Galaxy S25 Ultra vs S24 Ultra: Should You save ₹30,000 and go for last year’s model?news24

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has finally been launched, arriving as the direct successor to last year’s Galaxy S24 Ultra. With only a few changes this year, Samsung has primarily focused on refining the already refined experience of the S24 Ultra. And this is why this year, the comparison is more interesting than before. Let’s compare both models side by side to help you determine which one is the better choice and whether saving around ₹30,000 by opting for the S24 Ultra is worth it for you.

Galaxy S25 Ultra vs S24 Ultra: Performance and Battery

Both phones are powered by custom Snapdragon chipsets: the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and the Snapdragon 8 Elite for the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The S25 Ultra, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, is great news for buyers as it’s the latest flagship chipset by Qualcomm. No matter what you throw at it, it will handle it. That said, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 from last year is also impressive, and you would be hard-pressed to notice any major changes in real everyday performance.

Both phones come with 12 GB of RAM as standard, along with 256 GB of storage in the base model, and you can upgrade them to up to 1 TB of storage. As for battery life, the specifications are the same, with both phones featuring a 5000 mAh battery with support for 45W wired charging and 15W wireless charging.

Galaxy S25 Ultra vs S24 Ultra: Camera

Moving on to the camera, the experience here is more or less the same with only minor changes. For starters, the 200 MP main wide camera is exactly the same on both models. The S25 Ultra also continues to offer the 10 MP 3x telephoto camera and the 50 MP ultra-wide. However, the ultra-wide camera is improved on the S25 Ultra, with the S25 Ultra featuring a 50 MP sensor compared to the 12 MP sensor of the S24 Ultra. Both phones can shoot 8K video at up to 30 FPS or 4K video at up to 120 FPS.

The front-facing camera on both phones is 12 MP, and both can shoot 4K video at 60 FPS in HDR and HDR10+. However, one major difference with the S25 Ultra is that it can now shoot Galaxy Log video, which the S24 Ultra cannot. There are also minor features like the Virtual Aperture feature on the S25 Ultra that are not available on the S24 Ultra.

Galaxy S25 Ultra vs S24 Ultra: Display, Build Quality, and Design

Starting with the design, you’ll notice the most changes here. The S25 Ultra, unlike the S24 Ultra, comes with curved corners, making the phone more comfortable to hold, especially during prolonged use. There is also a difference in the camera module design, with the S25 Ultra featuring brushed edges on the camera rings. That said, the S24 Ultra is still a standout in terms of design, and many people still prefer the sharp, angular look. Both phones feature titanium as the base material, making them equally durable. Additionally, both phones offer IP68 dust and water resistance.

As for the display, the S25 Ultra has a slight size increase, now featuring a 6.9-inch screen, making for a 492% screen-to-body ratio and a resolution of 1440 x 3120 pixels, which works out to around 498 PPI. The display supports LTPO technology, 120 Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 2600 nits. The display is protected by Gorilla Armor Glass. Meanwhile, the S24 Ultra has a 6.8-inch display, with all other specifications remaining the same, including the peak brightness of 2600 nits.

Galaxy S25 Ultra vs S24 Ultra: Software, Biometrics, and More

The S25 Ultra runs on Android 15 with One UI 7 on top and is promised to receive seven years of major Android updates. The S24 Ultra currently runs on Android 14, but an upgrade to One UI 7 is soon to be released, and it will also receive seven years of software updates.

In terms of biometrics, the S25 Ultra, just like the S24 Ultra, features an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner.

As for the smaller things, the S25 Ultra does not come with the Bluetooth-enabled S Pen, which the S24 Ultra has. This means you’ll miss out on features like remote picture taking and more.

Galaxy S25 Ultra vs S24 Ultra: Price

Currently, the Galaxy S25 Ultra retails for ₹1,29,999 for the base model with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage. However, following the release of the S25 Ultra, the S24 Ultra’s price has gradually fallen, and you can now buy it for around ₹1,00,000. So, if you want to save some money and don’t necessarily need the maximum power, the S24 Ultra is still an excellent option. It will offer more or less the same experience as the S25 Ultra for much less.

That being said, if you don’t mind paying for the new design, the improved ultra-wide shooter, better performance thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Elite, and want the new titanium colourways, you can’t go wrong with the Galaxy S25 Ultra.