Head to head
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Xiaomi 14 Ultra leads 7 to 5 on the 12 rankable specs, but Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra costs $100 less.
Catalog as of September 1, 2026
Why, in numbers
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Google Pixel 8a$499OnePlus 12$799iPhone 16$799Google Pixel 9$799Samsung Galaxy S24$799Samsung Galaxy S25$799iPhone 17$799ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra$899iPhone 16 Plus$899OnePlus 13$899iPhone 16 Pro$999Google Pixel 9 Pro$999Samsung Galaxy S24+$999Samsung Galaxy S25+$999iPhone 17 Pro$999iPhone Air$999Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6$1,099Google Pixel 9 Pro XL$1,099iPhone 16 Pro Max$1,199iPhone 17 Pro Max$1,199Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra$1,299OnePlus Open$1,699Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold$1,799Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6$1,899Buying for
Your devices
Straight answer
Overall: 7 to 5
Buy the Xiaomi 14 Ultra.
- Leads 7 of 12 rankable overall specs; Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra takes 5.
- RAM: 16 GB LPDDR5X vs 12 GB
- Pixel density: ~522 ppi vs 505 ppi
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is $100 cheaper. Pay the difference only if ram matters to you.
Deal-breakers
tick what would make you walk away
- Trips:Xiaomi 14 Ultra · NoClear:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · Yes (built-in S Pen with Bluetooth LE)
- Trips:Xiaomi 14 Ultra · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · No
- Clear:Xiaomi 14 Ultra · Yes (90W adapter in box)Trips:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · No
- Trips:Xiaomi 14 Ultra · 4 major Android OS updates + 5 years se…Clear:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · 7 generations of OS upgrades & 7 years…
- Trips:Xiaomi 14 Ultra · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra · No
At a glance
The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.
Weight
Xiaomi
219.8 g
Samsung
219 g (7.72 oz)
Size
Xiaomi
6.73 inches
Samsung
6.9 inches
Chipset≠
Xiaomi
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm)
Samsung
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm)
RAM
Xiaomi
16 GB LPDDR5X
Samsung
12 GB (16 GB option)
Max optical zoom≠
Xiaomi
5x optical (up to 120x digital)
Samsung
5x optical zoom (10x optical quality, 100x Space Zoom)
Capacity≠
Xiaomi
5,000 mAh (5,300 mAh CN model)
Samsung
5,000 mAh
The 90-Day Owner Regret Check
Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.
Xiaomi: What to watch for
- Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
Samsung: What to watch for
- Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
Body
leads 2-0| Dimensions | 161.4 × 75.3 × 9.2 mm | 162.8 × 77.6 × 8.2 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 219.8 g | 219 g (7.72 oz) (wins this row: lower) |
| Build | Xiaomi Shield Glass front, vegan leather back, aluminum frame | Titanium frame with Gorilla Armor 2 front and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 back |
| Water / dust rating | IP68 (1.5 m / 30 min) | IP68 (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) |
| Colors | Black, White | Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Whitesilver |
| Stylus | No | Yes (built-in S Pen with Bluetooth LE) (wins this row: has it) |
Display
8 differences| Type | LTPO AMOLED, 68B colors | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.73 inches | 6.9 inches (wins this row: higher) |
| Resolution | 1440 × 3200 (WQHD+) | 3120 × 1440 (QHD+) (wins this row: higher) |
| Pixel density | ~522 ppi (wins this row: higher) | 505 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 1–120 Hz dynamic | 120 Hz (1–120Hz LTPO) |
| Peak brightness | 3,000 nits peak (wins this row: higher) | 2,600 nits peak |
| HDR | Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG | HDR10+, HLG |
| Protection | Xiaomi Shield Glass | Corning Gorilla Armor 2 (anti-reflective) |
| Always-on display | Yes | Yes |
Platform
5 differences| Operating system | HyperOS based on Android 14 | Android 15 (One UI 7) |
|---|---|---|
| Software support | 4 major Android OS updates + 5 years security | 7 generations of OS upgrades & 7 years security updates |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm) |
| CPU | 8-core (1× Cortex-X4 + 5× A720 + 2× A520) | 8-core Oryon CPU (2× 4.47 GHz Prime + 6× 3.53 GHz Performance) |
| GPU | Adreno 750 | Adreno 830 |
Memory
leads 2-0| RAM | 16 GB LPDDR5X (wins this row: higher) | 12 GB (16 GB option) |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 512 GB UFS 4.0 (wins this row: higher) | 256 GB |
| Storage options | 512 GB / 1 TB | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB (UFS 4.0) |
| microSD | No | No |
Rear camera
leads 1-0| Main | 50 MP 1-inch Sony LYT-900, f/1.63–f/4.0 variable aperture, 23 mm, OIS | 200 MP (f/1.7, 24mm, 1/1.3", multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS) (wins this row: higher) |
|---|---|---|
| Ultrawide | 50 MP Leica, f/1.8, 12 mm, 122° FOV | 50 MP (f/1.9, 120° FOV, Dual Pixel PDAF, macro) |
| Telephoto | 50 MP 3.2x optical (75 mm, f/1.8, OIS) + 50 MP 5x periscope (120 mm, f/2.5, OIS) | 50 MP 5x periscope (f/3.4, 115mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS) + 50 MP 3x (f/2.4, 67mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS) |
| Max optical zoom | 5x optical (up to 120x digital) | 5x optical zoom (10x optical quality, 100x Space Zoom) |
| Stabilization | OIS on main and both telephoto cameras | OIS on main and both telephoto cameras |
| Video | 8K 24/30 fps, 4K 24/30/60/120 fps, 10-bit Log, Dolby Vision | 8K at 30 fps, 4K at 30/60/120 fps, HDR10+, 10-bit LOG video |
Front camera
leads 1-0| Selfie camera | 32 MP, f/2.0, 22 mm (wins this row: higher) | 12 MP (f/2.2, 26mm, Dual Pixel PDAF) |
|---|---|---|
| Selfie video | 4K 60 fps | 4K at 30/60 fps |
Battery & charging
leads 2-0| Capacity | 5,000 mAh (5,300 mAh CN model) | 5,000 mAh |
|---|---|---|
| Wired chargingNot on the official sheet | 90 W HyperCharge (100% in ~33 min) (wins this row: higher) | 45W fast wired charging (up to 65% in 30 min) |
| Wireless charging | 80 W wireless HyperCharge (100% in ~46 min) | 15W Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 |
| Reverse wireless | 10 W reverse wireless | 4.5W Wireless PowerShare |
| Charger in box | Yes (90W adapter in box) (wins this row: has it) | No |
Audio
1 differences| Speakers | Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos and Hi-Res Audio | Stereo speakers tuned by AKG |
|---|---|---|
| Headphone jack | No | No |
Connectivity
5 differences| Cellular | 5G (sub-6) | 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be tri-band) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.4 | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes (Samsung Pay / Google Pay) |
| USB | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) | USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (DisplayPort video out) |
| SIM | Dual nano-SIM | Dual eSIM / Nano-SIM + eSIM |
Features
3 differences| Biometrics | Optical in-display fingerprint + AI Face Unlock | Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor + 2D Face unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Extra controls | Optional Leica Photography Kit with physical shutter button | S Pen air gestures |
| Standout features | Leica Summilux lenses, 1-inch sensor, Stepless variable aperture | Built-in S Pen, Galaxy AI 2.0 (Now Brief, Live Translate, Sketch to Image), Anti-reflective Gorilla Armor 2, Samsung DeX |
Which one should you buy
Pick this one if
Xiaomi 14 Ultra
Grey import in the US; official in other regions. Photography juggernaut with 1-inch LYT-900 sensor, stepless variable aperture, and quad Leica camera array.
- Quad 50MP Leica cameras with 1-inch stepless variable aperture
- Exceptional manual photography and 8K log video controls
- Bright C8 AMOLED display with 90W fast charging
What you give up
- Bulky camera bump affects flat tabletop resting
- HyperOS software has more bloatware than stock Android
Pick this one if
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Flagship titanium smartphone with Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, built-in S Pen, 200MP quad camera with 50MP ultrawide and 50MP 5x telephoto, and Galaxy AI.
- Top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite 3nm custom Galaxy performance
- Upgraded 50MP ultra-wide and dual 50MP telephoto sensors with 200MP main
- Corning Gorilla Armor 2 anti-reflective display and built-in S Pen stylus
What you give up
- Premium $1,299 starting price
- Wired charging remains at 45W
Best for each use
Photos
Tied on photos. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is cheaper.
Battery & updates
For battery & updates, buy the Xiaomi 14 Ultra.
Games & video
For games & video, buy the Xiaomi 14 Ultra.
Done deciding?
Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.
Manufacturer pages: Xiaomi 14 Ultra ↗ · Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra ↗
Common questions
Which is cheaper, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra costs $100 less at list price.
What is the biggest catch with the Xiaomi 14 Ultra or Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?
Xiaomi 14 Ultra has this deal-breaker: no stylus. No pen input for handwritten notes or markup.
Which is better for photos, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?
Tied on photos. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is cheaper. The 2 rankable photos specs split 1 to 1. Saves $100 at list price.
What cannot be compared from spec sheets?
Of the 48 specs tracked here, 36 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.