The true Ultra phone?
Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra is all set to be one hell of a flagship. It’s twice the size of the Razr Ultra 2025 and will feature far superior cameras, a more powerful processor, bigger battery, and much longer software update support.
Pros
- Privacy Display feature looks promising
- New design should make it more ergonomic
- Will be supported for a long time
- Could have native Qi2 charging with built-in magnets
- Will have Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC
Cons
- Prices could increase
- Much larger than the Razr Ultra 2025
Fun-sized power
The Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 features a flagship Qualcomm chip, very good dust and water proofing, a fabulous folding screen, and all-day battery life. It’s sleeker and more compact than the Galaxy S26 Ultra and the outer display lets you get a lot done without ever needing to unfold the phone.
Pros
- Design improvements with IP48, wood and Alcantara finishes
- The titanium-reinforced hinge feels much sturdier
- All-day battery and fast charging
- Functional cover screen
- Some fun and unique AI features
- Punchy images and the return of the ultrawide sensor
Cons
- Moto AI feels less mature than Samsung and Google offerings
- AI Key feels like a wasted opportunity
- Software promise falls behind the competition
- Expensive
If you’re still finding it tough to decide between the two, here’s everything you need to know about how these two phones compare.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Motorola Razr Ultra 2025: Design and display
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to get a slight design makeover with gentler curves along the corners and an even slimmer and lighter design. This is much needed, given how the existing Ultra isn’t the most ergonomic for everyday use. You should expect the same or better quality of aluminum and glass in the upcoming Ultra phone. It’ll also likely be more water-resistant than the Razr Ultra 2025, thanks to the IP68 (or maybe IP69) rating.
The display on the Galaxy S26 Ultra should also be more durable than the one on the Razr Ultra 2025. Since it doesn’t have to fold, Samsung is able to use a stronger glass over the display that won’t indent if you apply pressure with your fingernail. The phone is also expected to get a new Privacy Display feature, which could be the “Flex Magic Pixel” technology we’ve heard of before. This, along with the anti-reflective coating, should make the S26 Ultra’s display far more legible under sunlight and stronger for everyday use.
The Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 is hands-down one of the best foldable phones to launch in 2025. It’s built extremely well with aluminum, glass, and a titanium-reinforced hinge for added durability. It should be thicker than the Galaxy S26 Ultra when folded, but once opened, it should be much slimmer at 7.2mm. It’s not too heavy either, at roughly 199 grams. The Razr Ultra 2025 is much easier to live with thanks to its compact size when folded, and even in this state, it’s highly functional thanks to the outer screen.
The cover display is 4 inches and encircles the two cameras. You can reply to texts, check Maps for navigation, or even use it as a viewfinder for the cameras. This display is highly versatile, durable, and has a higher refresh rate than the S26 Ultra’s display.
The folding screen should be slightly larger than Samsung’s, measuring around 7 inches. This AMOLED panel features a taller aspect ratio than the Galaxy, and it gets exceptionally bright, boasting a quick 165Hz refresh rate. While it is protected by an Ultrathin Glass (UTG), it’s still ‘softer’ than a traditional display glass, which means you can cause some permanent scarring with your fingernails if you’re not careful.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Motorola Razr Ultra 2025: Performance and specs
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra should be getting a custom version of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC, just like previous generations. The standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 promises a 20% boost in CPU and GPU performance, while using 20% less power. We don’t know the rest of the specs yet, but I suspect it should come with at least 12GB of RAM and storage that goes up to 1TB. The S26 Ultra is also expected to get a new orange trim similar to the iPhone 17 Pro, which should be interesting.
As the Galaxy S26 Ultra is only expected to arrive in early 2026, your guess is as good as mine when it comes to pricing. In an ideal world, it should start at $1,299.99, but rumor has it that it could be more expensive this time. In any case, be prepared to pay a substantial amount of money, even with launch or pre-booking offers.
The Razr Ultra 2025 uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, which is actually a flagship chip for 2025 from Qualcomm. Although it may not achieve a high enough score in benchmarks compared to the Galaxy, it’s equally suitable for gaming and multitasking. The Razr Ultra also features 16GB of RAM, providing ample headroom for the years to come. When we tested it, we didn’t notice any lag or slowdowns, even in graphically intensive games.
The Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 launched at $1,299 for the 512GB variant and $1,499 for the 1TB variant. Today, you can get either variant for as low as $1,099.99 on Motorola’s website with the right deal, and maybe even lower during upcoming holiday sales like Black Friday. This makes it a better value than the Galaxy S26 Ultra, if you just compare the storage tiers. The Razr Ultra comes in four colors, including a wooden finish called Pantone Mountain Trail.
|
Category |
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (rumored/expected) |
Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 |
|---|---|---|
|
Display |
6.9-inch QHD+ AMOLED, 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate, Privacy Display |
7-inch LTPO AMOLED, 165Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate, 4,500 nits peak brightness (inner display); 4-inch LTPO AMOLED, 165Hz refresh rate, up to 3,000 nits peak |
|
Processor |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite |
|
RAM |
12GB / 16GB |
16GB |
|
Storage |
Up to 1TB UFS 4.0 (or UFS 4.1) |
512GB / 1TB |
|
Rear Camera 1 |
200MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide) |
50MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide) |
|
Rear Camera 2 |
10MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto) |
50MP, f/2.0 (ultrawide) |
|
Rear Camera 3 |
50MP, f/3.4 (periscope telephoto) |
Row 6 – Cell 2 |
|
Rear Camera 4 |
50MP, f/1.9 (ultrawide) |
Row 7 – Cell 2 |
|
Front Camera |
12MP, f/2.2 |
50MP, f/2.0 |
|
Ingress Protection |
IP68 or IP69 |
IP48 |
|
Connectivity |
5G (sub-6GHz, mmWave), Wi-Fi 7, UWB, Bluetooth 6.0 |
5G (sub-6GHz), Wi-Fi 7, UWB, Bluetooth 5.4 |
|
Battery |
5,000mAh |
4,700mAh |
|
Charging |
60W, Qi 2.2 Magnetic Compatibility w/ 25W wireless speeds |
68W wired, 30W wireless |
|
Dimensions |
163.4 x 77.9 x 7.8 mm |
171.5 x 74 x 7.2 mm (unfolded) ; 88.1 x 74 x 15.7 mm (folded) |
|
Weight |
Unknown |
199 grams |
|
OS |
One UI 8.5 w/ Android 16 |
Android 15 |
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra should retain the same battery capacity as its predecessor, which is 5,000mAh. This is larger than what Motorola offers and should lead to better battery life overall. Charging speeds should be 45W, as they were before, although some early rumors suggested that Samsung might introduce 60W charging with the new Ultra. Wireless charging is present, and it should support the Qi2 standard.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to ship with the latest One UI software, based on Android 16, and will receive seven years of OS and security upgrades. Samsung currently offers some of the best on-device AI features, after Google, and there’ll undoubtedly be some exciting new ones that’ll be exclusive to the S26 series.
We found the Razr Ultra 2025 to deliver pretty good, all-day battery life from the 4,700mAh capacity. You also get a crazy-fast 68W wired charging and 30W wireless charging, though Qi2 charging is absent. Motorola’s software has always been lean, which continues with the Ultra 2025. There’s a dedicated AI Key that lets you jump straight into AI features, such as Playlist Studio, Image Studio, and more. We didn’t find the features as helpful or useful compared to the ones offered by Samsung.
Motorola has only promised three OS upgrades and four years of security updates for the Razr Ultra 2025, which is decent but not as good as Samsung’s promise.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Motorola Razr Ultra 2025: Cameras
The Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 has just two outer cameras: a wide and an ultrawide. They are good for casual shooting and sharing on social, but telephoto shots won’t be as good as what the S26 Ultra will offer without dedicated hardware. We found the images taken with the Razr to be punchy and detailed, and low-light performance was decent, too. The AI lets you take sharp photos of fast-moving subjects and better group shots. Video recording performance is pretty solid, too, with the Razr being able to shoot up to 8K 30fps.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra had a pretty solid camera system to begin with, as Samsung fixed most of the issues plaguing this series in the past. Hopefully, the S26 Ultra builds upon its predecessor and delivers even better performance. Four camera sensors on the back are a given, with two sensors dedicated to zoom. The S26 Ultra is certainly going to have a more versatile camera setup than the Razr Ultra 2025.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs. Motorola Razr Ultra 2025: Which one should you buy?
Like I said at the start, the Galaxy S26 Ultra and the Razr Ultra 2025 are built for different sets of users. If you’re looking for a powerful phone that’ll handle all the latest Android games in a compact body and be value for money, I could not recommend the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 enough. It boasts one of the best cover displays on any folding phone, rivaling the main display of many other flagship devices today. Battery life is quite good, it charges quickly, and the current price drop makes it even more desirable.
It’s not without its weaknesses, though. The folding display is never going to be as sturdy as the cover screen, the lack of a telephoto camera limits your photography experience, and the software update commitment is not as long as some of its peers. The Galaxy S26 Ultra will easily address all of this and more when it launches in early 2026. If you plan to hold on to your phone for more than four or five years, I recommend waiting to see what the Galaxy S26 Ultra is like before making a decision.
The future is coming soon
While we wait for Samsung to unveil what the Galaxy S26 Ultra will bring, the rumors and leaks paint an interesting picture. It will, no doubt, go on to be one of the best Android phones in 2026.
Best compact flagship
The Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 is the best compact flagship one could hope for. It packs incredible performance, decent battery life, fast charging, and capable cameras for its size.
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