Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra VS ZTE Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro Plus

Both phones are large, non-folding slabs with similar footprints, but the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is meaningfully more compact in the ways that matter most. At 218 g versus 229 g, the S25 Ultra is 11 grams lighter — a small but perceptible difference during extended one-handed use. More notably, it is also slimmer at 8.2 mm compared to 8.9 mm, which translates to a more refined in-pocket feel and a less fatiguing grip over long sessions. Its smaller overall volume (103.6 cm³ vs 110.7 cm³) confirms that despite comparable screen-real-estate, the S25 Ultra packs its internals more efficiently.

The most significant differentiator in this group is water protection. The S25 Ultra carries an IP68 rating, meaning it is fully waterproof and can withstand submersion in up to 1.5 meters of fresh water for 30 minutes. The Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro+, rated at IP54, is only splash and dust resistant — it can handle rain or an accidental counter spill, but should never be submerged. For a device that costs as much as a flagship, IP54 is a notable limitation and a real-world liability near pools, sinks, or in heavy rain.

The S25 Ultra holds a clear advantage in this category. It is lighter, thinner, more volume-efficient, and — crucially — offers a substantially higher level of water protection. The Red Magic 10S Pro+ is not poorly built, but its design priorities lean toward accommodating gaming hardware rather than premium everyday ergonomics or environmental resilience.

Both screens are OLED/AMOLED panels of nearly identical size, but sharpness tells them apart immediately. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra resolves at 498 ppi against the Red Magic 10S Pro+'s 431 ppi — a 15% gap that is genuinely visible when reading fine text or viewing detailed imagery up close. That advantage stems from the S25 Ultra's higher native resolution of 1440 x 3120 px, which also makes it better suited for VR-style viewing or high-fidelity media consumption.

The Red Magic 10S Pro+ fights back on responsiveness. Its 144Hz refresh rate edges out the S25 Ultra's 120Hz, but the far more consequential figure is the touch sampling rate: 960Hz versus 240Hz. In competitive gaming, that four-fold difference means the screen registers finger input almost instantaneously, reducing latency in fast-paced titles. For everyday use this distinction is imperceptible, but for its target audience it is a deliberate hardware choice. Where the Red Magic falls short, however, is HDR support — it lacks both HDR10 and HDR10+, meaning streaming content from platforms that deliver dynamic metadata (Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube HDR) will not be rendered with the full tonal range those formats offer. The S25 Ultra supports both standards.

The edge here depends on use case, but for the broader audience the S25 Ultra is the stronger display overall: meaningfully sharper, HDR-capable, and still smooth at 120Hz. The Red Magic 10S Pro+ carves out a legitimate niche with its ultra-high touch sampling rate for gamers, but sacrifices resolution fidelity and HDR compatibility to get there.

At their core, these two phones are silicon twins. Both run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, built on a 3 nm process with identical CPU configurations, the same Adreno 830 GPU, and matching memory bandwidth, cache hierarchy, and TDP. For the vast majority of performance-related specs, choosing between them is a non-decision.

Where the data does diverge is RAM and benchmark scores. The Red Magic 10S Pro+ ships with 24 GB of RAM in this configuration versus 12 GB on the S25 Ultra — a meaningful gap for users who run many apps simultaneously, stream in the background while gaming, or work with memory-intensive workloads. That extra headroom also correlates with its slightly higher Geekbench 6 scores: 3234 single-core and 10059 multi-core against the S25 Ultra's 3057 and 9846 respectively. The gaps are modest — roughly 5-6% — and unlikely to be felt in day-to-day tasks, but they confirm the Red Magic is not throttled by its additional RAM. One nuance worth noting: the S25 Ultra's GPU turbo clock is rated at 1200 MHz versus 1100 MHz on the Red Magic, suggesting Samsung has tuned the GPU slightly more aggressively, which could partially offset the Red Magic's CPU benchmark lead in graphics-bound scenarios.

On raw performance specs, the Red Magic 10S Pro+ holds a practical edge thanks to double the RAM and marginally stronger benchmark numbers — an advantage that matters most for power users and gamers who push their devices hard. For mainstream flagship use, the S25 Ultra's identical silicon means the real-world difference will rarely be felt.

The rear camera systems reveal a stark difference in ambition. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra fields a four-lens array headlined by a 200 MP primary sensor, supplemented by two 50 MP lenses and a 10 MP shooter — a configuration designed for versatility across focal lengths and extreme detail capture. The Red Magic 10S Pro+, by contrast, offers a three-lens setup with a 50 MP main sensor, a secondary 50 MP lens, and a 2 MP auxiliary camera that contributes minimally in practice. Both top out at 4320p at 30 fps for video, so peak resolution recording is matched, but the S25 Ultra's sensor depth gives it a substantial lead for stills, zoom photography, and low-light flexibility.

In autofocus capability, the S25 Ultra again pulls ahead with laser autofocus layered on top of phase-detection — a combination that accelerates subject lock-on in challenging conditions like low light or fast movement. The Red Magic relies on phase-detection alone. The S25 Ultra also includes manual shutter speed control, which the Red Magic omits, making the Samsung more capable for users who want granular control over exposure in pro mode. One area where the Red Magic offers something distinct is its under-display front camera, which eliminates the punch-hole cutout entirely for a cleaner full-screen aesthetic — though this design choice typically involves trade-offs in selfie image quality that the specs alone do not quantify.

The S25 Ultra is the clear winner in this category. Its 200 MP primary sensor, four-lens versatility, laser autofocus, and broader manual controls represent a fundamentally more capable imaging system. The Red Magic's under-display selfie camera is a notable design differentiator, but the overall camera package is oriented toward a device where photography is secondary to other priorities.

Both the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and ZTE Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro Plus run Android 15, offering a range of advanced features. Both devices include clipboard warnings, location privacy options, camera/microphone privacy options, and the ability to block app tracking. However, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra goes further by also blocking cross-site tracking, while the Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro Plus does not.

Both phones provide theme customization, dark mode, notification permissions, media pickers, and support for widgets. They also allow for playing games while they download, and both include Wi-Fi password sharing, battery health checks, and an extra dim mode. The Samsung model has additional features like focus modes, dynamic theming, customizable notifications, and the ability to offload apps, which are not available on the Nubia. The Samsung device also offers PiP (Picture-in-Picture), live text, full-page screenshots, and split screen, which the Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro Plus also supports.

There are also some notable differences. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra can be used as a PC, while the Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro Plus cannot. Both phones have offline voice recognition, voice commands, and multi-user system support. The Samsung model also has direct OS updates, which the Nubia does not. Both phones support sharing intents, have child locks, and track the current position of a mobile device. Neither device features Quick Start.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is equipped with a 5000 mAh battery, while the ZTE Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro Plus features a significantly larger 7500 mAh battery. Both devices support fast charging, but the Nubia device offers a much faster charging speed of 120W compared to the 45W on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Wireless charging is supported on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but the Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro Plus does not have this feature. Both phones have rechargeable batteries and include a battery level indicator to help monitor remaining power. Neither device has a removable battery.

While the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra does not come with a charger, the Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro Plus includes a charger in the box, offering additional convenience for users who need one.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra does not include a 3.5 mm audio jack, while the ZTE Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro Plus has a 3.5 mm audio jack for wired headphones. Both phones feature stereo speakers for an enhanced audio experience, but they differ in their support for wireless audio codecs. The Samsung device supports aptX, aptX HD, but lacks aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless. On the other hand, the Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro Plus supports aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, and aptX Lossless, but it does not have aptX support.

Both devices include three microphones, ensuring clear audio for calls and recording. Neither phone has a built-in radio feature.

Both the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and ZTE Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro Plus support 5G, ensuring fast mobile data speeds. They both also offer Wi-Fi support, with compatibility for Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), and Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be). In terms of connectivity, both devices feature Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, USB Type-C with USB 3.2, and GPS. They also both support Galileo for satellite positioning.

When it comes to SIM cards, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra supports 2 SIM cards and 2 eSIMs, while the Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro Plus supports 2 SIM cards but does not include support for eSIMs. Both phones have a fingerprint scanner, gyroscope, accelerometer, and compass. The Samsung device also includes a barometer, which the Nubia lacks. The Nubia device has an infrared sensor, but the Galaxy S25 Ultra does not.

Neither phone includes a heart rate monitor, 3D facial recognition, or an iris scanner. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with a stylus, while the Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro Plus does not. Both devices support high-speed download and upload speeds (10,000 MBits/s and 3,500 MBits/s, respectively), and they both lack an external memory slot, making their storage non-expandable.

Both the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and ZTE Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro Plus are equipped with a video light, which can be useful for enhancing photo and video quality in low-light conditions. Neither device features a curved display, as both models have flat screens.

In this group, the two phones share identical specifications, offering similar functionalities in terms of lighting and display design.