- Google Pixel 9 Pro. It’s slightly larger (6.3-inch screen versus 6.2-inch screen for Samsung), but offers a 20% brighter screen, 5x optical zoom compared to 3x for the Galaxy S25, and better photos with the main camera. The downsides are a significantly thicker body (8.5mm versus 7.2mm for the Samsung) and not outstanding battery life: the Pixel 9 Pro with a 4700mAh battery is only 5% bigger than the thinner Samsung with 4000mAh -7 lasts longer.
- Vivo X200 pro mini and Xiaomi 15. Also 6.2” smartphones. The cameras are approximately equal to the Galaxy S25, and the main competitive advantage is a new type of battery (silicon-carbon instead of lithium-ion) with increased capacity and the same dimensions. Therefore, Chinese competitors offer a much larger battery capacity (5700 mAh for Vivo and 5200 mAh for Xiaomi) and work 20-30% longer than the Korean rival.
- OnePlus 13. The manufacturer calls its smartphones “flagship killers”, and this is partly true – although OnePlus 13 is not sold in Russia, it is sold in markets for 68 thousand rubles (including delivery from China), which for this money corresponds to Samsung S25+ , Snapdragon 8 Elite in every respect, including the processor, cameras, and water resistance. But in addition, it offers a 6000 mAh battery (again silicone-carbon) compared to Samsung’s 4900 mAh and lasts 25% longer. Moreover, it charges 6000 mAh faster; From 0% to 100% in 35 minutes. Although Samsung’s 58 minutes cannot be called a bad result, the Korean flagship still charges a less capacity battery.
- Honor Magic6 Pro. It was initially positioned as a rival to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, but the rising prices of the new generation of Korean smartphones have made it a rival to the Galaxy S25+. It is significantly superior to the “average flagship” Samsung in terms of photo and video shooting quality, including 5x and 10x zoom. It offers 20% longer battery life, as well as true Face ID, i.e. the ability to even hack into banking apps on Android by scanning your face using an IR sensor (Samsung only scans your face with the front camera, such scans are considered less accurate) and banks using it in your apps does not allow you to log in). At the same time, Honor Magic6 Pro 512 GB costs 110 thousand rubles in online stores, and 140 thousand rubles for Samsung Galaxy S25+. But this is a much heavier and bulkier smartphone – not suitable for those who like bare-bones Android flagships.
- Vivo X100 Ultra. The most affordable smartphone with top-end Samsung cameras. A model intended for the Chinese market (albeit with support for the Russian language and Google services), sold in markets starting from 75 thousand rubles with delivery from China – the price difference with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is twofold. At this price it is about 15% inferior to the Samsung in terms of performance, and with 6000 mAh it runs at least 10% longer than the Samsung with 5000 mAh. But it offers absolutely the same quality of photo and video shooting, the only difference is in the nuances: Vivo takes better photos of people (portraits), draws hair more clearly, selects more “lively” skin tones. Samsung does a better job of stabilizing video (reducing shake) when shooting on the move or while running.
- Huawei Pura70 Ultra. Huawei compensates for the lack of pre-installed Google services with equipment – such a smartphone with 1024 (!) GB of memory in Russian chain stores can be purchased for 120 thousand rubles, compared to a starting price of 160 thousand rubles for Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 256 GB . In terms of photography, Huawei’s flagship is approximately on par with Samsung, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra is ahead, especially when it comes to night video shooting. The Pura70 Ultra’s weak point is its performance. Due to US sanctions, Huawei was forced to switch to proprietary Chinese Kirin processors, as a result of which this flagship smartphone lags behind not only the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but also the S24 Ultra in terms of performance, and will probably equal it. mid-range smartphones that are faster than flagships in terms of processor. But these differences are still noticeable only in games, and the speed of the system will be affected only after 2-3 years of operation.
Source: Ferra
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
