Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs S25 Ultra: Which one to get?

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra arrives as the definitive refinement of the Android flagship formula, but does it offer enough to warrant an upgrade over the still-formidable S25 Ultra? We’ve pitted these two titans against each other to see if the generational leap justifies the premium. Is it time to trade in, or should you hold on? Check out this HEAD-TO-HEAD for the COMPLETE BREAKDOWN of how these two phones compare in terms of screen quality, battery life, charging speed, chipset performance, and camera image quality, all based on our extensive reviews. ▶ Read our detailed text comparison https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s26_ultra_vs_galaxy_s25_ultra_review_battery_camera_price_compared-news-72034.php ▶ Check the phone's prices https://www.gsmarena.com/where-to-buy.php3?p=14320 https://www.gsmarena.com/where-to-buy.php3?p=13322 Note: This is an unbiased, non-sponsored review, but sales commissions may be earned if you make a purchase through the link above. ▶ Check out the full phone's specs https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s26_ultra_5g-14320.php https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s25_ultra-13322.php ▶ Check out how the phones sound https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s26_ultra_vs_galaxy_s25_ultra_review_battery_camera_price_compared-news-72034.php#lt ▶ Get the GSMArena.com merch here: https://merch.gsmarena.com/ ******************** Timestamps: 00:00 - S26 Ultra vs S25 Ultra Comparison 00:33 - Design & Build Quality Comparison 00:45 - Privacy Display: New S26 Ultra Tech 01:14 - 6.9" LTPO OLED Screen Comparison 01:49 - Stereo Speaker Loudness & Quality 02:17 - Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Speed 02:35 - AnTuTu & Geekbench 6 Benchmarks 02:59 - Battery Life Test: Active Use Score 03:20 - 45W Charging Speed Comparison 03:45 - One UI 8.0 & Android 16 Features 04:09 - 200MP Camera Specs & Hardware 04:42 - Main Camera: Photo Quality Test 04:56 - 3x Telephoto Zoom Performance 05:05 - 5x Telephoto Zoom Quality 05:12 - 10x Periscope Zoom Samples 05:15 - Ultrawide Camera: Field of View 05:25 - Macro Mode & Close-up Samples 05:45 - Low Light: Main Camera Samples 06:01 - Low Light: 3x Zoom Quality 06:08 - Low Light: 5x Zoom Quality 06:14 - Low Light: 10x Zoom Quality 06:19 - Low Light: Ultrawide Samples 06:23 - 12MP Selfie Camera Test 06:33 - 4K Selfie Video Stabilization 06:37 - New Video features: Horizon Lock 06:37 - Video Quality Comparison 06:59 - Low-light Video Samples 07:13 - Wrap-up 07:40 - Galaxy S26 Ultra Pros 07:55 - Galaxy S25 Ultra Pros 08:08 - Verdict