Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Specs and Review: 2026 Update

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a 6.9-inch QHD+ display, a Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip, 12GB of RAM, a 5,000mAh battery with 45W wired charging, and four rear cameras led by a 200MP main sensor. It launched in the US in February 2025 at $1,299.99 (256GB, before tax) with Android 15 and One UI 7, and in October 2026 it started getting One UI 9 (Android 17) in the US. This page covers the verified specs, reviewer test results and whether it still makes sense now that the Galaxy S26 Ultra is on sale.

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Galaxy S25 Ultra specs at a glance

These figures come from Samsung's launch announcement, cross-checked with GSMArena's spec page. The US model and the international model use the same chip.

Spec	Galaxy S25 Ultra
Display	6.9-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, about 498 ppi
Refresh rate	1 to 120Hz adaptive
Processor	Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3nm)
RAM	12GB (16GB in some Asian markets)
Storage	256GB, 512GB, 1TB (no microSD)
Main camera	200MP, f/1.7, OIS
Ultrawide	50MP, f/1.9, 120° field of view
Telephoto 1	10MP, f/2.4, 3x optical, OIS
Telephoto 2	50MP periscope, f/3.4, 5x optical, OIS
Front camera	12MP, f/2.2
Battery	5,000mAh (rated 4,855mAh)
Wired charging	45W (adapter sold separately)
Wireless charging	Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 (15W)
Reverse wireless	Wireless PowerShare (4.5W)
Build	Titanium frame, Gorilla Armor 2 front, Victus 2 back
Water resistance	IP68 (1.5m freshwater, up to 30 minutes)
Size and weight	162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2mm, 218g
Connectivity	5G (mmWave on US model), Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, UWB
SIM (US)	Nano-SIM plus eSIM
Software at launch	Android 15, One UI 7
Current software	Android 17, One UI 9 (rolling out)

The 15W wireless and 4.5W reverse wireless figures are from GSMArena; Samsung's announcement names the features without listing wattage. GSMArena also notes that the phone is "Qi2 Ready," which means it has no built-in magnets. You need a magnetic case to snap it onto Qi2 accessories. The US unlocked model adds mmWave 5G (bands n257, n258, n260 and n261), which GSMArena does not list for the international model.

Display and design

The screen is a 6.9-inch QHD+ (3120 x 1440) panel that drops as low as 1Hz to save power. Samsung measures 6.9 inches across the full rectangle; with the rounded corners accounted for, it is 6.8 inches. TechRadar and GSMArena both list a 2,600-nit peak brightness. The front is covered in Corning Gorilla Armor 2, the back in Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (per GSMArena), and the frame is titanium.

Samsung lists the size as 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2mm and the weight as 218g. Some early 2025 coverage quoted 233g and 8.6mm, which do not match Samsung's figures. The IP68 rating is based on lab submersion in up to 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes, and Samsung says water and dust resistance can diminish over time and advises against beach or pool use.

Performance

Every Galaxy S25 Ultra uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, a Galaxy-specific version of Qualcomm's 3nm chip. There is no Exynos version, so US, UK and European buyers get the same processor. GSMArena lists an octa-core CPU with two cores at up to 4.47GHz and six at up to 3.53GHz, plus an Adreno 830 GPU. All US models have 12GB of RAM, and TechRadar reports that the 16GB version is limited to South Korea, Taiwan and China.

Cameras

The camera layout confuses a lot of buyers because two different sensors handle zoom. According to Samsung:

200MP main camera (f/1.7, OIS) for everyday shots.
50MP ultrawide (f/1.9, 120°).
10MP 3x telephoto (f/2.4, OIS) for portraits and short zoom.
50MP 5x periscope telephoto (f/3.4, OIS) for long zoom.
12MP front camera (f/2.2).

Some listings swap the two: the 50MP sensor handles 5x zoom and the 10MP sensor handles 3x. GSMArena lists 8K video at up to 30fps and 4K at up to 120fps.

Battery life and charging: what reviewers measured

SmartphoneHive has not tested this phone. The results below come from two outlets with different methods, so compare phones only within the same table.

Tom's Guide battery test

Tom's Guide ran its standard battery test twice: once with the default adaptive refresh rate and once in Standard mode, which caps the screen at 60Hz.

Phone	Battery test result
Galaxy S25 Ultra (adaptive)	17h 15m
Galaxy S25 Ultra (60Hz Standard)	18h 35m
Galaxy S24 Ultra (adaptive)	16h 45m
iPhone 16 Pro Max	17h 35m
Pixel 9 Pro XL	12h 54m

The same Tom's Guide test found the S25 Ultra reached 71% after 30 minutes on a 45W charger, identical to the S24 Ultra.

GSMArena charging test

GSMArena charged the phone from empty with Samsung's 45W adapter and a 5A cable. It reached 41% in 15 minutes, 72% in 30 minutes and 100% in 59 minutes. In a later update, GSMArena found the phone no longer needs a 5A cable to reach its maximum charging power: the 3A cable in the box peaked at 39W (13V/3A) with the same 45W charger.

Samsung quotes "up to 65%" in about 30 minutes with the 45W adapter, so both reviewers measured slightly more than the official claim.

S Pen: what changed

The S Pen still lives inside the phone, but it no longer has Bluetooth. That means Air Actions are gone, including using the pen as a remote camera shutter or for gesture controls. SamMobile and Android Authority both reported Samsung's confirmation at launch. Writing, drawing and on-screen S Pen features still work as before.

Software and update support

Samsung promises the Galaxy S25 series seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates, counted from the global launch date in January 2025. That puts the end of security support around January 2032.

The phone launched with Android 15 and One UI 7. Stable One UI 9, based on Android 17, reached the S25 series in South Korea first and then the US in early October 2026, according to GSMArena and Droid Life. Android Headlines reported that US owners move to it from One UI 8.5, and that both unlocked and carrier models are receiving it.

US unlocked S25 Ultra build: S938USQUCDZIF (per Droid Life).
Download size: around 4GB, smaller for One UI 9 beta testers (per GSMArena).
To check manually on One UI 9 or earlier: Settings > Software update.

Android 17 is the phone's second major Android version upgrade since launch, so five of the seven promised OS upgrades remain.

Price

The Galaxy S25 Ultra launched in the US at $1,299.99 before tax for the 256GB model, as reported by MacRumors. Samsung's US store listed these prices on November 1, 2026, before tax:

Storage	Samsung.com list price (US)
256GB	$1,299.99
512GB	$1,419.99
1TB	$1,659.99

Several colors showed as out of stock on Samsung's store. Carrier and retailer deals are often well below list price, so compare before you pay full price for a 2025 phone.

Is the Galaxy S25 Ultra still worth buying in 2026?

Buy it if you find it at a solid discount, you want a large screen with a built-in stylus, and you plan to keep your phone for years. Its update window runs into the early 2030s, and One UI 9 is already arriving.

Skip it if you need S Pen remote features like Air Actions, or if the price gap to the newer Galaxy S26 Ultra is small. See how the newer model compares in our iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Galaxy S26 Ultra comparison.

If you are weighing it against other 2025 flagships, our Xiaomi 15 Ultra vs Samsung S25 Ultra comparison covers the camera-focused alternative.

FAQ

Does the Galaxy S25 Ultra have 16GB of RAM in the US?

No. US models have 12GB of RAM across all storage sizes. TechRadar reports the 16GB version is sold only in South Korea, Taiwan and China.

Does the Galaxy S25 Ultra come with a charger?

No. Samsung lists the 45W adapter as sold separately. A USB-C cable is included, and GSMArena found that this 3A cable peaked at 39W with Samsung's 45W charger, so you do not need a separate 5A cable for fast charging.

Will the Galaxy S25 Ultra get Android 18?

It should, based on Samsung's official promise of seven OS generations from launch. The company has not announced Android 18 timing for this model.