The South Korean tech giant Samsung recently unveiled its latest Galaxy S25 series, with the Galaxy S25 Ultra as its flagship model. This high-end device has already been benchmarked using 3DMark, where its performance was compared to Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro Max.
The tests were conducted using the 3DMark Steel Nomad Light benchmark, which evaluates the performance of mobile GPUs under heavy workloads without utilizing ray tracing. Based on the results, the Snapdragon 8 Elite GPU powering the Galaxy S25 Ultra outperforms the six-core GPU in Apple’s A18 Pro processor.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra scored an impressive 2617 points, surpassing the iPhone 16 Pro Max by a staggering 36%, as the latter only managed 1922 points. In terms of frame rates, the S25 Ultra delivered an average of 19.39 frames per second, compared to the iPhone’s 14.2 frames per second. This demonstrates Samsung’s clear advantage in this specific benchmark, although it’s worth noting that ray tracing was not part of the test.
A key factor behind the S25 Ultra’s superior performance lies in its cutting-edge Snapdragon 8 Elite platform, which boasts higher clock speeds for its performance cores.
Moreover, the Galaxy S25 Ultra also shines in the multi-core test of Geekbench 6, beating the iPhone 16 Pro Max by a 20% margin. While Apple still dominates in single-core performance, with the A18 Pro retaining its title as the fastest chipset in this category, it’s noteworthy that the Snapdragon 8 Elite is providing serious competition.
Additionally, Samsung’s flagship stands out for its durability. It survived drop tests from 2.2 meters onto concrete, thanks to its Gorilla Armor 2 glass technology. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is not just powerful but also robust, making it a reliable device in tough conditions.
For more insights, you can explore which countries offer the S25 Ultra at the most affordable prices and learn about the impressive camera capabilities and AI features of Samsung’s Galaxy S25 series in our detailed reviews.
Samsung has clearly set the bar high with the Galaxy S25 Ultra, challenging Apple in performance and durability. It remains to be seen how this rivalry evolves, but for now, Samsung has delivered a flagship that truly impresses.
