OnePlus 13 Vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Samsung Should Be Worried… [Video]

The OnePlus 13 was the first “big” Android phone out of the blocks for 2025, but now it has a challenger in the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Which is the best of the bunch, though? Here’s what you need to know.

When we look at the smartphone landscape, there are always a few standouts. Last year, we waxed lyrical about the OnePlus 12. It felt like the first time you could pick up a OnePlus phone that wasn’t weak in any particular area. The price was very competitive, and it did all that without trying to force AI into OxygenOS to differentiate it from other flagship phones.

Any new Samsung phone effectively demands we sit up and pay attention, but the OnePlus 13 has clearly set sights on the Galaxy S25 Ultra this year by going out early. It does much the same, but again, at a lower price point. Here’s how these two superphones stack up.

Hardware and design

These two phones couldn’t be more different in execution. Samsung sharpened things up and ditched the curves for the first time on an S-series phone. OnePlus is softer and more approachable, and it even has a vegan leather option, which feels about as good as any phone backplate I’ve ever held. If you like this design, the OnePlus 13 is also marginally lighter at 210g vs. 218g.

It’s great that we have differentiators, but there are some minor similarities. Android OEMs have decided to copy some of Apple’s homework, with flat sides being en vogue for 2025—or so it seems. The OnePlus 13 has softer chamfers, which makes it easier to handle. The S25 Ultra is a lot sharper, and you basically need a case at all times, in my opinion. The chassis sizes are really similar and the chamfers on the OnePlus 13 hide that it’s a little thicker than the Galaxy S25 Ultra despite the fact the Samsung has an extra in-body accessory.

Getting the S Pen is a blessing and a curse in some ways. It’s a blessing because it gives you some pro-level productivity options. It’s a curse because it’s not as capable as the previous Galaxy S Pen. If you like to annotate, make handwritten notes, and have precise selections, it’s still unrivaled. You do get better water and dust ingress protection on the OnePlus, though, because it can withstand a little more water pressure.

There is also the big display differentiation that we need to discuss. The Galaxy S25 Ultra screen specs are similar to those of the OnePlus 13 panel. The ace up the sleeve of the S25 Ultra is the anti-glare coating. It makes a huge difference and elevates an already superb screen to the best in the business.

That’s not all, as the Samsung phones’ truly flat panel is easier to use and has smaller uniform bezels on all sides. OnePlus has flattened out the screen, but there are tiny frame edge curves and the bezels are more visible.

Software

One UI 7 and OxygenOS 15 have improved so rapidly that they are actually really great options for people who don’t like the admittedly “plain” Android build running on Google Pixel phones. Visually, these two skins are more aligned than ever before. Big, bold, bright, and built with customization in mind.

Thanks to the combination of insanely high-end internals, that top-tier Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, and fast storage, everything on these phones flies. There is a minor overclock on the Galaxy S25 Ultra SoC, but you probably wouldn’t notice a major performance uplift. Everything from gaming to general use is a breeze, and it should be, as these are two of the best on-paper Android systems on the planet.

The OnePlus has a memory edge with its 16GB maximum RAM allocation. Despite having lots of AI-based capabilities, Samsung stuck with 12GB of RAM on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. This isn’t a problem right now, but it could be later down the line. You can mitigate this with the RAM Plus feature, but OxygenOS has the same function and, therefore, even more options to expand physical memory with virtual memory – up to 24GB.

AI is also a greater component in the core of One UI 7 on Galaxy phones this year. You can do more system-level things like contextual search, multi-modal controls for apps like Messages, and various other things you’d ordinarily do yourself. On OnePlus 13 and in OxygenOS 15, the AI features are more passive. These include AI tuning for images, better file search, contextual file search, and are less tied to how you use your phone rather how you use specific tools in apps.

Which you prefer, depends heavily on if you like AI enhancement or prefer AI aid. Samsung will continue to lead the way here as Galaxy AI continues to work and progress, plus deeper integration with Gemini means you’ll likely get these features earlier than most OnePlus phones. Throw in a 7-year update plan for Samsung and a disappointing 4-year OS update schedule with 6 years of patches for the OnePlus, and you may be leaning one way.

Camera

At least until you want to zoom in, these are fairly similar camera systems all told. The differences boil down to tuning and processing. Samsung has dialed back the over saturation, while OnePlus has Hasselblad color science on board to help produce some of the best photos around.

Because the Galaxy S25 Ultra has a higher-resolution 200MP main sensor, you will get a substantial detail boost when taking photos. It also has a better zoom with the 5x optical lens. Everywhere else, it’s simply a matter of preference as to which system you prefer, but there is a marginal edge here in favor of the Samsung.

OnePlus has made great strides with their camera systems in recent years and it’s a very good, competent setup here that more than holds its own against what in the past would have been an easy win for Samsung.

You get tons of extra modes across both handsets to enhance photos, try out new looks or styles, and it’s a very good way to differentiate your own images.

Video modes are similarly stacked here all the way up to 8K resolution and LOG profiles also thrown in for good measure. Samsung has another slim edge here; video is more or less their field of expertise on Android, but good video is becoming more common, and the OnePlus 13 does a great job at up to 8K with solid stabilization and sharpness.

Battery

Qualcomm’s newest top-tier chip is incredibly efficient, but when you consider that the OnePlus 13 has a whopping 6,000mAh cell tucked neatly inside, it will have an undoubted edge. It’s a two-day phone for all but the most addicted owner.

That’s not even mentioning the new Silicon-carbon battery cell. It handles higher temperatures better, which means it’s just more stable in various usage scenarios. It vastly outperforms the Galaxy S25 Ultra and its 5,000mAh lithium-ion cell. One area this is important is when you want to activate certain battery-intensive functions. The drop in lifespan is less pronounced on the OnePlus 13.

There is also the added bonus of 50W wireless and 80W wired charging for the US. That goes up to 100W in global markets and puts the paltry 45W wired and 15W wireless charging of the Galaxy S25 Ultra to shame.

Lifespan, battery tech, and charging is where the OnePlus 13 really puts the Galaxy S25 Ultra to shame.

OnePlus 13 vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Which is the better top-tier smartphone package?

About upgrading: 9to5Google often gives specific product recommendations. Sometimes, we may suggest not upgrading, due to various reasons including, but not limited to: increased device cost, negligible performance gains, or environmental impact. Whether to upgrade is always your call, but our aim is to help you make as informed a decision as possible.

One of the most interesting things about comparing the OnePlus 13 and the Galaxy S25 Ultra is how closely they match up, given the large price discrepancy.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra starts at $1,299 off the contract, while the exact same configuration, the OnePlus 13, is just $899. There aren’t many reasons to pay an extra $500 when the same core formula is so similar. It’s priced closer to the entry-level Galaxy S25 phone – which also means it’s in a league of its own in terms of price-to-performance.

It’s another case of a flagship OnePlus phone punching slightly above its weight, as the brand has done for a couple of years. Effectively, you’re getting 95% of the Galaxy S25 Ultra experience but at an almost 40% lower start price. There are lots of reasons to go with a Samsung phone, but this year, OnePlus is firmly in the Korean tech giant’s rearview mirror, trying desperately to overtake, and to me, that’s a good thing because Samsung needs to be pressed harder to make better products.

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