Samsung Galaxy S25+ vs Vivo X300 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S25+

Same 4,900 mAh cell as the S24+, same 45W wired and 15W wireless charging caps. The more efficient Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy pushes real-world endurance comfortably to a full day with 25-40% remaining. Real charge time is ~75 minutes wall-to-100% on a 65W charger. The Qi2 Ready implementation without built-in magnets is the consistent frustration, and reviewers note that OnePlus 13's silicon-carbon battery and ~40-minute full charge time make Samsung look complacent here.

• The 4,900mAh battery goes all day even with more pixels to light up — frequently ended a day with around 40 to 30 percent battery left and roughly five to six hours of screen-on time.
• On several occasions the S25 Plus lasted over 24 hours on a single charge with at least six hours of screen-on time and 10-20% remaining — battery life can satisfy even demanding users.
• A quick ten-minute top-up nets around 25%, 50% in 25 minutes, 75% in 40 minutes, and a full charge averages about 1 hour 10 minutes — fastest test was 64 minutes.
• Pales in comparison to rivals like the OnePlus 13 which achieves a full charge in under 40 minutes — OnePlus 13's 50W magnetic charger is effectively faster than the S25 Plus on a 45W charger.
• Qi2 is one of the most exciting features coming to Android in 2025, but the S25 Plus is Qi2 Ready only — no built-in magnets, so you need a separate magnetic case and third-party options are hit-or-miss.
• Galaxy S25+ carries slightly better battery life than the S24+ — a full day with around 25% left over by the evening, versus the S24+ ending around 20%.
• Connecting to a 65W charger, after 15 minutes nearly 45%, after 30 minutes 72% — Samsung's slower 45W cap is a deliberate trade for long-term battery health.
• An r/Android upgrader said it best: 'I just wish it was using the new silicon lithium batteries that OnePlus has' — Samsung's choice to stick with the same 4,900 mAh cell is the most-criticized hardware decision in the lineup.

Vivo X300 Ultra

Vivo grew the silicon-carbon cell 10% to 6,600mAh while keeping the body the same size. Real-world endurance is strong — ~16h active-use score, ~7h heavy screen-on, 13–14 hour days with charge to spare — and 100W wired refills it in under an hour, with 40W wireless.

• Vivo increased the battery by 10% to 6,600mAh despite the phone being practically the same size on paper.
• In our battery test it earned an active-use score of almost 16 hours; 100W charging took it 0–66% in 30 minutes and a full charge in 46 minutes, plus 40W wireless. A charger is in the box except in Europe.
• On the China version I'm finishing entire 13–14 hour days with 25–30% left; the global version keeps the 6,600mAh cell so battery life should comfortably last 12–13 hours of heavy use.
• Getting nearly 7 hours of screen-on time with very heavy usage from the 6,600mAh silicon-carbon unit, with 100W wired and 40W wireless charging support.
• After a 4-hour heavy-usage simulation the phone still had ~45% battery left, which is solid by today's standards, and 100W wired charging takes about 45 minutes to full.

Samsung Galaxy S25+

One UI 7 on Android 15 is the consensus high point of the phone — a split notification/quick-settings shade, vertical app drawer, Now Bar live-activity pill on the lock screen, and a snappier feel overall. Gemini replaces Bixby as the long-press default but Bixby still lurks for Samsung-app features. Seven years of OS upgrades and security patches (through January 2032) match Google and beat virtually everyone else. The Galaxy AI free-tier expires end of 2025 with paid pricing still undisclosed.

• Samsung's One UI 7.0 is a significant update introducing a Dynamic Island-like Now Bar, a split notification and quick settings shade and subtle design updates throughout — a welcome refresh.
• One UI 7 is one of the fastest user experiences Samsung has ever made — the Galaxy S25 Plus remains as fast as it was on the first day with no signs of the sluggishness on past Samsung phones.
• Of all the Android skins, One UI 7 is the most refined, the most consistent and the easiest to get along with — Samsung is matched only by Google for software longevity.
• Samsung committed to 7 years of updates lasting until January 31, 2032 — Android security patches rolled out monthly.
• One UI 7 feels more snappy and cleaner — can find everything in a matter of seconds thanks to Galaxy AI's models at work almost everywhere.
• Bixby is still lurking in the background even with Gemini as the new long-press default — Galaxy AI's most-promoted features run off Samsung's own apps, not Google's.
• On r/Android, S23 owners on One UI 7 say it 'feels just as snappy as the S25' — Samsung's commitment to bringing One UI 7 back to older phones erodes the upgrade case further.
• Samsung's AI sales pitch revolves around software — much of which will almost certainly be ported to previous S-series phones in short order, making the upgrade case weaker.

Vivo X300 Ultra

Origin OS 6 (Funtouch with full Google services on the global model) is clean and not over-baked with AI, and Vivo now commits to 5 OS upgrades plus 7 years of security patches. The launch software was rough but patched quickly; there's no longer a configurable camera action button.

• Despite being a Chinese device using Google services, you get 5 years of OS updates and 7 years of security updates — a solid, much-improved commitment.
• AI is present across the camera and day-to-day tools, but unlike Samsung you don't have to use AI in every single sense — it's not overbaked to the nth degree.
• Origin OS 6 introduces more transparency in the UI; brands like Vivo and Oppo have changed a lot over the past two years, easing the usual Chinese-variant fears.
• Being the first global launch for a Vivo Ultra there was an early-software rough patch, but an update arrived about 4 days later — the kind of thing Vivo can fix easily via software.

Samsung Galaxy S25+

At $999 the S25+ is unchanged in price from the S24+ and shares chip, AI, display tech, build and updates with the $1,299 Ultra. But the competitive landscape at this price has hardened: the OnePlus 13 starts at $900 with silicon-carbon battery, faster charging and IP69; the Pixel 9 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro start at $1,000 with better cameras. Reviewers consensus: if you want a big Samsung flagship for $300 less than Ultra and you're upgrading from an older Plus or non-Samsung phone, the S25+ is a sensible choice. If you have an S23+ or S24+, there's no reason to upgrade.

• The list of reasons to upgrade to an S25+ aside from 'my current phone stopped working and I need a new one' is awfully thin — if you're happy with your current S-series phone, there's no compelling reason to upgrade.
• The S25, S25+ and S25 Ultra are powerful, reliable and well-equipped — they're excellent upgrades from a three or four-year-old device, just not otherwise interesting or exciting.
• For the same $1,000, you can buy the OnePlus 13, Pixel 9 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro — all three offer a better overall experience.
• The Galaxy S25+ is a good phone that will suit many buyers — great display, great design, good camera and powerful — but it's hard to recommend as an upgrade if you have a recent device.
• The most powerful chip on the market gives the Galaxy S25+ a bigger fighting chance than ever — a balanced flagship with premium screen, great cameras, not as large as Ultra and more feature-rich than the small S25.
• Currently one of the best smartphones on the market when it comes to features and performance — but improvements compared to its predecessor are very modest.
• If you're on an older phone like the S22 or S23, you'll likely feel a huge difference — at $999 (same as last year), this isn't a bad deal but definitely isn't advice to upgrade from an S24 right away.
• The S25 Plus might just be the phone to recommend to most people looking at Samsung's lineup — nearly all the features of the S25 Ultra, same chipset and software, for $300 less.
• Traded into the S25+ over the Ultra this year specifically for the Coral Red color and the smaller form factor — the Ultra is excellent but too big and heavy for many buyers.
• r/Android upgraders who handled both in-store consistently picked the Plus over the Ultra: 'spent like 20 minutes in the store going back and forth, but it was just too big and heavy, the Plus feels way better especially with smaller hands.'
• On r/Android, the most-upvoted critique is that the camera held buyers back from picking the Plus: 'wanted to get the S25+ but man, why does the camera have to be trash' — but the Ultra is too big and heavy for most.

Vivo X300 Ultra

This is a deliberately niche, camera-first flagship: roughly €1,175 in China for 512GB, around £1,399 globally for the phone, and close to €2,600 for the full kit. For the people it's aimed at it draws some of the strongest praise of any 2026 phone; for everyone else, a cheaper X300 Pro or the Oppo Find X9 Ultra may make more sense.

• Last year's X200 Ultra was, in my opinion, one of the best smartphones of 2025 — and this is the best smartphone I've ever used, with the best camera application I've ever used, provided with zero script from Vivo.
• The cameras are nothing short of amazing — this is the best Android camera phone, with image quality better than anything from Samsung.
• The versatility here is just ridiculous — more like a phone in a camera than the other way around, a camera system built from the sum of its many parts.
• If you accept the 35mm main, are willing to tolerate AI processing in some scenes, and don't mind the front-camera stabilisation limits, this Vivo is an excellent choice.