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You don’t need to buy the latest Galaxy Ultra phone, plus you can save money. I will explain.
the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra It has some of the best specifications ever Smartphone today, but it also comes with a whopping $1,300 price tag. Model 2024 Galaxy S24 UltraIt also has excellent specifications, and although it is only one generation old, you can get it new for $950 or Used for $544. This is less than Half price Current model on the used market. seriously.
Of course, if you’re trying to sell your S24 series phone, this amount of depreciation is really bad. But if you’re looking to upgrade from an older phone, you’ve got a deal on a high-end device.
So what difference does one generation make? Can a two-year-old model continue to perform like the current flagship? Let’s put these phones side by side and see what we get.
Which one is which? It’s hard to know.
On paper, the specifications are very similar. They both have huge displays with identical resolutions and refresh rates. Both have powerful Qualcomm processors, 12GB of RAM, 200MP cameras, titanium frames, and an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. And yes, they both have an S Pen stuffed inside if you want to draw pictures while pretending to work. The S24 Ultra’s S Pen has several nifty tricks removed over the S25 Ultra’s stylus.
The upcoming Galaxy S26 lineup – incl S26 Ultra – It is expected to arrive soon. Sure, it may have an overhaul that justifies paying its higher price compared to the cheaper previous generation. but Current rumors indicate The new phone may receive only modest upgrades.
Since you can expect to see a sharp drop in the price of the S25 Ultra, the same principle can apply: save a lot of money by buying the previous generation on the used market.
From a pure numbers perspective, there’s not much to choose between the S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra – and certainly nothing that warrants such a huge difference in price. So what do they personally like to use? Let’s start with the cameras.
Galaxy S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra: Cameras
Camera performance is a central means by which phone makers try to upgrade their phones every year, with the latest models typically featuring better photography skills than previous generations.
Although there are some upgrades on paper – like the S25 Ultra’s 50MP ultrawide camera – Samsung hasn’t changed the format much for the last few Ultra models.
I’ve taken many photos of both phones since their launch, and for the most part, I think you’ll have a hard time telling much of a difference, let alone picking a winner. Both are capable of capturing beautiful images with a wide dynamic range, accurate colors, and lots of detail. The zooms on both phones are excellent, and the night modes are great.
Upgrading to ultra-wide resolution gives you more detail, but will you really notice it for yourself? That’s unlikely to be the case outside of side-by-side comparisons.
Galaxy S24 Ultra vs S25 Ultra: Processor
One of the S25 Ultra’s major upgrades over its predecessor is its processor. The S25 Ultra has a custom version from Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, vs Snapdragon 8 3rd generation Slide on the S24 Ultra. In our benchmark tests, there’s a noticeable difference in results — about 25% higher on the newer chip, in fact — but I’m not sure you’re likely to notice that difference in everyday use.
Processor performance between Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy S24 Ultra
Galaxy S25 Ultra 3,173 10,047Galaxy S24 Ultra 2,294 7,293
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Geekbench 6 (single core)
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Geekbench 6 (Multi-core)
I found both phones to be quite capable of playing demanding 3D games like Genshin Impact and PUBG at maximum settings while still delivering smooth frame rates. Photo editing in Adobe Lightroom was responsive, and navigating the Android 16 interface was smooth and easy.
Sure, a newer model might have more power. But do you really need it? A Ferrari may have more power than a Mercedes, but the Mercedes will still be exceptionally good for 98% of the driving you do each week.
Galaxy S24 Ultra vs S25 Ultra: Software
On the software side, both phones run Android 16 with Samsung’s latest One UI 8 interface on top. You’ll find the same features on both models, including Samsung’s various AI tools like live translation, audio eraser, and drawing assistance, which turns doodles into real-life images. Then you have Google’s AI tools like Gemini Live and Circle for search, which you’ll again find in both models.
There are no new software features that you will lose when you move to the last generation. But it’s always important to keep the software support period in mind, especially when purchasing used software. As the newest phone, the S25 Ultra will get an additional year of guaranteed support. Meanwhile, Samsung has committed to supporting the S24 line for seven years, so the older phone will still receive software and security updates until at least 2031. Basically, he still has a great life ahead of him.
Both phones are powerful enough to run games like Genshin Impact at maximum settings.
Galaxy S24 Ultra vs S25 Ultra: Battery life
Both phones have 5,000mAh batteries, and perhaps not surprisingly, real-world battery life is about the same on both phones. You can expect to easily get through a full day on a single charge and probably have enough power to start the second day. In CNET Labs’ 3-hour video streaming test, where we charge the phones to 100% and play a YouTube video over Wi-Fi, the Galaxy S24 Ultra performed noticeably better.
If you’re buying the S24 Ultra used, the battery may have aged a bit, but I wouldn’t expect it to deteriorate much in just one year of use. Both phones offer 45W wired charging and reverse wireless charging to power another device.
When I started writing this article, I already assumed that there would be more differences between the S25 Ultra and S24 Ultra. But there is hardly anything. They even look basically the same except that the newer version has flat edges, which I don’t like as much.
With battery life and camera performance largely on par, and Samsung bringing all the new AI skills to previous generations, there’s not much to choose between them. It really has to do with the newer processor, but I honestly don’t think the vast majority of people will notice the difference. The chip in the S24 is truly a powerhouse.
The similar camera setup on both phones means there’s not much to gain from the newer model.
Galaxy S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra: Final thoughts
These phones are identical in many ways, except for the price. How much you actually spend on a used device will certainly depend on the quality – cheaper devices may have the odd scratch here and there, while original versions will command slightly higher prices.
Overall, choosing last year’s model on the used market is a smart way to save a lot of money on a capable device that would otherwise be very expensive. And with the Galaxy S26 Ultra likely just around the corner, this entire article will remain relevant as we move to the next generation.
The logic here is not limited to Samsung phones. Since almost all companies, including Google, Apple, OnePlus, and others offer extremely powerful hardware with long software support periods, it’s possible that you may never need to buy a brand new phone again.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Galaxy S24 Ultra specifications
| Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Display size, technology, resolution, refresh rate | 6.8 inch AMOLED; 3,120 x 1,440 pixels; Adaptive refresh rate 1-120Hz | 6.8 inch AMOLED; 3,120 x 1,440 pixels; Adaptive refresh rate 1-120Hz |
| Pixel density | 501 dpi | 501 dpi |
| Dimensions (inches) | 6.41 x 3.06 x 0.32 inches. | 6.40 x 3.11 x 0.34 inches. |
| Dimensions(mm) | 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2 mm | 163 x 79 x 8.6 mm |
| Weight (grams, ounces) | 218 grams (7.69 ounces) | 233 grams (8.22 ounces) |
| Mobile software | Android 15 | Android 14 |
| camera | 200 MP (wide), 50 MP (ultra-wide), 10 MP (3x telephoto), 50 MP (5x telephoto) | 200 MP (wide), 12 MP (ultra-wide), 10 MP (3x telephoto), 50 MP (5x telephoto) |
| Front camera | 12 megapixel | 12 megapixel |
| Capture video | 8 k | 8 k |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor for Galaxy phone | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 3rd generation |
| RAM + Storage | 12 GB RAM + 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB | 12 GB RAM + 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB |
| Expandable storage | no one | no one |
| battery | 5000 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Fingerprint sensor | Under the offer | Under the offer |
| conductor | USB C | USB C |
| Headphone jack | no one | no one |
| Special features | Titanium frame, peak brightness of 2600 nits; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mm wave); IP68 water and dust resistance; Wireless PowerShare technology to charge other devices; Integrated S Pen; UWB to find other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7; Gorilla Glass Armor Glass cover; Ultra wideband | Titanium frame, peak brightness of 2600 nits; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mm wave); IP68 water and dust resistance; Wireless PowerShare technology to charge other devices; Integrated S Pen; UWB to find other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7; Gorilla Glass armor glass cover |