OnePlus 13 vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: What does the future hold?

The OnePlus 13 and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra are two of the most exciting phones to launch this year. Both include premium features that place them amongst the best Android phones, and both are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset that’s much more powerful than previous generations.

Both the OnePlus 13 and the Galaxy S25 Ultra have finally made their (separate) ways to the U.S. The OnePlus 13 is leveling up on its flagship status with super-fast charging, exceptional performance, upgraded protection against dust and water, new cameras, and a much faster fingerprint scanner. Samsung, on the other hand, is banking hugely on improved AI features and its commitment to software that make Galaxy S25 Ultra the best Android phone for a long-term and reliable use, The phone’s high-end hardware, cameras, and the unique proposition of a stylus only strengthen its supremacy.

With so many compelling features on both phones, a comparison between the OnePlus 13 and the Galaxy S25 Ultra isn’t an easy one. But below, we’ll list all the reasons why you might want to pick one over the other.

OnePlus 13 vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: specs

OnePlus 13 vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: design

The OnePlus 13 is a big phone, thanks to its large 6.82-inch display. While the design has changed from last year, remnants of the OnePlus 12 can be seen, especially with the round camera module shifted toward the left of the back panel.

OnePlus has flattened out the OnePlus 13’s frame, following what Apple and Samsung did to their flagship phones. The curves along the back have also been reduced, though not eliminated entirely. The frame is made of aluminum, unlike the OnePlus Open. Buttons on the sides also appear wider and flat, complying with the changes to the frame. Their positions, however, remain unchanged. OnePlus offers three color options — black or white in glass and a blue with a faux leather finish. The color and finish of the frame varies with the color of the model, but it’s stunning regardless.

OnePlus has been able to shave off a few grams compared to the OnePlus 12, despite the 13 housing a bigger battery. The OnePlus 13 finally also gets proper protection against dust and water with an IP69 rating, as well as IP68. IP69 isn’t an upgrade over IP68, but does signify that the phone is resilient against heated and/or high-pressure water jets, as well as the submersion in water offered by IP68.

For the design of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Samsung is leaning towards a flatter aesthetic and smoothing out the frame instead of curves along its length and opting for a completely flat back panel. Samsung has rounded off the corners, making the S25 Ultra’s front demeanor resemble the five-year-old Galaxy Note 20 — the lesser appealing sibling of the flagship Note 20 Ultra. The design is undeniably different from the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but the flattened frame can make the S25 Ultra feel more uncomfortable compared to the curves on the previous generation.

Despite the changes, however, Samsung continues to use titanium for the frame. Although the titanium is touted as a more premium alternative, it makes the phone more slippery and difficult to grip.

Instead of nesting the four cameras and a laser autofocus module inside a single confined space on the back, Samsung places each one individually — the way it has since the Galaxy S22 Ultra. However, the rings surrounding each lens are thicker, but Samsung simply chose to glue the rings on instead of making a more enduring over the S24 Ultra. It’s too soon to say if the rings will peel off with time.

The dimensions of the Galaxy S25 Ultra have largely remained unchanged, but the phone has gotten lighter, weighing at 218 grams (7.6 ounces), or almost 20 grams less than the Galaxy S24 Ultra. This can be felt immediately when holding the two Ultras together. Samsung is also moving forward with narrower bezels on the display, which help chisel the width by a few millimeters along all four edges. The thickness has also been reduced to 8.2mm, down from 9.2mm last year. With these changes, the S25 Ultra feels a tad bit more ergonomic despite still being a significantly large phone.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra comes in a host of color options, including black, blue, gold, and silver — all with a titanium finish. Meanwhile, colors such as jade green and pink gold will be sold exclusively via Samsung’s online store.

The S Pen is surviving the axe for yet another generation. With the rounder bezels, the slot, however, has moved closer to the edge and may feel slightly easier to retract.

As with older generations, the Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with an IP68 rating. Unlike the OnePlus 13, there has been no mention of an IP69 rating, though its utility is limited, unless you are constantly surrounded by water at high pressure or high temperature.

While the Galaxy S25 Ultra gets a sturdier display and a titanium frame, OnePlus 13 offers a distinctive vegan leather back along with an IP69 rating. Both phones are slimmer and easier to handle than their predecessors, but the superior option between the two will largely depend on your preferences.

Winner: Tie

OnePlus 13 vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: display

With the OnePlus 13, the company moves away from the curved display we saw on the OnePlus 12. Despite the change, the size and resolution remain unchanged. According to official specs, the OnePlus 13 has a 6.82-inch screen with a 1440 x 3168 pixels resolution. The display is rated for 4,500 nits of peak brightness (or brightness per pixel) and a global brightness of 1,600 nits (when measured across the display), and these figures remain unchanged from last year. This is an LTPO display that supports a variable refresh rate ranging from 1Hz to 120Hz. Safe to say, it’s excellent, having been awarded DisplayMate’s first ever A++ rating.

The display also supports Dolby Vision for viewing HDR content. You can still use the display with wet hands — as you could with the OnePlus 12 — and the phone also has a “glove mode” which lets you interact with the screen from under the thick layers of fabric. The latter is something that Sony dabbled with more a decade ago on phones such as the Xperia Sola, but the functionality never took off.

It also features an upgraded ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, which is faster than an optical scanner and does not require the screen to be lit up for scanning your fingerprint. OnePlus claims it upgraded the display with improved PWM dimming features to protect eyes when you use the phone at night. Meanwhile, the phone notably ditches Gorilla Glass for a “Ceramic” protective shield, but we can’t say we noticed much difference during our review period.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra gets a few changes to the display, even though the dimensions and the resolution remain unchanged from last year. It features a 6.86-inch display with a 1440 x 3120 pixels resolution. However, the bezels along the display have been reduced, which slashes the width marginally.

This is also an LTPO display with a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz. Samsung is using the underlying panel technology for the Galaxy S25 Ultra as it did with the S24 Ultra, which means there is no significant jump in brightness. That, however, isn’t a reason for remorse as the Galaxy S24 Ultra already offered fairly bright displays, with a tested peak (global) brightness of nearly 1,500 nits and peak (over a small section) of 2,600 nits. The anti-reflective coating, improved since last year, also helps with better readability under sunlight or other high intensity sources.

These displays also had weird issues last year, so we hope Samsung fixes any glitches before the S25 Ultra releases in February, instead of relying on software updates delivered later.

You will unlikely see any difference unless viewing Netflix or HBO Max. This is because Samsung phones only support HDR10+ and not Dolby Vision, and content downgrades to HDR10. We have a technical explainer if you are intrigued to learn more. However, apps besides Netflix should work equally well on both displays, since major providers like Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney Plus support both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision.

Lastly, Samsung gets improved protection on the front with Gorilla Armor 2 compared to the first generation protective glass from Corning last year.

While both phones have exceptional displays, the OnePlus 13 gets a slight edge due to higher peak brightness, Dolby Vision support, and interesting features, such as Aqua Touch and glove mode.

Winner: OnePlus 13

OnePlus 13 vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: performance

Both the OnePlus 13 and the Galaxy S25 Ultra are expected to feature Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which is more than a mere successor to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Firstly, because it is a 3nm chip instead of a 4nm chip (which is actually a more efficient form of 5nm), the 8 Elite is expected to be far more efficient. Secondly, this is the first time Qualcomm is pulling an Apple move and allocating Oryon cores, previously limited to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X series chips meant for laptops.

The chipset also lacks any low-power efficiency cores and solely packs eight Oryon cores — in clusters of two and six at varying clock speeds. The actual difference in performance between the two devices, therefore, will depend on the software optimization from the companies and any additional hardware they add to reinforce performance and/or efficiency.

How does it fare in OnePlus’s latest? Now we’ve had time with the OnePlus 13, we can say for certain: It’s very, very good. It’s comparable to other Snapdragon 8 Elite smartphones, even if it doesn’t manage to exceed them, but that just means it’s comfortably sat with the best in the pack — which no-one should be upset about.

OnePlus has been using measures such as a multilayer vapor cooling chamber to keep heat generation under check for several generations now. This year, OnePlus claims the total surface area of the mechanism has been increased by almost 13%, which, along with a better microarchitecture of the chipset, should lead to improved heat dissipation. The phone can run a little hot under very challenging games, but it doesn’t extend to the back of the phone — though you may want to avoid the phone’s frame in those circumstances, which got noticeably warm.

Samsung, on the other hand, has been less bullish on numbers like OnePlus. It did upgrade the vapor chamber on the Galaxy S24 Ultra to be twice as large on the previous generation, and this year, the Galaxy S25 Ultra has a bigger vapor chamber than before to deal with the heat coming from the more powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite. Samsung is going for an overclocked version of the chipset, which should ensure plenty of power for all scenarios, especially with AI processing, which gets a boost with the S25 series.

While Qualcomm’s upgrades for Samsung especially emphasize better AI performance, OnePlus 13 performs better in synthetic benchmarks.

OnePlus is offering three RAM and storage configurations, including a top-end variant with 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The other two options are 12GB+256GB and 16GB+512GB. Meanwhile, Samsung offers 12GB as standard across all storage variants, ranging from 256GB to 1TB.

If you compare both devices purely on their ability to perform, the OnePlus 13 will be slightly better, thanks to more RAM and a more sophisticated cooling system. However, neither will be slow.

Winner: OnePlus 13

OnePlus 13 vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: battery and charging

OnePlus has upped the battery capacity from 5,400mAh on the OnePlus 12 to 6,000mAh on the OnePlus 13 — while also managing to reduce the weight of the phone. It’s a seriously large battery, and it provides the goods. We found it didn’t often dip under 70% after a day of use, meaning it’s easily capable of lasting for two or even three days on a single charge. That’s an exceptional performance from the Chinese brand. Even with a relatively tough day of four hours of screen time, it still ended the day around 50% capacity.

For charging, OnePlus retain 100 watts of fast wired charging, which is limited to 80W in North America due to the 120V supply. The charging speed is fast enough to refuel the battery in about 45 minutes. However, for these speeds, you will need to use the OnePlus charger included in the box, or a charger for any other previous OnePlus device.

The OnePlus 13 also supports 50W wireless charging through OnePlus’ own AirVOOC chargers. With a standard Qi charger, the phone could be charged anywhere between 5W and 10W. There’s no Qi2 support, which means OnePlus 13 will also lack support for magnetic attachments. However, OnePlus has announced official magnetic cases that will let you mount the OnePlus 13 on any MagSafe-compatible charger or accessory. The company has also launched a new AirVOOC wireless charger that attaches magnetically to the back of the phone and cools it using a built-in fan. However, there’s a weird addendum to OnePlus’ wireless charging, and that’s the odd sliver of plastic it includes with the Sandstone, Aramid Fiber, and Wood Grain official cases. This additional bit of plastic is meant to ensure the phone charges wirelessly, and it’s a bit of an admission of fault on OnePlus’ part.

Samsung is sticking to the 5,000mAh battery pack, and the charging speed remains the same as last year, which means Samsung will support charging speeds up to 45W. Despite slower speeds, it does get an advantage due to the fact that it uses a universal charging standard — PPS — and can accept current at faster rates from a wider range of chargers, which is a boon since Samsung does not include a charger in the box.

Despite being smaller in capacity than the OnePlus 13, the battery on the Galaxy S25 Ultra feels nearly as long-lasting efficient.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra also gets wireless charging and complies with Qi2 charging standard, with wireless charging speeds up to 15W. However, it missed out on magnets inside the body and will not inherently support magnetic latching like the iPhone does. However, a range of cases with circular rings on the back, similar to OnePlus 13’s official magnetic accessories, will ensure the Galaxy S25 Ultra is compatible with accessories that comply with MagSafe and similar standards.

With fast wired and wireless charging, OnePlus 13 gets a clear distinction in charging.

Winner: OnePlus 13

OnePlus 13 vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: camera

The OnePlus 13 rocks triple rear cameras, of which the primary camera remains the same from the previous generation. It has a 50-megapixel Sony LYT-808 sensor with an f/1.6 aperture. Meanwhile, the other two rear cameras have been upgraded. Both the ultrawide and the 3X telephoto cameras now use 50MP sensors, which are physically bigger than those of the previous generation, which should allow for slightly better lighting in pictures in different scenarios. Meanwhile, OnePlus sticks to a 32MP selfie camera instead of changing it.

It’s a very solid camera system, and we were impressed with it during our review period. Of particular interest is the hybrid 6x zoom, which is of a very high quality, despite its hybrid nature. You often have to really search to find evidence of the digital zoom and enhancement, and most of the time, it passes for an optical zoom.

All the lenses get colors inspired by the camera brand Hasselblad. Because of the improved processor, the primary camera can now shoot videos at 8K resolution and 30 frames per second (fps) instead of 24 fps previously. Meanwhile, the front camera gets 4K recording at 60 fps. However, an option to record 4K videos at 120 fps is still missing, even though phones such as the Vivo X200 Pro have adopted it.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is also getting minor upgrades to the four cameras. While the primary camera’s resolution remains unchanged at 200MP, Samsung is touting better image processing with AI. The 3x telephoto gets a new “1/3-inch” sensor despite offering the same 10MP resolution, while the ultrawide camera is upgraded from 12MP to 50MP.

Meanwhile, the 50MP periscopic telephoto with a 5x optical zoom and the front camera are likely to remain unchanged from last year. The selfie camera, on the other hand, has been downgraded in resolution from 32MP to just 12MP.

During our review, the cameras on the Galaxy S25 Ultra ditched the oversaturated colors from the previous generations and instead produce more natural hues. The upgraded ultrawide angle feels like a significant upgrade, even when compared to other premium phones such as the iPhone 16 Pro Max. However, the main camera still lags the iPhone 16 Pro. Pictures shots at 10X or higher zoom may appear pixelated when cropped, which may feel disappointing.

Samsung has also replicated customizable filters, producing a similar effect as iPhone 16’s Photographic Styles, but with more parameters to choose from.

Like the OnePlus 13, the Galaxy S25 Ultra also gains the ability to shoot 8K videos at 30 fps alongside 4K videos at 60 fps. Both phones can shoot videos with their respective supported HDR codecs that we discussed in the display section above. On top of these, Samsung can also shoot LOG videos which can then be color-corrected directly using an app. For those who want a quicker solution, Samsung’s Gallery app also gets a direct toggle to correct the colors.

One thing to point out is that while Samsung’s selfie camera comes with autofocus, OnePlus uses a fixed-focus camera, which may lead to Samsung getting better selfies.

While both phones get a Pro Mode and RAW photography, Samsung offers a separate app called “Expert RAW” for the latter. The latest version of the app gets DSLR-inspired controls, including a “Virtual aperture,” which emulates for real-time manipulation of the depth of field.

Samsung has traditionally offered better cameras, and while OnePlus has been consistently improving in this regard, the Galaxy S25 Ultra gets an extra telephoto sensor for longer zoom, and better controls overall. This gives it an advantage over the OnePlus 13.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

OnePlus 13 vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: software and updates

The OnePlus 13 runs on OxygenOS 15, based on Android 15, which brings several visual improvements to phones, including better theming options, iPhone-style lock screen wallpapers, quick settings customizations, and more fluid animations. Like every other phone of this and last year, AI is heavily at the forefront. It’s all stuff we’ve seen before, like AI Notes, Circle to Search, Google Gemini, and AI Replies, which is a little disappointing. However, OnePlus also includes its own non-AI features which are worth seeking out, like Zen Mode, Quick Launch, and a kids mode.

The OnePlus 13 is promised to get four major Android updates and five years of security updates.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra, among the rest of the S25 family, is the first phone to come with One UI 7, which is also based on Android 15. The interface has just been released in a limited beta only for the Galaxy S24 series. Samsung is also following Apple and separating the quick settings and notifications into two separate sections instead of one. You can scroll left or right, similar to iOS, to switch between the two pages.

One UI 7 brings a host of new visual changes, including new icons, an improved Camera app, and a multipurpose “Now Bar,” which offers controls similar to the iPhone’s Dynamic Island, but sits at the bottom of the lock screen. Along with these features, Samsung has a vast suite of AI features. While many of them, such as Circle to Search, are now reaching other Android devices, Samsung is ramping up its efforts with new personalized summaries.

Even though the Galaxy S25 Ultra does not feel like a groundbreaking upgrade over the S24 Ultra, the AI features alone could convince you otherwise. At the center of this upgrade is “Now Brief,” an AI assistant of sorts, which offers executive summaries based on several actions you perform with the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The feature gives you consolidated briefs, including insights and actionable events, several times a day. These briefs comprise aspects such as the weather, your camera usage, physical activities, events from your daily schedule, etc. It also offers suggestions based on your taste in music or podcasts or based on the sports you follow.

Samsung claims the section refines over time as you use the phone better, and claims that AI is finally mature enough to truly understand and prepare for how you typically use your phone — in order to reduce friction while performing tasks. The section is also customizable, so you can control the barrage of information and only receive insights on what you care about. A broader overview can be seen under “Daily Brief.”

To top this, One UI 7 brings an excellent user interface for Now Brief. Samsung adds this feature takes a few days to acquaint itself with your needs and improve over time, but it does feel underwhelming in functionality and overwhelming in the information — at least, initially — going against what Samsung proposes.

In addition, Samsung also offers features such as AI-assisted writing tools and live translations during calls, which have yet to become mainstream among all Android devices. Samsung also promises longer software support than OnePlus, offering seven years of software updates across its flagship lineup.

Finally, the Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with DeX, which lets you enjoy a PC-like experience by plugging your phone into a screen. If you value experience over hardware, Samsung may be a better choice than OnePlus.

Samsung offers a clear advantage over the OnePlus 13 in terms of software support and features.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

OnePlus 13 vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: price and availability

The OnePlus 13 is already available via open sale on Amazon and OnePlus’ online store. The upgrades entail an increase in price, with the OnePlus 13’s 12GB/256GB model priced at $900. Meanwhile, the 16GB/512GB variant will be available for $1,000.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra, with its extra camera, superior AI features, desktop mode, and S Pen also costs a little extra. The base variant with 12GB RAM and 256GB starts at $1,300 in the U.S. Preorders started on January 22nd, with sales commencing February 7th. To sweeten the deal, Samsung is offering six months of complimentary access to Google’s Gemini Advanced, the paid tier of Gemini chatbot, along with 2 terabytes of cloud storage.

OnePlus 13 vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: verdict

With each passing year, OnePlus has convincingly become more premium. With the OnePlus 13, it feels like it belongs to the same clique as other high-end flagships, including the iPhone 16 Pro and the Galaxy S24 Ultra. With features such as an IP69 rating, an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, a massive 6,000mAh battery and super-fast charging, the OnePlus 13 is a highly compelling choice. Despite these features, you can get the base variant for under $1,000.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S25 Ultra could be a better choice if you want an S Pen, travel with multiple devices, but use the same charger, or can’t do without a more capable telephoto setup than a now-typical 3x telephoto. Samsung also gets an edge in terms of the number of updates. Besides the advantages in hardware, Samsung appears to have an edge over the OnePlus 13 with its AI assistant, clubbed under the Now Brief and Daily Brief. While these features require some more investigation and testing, they sound very promising.

Both phones have their advantages, and with each, it isn’t easy to pinpoint what these phones are devoid of. Both of them are equally capable as high-end flagships. But most people must pick one, and the decision largely depends on your preferences. Of the two, the OnePlus 13 definitely feels like a better value for money if you care about hardcore performance, more RAM, and cherish faster charging. On the other hand, the Galaxy S25 Ultra feels like a better choice if you want to experience the new AI features before they become mainstream, want a better telephoto camera, need the S Pen, or anticipate using your phone for longer than four years.

Out of the six criteria we discussed above, the OnePlus 13 emerges as the winner in three while the Galaxy S25 Ultra wins in two (one remains a tie) — establishing the OnePlus as a more compelling option. However, while this article compares the features both phones have to offer, we would be testing both with direct comparisons, especially for performance and cameras, to give you a more convincing and substantial verdict.