Before the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, we suspected that the OnePlus 13 would be a major threat to Samsung’s Ultra flagship as it offers nearly the same specifications but at a much cheaper price point. Now that the Galaxy S25 Ultra has launched and the official specifications are out, do we feel the same or is the S25 Ultra coming out to be a better device? Let’s have a look.
Display
The OnePlus 13 5G sports a 6.82-inch QHD+ (3168 x 1440 pixels) 120Hz 3D AMOLED LTPO display. Furthermore, there is support for 4500 nits of peak brightness, adaptive refresh rate, 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut, 93.5% screen-to-body ratio, Dolby Vision support, and Crystal Shield ultra-ceramic glass protection.
The display on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is a 6.9-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x panel with dynamic Refresh Rate from 1Hz to 120Hz, 240Hz touch sampling rate, Eye comfort shield, and up to 2600 nits of peak brightness. Further, there’s an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. Corning Gorilla Armor 2 protects this panel.
While both these panels offer the same Resolution and refresh rate, they are calibrated differently with different approaches towards the tuning of the panel. While the panel on the OnePlus 13 is brighter, the S25 Ultra sports Corning Gorilla Armor 2 that provides a unique anti-reflective finish which makes a major difference in real world use, as we noticed on the S24 Ultra. The Gorilla Armor 2 combines Corning’s glass-ceramic with a Proprietary anti-reflective surface treatment, helping to ensure advanced drop protection alongside anti-reflection surface treatment and scratch resistance.
Overall, we’d give them a draw if it comes to display, as both of them sport quite capable panels suitable for different types of users.
Processor & Software
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the OnePlus 13 are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Chipset but Samsung has tuned the chipset for its own device for slightly better performance which would be hardly noticeable in real world use. They have LPDDR5x RAM and UFS 4.0 storage but with OnePlus 13, you get more RAM options while the S25 Ultra sticks to 12GB RAM in all its models.
If you want sheer raw performance, then the OnePlus 13 offers more RAM that will help those who are into multitasking. While the S25 Ultra could also handle the same with ease, the OnePlus 13 would obviously perform better in keeping more apps in memory due to its superior hardware capabilities.
As for software, OxygenOS 15 on OnePlus 13 has greatly improved in terms of performance and features, and so has One UI 7 on Galaxy S25 Ultra. They both have their plus and minus points and are a subjective matter as each user prefers a different design, feel, and set of features in terms of software. While the OnePlus 13 will receive 5 OS updates and 6 years of security patches, Samsung promises 7 years of both, which clearly makes it the better option in long term. For those who want a larger set of AI features as well, One UI 7 is also better at that compared to OxygenOS.
Cameras & Battery
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra gets a quad-camera setup at the rear, including a 200 MP primary wide camera with dual pixel AF, OIS, f/1.7 aperture, paired with a 50MP ultra-wide camera with 120-degree FoV, f/1.9 aperture, a 50MP telephoto camera with 5x Optical Zoom support, OIS, f/3.4 Aperture and a 10MP telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom support, OIS and f/2.4 aperture. In addition, there’s a 12MP front sensor with an f/2.2 aperture for selfies and video calls.
The OnePlus handset has a triple camera setup at the rear including a 50MP f/1.6 Sony LYT-808 primary sensor with two-axis OIS, a 50MP f/2.0 Samsung JN5 ultra-wide angle sensor, and a 50MP f/2.6 Sony LYT-600 periscope telephoto camera with OIS, 3x Optical Zoom support and 120x Digital Zoomsupport. On the front, there is a 32MP f/2.4 Sony IMX615 sensor for selfies and video calls.
We haven’t used the devices side-by-side to compare the results in real world situations. Theoretically, the Samsung handset would perform better in taking zoomed-in shots due to the extra telephoto sensor but again, we can’t confirm the same unless we use them both. On paper, both the devices’ camera setup are capable and flagship-level.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra packs a 5000mAh battery which supports 45W wired charging, 15W wireless charging and reverse wireless charging as well. The OnePlus 13 is backed by a 6000mAh battery that supports 100W SuperVOOC charging, 50W wireless charging with magnetic charging support, 10W reverse wireless charging and 5W reverse wired charging.
Clearly, the OnePlus 13 is better pick if you want to have a bigger battery. Not only that, but the battery is made of the latest silicon carbon technology and it also supports faster wired and wireless charging compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Verdict
The OnePlus 13 and the Galaxy S25 Ultra are both versatile flagships. However, if you are short on budget and want a flagship experience where sheer raw performance paired with an overall decent experience is what you are looking for, the OnePlus 13 is a far superior pick, starting at Rs 69,999 for the base 12GB + 256GB model, Rs 76,999 for the 16GB + 512GB trim, and Rs 89,999 for the 24GB + 1TB version.
All these models cost less than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which only starts at Rs 1,29,999 for the 12GB + 256GB model, and costs Rs 1,41,999 for the 12GB + 512GB trim, and Rs 1,65,999 for the 12GB + 1TB trim.
However, if you are looking for the Samsung flagship experience with software that can last for years, S-Pen support, and don’t have any budget restrictions, then the S25 Ultra might suit you better.
