Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S25 Ultra on January 22 2025 with a much-awaited design change and a more capable chipset. But not every aspect is getting a significant overhaul, which means, the S24 Ultra could still be a reasonable option for many, and that they might not have to wait for the next big announcement. In this article, we’ll discuss the key upgrades so you can decide whether it’s worth waiting for the S25 Ultra or if the S24 Ultra remains a viable option.
Key improvements over the S24 Ultra
Firstly, the Galaxy S25 Ultra will come with rounded corners and completely flat sides, much like what we have seen with the base and plus models in the last two years. Dummy units also suggest that the body will be slightly narrower – 77.65mm wide down from 79mm of the S24 Ultra. Thickness is also reduced from 8.6mm to 8.25mm. These changes suggest a more comfortable grip on the upcoming Ultra model from Samsung.
Internally, the key upgrade will be the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, which delivers a 45% boost in CPU performance, a larger cache, a 40% improvement in GPU performance, enhanced ray tracing capabilities, and around 40% better power efficiency compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the S24 Ultra. So, a reasonable improvement in raw performance is also expected with the S25 Ultra over its predecessor. I’ve summarized everything we know so far about the S25 Ultra here.
Software-wise, the S25 series will debut One UI 7, which includes several new features (such as the NowBar, which you can see below) and much-improved animations. However, the predecessor will also receive the improvements soon after the launch of the new flagships. So, this isn’t really an edge for the S25 series.
While some of you might expect faster AI processing with a more capable chip, real-world tests suggest otherwise. Even the S24FE can process most of the AI functions with almost no difference in processing time. Sure, some One UI 7 features could be exclusive to the S25 series or only the S25 Ultra, especially since a Cupertino-based company has already implemented this strategy.
Why the S24 Ultra seems to be a better option for now?
Another notable difference could be the pricing. According to Weibo tipster Setsuna Digital, the S25 Ultra’s bill of materials is at least $110 higher than that of its predecessor. Additionally, Samsung is working on optimizing the software to fully leverage the new hardware. As a result, a price hike over the already high $1,299 price tag of the S24 Ultra wouldn’t be surprising. The chips are not only becoming more capable but also more expensive. In fact, Samsung raised the price by $100 last year as well.
As for the cameras, there are no known changes aside from the 12MP ultrawide, which is being replaced by a 50MP sensor. This upgrade is likely to result in sharper images and videos shot with the lens.
The S24 Ultra is available on Amazon US for $940 (12GB+256GB) as of writing, which could be a more appealing option for some who aren’t excited about trying the heaviest titles or editing videos professionally on their phone.
Notably, Samsung is rumored to be working on a new ‘Slim’ model for the S25 series, which you can learn more about here.
