Galaxy S24 Ultra vs S25 Ultra: Which Should You Buy?

Samsung names the chips Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy on the S24 Ultra and Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy on the S25 Ultra. GSMArena's compare lists those same chipsets.

Cameras match on three modules. Both have a 200MP main camera, a 10MP 3x telephoto, and a 50MP 5x periscope (Digital Trends and GSMArena). Samsung lists a 12MP ultrawide for the S24 Ultra. Samsung lists an upgraded 50MP ultrawide for the S25 Ultra. That ultrawide is the clear hardware gap.

Battery and daily use

Both phones use a 5,000 mAh battery, 45W wired charging, and 15W wireless charging (GSMArena and Digital Trends). GSMArena also lists 65% in 30 minutes on wired charging for both, and 4.5W reverse wireless for both. The S25 Ultra is Qi2 Ready, which Digital Trends says still needs a compatible magnetic case.

Samsung's S24 Ultra page calls 5,000 mAh the typical capacity, lists a 4,855 mAh rated capacity, and claims up to 30 hours of video playback. Samsung lists 5,000 mAh for the S25 Ultra and claims up to 31 hours of video playback. Those hour figures are Samsung's claims, not a separate lab result. Digital Trends called the battery round a tie: in that review, both phones were described as lasting through two days of use, with the same 45W charging.

Camera

Do not read a lab score into this. Digital Trends says the 50MP ultrawide is the one clear camera upgrade, with excellent color, dynamic range, and detail in their review, and that the rest of the S25 Ultra camera did not feel like a big step past the S24 Ultra. The S24 Ultra's main and ultrawide photos still impressed that review. Both phones keep the 200MP main camera and the 3x and 5x telephoto lenses.

Performance and gaming

Digital Trends gives gaming to the S25 Ultra because of the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip plus a larger vapor chamber and new thermal material. Samsung's S25 Ultra page describes the same larger vapor chamber and new thermal interface material, and says they are there for a smoother, cooler gaming session. In the Digital Trends review, Asphalt Legends: Unite at maximum settings did not overheat the S25 Ultra, including in performance mode.

The S24 Ultra is still described as strong for everyday use and games. Digital Trends says a reviewer spent over 30 minutes on demanding titles such as Asphalt 9: Legends, the phone barely got warm, and it never got too hot to hold, including during stress tests. Digital Trends says most people probably will not see much difference in daily use.

S Pen and software support

GSMArena says Samsung removed Bluetooth from the S25 Ultra S Pen. The same outlet describes Air Actions as the Bluetooth set of gestures and remote controls, including a camera shutter, and says a Bluetooth S Pen also worked as a remote for photos, videos, gallery swipes, slides, and music playback. Those Air Actions are gone on the S25 Ultra. GSMArena's spec sheet lists Bluetooth integration, an accelerometer, and a gyro on the S24 Ultra stylus, and lists the S25 Ultra stylus without them. Samsung's S25 Ultra page still says the phone comes with a built-in S Pen. It does not describe Bluetooth or Air Actions.

Digital Trends says Samsung promised seven years of security updates and OS upgrades for both phones. In that February 2025 article, the S25 Ultra's final OS update would be Android 22, likely in 2032, and the S24 Ultra's would be Android 21. GSMArena lists up to 7 major OS updates for both. The S25 Ultra starts one generation later. That article also listed launch software as One UI 7 on Android 15 for the S25 Ultra and One UI 6.1 on Android 14 for the S24 Ultra. Those are the versions at the time of the article, not a claim about what is installed in September 2026.

Who should buy which

Buy a discounted Galaxy S24 Ultra if you want flagship cameras, a 5,000 mAh battery, and a long update window without paying for the newer chip, the larger panel, or the 50MP ultrawide. The Bluetooth S Pen, including Air Actions, is still the S24 Ultra feature the S25 Ultra dropped.

Buy the Galaxy S25 Ultra if those upgrades are the point: Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, the 6.9-inch display, the lighter body, the 50MP ultrawide, and the newer cooling hardware.

Community takeaway

On September 27, 2026, a post on r/samsunggalaxy asked which phone to buy. The asker listed €545 for the S24 Ultra and €665 for the S25 Ultra, and asked whether the extra €120 was worth it for camera, battery, performance, display, and gaming, and whether to wait for Black Friday 2026. Those euro figures are the asker's prices in that post. They are not a current store price.

That thread had three comments. One person would take the S24 Ultra and use the €120 for something else, and would not wait for Black Friday. One person asked how the battery life compares, and the thread did not answer with a test. One person said it depends: the S24 Ultra for the design and a Bluetooth S Pen, the S25 Ultra for more power and the better ultrawide.

The same question was cross-posted to r/S24Ultra. Replies there also split. Some would buy the S24 Ultra. Some would buy the S25 Ultra for the newer chip, or because they see the €120 gap as small. This is a summary of those threads. It does not quote usernames, and it is not a vote count.