Samsung has announced the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, its latest Ultra flagship that packs the best hardware the Korean manufacturer has to offer. But how does it stack up against the brand’s last year’s flagship — Galaxy S24 Ultra? Is it a meaningful upgrade over its predecessor and does it justify the increased price tag? We’ll find out here.

Both the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Galaxy S24 Ultra are identical in some areas but one area where they differ the most is design. From S23 Ultra to S24 Ultra, the design didn’t change much but with S25 Ultra, Samsung has decided to finally ditch the sharp corners, thereby also leaving the Note form factor behind. However, that doesn’t mean that Samsung is giving up on the S-Pen, as it still resides on the bottom side of the device.

The rounded corners offer a slightly better in-hand feel as it doesn’t hurt your palm when holding with one hand. While the camera layout remains identical to S23 Ultra and S24 Ultra, the front display is completely flat now, same as the frame. This results in a uniformity when compared to the Plus and vanilla models in the S25 lineup. So if design plays a major role on your list of changes a successor should have, Samsung has tried to match up to your expectations.

Specs-wise, the display on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra seems to have gone up to 6.9-inch from 6.8-inch in S24 Ultra which is a minor difference. Rest of the specs seem identical, including a QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x LTPO panel with dynamic Refresh Rate from 1Hz till 120Hz, 240Hz touch sampling rate, Eye comfort shield, and up to 2600 nits of peak brightness. Further, there’s an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. Corning Gorilla Armor protects this panel.

The Processor is the major upgrade here in S25 Ultra, packing the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. Furthermore, you now get 16GB RAM in top models which is another upgrade people would expect from a flagship, while storage options remain the same as before. What also remains identical is the 5000mAh battery with 45W wired charging and 25W wireless charging, which is kind of disappointing considering most other flagships now have a high density silicon-carbon cell.

As for cameras, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra packs the same Sensors as S24 Ultra, except for the ultra-wide angle sensor which has been upgraded from a 12MP sensor to a 50MP sensor. However, we can’t comment on whether it’s an upgrade in real world results as we haven’t used the device as of now.

Further, Samsung has removed the Bluetooth functionality from the S-Pen in S25 Ultra which was present in the S24 Ultra as well as the S23 Ultra. This feature enabled additional features like the S-Pen button acting as a shutter button when out of the phone so you could remotely click a shot. While it may not be a deal breaker for many, it’s still counted as a feature Samsung removed.

To sum up, the S25 Ultra brings a refreshed design, more RAM, a more powerful chipset, a new ultra-wide angle camera, and that’s about it. While these are welcome upgrades and changes, we feel Samsung could have done better, especially in the battery area where the device should have been equipped with a larger cell and much faster wired charging. Moreover, Samsung is still using the same primary camera as the S23 Ultra which is two generations old at this point. We hope Samsung will address these concerns in the next iteration of the Ultra phone but for now, these are the upgrades you’ll have to make do with.

Samsung has launched its Galaxy S25 series globally and while they do come with slightly upgraded specifications, its the software features where Samsung excels every time they launch a new flagship smartphone. So here are the new hardware and software features in Galaxy S25 series.

New Software Features in Galaxy S25 series

One UI 7 is the key highlight in Galaxy S25 series. AI agents with multimodal capabilities enable Galaxy S25 to interpret text, speech, images and videos for interactions that feel natural. One of the new software features in Galaxy S25 series is the upgraded Circle to Search by Google which makes searching your phone screen more helpful, fast and contextual. Circle to Search now quickly recognizes phone numbers, email and URLs on your screen, letting you call, email or visit a website with a single tap.

With Galaxy S25 series, you can also perform actionable searches with context-aware suggestions for next steps. Plus, Galaxy S25 makes it frictionless to switch between apps for quick follow-up actions, like sharing a GIF or saving event details.

Galaxy S25 also enables enhanced natural language understanding, making everyday interactions easier. One can simply ask and intuitively find a specific photo in Samsung Gallery or adjust the size of display fonts in Settings.

Just press and hold the side button to activate Gemini and perform seamless interaction across Samsung and Google apps, plus third-party apps such as Spotify. For example, find your favorite sports team’s season schedule and add it to Samsung Calendar – with a single command. These Samsung app extensions in Gemini were also leaked earlier.

These intuitive interactions are elevated by expansions to Galaxy AI’s popular tools for communication, productivity and creativity. Galaxy S25 keeps calls organized with Call Transcript and summary. Writing Assist features such as summarizing content or automatically formatting notes can be enabled where texts can be selected, without needing to switch between applications.

Drawing Assist enables fresh combinations of sketches, text or image prompts for those with a creative mind. Then, on Galaxy S25, the Personal Data Engine powers personalized AI features by safely analyzing your data on-device to deliver tailored experiences that reflect your preferences and usage patterns. These insights enable tailored experiences such as searching for an old photo in the Gallery using natural language, or being guided through the day with Now Brief, which proactively offers suggestions accessible via Now Bar on the lock screen.

All personalized data is kept private with the help of Samsung Knox Vault. Galaxy S25 also introduces post-quantum cryptography, safeguarding personal data against emerging threats that could increase as quantum computing evolves.

One of the other new software features in Galaxy S25 is how One UI 7 laid the groundwork for security innovations by introducing an extra, fortified layer of device safety designed for the age of AI and hyperconnectivity. Additional updates include added Maximum Restrictions settings, enhanced Theft Protection, and a new Knox Matrix dashboard to monitor the security status across a connected device ecosystem.

As for new software features in Galaxy S25 series related to camera, 10-bit HDR recording is now applied by default, offering four times richer color expression compared to 8-bit. Plus, low-light videos are now clearer. Based on the new processor, Galaxy S25 analyzes movement and time to reduce noise more effectively. This integration allows detecting both moving and static objects with greater precision, ensuring sharper, cleaner footage in any scenario.

Galaxy S25 also introduces a range of tools once limited to specialized software, making advanced editing accessible for all. Now anyone can be a pro at editing photos and videos. Audio Eraser simplifies the removal of unwanted noise in videos. By isolating categories of sounds – including voices, music, wind, nature, crowd and noise – you can control what to tone down or eliminate entirely.

For a DSLR-like experience on mobile, Galaxy S25 introduces depth-of-field control with Virtual Aperture, integrated into the popular Expert RAW app. Galaxy S25 also elevates cinematic creativity with Galaxy Log, enabling precise color grading options for more professional video production.

Portrait Studio has also been enhanced, allowing users to create personalized avatars withmore true-to-life facial expressions. Filters introduces new analog-style filters, delivering film-like aesthetic for their photos and videos.

All Galaxy S25 devices will come with 6 months of Gemini Advanced and 2TB of Cloud Storage at no extra cost. Gemini Advanced comes with the most capable AI models by Google and priority access to the newest features like Gems, custom AI experts for any topic, and Deep Research, which acts as your personal AI research assistant.

New Hardware in Galaxy S25 Series

As for hardware, the Galaxy S25 series packs the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset. It delivers a performance boost of 40% in NPU, 37% in CPU and 30% in GPU compared to previous generation. This power fuels the Galaxy S25 series’ ability to process more Al experiences on-device without compromise, including previously cloud-based Al tasks such as Generative Edit.

Samsung and Qualcomm Technologies worked together to customize the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy. The Galaxy S25 series features advanced, efficient Al image processing with “ProScaler” to achieve a 40% improvement in display image scaling quality, while incorporating custom technology with Samsung’s mobile Digital Natural Image engine (mDNle) embedded within the Processor using Galaxy IP to enable greater display power efficiency.

Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy is also equipped with Vulkan Engine and improved Ray Tracing, which makes for smoother and more realistic mobile gaming. All intense device usage and Al processing run smoothly thanks to changed heat dissipation structure with 40% larger vapor chamber and a tailored thermal interface material (TIM) that delivers extra improvement in thermal efficiency.

With a new 50MP ultrawide camera sensor upgraded from the previous 12MP, Samsung claims that the “Galaxy S25 Ultra provides exceptional clarity and vibrancy.”

Aside from the refreshed rounded edges, the Galaxy S25 Ultra features durable titanium and the new Corning Gorilla Armor 2, a first-of-its-kind material that is more durable than glass. It combines Corning’s glass-ceramic with a Proprietary anti-reflective surface treatment, helping to ensure advanced drop protection alongside anti-reflection surface treatment and scratch resistance.

Samsung has announced the launch of Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy S25+, and the Galaxy S25 worldwide. The new devices come powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, along with a refreshed design for the Ultra model. The vanilla and Plus models retain most of their specs from their respective predecessors.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Price, Specifications

The device is available in Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Whitesilver, and Titanium Gray. Consumers buying Galaxy S25 Ultra through Samsung.com will also get the option of choosing from three exclusive colours – Titanium Jadegreen, Titanium Jetblack & Titanium Pinkgold. In India, the price of the Galaxy S25 Ultra starts at Rs 1,29,999 for the 12GB + 256GB model, Rs 1,41,999 for the 12GB + 512GB trim, and Rs 1,65,999 for the 12GB + 1TB trim. Pre-orders for the Galaxy S25 series start from January 23 across all leading online and offline retail stores.

Customers who pre-order Galaxy S25 Ultra will get pre-order benefits worth Rs 21000. This includes a storage upgrade worth Rs 12000 wherein customers will be able to get 12GB 512GB variant at the price of 12GB 256GB variant; along with an Rs 9000 upgrade bonus. Alternatively, customers can avail Rs 7000 cashback when they purchase Galaxy S25 Ultra with 9 months no cost EMI plan.

The display on the Galaxy S25 Ultra is a 6.9-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x panel with dynamic Refresh Rate from 1Hz to 120Hz, 240Hz touch sampling rate, Eye comfort shield, and up to 2600 nits of peak brightness. Further, there’s an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. Corning Gorilla Armor 2 protects this panel.

The device is powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy SoC. It comes with 12GB RAM and storage options including 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. There’s also a 16GB + 1TB model available in select markets like South Korea, China, and Taiwan.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra gets a quad-camera setup at the rear, including a 200 MP primary wide camera with dual pixel AF, OIS, f/1.7 aperture, paired with a 50MP ultra-wide camera with 120-degree FoV, f/1.9 aperture, a 50MP telephoto camera with 5x Optical Zoom support, OIS, f/3.4 Aperture and a 10MP telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom support, OIS and f/2.4 aperture. In addition, there’s a 12MP front sensor with an f/2.2 aperture for selfies and video calls.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra packs a 5000mAh battery which supports 45W wired charging, 15W wireless charging and reverse wireless charging as well.

As for the software, the S25 Ultra runs on OneUI 7.0 based on Android 15. Further, S25 Ultra will receive 7 major Android OS upgrades and 7 years of security updates. Additional features include S-Pen support housed inside the slot below the S25 Ultra. Further, both the S-Pen and the phone are IP68 water and dust resistant as well. Connectivity options on the device include UWB support, Wi-Fi 7, 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth v5.4, and Wi-Fi Direct.

Samsung Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+: Price, Specifications

Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+ will be available in Navy, Silver Shadow, Icyblue and Mint. Those buying Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus from Samsung.com will also get the option of three exclusive colours – Blueblack, Coralred & Pinkgold.

The S25 starts at Rs 80,999 for the 12GB + 256GB trim and Rs 92,999 for the 12GB + 512GB model. The Galaxy S25+ starts at Rs 99,999 for the 12GB + 256GB model in India while the 12GB + 512GB variant costs Rs 1,11,999.

Customers who pre-order Galaxy S25+ will get benefits worth Rs 12000 under which customers will be able to get 12GB 512GB variant at the price of 12GB 256GB variant. Meanwhile, customers who pre-order Galaxy S25 will get benefits worth Rs 11000 as an upgrade bonus. Alternatively, customers can avail Rs 7000 cashback when they purchase Galaxy S25 with 9 months no-cost EMI plan. Samsung is also offering customers the option to avail 24 month no cost EMI through all leading NBFCs for both Galaxy S25 as well as Galaxy S25+.

The Galaxy S25 has a 6.2-inch FHD+ (2,340 x 1,080) Dynamic AMOLED 2x screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate. It supports HDR10+, has a Pixel density of 418 PPI, and is covered in a layer of Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The refresh rate of the display can change dynamically between 1 Hz and 120 Hz. The display supports up to 2600 nits peak brightness.

The Galaxy S25+ sports a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x flat display with a QHD+ Resolution (3120 x 1440 pixels). It supports an adaptive Refresh Rate up to 120Hz and touch sampling rate of up to 240Hz. The display also gets max brightness of up to 2600 nits.

Galaxy S25 and S25+ camera setup comprises of a 50MP primary wide camera with f/1.8 aperture, multi-directional PDAF and OIS. Then there’s a 10MP telephoto sensor with 3x Optical Zoom support, an f/2.4 aperture, OIS, PDAF and a 12MP ultra-wide sensor with an f/2.2 Aperture and 120-degree FoV. Next, it has a 12MP f/2.2 front-facing camera.

They have the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy under the hood, paired with 12GB RAM along with 128GB (only in S25), 256GB, and 512GB storage options.

The S25 runs on a 4000mAh battery and offers 25W wired and 15W wireless charging with reverse wireless charging support. The S25+ is backed by a 4900mAh battery with 45W wired charging and 15W wireless charging support. As for the software, the S25 and S25+ run on One UI 7.0 based on Android 15 out of the box. Further, the S25 series will receive 7 major Android OS upgrades and 7 years of security updates.

Additional features include dual speakers with Dolby Atmos and IP68 dust & water resistance. Connectivity options on the device includes Wi-Fi 7, 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi Direct.

Tecno Spark 30C 5G 8GB RAM model has been launched in India for those who need even better performance. This is double the RAM of the original variant which came with 4GB RAM. The device originally launched back in October of last year at a starting price point of Rs 9,999.

Tecno Spark 30C 5G 8GB RAM Model: Price, Availability

The 8GB + 128GB edition of the Tecno Spark 30C 5G will retail for Rs 12,999 on Flipkart. The existing 4GB + 64GB and 4GB + 128GB trims of the device are currently selling for Rs 9,998 and Rs 10,498, respectively. The Spark 30C 5G can be bought in Midnight Shadow, Azure Sky, and Aurora Cloud colours.

Tecno Spark 30C 5G: Specifications

The Tecno Spark 30C 5G sports a 6.6-inch screen with a 120Hz Refresh Rate and an HD+ resolution of 1612 x 720 pixels. The device is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 SoC. The device has up to 128GB of in-built storage which is expandable and up to 8GB RAM with additional Virtual RAM support.

For photos and videos, the Tecno device has a dual rear camera setup which includes a 48-megapixel Sony IMX582 primady sensor, an AI lens, paired with dual LED flash. There is also an 8-megapixel selfie camera sensor at the front with a flash as well. It is backed up by a 5000mAh battery with 18W fast charging.

Connectivity options include 5G SA/NSA, Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth v5.1, GPS, NFC, USB Type-C, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Additional features include stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, side-mounted fingerprint sensor, IR blaster, and an IP54 rated body. The device runs on HiOS 14 based on Android 14