Poco F7 Ultra vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Flagship Power Clash – Cameras, Display, Performance & Battery Compared

March 31, 2025

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The ultra flagship battle is here, and it’s one you’ll want to pay attention to. On one side, we have the newly launched Poco F7 Ultra—Xiaomi’s bold entry into the elite tier with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and a price tag that’s almost half of its competition. On the other, we have the Galaxy S25 Ultra—Samsung’s powerhouse, packed with refined software, a legendary camera setup, and years of optimization behind it.

So what do you really get for that extra $500 with the Galaxy? And can Poco’s top-tier specs hold their ground in real-world usage? From camera testing at Austria’s Styria festival to full-day battery runs and in-depth benchmarks, I’ve put both phones through a rigorous side-by-side comparison.

This isn’t just a spec sheet war—it’s about what you actually experience in daily use. Whether it’s watching videos on a sunny day, shooting in LOG, or simply seeing which device heats up less during a 5G video call, we’ve got it all covered.

So, is the S25 Ultra really worth double the price of the Poco F7 Ultra? Let’s break it down piece by piece, starting with the design and build.

Design and Build Quality:

Both the Poco F7 Ultra and Galaxy S25 Ultra offer premium builds, but their approaches to design and ergonomics vary. Starting with the materials, both devices feature matte aluminum frames and frosted glass backs. However, Samsung clearly specifies the use of Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for added durability, while Poco doesn’t disclose the exact type of glass used. This difference might not matter in daily use, but it’s still worth noting for long-term wear and scratch resistance.

In the hand, the Poco feels slightly bulkier. It weighs around 214g, compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 232g. However, despite the heavier spec sheet on paper, the Galaxy feels slightly more balanced due to better weight distribution. One thing you’ll notice on flat surfaces—the Poco wobbles more because of its larger, off-center camera bump.

The back design is another key differentiator. The S25 Ultra features a minimalistic look with vertically aligned lenses, which has now become Samsung’s signature. Meanwhile, the Poco opts for a bold and larger camera island—more flashy and aggressive in appearance, especially in the iconic Poco Yellow finish. If you’re into clean aesthetics, Samsung’s design likely appeals more.

Both phones are IP68-rated, so water resistance isn’t a concern. The flat edges on both phones give them a modern, premium feel, although Poco’s slightly rounded frame edges help a bit with grip. The button placements are nearly identical, with volume and power on the right side and SIM trays at the bottom.

The only design quirk that sets the Poco apart is its inclusion of an IR blaster—tucked neatly inside the camera module. It’s a niche but practical feature for users who still use their phone as a remote. All in all, Samsung’s design feels more refined, while Poco brings a bit more flair and function.

Display Specs and Features:

When it comes to the display, both the Poco F7 Ultra and the Galaxy S25 Ultra are equipped with high-end AMOLED panels that push flagship standards—but with some key differences that could sway your decision.

The Poco F7 Ultra features a 6.67-inch QHD+ 12-bit Flow AMOLED display, which translates into deeper color gradients and better color depth than the S25 Ultra’s 8-bit panel. That 12-bit capability gives Poco an edge for users who care about color vibrancy and finer tonal transitions, especially when viewing HDR content.

On the other hand, the Galaxy S25 Ultra offers a slightly larger 6.8-inch QHD+ AMOLED screen and Samsung’s signature anti-reflective coating. This feature shines—literally—in bright conditions and direct sunlight, reducing glare significantly and improving readability outdoors. It’s a standout in real-world use.

Both displays support a 120Hz refresh rate, with adaptive LTPO tech that allows them to dynamically scale from 1Hz to 120Hz to save battery. They also feature HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support, so media consumption feels premium on either phone.

When comparing brightness, the S25 Ultra maxes out at around 2,600+ nits peak brightness, while Poco F7 Ultra hits about 1,500 nits. That makes Samsung’s screen the winner in pure luminance, especially for outdoor visibility.

For protection, the S25 Ultra comes with Gorilla Glass Victus 2, while the Poco F7 Ultra uses Xiaomi’s custom Shield Glass, which has improved drop resistance but is not as widely tested or recognized as Gorilla Glass.

Both phones feature ultrasonic under-display fingerprint scanners, which is an upgrade for Poco, as its previous phones used optical scanners. These ultrasonic sensors are more reliable and secure, even with slightly wet fingers.

The bottom line: Samsung delivers a more polished, outdoor-ready panel with better anti-glare and brightness, while Poco impresses with its higher bit-depth and strong HDR color performance.

Performance And Chipsets:

When it comes to raw CPU performance, both the Poco F7 Ultra and Galaxy S25 Ultra are equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Elite, but Samsung’s variant is slightly customized with higher prime core clock speeds. Running Geekbench 6, the difference was measurable but not drastic. The Galaxy S25 Ultra scored 2,300 in single-core and 9,800 in multi-core, while the Poco F7 Ultra came in slightly lower with 2,100 single-core and 8,800 multi-core.

To push things further, we enabled Performance Mode on the Poco and re-ran the test. While it did close the gap, the Galaxy still edged ahead in multi-core performance. In daily usage, the difference isn’t major unless you’re doing heavy multitasking or CPU-intensive tasks like 4K video rendering or large-scale editing projects.

In terms of thermal management, the Galaxy stayed cooler under load, likely due to better internal heat dissipation. However, the Poco did not throttle too heavily, and stayed stable even during prolonged CPU benchmarks. Overall, both phones are excellent performers, but the Galaxy’s slight edge is evident in synthetic testing.

Gaming Performance And Tests:

To assess GPU and sustained gaming performance, we ran the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test on both devices. This benchmark is designed to simulate extended high-performance gaming scenarios and measure GPU stability over 20 loops.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra once again pulled ahead slightly with a best loop score of around 6,600 and a stability score of 78%. The Poco F7 Ultra scored approximately 6,100 on its best loop, with stability around 72%. This suggests that while both phones are incredibly capable in GPU tasks, the Galaxy maintains performance a little more consistently over time.

That said, the Poco did impress by keeping heat levels relatively in check considering the thin chassis and fast charging system. During the stress test, the Poco peaked at around 54°C, while the Galaxy peaked just slightly lower at 52°C. While these temps may seem high, they are within acceptable limits for modern mobile chipsets under stress.

In gaming terms, both devices deliver top-tier frame rates in demanding titles like Genshin Impact, COD Mobile, and PUBG New State. The Galaxy tends to remain more stable under extended sessions, while Poco might throttle slightly after 30–40 minutes depending on ambient temperature.

Battery Life and Charging Speed:

When it comes to battery and charging, the Poco F7 Ultra holds a slight advantage in capacity and a major lead in charging speed. It packs a 5,300mAh battery, compared to the 5,000mAh unit inside the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Both phones offer excellent endurance, but Poco’s edge in size and less aggressive thermal tuning gives it a small bump in longevity.

In real-world mixed usage — including photography, YouTube playback, light gaming, and navigation — the Poco F7 Ultra finished the day with around 55%, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra had about 51% left. Not a huge difference, but noticeable if you’re someone who pushes their device through a full day.

Where things really shift is in charging speed. The Poco supports 120W HyperCharge, which gets the battery from 0 to 100% in just 34 minutes. That’s almost twice as fast as the Galaxy’s 45W wired charging, which only reached about 65% in the same timeframe.

Wireless charging tells a similar story. Poco offers 50W wireless charging, while the Galaxy tops out at 15W. Both phones support reverse wireless charging, but Poco’s overall charging experience feels next-level — especially for those constantly on the go.

System And Software Updates:

When it comes to software, the Poco F7 Ultra runs HyperOS 2 based on Android 15, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra ships with One UI 7, also based on Android 15. While both phones are running the same core Android version, the experiences they offer are notably different — both in polish and feature set.

One UI 7 has matured into one of the most feature-rich and intuitive Android skins available. Samsung has added a clean new animations engine, a redesigned quick settings panel, and features like the “Now Bar” for contextual updates. It also includes advanced AI features like Sketch-to-Image, Instant Slow-Mo, Generative Wallpaper, and Samsung DeX, which turns your phone into a desktop computer.

HyperOS, on the other hand, feels newer and lighter. It’s focused on fluidity and customization. Poco has added tools like AI Photo Enhancer, AI Eraser, and Text Recognition in the gallery. There’s also AI voice transcription in the Recorder app and visual enhancements like Lock screen personalization and AI wallpapers (though these haven’t fully rolled out globally yet).

One UI’s strength lies in consistency and depth. HyperOS still feels more experimental — you get more frequent visual tweaks and playful design, but the deeper ecosystem integration that Samsung offers (especially if you have a Galaxy Watch, Buds, or Tab) is lacking.

Update-wise, Samsung leads again. The Galaxy S25 Ultra gets 7 years of OS and security updates, while the Poco F7 Ultra promises 4 years of OS updates and 6 years of security patches — impressive, but not unbeatable.

If you’re after a clean, stable, deeply integrated experience with long-term support, One UI 7 wins. But if you’re excited by lightweight UI, snappy performance, and playful AI tools, HyperOS still has a lot to love.

Cameras Specs and Performance:

Camera Housing

The Poco F7 Ultra features a large camera bump on the back that’s bold and unmistakable, giving the phone a distinct visual identity. However, this bump causes more wobble when placed on a flat surface. In contrast, the Galaxy S25 Ultra opts for Samsung’s cleaner, minimalistic triple-ring design—no island, just separate lenses—which helps reduce wobble and keeps the phone looking sleek.

Both phones use matte glass backs, but only the Galaxy confirms Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection, while Poco uses unspecified shield glass. Aesthetically, the S25 Ultra’s housing feels more mature, while Poco leans more aggressive.

Main Lens Pictures

Both phones come with a 50MP main sensor, but the S25 Ultra has a larger sensor, giving it a natural advantage in shallow depth of field and low-light performance. During tests, the Poco delivered punchier colors with higher contrast, leaning slightly magenta in tone, similar to Leica’s Vivid profile found on Xiaomi flagships.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra, on the other hand, favors a more natural tone with a cooler white balance and slightly lifted shadows. In daylight photos, both performed well, but Samsung had a more consistent dynamic range, especially in sky detail and highlight retention.

LOG

What’s surprising is that both devices support LOG video profiles—a feature normally reserved for pro video shooters. The S25 Ultra’s LOG footage offers better flexibility and more accurate base footage for post-production grading.

Poco’s LOG footage, while slightly more processed, still provides creators with an impressive amount of latitude for color grading. For those who plan on doing serious video editing, this levels the playing field considerably between the two.

Portrait Mode

Portrait mode is solid on both phones, but Poco often handled hair segmentation slightly better in our testing, particularly with challenging subjects like curly or wind-blown hair. At 1x, both use their main sensor for portraits, and at 3x, the Galaxy S25 Ultra utilizes its dedicated 3x telephoto lens.

The resulting images are sharper and more natural, especially in terms of facial highlights and shadows. The Poco also does a good job, especially at 3x, but its portrait mode is capped there—unlike Samsung, which offers 5x portrait capabilities using its second telephoto lens.

Video Main and Telephoto

In video performance, the S25 Ultra holds the edge thanks to better exposure handling, white balance, and overall stabilization. At 4K, Samsung’s footage is flatter and more color-accurate, which allows for greater post-editing control.

Poco’s footage tends to be more vibrant with higher saturation and contrast, but sometimes overexposed. When zooming with the telephoto lens, Samsung retains detail better at 5x, while Poco struggles slightly with exposure and sharpness beyond 3x.

Telephoto Pictures

The Poco F7 Ultra features a single 2.5x optical telephoto lens, while the S25 Ultra includes two: 3x and 5x telephoto shooters. Up to 5x zoom, Poco’s results are respectable, especially in good lighting and when photographing buildings or static subjects. At 10x and beyond, the difference widens, with the Galaxy producing sharper and more natural-looking images. Poco relies heavily on computational photography at higher zoom levels, resulting in more smoothing and artificial sharpening. At 30x, Galaxy remains clear, while Poco begins to lose fidelity significantly.

Ultrawide Lens

The Poco comes with an ultrawide camera that delivers saturated images with noticeable contrast. Samsung’s 12MP ultrawide camera focuses on more balanced exposure and natural color rendition.

When zoomed in, Poco’s images showed higher contrast, sometimes making skin tones too harsh or faces overly sharp. Indoors, both performed similarly in terms of detail, though the Galaxy captured better white balance. For video, Samsung again edges ahead with smoother stabilization and more accurate color grading from the ultrawide shooter.

Selfie

On paper, the selfie sensors may seem evenly matched, but in practice, the Galaxy S25 Ultra performs better. It handles sky exposure more accurately, maintains natural skin tones, and has less overprocessing overall. Poco selfies were found to be a bit overexposed with magenta tinting, and its stabilization in selfie video was noticeably worse.

Additionally, the Poco F7 Ultra is limited to 1080p selfie video, while the S25 Ultra supports 4K at 60fps—ideal for vloggers or content creators who want maximum quality from the front-facing camera.

Poco F7 Ultra vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra “Pros And Cons”:

6 Pros

Poco F7 Ultra:

More Affordable: Costs nearly half of the S25 Ultra while still offering flagship-grade performance.
120W Fast Charging: Fully charges in ~34 minutes, significantly faster than the Galaxy’s 45W.
Larger Battery: 5300mAh vs. 5000mAh offers slightly better longevity in moderate use.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Elite: Delivers top-tier performance in gaming and multitasking.
LOG Video Mode: Rare to see in this price range — allows creative video post-processing.
Punchier Photos: Leica-style color profile gives more vibrant and social-media-ready photos.

Galaxy S25 Ultra:

Better Camera System: Dual telephoto lenses, superior zoom, and more natural processing.
Superior Display: Anti-reflective coating and more accurate color tone in harsh sunlight.
7 Years of Updates: Longer software support with more feature-rich One UI 7 experience.

3 Cons

Poco F7 Ultra lacks wireless charging (though reverse wired charging is available).
S25 Ultra takes much longer to fully charge (about 80+ minutes compared to Poco’s 34).
Poco struggles beyond 10x zoom and in video stabilization compared to Galaxy’s cleaner results.

Verdict

The Poco F7 Ultra and Galaxy S25 Ultra are both standout devices in 2025, but they serve different types of users. The Poco F7 Ultra delivers on raw value — it packs the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Elite, super-fast 120W charging, a large 5300mAh battery, and surprisingly strong camera capabilities for almost half the price of the S25 Ultra. It’s the go-to phone if you’re looking for high-end performance and a flashy design without breaking the bank.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra, however, remains the gold standard for refinement. It edges out in camera versatility, especially in zoom performance, video processing, and low-light photography. It also provides better long-term value with 7 years of software support, a more mature One UI experience, wireless S Pen functionality, and a truly brilliant anti-reflective display.

In daily use, the Galaxy feels more premium — both in build and polish — while the Poco brings surprising power and speed. If you need the absolute best Android flagship, the S25 Ultra justifies the premium. But if you’re looking to save a good chunk of cash and still get flagship-level performance, the Poco F7 Ultra is a fantastic alternative.

Both are great, but the better one depends on your needs — refinement vs. value.

BUY SAMSUNG Galaxy S25 Ultra here

BUY Poco F7 Ultra here

(FAQ) About Poco F7 Ultra vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra

Is the Poco F7 Ultra better than the Galaxy S25 Ultra for gaming?

Both phones are excellent for gaming with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Elite, but the Poco F7 Ultra stays cooler and charges faster, making it a better choice for long sessions.

Which phone has better zoom performance — Poco F7 Ultra or Galaxy S25 Ultra?

The Galaxy S25 Ultra wins here with two telephoto lenses offering 3x and 5x optical zoom, and up to 100x digital zoom with better clarity.

Does the Poco F7 Ultra support wireless charging?

Yes, it supports 50W wireless charging and 120W wired charging — making it one of the fastest charging phones in the market.

How long will the Galaxy S25 Ultra receive software updates?

Samsung promises 7 years of Android OS and security updates for the S25 Ultra — the longest in the Android ecosystem.

Which phone offers a better selfie camera — Poco or Galaxy?

Both are close, but the Galaxy S25 Ultra handles highlight retention and stabilization better, especially in bright or shaky conditions.