Apple is rarely the last major phone manufacturer to announce and launch a phone during the holiday season, but the iPhone 16 Pro Max has certainly benefited greatly from this changed launch schedule. It tops our list of best smartphones with great battery life, a larger screen, and impressive camera performance, beating out major rivals like the Pixel 9 Pro XL, OnePlus 12, and especially the Galaxy S24 Ultra. is no wonder. Knowing what’s at stake, Samsung is under even more pressure to ensure the Galaxy S25 Ultra succeeds in surpassing the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Considering how impressive Apple’s flagships have been, clearly the Galaxy S25 Ultra has a great act to follow. There are plenty of rumors and leaks hinting at bigger upgrades for the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but to enjoy the last laugh on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, we’ll take a look at what exactly this Android-powered model will entail.
Replacing the iPhone 16 Pro Max will require more than the usual upgrade, so we break down everything we know about the Galaxy S25 Ultra and break down exactly what Samsung needs to do. Masu.
the screen became brighter
Apple definitely went big with the iPhone 16 Pro Max. This is because they have managed to pack a slightly larger 6.9-inch display into a phone that is similar in size to its predecessor. Rumors also hint at the following: Galaxy S25 Ultra has a 6.9-inch display To match its major rivals, Samsung cannot afford to be inferior in the brightness field.
That’s because the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s peak brightness output of 1,553 nits already exceeds the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s mark of 1,363 nits. These numbers may not seem like a big difference on paper, but they make a big difference in making the screen more visible in direct sunlight. If Samsung really wants to make a statement, it actually needs to outdo another smartphone, the Pixel 9 Pro XL. The Pixel 9 Pro XL achieved an even better brightness of 2,469 nits in our tests.
Faster, more power efficient chips
According to rumors, the Galaxy S24 series will be powered by a combination of Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 and Exynos 2500 chipset. Still, the Galaxy S25 Ultra may only run on Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, given how past models opted for Qualcomm chips.
So far, early leaked benchmarks show that the yet-to-be-announced chips are powerful, reaching single-core scores of 3,069 and multi-core scores of 9,080 on Geekbench, respectively. While these results are good, there is still room for further improvement as the iPhone 16 Pro Max still offers a better single-core score at the moment.
More importantly, the power efficiency improvements in Qualcomm’s upcoming silicon could further improve the battery life of phones that use it.
Upgraded telephoto camera with variable functions
There are probably still plenty of die-hard Samsung faithful who are unhappy with the company’s decision to ditch the previous telephoto camera with 10x optical zoom on the S24 Ultra in favor of a shorter 5x camera. However, the Galaxy S25 Ultra may have something attractive in store. Rumor has it that the S25 Ultra will have a telephoto camera with a “variable function”, with a fixed focal length between 4-5x zoom and 6-7x zoom.
This implementation has a significant impact on the S25 Ultra’s video recording capabilities, as it allows for smooth zooming over the entire range. All of this may seem like enough to beat the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s 12MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, but Samsung’s upgraded telephoto camera could yield better results. We believe that there is.
AI-assisted 4K 120fps video recording
When Apple debuted 4K 120fps video recording on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, it left an unforgettable impression on everyone. This allows the phone to shoot at that resolution and frame rate, and the videographer can later choose which parts of the video to slow down. The Galaxy S24 Ultra offers 8K 30fps recording, which is great in itself, but shooting 4K at a higher frame rate seems more practical.
Samsung could at least match Apple with a decent 4K 120fps capture mode, but as we’ve seen with Galaxy AI, it can make existing footage even better. We have seen how Instant Slow Motion can help you apply slow motion effects to any video. So it’s quite possible that Samsung could effectively deliver 4K 240fps by using generated AI to add frames to the existing 4K. Due to the 120fps clip, video capture is even slower than what Apple offers.
Audio mix using external microphone
Another new feature Apple introduced this year with the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max is the ability to edit audio mixes. Essentially, it leverages the iPhone’s four studio-quality microphones to adjust the audio to your liking, including suppressing ambient noise around your subject.
Again, Samsung could simply steal this feature, but they could also improve on it by offering a similar feature that also supports external microphones. I tested this on my iPhone 16 Pro Max and the audio mix is not available if the video is recorded with an external microphone. Adding that feature to the Galaxy S25 Ultra would be an advantage, especially if the phone is recording from a more remote location.
Support for external microphones allows you to improve audio mixing in post with clearer audio. This is not possible without introducing some distortion to amplify audio far away from the phone.
Revamped DeX experience
Samsung DeX isn’t exactly new, but the desktop PC-like mode could be a game-changer on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. We mentioned how it adds tremendous value to phones like the S24 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 6 by allowing them to essentially function like laptops or desktop PCs. , Samsung needs to amplify the experience in some way to really sell the S25 Ultra. A workable computer in your pocket.
There are many ways Samsung can make this happen quickly. For example, new gestures could make the S Pen more useful and turn it into a useful mouse. Just imagine. Move the S Pen in the air to move the cursor in the interface. It really needs an overhaul.
