Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iQOO 15
iQOO 15 wins 3 of 5. Buy Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra if you want better photos and the longest software support. Buy iQOO 15 if you want longer battery life, more speed for games and to spend less.
The short answer
- CameraSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Takes the better photos: camera score 9 out of 10, against 7.
- BatteryiQOO 15. Lasts longer on a charge: battery score 9 out of 10, against 7. It has a 7000 mAh battery.
- SpeediQOO 15. Faster for games and heavy apps: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, speed score 10 out of 10, against 9.
- UpdatesSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Android upgrades: until about Jan 2032 (7 upgrades). Security patches: until about Jan 2032 (7 years from launch).
- PriceiQOO 15. Costs 4% less.
Overall, iQOO 15 wins 3 of 5. The full details are below.
Side by side
Compared like for like: every phone in its 12GB + 256GB version. Change a version at the top of its column.
| Spec | Your main pickSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra | iQOO 15 | Suggested by TuvvoRealme GT 8 ProWins 7 of 10 key areas against Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra₹16,996 cheaper for 12GB + 256GB, longer battery life, faster, smoother screen, brighter screen outdoors, faster charging, better water protection | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | ₹89,995 12GB + 256GB | ₹85,999 12GB + 256GB | Best price of these phones₹72,999 12GB + 256GB | |
| Price since launch | Down ₹40,004 (31%) ₹1,29,999 at launch, ₹89,995 now 12GB + 256GB model | Up ₹13,000 (18%) ₹72,999 at launch, ₹85,999 now 12GB + 256GB model | No change ₹72,999 at launch, ₹72,999 now 12GB + 256GB model | |
| Versions | 12GB + 256GB: ₹89,995 12GB + 512GB: price not known 12GB + 1TB: price not known | 12GB + 256GB: ₹85,999 16GB + 512GB: ₹93,999 | 12GB + 256GB: ₹72,999 16GB + 512GB: ₹78,999 | |
| Stands out for | Best camera in its price range: scored 9/10 | Nothing that leads its price range | Brightest screen in its price range: 7,000 nits | |
| Launched | 22 January 2025 | 26 November 2025 | 20 November 2025 | |
| Big upgrades | Best big upgrades of these phonesAndroid upgrades: until about Jan 2032 (7 upgrades) | Android upgrades: until about Nov 2030 (5 upgrades) | Android upgrades: until about Nov 2029 (4 upgrades) | |
| Security patches | Security patches: until about Jan 2032 (7 years from launch) | Best security patches of these phonesSecurity patches: until about Nov 2032 (7 years from launch) | Security patches: until about Nov 2031 (6 years from launch) | |
| Software now | One UI 9 (Android 17), launched with One UI 7 (Android 15) | OriginOS 6 (Android 16) (same as launch) | Realme UI 7.0 (Android 16) (same as launch) | |
| Rating | 8.4/10 | Best rating of these phones8.8/10 | 8.3/10 | |
| Battery | Easily lasts a full day; 45W charging is fine, not fast. 5000 mAh | Best battery of these phonesExcellent battery life from 7000mAh, with 100W wired and 40W wireless charging. 7000 mAh | Best battery of these phonesExcellent battery life from 7000mAh, with 120W wired (full in about 43 minutes) and 50W wireless. 7000 mAh | |
| Camera | Best camera of these phonesExcellent: 200MP main, 3x and 5x zoom lenses, and a sharper 50MP ultrawide. | Strong main and 3x zoom cameras; the wide-angle and selfie cameras are less sharp. | Capable cameras with a 200MP 3x zoom; strong for photos and portraits, weaker for video. | |
| Speed | Snapdragon 8 Elite is among the fastest chips, great for heavy games. | Best speed of these phonesTop Snapdragon chip with big cooling, though long-session performance dipped versus last year. | Best speed of these phonesVery fast chip, but it slows down a lot during long gaming sessions. | |
| Screen size | 6.9 inch | 6.85 inch | 6.79 inch | |
| Smooth scrolling | 120Hz, very smooth | Best smooth scrolling of these phones144Hz, very smooth | Best smooth scrolling of these phones144Hz, very smooth | |
| Outdoor brightness | 2,600 nits, easy to read in sun | 6,000 nits, very easy to read in sun | Best outdoor brightness of these phones7,000 nits, very easy to read in sun | |
| Charging | 45W wired, 15W wireless | 100W wired, 40W wireless | Best charging of these phones120W wired, 50W wireless | |
| Wireless charging | Yes | Yes | Best wireless charging of these phonesYes | |
| Water and dust | IP68: survives a dunk in water | Best water and dust of these phonesIP68/IP69: survives a dunk and hot water jets | Best water and dust of these phonesIP66/IP68: survives a dunk and hot water jets | |
| Weight | 218 g | 215 g | Best weight of these phones214 g | |
| Thickness | 8.2 mm | Best thickness of these phones8.1 mm | 8.2 mm | |
| 5G | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Tap to pay (NFC) | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Speakers | Two (stereo) | Two (stereo) | Two (stereo) | |
| Headphone jack | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | |
| Memory card slot | No | No | No | |
| Colours | Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Whitesilver | Legend, Alpha Black | Diary White, Urban Blue | |
| Catch | Big and heavy at 218g. Samsung still lists it at ₹1,29,999, so only buy at the store discount. | Speakers are underwhelming, and the India price has risen well above launch. | Heavy GPU throttling under long loads and shaky video stabilisation. | |
| What owners say | No owner reports yet | No owner reports yet | No owner reports yet | |
| Expert reviews | GSMArena Android Central | GSMArena Smartprix 8.6/10 | GSMArena |
marks the strongest phone on each row, Tuvvo's suggestion included. For price, weight and thickness, that's the lowest.
Full specifications (tap to open)
Every spec side by side
Compared like for like: every phone in its 12GB + 256GB version. Change a version at the top of its column.
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra | iQOO 15 |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.9-inch QHD+ (1440 x 3120) Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, 2600 nits peak, anti-reflective Gorilla Armor 2 | 6.85-inch 2K LTPO AMOLED, 144Hz, 2600 nits HBM, 6000 nits peak, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3nm) | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3nm) |
| CPU | 2x Oryon V2 Phoenix L @ 4.47GHz + 6x Oryon V2 Phoenix M @ 3.53GHz | 2x Oryon V3 Phoenix L @ 4.6GHz + 6x Oryon V3 Phoenix M @ 3.62GHz |
| Graphics (GPU) | Adreno 830 | Adreno 840 |
| AI chip (NPU) | Qualcomm Hexagon NPU (TOPS not officially stated) | Qualcomm Hexagon NPU (TOPS not officially stated) |
| RAM and storage | 12GB + 256GB, 12GB + 512GB, 12GB + 1TB (UFS 4.0; LPDDR5X) | 12GB + 256GB, 16GB + 512GB (UFS 4.1) |
| Battery | 5000 mAh | 7000 mAh |
| Charging | 45W wired PD (about 65% in 30 min), 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless | 100W wired (PPS, PD), 40W wireless, bypass charging |
| Cameras | 200MP main (f/1.7, OIS) + 50MP ultrawide (f/1.9) + 10MP 3x telephoto (f/2.4, OIS) + 50MP 5x periscope (f/3.4, OIS); 12MP front | 50 MP main (1/1.56", f/1.9, 24mm, OIS) + 50 MP periscope telephoto (1/1.95", f/2.6, 85mm, 3x optical, OIS) + 50 MP ultrawide (1/2.76", f/2.1, 15mm, AF); 32 MP selfie |
| Water and dust | IP68 (1.5m for 30 mins) | IP68/IP69 |
| Size and weight | 8.2mm thick, 218g | 8.1mm thick, 215g |
| Software | One UI 7 (Android 15) at launch, One UI 9 (Android 17) now | OriginOS 6 (Android 16) at launch, OriginOS 6 (Android 16) now |
| Updates | 7 years promised | 5 years promised |
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, UWB, USB-C 3.2 with DisplayPort | Wi-Fi 7 (dual-band), Bluetooth 6.0 (aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, LHDC 5), NFC, IR blaster, USB-C 3.2 |
| Modem | Integrated Snapdragon 5G modem (model not officially stated) | Integrated Snapdragon 5G modem (model not officially stated) |
| Speakers and haptics | Stereo speakers tuned by AKG; S Pen (no Bluetooth features) | Stereo speakers (GSMArena calls them underwhelming), Snapdragon Sound, Hi-Res audio; Monster Halo rear lighting; haptics not detailed |
| Screen flicker (PWM) | Not officially stated | PWM dimming (rate not officially stated); touch sampling not officially stated |
| Cooling | Larger vapour chamber than S24 Ultra | 8K vapour chamber with 8,000 sq mm heat dissipation area |
| Colours | Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Whitesilver | Legend, Alpha Black |
Where to buy
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra₹89,995
Pick your version and colour, then your store:
Opens 12GB + 256GB.
- iQOO 15₹85,999
Pick your version and colour, then your store:
Opens 12GB + 256GB.
Store links may earn Tuvvo a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes our rankings.
Waiting for a better price?See it here next time you open Tuvvo if any of these phones drops in price.
Common questions
- Which is better, Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra or iQOO 15?
- iQOO 15 wins 3 of 5 areas (camera, battery, speed, updates and price). Buy Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra if you want better photos and the longest software support. Buy iQOO 15 if you want longer battery life, more speed for games and to spend less.
- Which has the better camera?
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra takes the better photos.
- Which has the better battery life?
- iQOO 15 lasts longer on a charge.
- Which is faster for gaming?
- iQOO 15 is faster for games and heavy apps.
- How much do they cost?
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (12GB + 256GB) costs ₹89,995, iQOO 15 (12GB + 256GB) costs ₹85,999.
- Which gets software updates for longer?
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, now on One UI 9 (Android 17). Android upgrades: until about Jan 2032 (7 upgrades). Security patches: until about Jan 2032 (7 years from launch). iQOO 15, now on OriginOS 6 (Android 16). Android upgrades: until about Nov 2030 (5 upgrades). Security patches: until about Nov 2032 (7 years from launch).
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