5 Android Phones More Powerful Than The Samsung Galaxy S25

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Samsung launched the Galaxy S25 series in early 2025, made up of the S25 together with its larger and more expensive siblings, the S25 Plus and S25 Ultra. Spec-wise, Qualcomm's 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, one of the most powerful smartphone processors on the market, powers the Galaxy S25 paired with 12 GB of memory and either 128, 256, or 512 GB of fast UFS 4.0 storage. The phone's performance chops aren't just on paper — it has been praised for being a performer in various hands-on reviews from different publications, giving it credibility as one of the most powerful phones you can buy. 

However, even though the Galaxy S25 belongs to the South Korean tech giant's flagship S series lineup, that doesn't mean it's the most powerful phone overall. There are other devices on the market from Samsung and other Android phone makers that perform better than the S25. 

So, if you're considering buying the Galaxy S25 thinking it's the most powerful gadget available, don't hit the 'buy' button yet. If you already own the S25 and feel it doesn't meet your needs performance-wise, you're in luck, as better options exist. It's not only about performance, either. There are other aspects that matter when buying a new phone, such as battery life and camera performance.

If you're a Samsung fan and would only consider a device from the company, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is the perfect option. It's the company's flagship model of 2025. Although it costs more than the S25, it is better in several areas. At the same time, the two devices have similarities. The S25 Ultra has a bigger, 6.9-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 1440 x 3120 resolution. The S25 offers a serviceable 1080p display with 416 pixels per inch (ppi), but the S25 Ultra delivers crisper images and clearer text thanks to its higher 498 ppi. 

As the two devices come from the S25 lineup, both models use an identical processor, although the Ultra does offer an option with more RAM and storage, topping out at 16 GB of memory and 1 TB of storage. The S25 Ultra has a quad camera setup on the rear boasting a 200 MP main lens, a 10 MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, a 50 MP periscope telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom, and a 50 MP ultra-wide lens. 

A 5,000 mAh battery powers the S25 Ultra, giving you more juice than the 4,000 mAh battery on the entry-level S25. Another area where the Ultra bests the S25 is its charging speed. It supports up to 45W charging speeds via USB-C, almost twice the 25W rating on the S25. You can buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra starting at $1,299.99 from Amazon for a 256 GB storage model with 12 GB memory.

The OnePlus 15 was unveiled in October 2025, becoming one of the first phones on the market to use Qualcomm's next-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor. Compared to its predecessor, the new chip's CPU offers 20% more performance while being 35% more power efficient while the GPU is 23% faster and 20% more power-efficient compared to its predecessor. In other words, it's more performant than the S25, which uses the previous generation of Qualcomm's flagship chip. It's also one of the best Android phones as of this writing when it comes to performance based on AnTuTu and Geekbench benchmark tests. 

The OnePlus 15's competitive edge doesn't end with the processor, either. Starting with the display, it has a bigger, 6.78-inch AMOLED panel with a 165 Hz refresh rate, 1272 x 2772 resolution, and 450 ppi. You can also get the OnePlus 15 in more memory and storage configurations. The lowest option offered has 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB storage while the top-tier option features 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB storage. There's a triple camera setup at the rear with a 50 MP wide lens, a 50 MP periscope telephoto lens with 3.5x optical zoom, and a 50 MP ultra-wide lens for shooting expansive views. 

Unlike the S25, which has a 4,000 mAh battery, the OnePlus 15's battery has a 7,300 mAh capacity. In fact, in our OnePlus 15 review, we praised the device as a battery champion that's able to last two days on a single charge. It charges faster as well, at 120W via USB-C and 50W wirelessly. The OnePlus 15 is available on Amazon starting at $899.99.

The RedMagic 11 Pro is also among the first wave of phones to launch with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor which boasts significant performance improvements over its predecessor. By using that chip alone, the RedMagic 11 Pro already has a leg up over the Galaxy S25 performance-wise. This phone currently ranks at the top in Geekbench multi-core, AnTuTu 11, and 3D Mark benchmark tests. It features a 6.85-inch AMOLED display with a 144 Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling and responsiveness while using the device. The RedMagic 11 Pro also delivers 431 ppi, thus making the content look sharper. 

This phone comes in three configurations: 12 GB RAM with 256 GB storage, 16 GB RAM with 512 GB storage, or 24 GB RAM with 1 TB storage. It's powered by a 7,500 mAh battery that TechRadar says can "run for days." You can charge that battery using a USB-C cable or wirelessly and it supports 80W speeds in both cases. However, it doesn't offer the best camera setup, with the rear offering three lenses: 50 MP main, 50 MP ultra-wide, and 2 MP macro lens. For selfies, you get a single 16 MP camera placed under the display.

GSMArena found the main camera to be "largely unimpressive," so don't expect the best photos or videos from this device. The phone is targeted at mobile gamers and features a couple of gaming-focused features that make it stand out, such as an advanced cooling system and physical shoulder triggers. You can buy the RedMagic 11 Pro directly from the company starting at $749 for the 12 GB and 256 GB storage variant.

Vivo's iQOO sub-brand is known for releasing high-performance devices which are targeted at mobile gamers, and the iQOO 15 is no exception. In fact, it's a performance beast ranking second in AnTuTu 11 benchmarks and hence way more powerful than the S25. Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor powers the iQOO 15, which will also feature in other premium Android phones in 2026. Under the hood, you can get it in five memory and storage configuration options, with the highest featuring 16 GB RAM and 1 TB of onboard storage. 

Camera-wise, the iQOO 15 has a triple rear camera setup with all three having a 50 MP lens. You get a 50 MP wide, a 50 MP periscope telephoto, and a 50 MP ultra-wide lens. When it comes to snapping items and moments, the iQOO 15 isn't a slouch. GSMArena's review praises the device for taking excellent photos both day and night, so you won't compromise on that department. 

It also comes with a slightly bigger and better display. The display measures 6.85 inches and features 1440 x 3168 resolution, a 144 Hz refresh rate, and 6,000 nits peak brightness (even higher than Samsung's high-end S25 Ultra). The battery is 7,000 mAh and the device supports up to 100 W wired and 40 W wireless charging speeds. Unfortunately, the iQOO 15 is limited to select Asian countries and isn't directly sold in the U.S.

Poco F8 Ultra is the brand's latest phone which was released toward the end of 2025. As the name hints, it's a flagship device. In fact, Poco said the F8 Ultra marks its "official entry into the premium flagship segment." As a device meant for the flagship segment, it's powerful. The F8 Ultra's secret weapon is the chipset the brand picked — it uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor. CNET says the device is "fast and snappy," and in AnTuTu 11 benchmarks the device currently ranks third overall, beating the S25 Ultra, OnePlus 15, and other flagships. 

Like other phones on this list, the Poco F8 Ultra has a bigger screen than the S25, measuring 6.9 inches. The display has a 120Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision support, and comes with a 1200 x 2608 resolution. This model includes a single 32 MP selfie camera and a triple rear camera setup with a 50 MP wide, 50 MP ultra-wide, and 50 MP periscope telephoto lens. 

The phone is powered by a 6,500 mAh battery, and while the battery capacity is relatively large, it supports 100W wired and 50W wireless charging, so juicing it up shouldn't take long. It also supports 22.5W reverse wireless charging. The Poco F8 Ultra comes in two configurations, one with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage and another with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB storage. While the F8 Ultra is powerful, unfortunately it isn't officially being sold in the United States.

To compile this list, we started by researching what the Samsung Galaxy S25 offers from its camera capabilities, display quality, performance, and more. After that, we searched the web for phones that offer better specs than the S25, giving priority to the processor used. 

Performance-wise, we also considered how the S25 compares to other phones in benchmark tests such as AnTuTu 11 and Geekbench. There are more phones that perform better than the S25, but we decided to keep our list to five options.