The power of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which could surpass the iPhone, would make me consider returning to Android.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra could be the gaming phone I've been waiting for.
Since I made the transition from Android to iPhone in late 2021, it has been a challenge to find my way back. Although logic suggests that the best Android phones, like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, feature superior hardware compared to iPhones, with 120Hz displays and larger batteries, I must admit that my primary phone has been an iPhone for several years. This is due to the compatibility and the unmatched ecosystem that Apple offers, even though I find iPhones somewhat boring, with incremental upgrades and a slow approach to adopting generative artificial intelligence.
However, a specific rumor about the Samsung Galaxy S25 is starting to catch my attention. It’s been mentioned that a benchmark related to the alleged Galaxy S25 Ultra could indicate performance capable of surpassing the powerful iPhone 16 Pro Max, which I currently use as my main smartphone. While benchmarks are not my main focus since I prioritize performance in real-world situations, I recognize that the power of the latest iPhone models is impressive, especially the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the aforementioned 16 Pro Max, which incorporate advanced variants of Apple’s A chips.
These models have demonstrated their ability to run console games like Death Stranding and Assassin’s Creed Mirage, although with some limitations on frame rates. The power of the A18 Pro in the iPhone 16 Pro Max has been sufficient for this model to win the award for best gaming phone at the TechRadar Choice Awards 2024.
In today’s smartphone environment, more power often means better capabilities for running on-device artificial intelligence tools. However, my main interest lies in mobile gaming. The Galaxy series from Samsung has provided good performance in mobile games, but I feel that Galaxy phones and other flagship Android devices have not achieved the necessary capability to run full versions of console games like those on Xbox or PlayStation. If the Galaxy S25 Ultra can surpass the power of the A18 Pro, this could change.
It would be interesting for Samsung to leverage its previous partnerships with Microsoft to offer Xbox games that run natively on their next-generation phones. While many might point to Xbox Cloud Gaming as a solution for playing the best Xbox Series X titles without powerful hardware, latency, reliability, and internet connection limitations in the UK make this option difficult in my small London apartment. The idea of running Xbox games on a phone without relying on an internet connection remains appealing to me and could make me consider leaving the iPhone.
In previous years, I have expressed my desire to see a super-powered Galaxy from Samsung, especially when a possible collaboration with AMD was mentioned, but so far my expectations have been disappointed. However, I still hold out hope that by early 2025, Samsung will surprise us with a device that makes my iPhone a secondary phone.
