{"id":245905,"date":"2026-01-22T09:49:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T09:49:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/245905\/"},"modified":"2026-01-22T09:49:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T09:49:12","slug":"i-spent-a-year-with-the-samsung-galaxy-s25-ultra-heres-what-i-want-to-see-from-the-galaxy-s26-ultra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/245905\/","title":{"rendered":"I spent a year with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra \u2014 here’s what I want to see from the Galaxy S26 Ultra"},"content":{"rendered":"

Samsung\u2019s poised to introduce its flagship contender for 2026 very soon, but before the Galaxy S26 Ultra<\/a> tries to earn a spot on our best phones<\/a> list, it’s good to go over what the Galaxy S25 Ultra<\/a> has done up until this point. I’ve spent nearly a year with the S25 Ultra and it’s a good benchmark for Samsung\u2019s upcoming contender.<\/p>\n

Although it was one of the first flagship models to arrive in 2025, it managed to set the bar high for all other flagship releases \u2014 including the likes of the iPhone 17 Pro Max<\/a>. Since I\u2019ve spent a great deal of time with them, I\u2019ll tell you exactly how the Galaxy S25 Ultra has held up, along with other notable rivals.<\/p>\n

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At the same time, I\u2019ll explain all the areas Samsung needs to improve in to make the Galaxy S26 Ultra the true phone to beat in 2026.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max<\/p>\n

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\"iPhone\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)<\/p>\n

Naturally, the biggest matchup for Samsung is none other than Apple\u2019s finest. In my iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Galaxy S25 Ultra face-off<\/a>, I point out how Apple made a huge leap in battery life and performance thanks to its A19 Pro chip \u2014 but I was more shocked by the iPhone 17 Pro Max\u2019s camera performance.<\/p>\n

Biggest differences: I was never disappointed by the Galaxy S25 Ultra\u2019s quadruple camera system, which is without a doubt one of the most versatile around, but the iPhone 17 Pro Max focuses more on what matters most \u2014 quality. This is exactly what I show in my 200 photo shootout between the iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Galaxy S25 Ultra<\/a>, as Samsung\u2019s best camera phone couldn\u2019t quite keep up with the iPhone 17 Pro Max\u2019s unbelievable low light performance.<\/p>\n

Most notable strengths: I will say that the Galaxy S25 Ultra offers the more compelling software package with its One UI 7 software and robust set of Galaxy AI features<\/a>. The latter\u2019s important because there\u2019s such a big disparity between Galaxy AI and Apple Intelligence features. At the same time, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is big on productivity with features like Samsung DeX<\/a> and its multitasking capabilities.<\/p>\n

Predictions: For the Galaxy S26 Ultra, Samsung will somehow need to figure out how it can best Apple\u2019s flagship. One of the leading rumors is how the main camera could be getting a faster f\/1.4 aperture<\/a>, which could absolutely benefit its low light performance \u2014 in addition to the other leak about an upgraded 3x telephoto camera<\/a>, but I suspect bigger improvements to accompany the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 it\u2019s tipped to be getting. I hope that also translates to the models that are going to be getting the Exynos 2600 instead.<\/p>\n

Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.<\/p>\n

Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Pixel 10 Pro XL<\/p>\n

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\"Pixel\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)<\/p>\n

Google<\/a> didn\u2019t seem as aggressive compared to years past when it came to hardware upgrades for the Pixel 10 Pro XL<\/a>, but it didn\u2019t need to because it went deeper with its myriad of new AI features. I thought the Galaxy S25 Ultra didn\u2019t disappoint in this area with key features like Cross App Actions<\/a> and Now Brief<\/a>. However, they simply weren\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n

Biggest differences: Phone makers don\u2019t need to always prove that hardware upgrades are needed to make a difference. Instead, Google ventured deeper than Samsung at exploring more AI tools with features like Ask Photos<\/a>, Pro Res Zoom<\/a>, and Pixel Screenshots<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Most notable strengths: The Galaxy S25 Ultra still had a few tricks under its sleeve that I think were more polished. For starters, it came out on top in my Pixel 10 Pro XL vs Galaxy S25 Ultra photo face-off<\/a> \u2014 proving how its 200MP main camera is still a beast. And despite teasing its own Android 16 desktop mode<\/a>, the Pixel 10 Pro XL still doesn\u2019t come close to matching the usefulness of Samsung DeX.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

Predictions: More artificial intelligence features would benefit the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Google has shown how its photo editing AI features are so intuitive to use, while also delivering outstanding results that look realistic. I want the Galaxy S26 Ultra to follow the same direction, but I\u2019d love to see more AI with video editing tools.<\/p>\n

Galaxy S25 Ultra vs OnePlus 15<\/p>\n

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\"Galaxy\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Technizo Concept \/ Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

Rather than waiting for the new year, OnePlus opted for a head start by releasing its flagship right at the tail end of 2025 \u2014 and it proved how much of a boost the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 brings to the table. I was so impressed by the OnePlus 15<\/a> that it made the Galaxy S25 Ultra feel obsolete.<\/p>\n

Biggest differences: I have to admit that the OnePlus 15 improved in nearly every single category against the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The biggest difference is the record setting battery life performance<\/a> out of the OnePlus 15, which can be attributed to the more power efficient Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip and new carbon-silicon battery tech<\/a>. I thought the Galaxy S25 Ultra\u2019s time of 14 hours and 27 minutes was long, but the OnePlus 15 puts it to shame at 25 hours and 13 minutes.<\/p>\n

Most notable strengths: Even though OnePlus made bigger strides with AI versus in the past, it still doesn\u2019t come close to matching the Galaxy S25 Ultra. This is especially true around photo editing tools and generative AI. Portrait Studio<\/a> and Sketch to Image<\/a> are two generative AI features I love using with the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but I also tested out its hidden Expert RAW mode<\/a> that makes its low light camera performance way better than the OnePlus 15.<\/p>\n

Predictions: OnePlus\u2019 flagship model is one of the fastest performing and longest lasting phones you can buy right now, but I suspect that the Galaxy S26 Ultra to be almost just as good. It\u2019s very likely that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen will do wonders for its battery life performance, but it\u2019s unknown if the Korean phone maker will be tapping carbon-silicone battery tech to turbocharge the Galaxy S26 Ultra\u2019s battery.<\/p>\n

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\"Google\n<\/p>\n

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