Should You Go Ultra? What to Know Before Buying the Most Expensive Android Phones

Flagship Android phones travel successful astatine slightest 2 variants. There's the basal model, aimed astatine the mean buyer, and past there's the all-singing, all-dancing, Ultra oregon Pro variant that represents the champion the shaper tin offer. But is it worthy spending implicit $1000 connected 1 of these phones?

They Have Slightly Better Specs

Ultra and Pro phones thin to person somewhat amended specs than the regular models. The astir evident improvement, and biggest selling point, is the camera setup, wherever you'll often get an other lens and amended sensors.

Although the processor is typically the same, you tin bargain an Ultra telephone successful a variant with much RAM and storage. The Galaxy S25 Ultra and Pixel 9 Pro tin beryllium upgraded to 16GB and 1TB, respectively. However, you person to wage for this: the basal models successful some cases commencement with the aforesaid representation and thrust abstraction arsenic the modular models.

The specs are pushed up a notch successful galore different areas, too. The devices mightiness person larger and higher solution displays, improved sound, and amended physique prime utilizing titanium alternatively than aluminum. You mightiness besides get immoderate neat extras, similar the S Pen successful the Galaxy S Ultra series, though Samsung has importantly downgraded that connected the latest models.

But Performance Isn't That Much Better

Despite the amended specs, the show won't beryllium each that different. The benchmark tests published by GSMArena amusement that the Galaxy S25 Ultra performs a little amended than the Galaxy S25 successful immoderate ways and a small worse successful others.

A bigger size and improved interior layout means that the larger phones are apt to beryllium amended for tasks that request sustained processor performance, specified arsenic gaming oregon shooting 4K video. Their designs mean they dissipate vigor much effectively, truthful the processor tin tally astatine afloat velocity for longer. However, these benefits tin besides beryllium seen successful different large, non-Ultra phones, like the OnePlus 13.

It's besides important to accidental that a Pro exemplary isn't a warrant that you get the champion show anyway. There are immense differences betwixt manufacturers. The Pixel 9 Pro, for example, is considerably little almighty than a basal flagship from Samsung, OnePlus, and galore Chinese manufacturers.

They're a Lot Bigger and Heavier

As we've discussed, Ultra and Pro phones usually mean bigger. Much bigger. You're typically looking astatine a 6.7-inch display. That turns the telephone from one-handed to two-handed use. Perhaps an adjacent much noticeable quality is that the bigger phones are importantly heavier. They're not close for everyone.

Google is simply a rarity successful that it offers a Pro exemplary astatine a regular size. The Pixel 9 Pro has a 6.3-inch show and the institution besides offers a Pixel 9 Pro XL, the larger model. The differences betwixt the 2 Pro devices are negligible, truthful you don't get immoderate further benefits from upsizing. The artillery is larger, but immoderate benefits determination are canceled retired by the bigger display.

The Added Size Means a Better Camera and Battery

The biggest payment of the larger size comes from the improved camera setup. In the lawsuit of the S25 Ultra, the main sensor is larger with a higher resolution. Most Ultra devices springiness you an other camera arsenic well—a zoom lens that has a longer telephoto range—plus other features similar a macro mode.

Video show volition beryllium better, arsenic the superior vigor absorption connected the larger devices lets you sprout astatine a higher solution oregon framework complaint for longer without immoderate show hit.

New camera exertion usually debuts successful Ultra phones, and takes respective generations earlier it filters down into the much affordable model. If you privation the astir cutting-edge camera features, past the Ultra oregon Pro devices are the ones to look at.

One different benefit: the artillery volition beryllium astir 20% larger. However, the existent show is offset by the larger display, truthful the real-world quality mightiness not beryllium each that great.

Ultra Phones Are the Best of the Best

Ultra and Pro phones correspond the champion of the champion successful their respective ranges. If you privation the champion telephone connected the marketplace close now, past the Galaxy S25 Ultra is astir apt the 1 to spell for.

Pro models are progressively becoming a portion of the mid-range arsenic well, though the distinctions are little than they are astatine the flagship end. For example, the quality betwixt the Nothing (3a) and the Nothing (3a) Pro amounts to the beingness of a zoom lens connected the latter. The size and different specs are precisely the same.

This is besides existent of the budget CMF Phone 2 and the CMF Phone 2 Pro, 2 large-screened phones wherever the Pro has a zoom lens.

They're Expensive and Won't You Last Much Longer

Ultra and Pro phones are much expensive, and you'll conflict to find 1 nether $1000. Yet the terms doesn't mean it volition past you overmuch longer than a regular phone.

If you bargain 1 with much RAM and storage, it mightiness summation you an other twelvemonth oregon truthful earlier these factors go a limitation. However, the artillery volition inactive degrade astatine the aforesaid rate, and the operating strategy upgrade argumentation is the same. Don't assume your telephone volition past you a afloat 7 years.

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Ultra and Pro phones are amended than the basal models. They usually person amended physique quality, nicer displays, and the latest tech successful presumption of cameras. But that's offset by a precocious terms and a importantly accrued size—as a instrumentality of much compact devices, the weight, successful particular, is the dealbreaker for me.