Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra has been on shelves since March, which usually means one thing for shoppers: the previous flagship gets more interesting rather than less. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 5G is still a current, fully supported flagship in the UK, and now it's worth asking plainly — does the newer model actually make enough difference to justify the extra outlay, or is last year's Ultra still the smarter buy?

What Actually Changed With the S26 Ultra

According to Samsung's own comparison of the two generations, the S26 Ultra's main camera moved to a wider f/1.4 aperture that lets in significantly more light for night photography and video, and the phone now supports 60W wired charging, up from 45W on the S25 Ultra. Reviewers who've tested both side by side describe the improvements as real but incremental — a slimmer, more rounded body, a faster chipset, and better low-light photos, rather than a dramatic leap forward.

Where the S25 Ultra Still Holds Its Own

Strip away the refinements and the two phones share more than they differ on. Both use the same 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display at the same resolution and refresh rate, both carry a 200MP main sensor alongside matching ultra-wide and telephoto lenses, and both include the built-in S Pen. The S25 Ultra also keeps its titanium frame, which some buyers prefer to the S26 Ultra's switch to aluminium, even if the newer phone is very slightly slimmer as a result.