Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Vs Vivo iQOO 13: 7 Key Differences
There’s not a day goes by when we don’t think about the new Galaxy debate. And it’s not just any device, specially we love talking about the flagship against the other flagships. Today’s topic is no different, as we bring you the Galaxy S25 Ultra against Vivo’s one of the latest iQOO 13 smartphones.
We will be discussing their overall performance in the wild. Meaning how good they are against one another in terms of display, design, performance and so on. We will also be speculating overall specifications in detail for your better understanding.
Without waiting any longer, let’s dive into the comparison between S25 Ultra Vs iQOO 13, let’s go:
Table of Contents
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Vivo iQOO 13: Key Differences
Here’s a few informative key features that makes both Galaxy S25 Ultra and iQOO 13 apart from their core offerings. They are given down below:
| Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra | iQOO 13 |
| Titanium Frame | BMW Motorsport Design Collab |
| Snapdragon 8 Elite | 7K Ultra VC Cooling |
| Samsung Dex Support | FunTouch OS 15 with AI Features |
| S-Pen | Floating RGB Light |
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Vivo iQOO 13: Design & Build
| S25 Ultra | iQOO 13 |
| Flat frame with fully pointy corners | Flat frame with slight curved corners |
| Titanium Frame | Aluminum Alloy Frame |
| IP68 Rating | IP69 Rating |
Let’s talk about the overall design of both the devices, and to give you a straight answer there are a lot of noticeable differences.
At first glance the Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with more of a flatter design this year, rather than last year’s slight curved body. Now all the corners are sharper and with less sign of curvature, which I don’t complain as some users prefer boxier design.
There’s an upgraded “Titanium” build from Samsung, which makes the device more durable compared to last year’s model. You get a newer camera lens design, which does look a little peculiar at first compared to last year’s fully clean lens. There’s also no major changes in the water resistance though, it still gives you IP68 rating.
Now if we shift our focus to iQOO 13 from Vivo, we get a slight curve on all four corners along with the camera lens. You also get a RGB lightning for the camera lens, which is not new but looks really unique. Whenever you get a notification, a sudden call and even when you turn on the device this lightning turns on and looks just really beautiful.
Now, the build quality is not as premium as the S25 Ultra with Titanium frame, but you do get an aluminum frame, which is okay for the price you are paying for. One thing iQOO 13 stands out against S25 is that you are getting IP69 water resistance, an updated waterproofing which Galaxy S25 Ultra is not providing.
Read More: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Vs Galaxy S23 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Vivo iQOO 13: Display
| S25 Ultra | iQOO 13 |
| 6.9-Inch | 6.82-inch |
| 498 ppi density | 510 ppi density |
| 2600 nits | 4500 nits |
Moving onwards, let’s talk about the display features and understand how both the devices compare against each other.
Talking about the S25 Ultra, we are getting similar Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X like last year’s 24 Ultra with updated 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ for enjoying your content greater. The display size is large enough and has a 92.5% screen to body ratio, which looks really good while content consumption. Viewing angle is good too with 2600 nits peak brightness, providing decent viewing in-direct sunlight.
In comparison, the iQOO 13 comes with LTPO AMOLED with a slightly lower 6. 82-inch. There’s also HDR10+ for giving you amazing content viewing. One thing you would love is how gorgeous the resolution is as it is a little bit higher compared to Galaxy S25 Ultra. There’s also better viewing in broad daylight with 4500 nits peak brightness, which is around 73% better brightness compared to Mr. latest S25 Ultra. While these devices might become really costly sometimes, and if you need more budget options, then do check out Apple Gadget’s site for viewing multiple device all at once.
Read More: Samsung Mobile Phones Under 20000
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Vivo iQOO 13: Camera
| S25 Ultra | iQOO 13 |
| 200MP (Wide) + 10MP (Telephoto) + 50MP (Ultrawide) | 50MP (Wide) + 50MP (Telephoto) + 50MP (Ultrawide) |
| Periscope Telephoto Camera | Not Available |
| 12MP (Wide) Selfie | 32MP (Wide) Selfie |
Each year, smartphone cameras continue to push boundaries, and with the latest releases, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and iQOO 13 offer some truly exciting advancements in mobile photography.
For starters in Samsung, you do get almost the similar lens except the Ultrawide lens in Galaxy S25 Ultra. There’s also a noticeable impressive rear camera system with updated apertures as well. Including a 200MP wide lens, a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP ultrawide lens.
A notable addition to the S25 Ultra is its 8K recording capability on the ultrawide lens, which allows for incredibly detailed video footage. Additionally, the S25 Ultra boasts a 50MP periscope telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, perfect for capturing long-distance shots with great clarity. For selfies, the S25 Ultra features a 12MP wide camera that supports 4K recording, ensuring your self-portraits are sharp and high-quality.
In comparison, the iQOO 13’s rear camera setup includes a 50MP wide lens, a 50MP telephoto lens, and a 50MP ultrawide lens. While the iQOO 13 does not match the S25 Ultra’s 200MP main lens, it still provides solid camera performance with its triple 50MP configuration. However, it lacks a periscope telephoto camera, limiting its optical zoom capabilities. For selfies, the iQOO 13 offers a higher-resolution 32MP wide lens that can also record in 4K, providing excellent selfie quality.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Vivo iQOO 13: Performance
| S25 Ultra | iQOO 13 |
| Snapdragon 8 Elite | Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| Adreno 830 | Adreno 830 |
| Up to 12GB RAM | Up to 16GB RAM |
Who doesn’t need the best performance guys, and to give you the best performance in the world right now you require the best processing power. Today’s beasts have them all and may be more to be precise.
To give you explained answer, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and iQOO 13 both feature the same Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, a 3-nanometer chip. However, despite sharing the same processor, the S25 Ultra outshines with its higher clock speed of 4.47GHz, offering roughly 3.47% better processing performance compared to the iQOO 13’s 4.32GHz.
In terms of RAM, the iQOO 13 has a notable advantage, offering up to 16GB, while the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is limited to 12GB of RAM in the Bangladesh region. If you need more RAM for heavy multitasking or gaming, the iQOO 13 would be the better choice for you.
Both devices provide ample storage, offering up to 1 terabyte of ROM, so you’ll have plenty of space for apps, media, and games. This much amount is really good I guess for those who need to store short films and even process those edits.
Gamers will appreciate the Adreno 830 inside the devices, as both S25 Ultra and iQOO 13 showed really good results. Though you do get few benefits of better viewing with more screen-to-body ratio in S25 Ultra. And as for FPS, the results showed quite similar for games like PUBG Mobile and Genshin Impact gameplays.
For wireless connectivity, both phones come with Wi-Fi 7, delivering excellent upload and download speeds, ensuring a fast and reliable internet experience. Users who prefer greater streaming will appreciate this much speed.
Finally let’s talk about the media sound, and Samsung’s S25 Ultra features AKG-tuned sound, while the iQOO 13 comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon sound, each offering a unique audio experience.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Vivo iQOO 13: S-Pen
| S25 Ultra | iQOO 13 |
| S-Pen (Note taking, Drawing) | Not Available |
Simple answer is there is no S-Pen function with the iQOO 13, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with dependable S-Pen functionalities along with exclusive note taking features.
One thing you will miss from last year’s S-pen came with the S24 Ultra is bluetooth functionality and “Air Gestures”. Those are not here sadly, although you get tons of drawing and note taking during any kind creative workflow with the S25 Ultra.
While you don’t get any pre-packed drawing tool with the iQOO 13, of course there’s always a way to make this working. As you can use a typical third party stylus to have similar note taking capabilities.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Vivo iQOO 13: UI & OS
| S25 Ultra | iQOO 13 |
| One UI 7 | Funtouch 15 |
| Android 15 | Android 15 |
| 7-Years OS Update | 4-Years OS Update |
Here’s the overall user interface discussions guys. There’s the similar Android version with both the devices.
As both the flagships from Samsung and Vivo give you Android 15 straight out of the box. While their personal skin is a bit different. Samsung uses their unique One UI 7, which is an updated version of the One Ui 6 and looks at first glance. For those who are always needing desktop connection with their devices, there’s Samsung’s Dex support, which makes pc and device connection easier. Last year’s AI features have been updated too. Along with these bunch of fancy AI features from Samsung, you will also get seven years of android OS update. Which is great for those who don’t want to switch to new devices often.
In comparison, the iQOO 13 also has their distinct features with Funtouch 15, and this time the looks have been so much new with Funtouch OS 15 compared to last year’s Funtouch OS 14. You get an updated notification panel and switch animations as well within the app interactions. There’s also a bunch of cool AI features like AI erase for those who want to remove their old lover from the picture. To talk about four years of android OS updates, which is around three years less compared to Samsung, and so what? Who owns a smartphone for more than one or two years, right?
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Vivo iQOO 13: Battery
| S25 Ultra | iQOO 13 |
| 5000mAh | 6150mAh |
| 45W Wired | 120W Wired |
| 15W Wireless (Qi2) | Not Available |
Last but not least let’s talk about the biggest difference you will find in these two, which is the battery life.
Straight talk good people, if you love battery life, the iQOO 13 from Vivo gives you way more juice than you can imagine. As you are getting a big battery inside the phone with 6150mAh capacity for the global variants. Which is around 23% greater battery compared to S25 Ultra’s 5000mAh seen from the last four years.
This feeling is really disappointing from Samsung for still continuing the same old 5KmAh battery like the last four Ultras. There’s good talks about Galaxy S25 Ultra too, as you are getting 15W wireless charging, though there’s no charger for wired or wireless in the box. While the iQOO 13 comes with a massive 120W charger in the box, and no wireless charging. At least iQOO giving you greater power delivery, which is good.
Overall Specs
Here is both the device’s technical information for a better overview of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra specification against Vivo’s iQOO 13 specs-
| Specifications | Galaxy S25 Ultra | ViVo iQOO 13 |
| Network | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| Launch | 2025, January | 2024, October |
| Body | 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2 mm (6.41 x 3.06 x 0.32 in) | 163.4 x 76.7 x 8 mm |
| Weight | 218 g (7.69 oz) | 207 g or 213 g |
| Build | Glass front (Corning Gorilla Armor 2), glass back(Corning Gorilla Armor 2), Titanium Frame | Glass front, aluminum alloy frame, glass back or glass fiber back |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) – INT | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| IP Rating | IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min)Stylus | IP68/IP69 dust tight and water resistant (high pressure water jets; immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
| Display Type | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak) | Always-on display | LTPO AMOLED | 1B Colors | 144Hz | HDR10+ |
| Display Size | 6.9 inches (~92.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.82-inch (~90.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~498 ppi density) | 1440 x 3168 pixels (~510 ppi density) |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Armor 2 | Schott Xensation Alpha |
| OS | Android 15, up to 7 major Android upgrades, One UI 7 | Android 15, up to 4 major Android upgrades, Funtouch 15 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm) |
| CPU | Octa-core (2×4.47 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L + 6×3.53 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix M) | Octa-core (2×4.32 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L + 6×3.53 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix M) |
| GPU | Adreno 830 | Adreno 830 |
| Memory Card slot | Not Available | Not Available |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM | 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM |
| Main Camera | 200 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.3″, 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto), 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom50 MP, f/3.4, 111mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.52″, 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom50 MP, f/1.9, 120˚ (ultrawide), dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video | 50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS50 MP, f/1.9, 50mm (telephoto), 1/2.93″, 0.6µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom50 MP, f/2.0, 15mm (ultrawide), 1/2.76″, AF |
| Main Camera Features | Laser AF, Best Face, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Color spectrum sensor, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Main Camera Video | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 10-bit HDR, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS | 8K@30fps, 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie Camera | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2″, 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF | 32 MP, f/2.5, 28mm (wide), 1/3.15″ |
| Selfie Camera Features | HDR, HDR10+ | HDR |
| Selfie Camera Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps |
| Sound | Available, with stereo speakers | Available, with stereo speakers |
| 3.5mm Headphone Jack | Not Available | Not Available |
| Sound Features | 32-bit/384kHz audio | Tuned by AKG | 24-bit/192kHz Hi-Res audio | Snapdragon Sound |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6/7, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 5.4, A2DP, LE | 5.4, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, LHDC 5 |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5) |
| NFC | Available | Available, 360˚ |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort 1.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Features | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support)Ultra Wideband (UWB) supportCircle to Search | Supercomputing Chip Q2 | Ultra Eyecare Display | VC Cooling system | RGB LED light on the back |
| Battery | Li-Ion 5000 mAh | Li-ion 6150 mAh |
| Charging Info | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min15W wireless (Qi2.1)4.5W reverse wireless | 120W FlashCharge |
| Colors | Titanium Silver Blue, Titanium Black, Titanium White Silver, Titanium Gray, Titanium Jade Green, Titanium Jet Black, Titanium Pink Gold | Legend | Alpha | Nardo Grey |
| Performance Tests | AnTuTu: 2207809 (v10)GeekBench: 9846 (v6)3DMark: 6687 (Wild Life Extreme) | AnTuTu: 2791585 (v10)GeekBench: 9522 (v6)3DMark: 6368 (Wild Life Extreme) |
Verdict
Above all, to give you a final answer in a few words, both the devices make their offering really well. And there are pretty good differences seen in both the devices. Especially in terms of performance and productivity.
For those who really want a touch of improved productivity with S-Pen’s functionality like everyday note taking and drawing, you will prefer the S25 Ultra more rather than iQOO 13. There’s also improved processing power, which gives you a slight performance boost for your high demanding tasks.
On the other hand, if you prefer upgraded battery life while also getting a new design and ensure dependable performance, then choosing the iQOO 13 would be ideal. Giving you more battery capacity than S25 Ultra is providing. That’s a very good proposition from iQOO 13 for users who suffer from battery life.
Read More: Samsung Phones Under 15000
Get the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, if:
- You are okay with same old Galaxy Eco-system experience
- You want the best android king with the latest processor
- You require greater build quality from Samsung in their flagship
Get the iQOO 13, if:
- You want a unique design along with fancy RGB lighting;
- You need the best performing android phone from iQOO;
- You require the best battery life for longer multitasking.
Rabbi Rahman enjoys talking about tech, gadgets and especially smartphones. He’s been writing about them for four years . His favorite topic is discussing innovations in devices, engaging in conversations with others who share his passion for technology.
