similar camera core — Samsung's own guidance is that S25 Ultra owners can skip the upgrade.
Against the OnePlus 13, the S25 Ultra costs hundreds more for the S Pen, a second telephoto lens, and two extra years of guaranteed updates; the OnePlus wins outright on charging speed and battery-to-price value. Against the iPhone 17 Pro, the comparison comes down to ecosystem: the S25 Ultra's zoom versatility and S Pen have no Apple equivalent, while Apple's A19 Pro and camera video pipeline lead on raw benchmarks.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra benchmarks
Device-tested scores from Geekbench Browser submissions and lab testing on the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy variant (SM-S938U); AnTuTu v10 figure reflects the commonly reported average across multiple test units, actual results vary by run and thermal conditions.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs the competition
How the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra compares against the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, the Samsung Galaxy S25+ and the Samsung Galaxy S26 — its closest rivals in our directory.
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S25+ | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch price | $1,299.99 | $1,299 | $999.99 | $899.99 |
| Display | 6.9" LTPO AMOLED 120Hz, 2600 nits | 6.9" QHD+ LTPO 120Hz | 6.7" flat AMOLED 120Hz | 6.3" AMOLED 120Hz |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | Snapdragon 8 Elite | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| Camera | 200MP OIS + 50MP UW + 10MP/50MP tele | 200MP + 5x + 3x + UW | 50MP + 10MP 3x + 12MP UW | 50MP + 10MP 3x + 12MP UW |
| Battery | 5000mAh · 45W wired / 15W wireless | 5000mAh · 60W wired | 4900mAh · 45W wired | 4300mAh · 25W wired |
| AnTuTu 10 | ~2,200,000 | ~2,628,000 | ~2,133,000 | ~2,441,000 |
| Our score | 92/100 | 90/100 | 89/100 | 86/100 |
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra full specifications
Launch
- Announced
- 2025, January 22
- Released
- 2025, February 3
- Status
- Available
Network
- Technology
- GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
- 4G bands (USA)
- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71
- 5G bands (USA)
- 1, 2, 5, 7, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA + mmWave (257, 258, 260, 261)
- Speed
- 5G, HSPA, LTE-A, EV-DO
Body
- Dimensions
- 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2 mm (6.41 x 3.06 x 0.32 in)
- Weight
- 218 g (7.69 oz)
- Build
- Glass front (Gorilla Armor 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), titanium frame
- SIM
- Nano-SIM + eSIM (USA models)
- Durability
- IP68 dust/water resistant (1.5m up to 30 min); built-in S Pen
Display
- Type
- Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits peak
- Size
- 6.9 inches, ~92.5% screen-to-body ratio
- Resolution
- 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~498 ppi)
- Protection
- Corning Gorilla Armor 2 with anti-reflective coating
Platform
- OS
- Android 15, One UI 8, up to 7 major Android upgrades
- Chipset
- Qualcomm SM8750-AC Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3nm)
- CPU
- Octa-core (2x4.47 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L & 6x3.53 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix M)
- GPU
- Adreno 830 (1200 MHz)
Memory
- Card slot
- No
- Internal
- 256GB/12GB, 512GB/12GB, 1TB/12GB, 1TB/16GB
- Technology
- UFS 4.0
Main Camera
- Setup
- Quad: 200MP wide + 50MP ultrawide + 10MP 3x tele + 50MP 5x periscope tele
- Wide
- 200 MP, f/1.7, 24mm, 1/1.3", 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS
- Ultrawide
- 50 MP, f/1.9, 120°, 1/2.5", 0.7µm, dual pixel PDAF
- Telephoto (3x)
- 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm, 1/3.52", PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom
- Telephoto (5x)
- 50 MP, f/3.4, 111mm, 1/2.52", PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom
- Features
- Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
- Video
- 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR
Selfie Camera
- Single
- 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm, 1/3.2", dual pixel PDAF
- Video
- 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Sound
- Loudspeaker
- Yes, stereo speakers
- 3.5mm jack
- No
Connectivity
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct
- Bluetooth
- 5.4, A2DP, LE
- Positioning
- GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS
- NFC
- Yes
- USB
- USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort 1.2, OTG
Features
- Fingerprint
- Under display, ultrasonic
- Sensors
- Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, UWB, Samsung DeX
Battery
- Type
- Li-Ion 5000 mAh, non-removable
- Charging
- 45W wired (65% in 30 min), 15W wireless (Qi2 Ready), 4.5W reverse wireless
Misc
- Colors
- Titanium Silver Blue, Titanium Black, Titanium White Silver, Titanium Gray, Titanium Jade Green, Titanium Jet Black, Titanium Pink Gold
- Models
- SM-S938B, SM-S938U, SM-S938U1, SM-S938W, SM-S938N, SM-S938E
- SAR
- 1.26 W/kg (head) / 0.64 W/kg (body), US general
- Price
- $1,299.99 (256GB) / $1,419.99 (512GB) / $1,659.99 (1TB)
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra FAQ
Does the Galaxy S25 Ultra support wireless charging?
Yes, it supports 15W Qi2-ready wireless charging along with 45W wired charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging for accessories.
Does the Galaxy S25 Ultra have a microSD card slot?
No, there is no card slot; storage is fixed at purchase in 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB configurations.
What is the water and dust resistance rating?
The S25 Ultra carries an IP68 rating, meaning it is dust-tight and can survive submersion up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes.
How many years of software updates does the S25 Ultra get?
Samsung promises 7 major Android OS upgrades plus 7 years of security updates, one of the longest support commitments on Android.
Does the Galaxy S25 Ultra have a headphone jack?
No, it does not have a 3.5mm headphone jack; audio output is via USB-C or Bluetooth.
What makes the built-in S Pen still special?
The S25 Ultra is one of the few flagships with a garaged stylus for notes and sketches, though this generation's S Pen dropped Bluetooth features like air actions and remote shutter.
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