Ryan Haines / Android Authority
Are you looking to get the best smartphone around? It’s all relative, but if you were to ask us which is the best premium phone around, we would have to pick the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. It’s also among the most expensive smartphones, though, which is why good deals on this phone are so exciting. Here’s a good one: you can get the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra for as low as $1,054.99, which is its record-low price on Amazon!
This deal is available from Amazon, and it is labeled as a “limited time deal.” There is one thing to keep in mind: only the Titanium Blue version is this affordable. All other color versions are $1,067.99. This is arguably still a good deal.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Samsung’s best for 2025
Simply put, this is Samsung’s very best phone for 2025. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is a 6.9-inch QHD+ device with 12GB of RAM, 256GB+ of storage, embedded S Pen, and the overclocked Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC. The key upgrade over the lower S25 models is a 200MP main camera and 100x Space Zoom.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra may not be the best option for most people, as it can be a bit overkill, but it is definitely a premium handset that is hard to beat, and only the best of the best compete against it. If money is not an issue, though, it is a fantastic device, and we gave the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra a stellar review.
Samsung obviously made no sacrifices here. Let’s start with performance, which is supercharged by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite and 12GB of RAM. We found that’s enough to handle any app or task you throw at the phone, and you would really need to push it to notice any slowdowns. It handles games and resource-intensive apps like a dream.
The rest of the experience will be as impressive. It has a large 6.9-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display with a crisp QHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s large, colorful, and bright, making this an excellent phone for enjoying media, gaming, or simply browsing the web. It’s also great for note-taking or drawing, as it comes with the S Pen. It’s one of the very few phones that take advantage of a stylus, and the software is optimized to take full advantage of it.
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
This is also one of the best camera phones around. In fact, it’s our top pick! Not only does it produce amazing images, but the camera system is also very versatile. It has a 200MP primary sensor, a 50MP ultrawide shooter, a 50MP periscope camera, and a 10MP telephoto camera.
Additionally, it has a great battery life, as we were able to make it last two days per charge. The design is also gorgeous, featuring a titanium frame, Gorilla Glass 2, and a sleek look. It’s also pretty resistant and comes with an IP68 rating. And as if all of that wasn’t enough to convince you, the Galaxy S25 Ultra also gets a seven-year update commitment, which happens to be among the best in the industry, matched only by Google.
The actual record-low price for this phone was about $1,000, but that offer came directly from Samsung and was very short-lived. We don’t think it will return soon. Until then, this is about as good a deal you’ll get, so jump on it while you can!
Extra deal: The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is cheaper and nearly as good!
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
Pure XL-ence.
Google reserves its best hardware for the largest device in the line. The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL offers a 6.8-inch display, the biggest battery we’ve ever seen in a Pixel phone, and 37W wired charging. Otherwise, the Pixel 9 Pro and the Pixel 9 Pro XL share almost all other hardware and software features, giving users the option between display sizes with top hardware.
If you want a premium handset and would prefer saving a bit more, here’s another option. The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is $899 right now. The main difference is that it comes with no stylus. Otherwise, it is also an amazing smartphone, and arguably, it may be the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra’s main competitor.
It features a Google Tensor G4 processor and 16GB of RAM. The display is slightly smaller, but still large at 6.8 inches. It has an LTPO OLED panel with a 2,992 x 1,344 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. So, the resolution is slightly less impressive, but it still looks great.
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
Battery life is very similar, and this one also has an impressive camera system. Of course, it also gets a seven-year update promise.
Why would you go for the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL instead of Samsung’s flagship phone? For one, it is much cheaper at $899. Additionally, some of us prefer Google’s more straightforward UI, not to mention Google has plenty of really nice Pixel-only features you won’t get with other devices. Additionally, many of you won’t care about the S Pen. The Pixel 9 Pro XL may not be quite as impressive as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, but it is just right and will save you some cash along the way.
