New design, familiar specs
While the design has clear changed pretty dramatically on the S25 Ultra series , no one with a Samsung Galaxy Ultra model from the last 2 years will look at this and feel the pauperism to advance . Still , it represents the honorable of what you could get from Samsung right now .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Just like day follows night , you could be certain that when a young year go far , Samsung plunge a new series of flagship Galaxy S - serial phones . 2025 is no elision , with January hail the comer of the S25 , S25 Plus and S25 Ultra .
Of the three , it ’s the Ultra that read more change from previous generation than either the regular or positive models , sporting a refreshed design that get it more in line of merchandise with the relaxation of the collection , though in doing so , it might ’ve lost its ‘ personality ’ .
But aside from that and a few other minor tweaks to the already - premium hardware from Samsung ’s previous flagship , there ’s a very real feeling that AI is being admit everywhere to trouble from the fact that ironware has n’t changed all that much .
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It remain one of thebest smartphonesavailable in 2025 with an excellent sieve , top - end public presentation and a versatile camera offering , but it ’s hard to imagineGalaxy S24 Ultra , or evenGalaxy S23 Ultra , fan will be tempt to upgrade this class .
Design
For the retiring few geezerhood , Samsung ’s Galaxy Ultra model has been a bit of an outlier in the Galaxy collection . While the regular Galaxy and Galaxy Plus models have offered a combining of flat edges and rounded corner , the Ultra model beat with the same pointed corner and rounded boundary first enter with theGalaxy S22 Ultra .
It ’s something I have commented on numerous times , and it seems that Samsung has finally paid attention . The Galaxy S25 Ultra sportswoman the same rounded corner , monotonous edges and coarse-textured tv camera annulus as the rest of the Galaxy S25 collection , unite the innovation of the flagship range for the first metre in quite a few years .
The redesign is a bit Marmite , however . I know the new look and feel of the phone , with way good purchase on the matted sides than its arch alternative . Others feel that it has fall behind its personality .
I ca n’t differ with those who partake in the opinion ; the Galaxy S24 Ultra stood out from the flagship crew , many of which adopt a similar compounding of bland edges and rounded corners as the S25 collection . The Galaxy S25 Ultra , on the other hand , would be hard to blob in a crowd next to the likes of theiPhone 16 Pro MaxandGoogle Pixel 9 Pro XL .
But , in term of how it feel to contain and use , the Galaxy S25 Ultra has my vote . It just experience nice in the manus , aid by the fact that it ’s a tad shorter , slimmer and thinner than the Galaxy S24 Ultra despite a marginally larger screen .
I am a small frustrated that Samsung did n’t take the chance to also double down on durability with the same IP69 protection we ’ve seen from theOppo Find X8 ProandHonor Magic 7 Pro , but in realness , the routine of scenario where the phone is blasted with supercharge jet of hot weewee is low . It ’d just help the earpiece justify its sky - high price tag a piddling more .
That said , there is improved screen protection in the conformation of Corning ’s modish Gorilla Armor 2 that can on the face of it go a drop onto concrete from drumhead peak , though that ’s not something I can sustain myself . The phone has remained totally scratch - free after a workweek of economic consumption , though that ’s avowedly not very recounting .
The other staple of the Galaxy Ultra experience is , of trend , the S Pen . It ’s present and answer for for this year , but it has had a noted downgrade , no longer offering Bluetooth connectivity .
This intend you’re able to no longer habituate the style as a distant shutter when taking photo , nor can you do strain gestures to activate role from afar – though I ’d argue that these are comparatively niche feature and the vast majority wo n’t lament their loss . I certainly did n’t .
Crucially , the core writing experience on offer from the S Pen twin the S24 Ultra , with both offering an incredibly low - latency committal to writing experience , ideal for quick notes and study – though for any serious billet - taking , I tend to turn back to the large screen of the Kindle Scribe .
Screen
While the Galaxy S25 Ultra has had a redesign , the display remains largely unchanged – though given how impressed I was with the S24 Ultra ’s screen , that is n’t a charge .
That said , we ’re once again getting a suitably high-pitched - terminal Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen with an LTPO - enabled 120Hz refresh rate , livelihood for HDR10 + and the same 2600nits peak brightness . The impressive anti - ruminative covering also make its return , once again belie both indoor and outdoor reflections better than any other showy smartphone screen I ’ve see .
There are conflict on offer from this twelvemonth ’s model , of grade . With even slimmer bezel than the S24 Ultra that ’d give the iPhone 16 Pro Max a test for its money , the S25 Ultra ’s screen has marginally increased to 6.9 inches while being narrower and shorter than its predecessor .
That might go pocket-sized , but the S25 Ultra ’s near - bezel - less experience bid an extremist - premium flavour and feel unmatched by much of the rival . It is an out-and-out joy to employ , whether scrolling through social medium , gaming , or watching YouTube videos . It just feels a trivial roomy than its predecessor .
The rounded edges of the newer design mean the video display does n’t have those same sharp corners , which some might see as a downgrade , but it ’s not something I really noticed – the curve is less aggressive than other circular - edge telephone like the iPhone 16 Pro Max .
That said , I find it difficult to quetch about the Galaxy S25 Ultra ’s screen in everyday utilisation ; it ’s bright enough to be used outside without ill , the color are vivid , and with a QHD+ resolution , it ’s pixel - consummate .
I would ’ve like to have seen a rise in peak luminance to match the Honor Magic 7 Pro ’s 5000nits , but given that it ’s only available when exhibit HDR content , it ’s not as self-aggrandising a dealbreaker as it might seem on paper .
Cameras
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra takes a phenomenal photo , there ’s no arguing that fact – but the hardware isveryfamiliar . The S25 Ultra keep on the same 200MP briny , 10MP 3x and 50MP 5x tv camera , while the 12MP ultrawide has watch a jump to 50MP , so it ’s safe to say that , in general speaking , you ’ll get pretty similar resultant to the S24 Ultra .
I have institute that to be the typesetter’s case , though there are far-famed improvements in the processing , specially when it comes to the 50MP 5x telephoto lens . Boosting the zoom to 30x , you ’ll see more particular , improve demarcation and less of that oil painting - esque look we ’ve become accustomed to at more aggressive levels of zoom , and it performs well in low lightness if you dumbfound to the 5 - 10x chain .
As with last year ’s S24 Ultra , there is a bit of an cumbersome zona ( from 3x to 4.9x ) where the comparatively low - res 10MP 3x telephoto beef in , with a notable difference in overall quality in all but ideal shooting consideration , but it still remains the good focal duration for portrait photography than the more aggressive 5x option .
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The upgraded 50MP ultrawide is a welcome addition to the roll , even if it is theonlydifference in hardware ; while the differences are n’t that thoroughgoing when shooting in idealistic conditions , continuing to deliver vivacious , elaborated shots , the ultrawide is way more capable once scant levels begin to drop , primarily thanks to new quad - pixel binning .
I ’m also impressed by how little distortion there is at the edges of the ultrawide lens , make out to deliver a full - slant panorama without that ill at ease fisheye warping so often escort in ultrawide lens .
Of course , it ’s the principal 200MP camera that perform best , and it ’s the one you ’ll be using most often .
With the abundance of pixels , combined with uttermost 16 - in-1 pixel binning technical school , the main lens capture batch of spark and detail , with evenly adequate to HDR processing delivering a good balance between highlight and shadows with very little blowout – even those shot in direct sun .
The colors are n’t as precise as what you ’ll get from the Pixel 9 Pro XL or Oppo Find X8 professional , with Samsung ’s smartphones systematically delivering an overly vibrant color palette , especially when it comes to the greens of Mary Jane and blues of the sky . I ca n’t deny that they look great on social medium . If you favour a more toned - down look , however , you ’d be better off elsewhere .
That execution continues once light levels drop , with the S25 Ultra capable to trance depleted - lightness shots with plenty of detail and vibrant colours , even outgo what I could see with the naked middle in some peculiarly challenging scenarios . It can have a slightly affected look as a result , but I ’d prefer that to moody , marshy shots .
The S25 Ultra ’s camera capableness have also had a boost this year ; while it caps out at the same 8K@30fps as the S24 Ultra , it now bear Galaxy Log , Samsung ’s proprietary take on the LOG formatting .
It ’s like to RAW photos in that it becharm video with very minimum processing so you may tinge - correct and adjust dynamic range in the post - production process . It ’s not a characteristic the vast majority will appreciate , but it ’s a literal boon for those who take telecasting capture more seriously .
Performance
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra – and the rest of the S25 range – ships with a customs duty translation of Qualcomm ’s top - remainder chipset for 2025 , the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy . Given the huge functioning boost we ’ve seen from other 8 Elite machine like theOnePlus 13 , it ’s safe to say that the S25 Ultra is a strong performer .
In benchmark tests , it easily lash the iPhone 16 Pro Max in both the CPU and GPU departments , while also boasting marginally dependable carrying into action than the aforementioned OnePlus 13 and MediaTek 9400 - equipped alternatives like the Oppo breakthrough X8 Pro .
It ’s not quite the highest performer around , with the RedMagic 10 Pro andROG Phone 9 Proboth return improved performance . Both those are gaming phones , so it ’s not really that surprising .
That translate to a great gambling experience , though I did comment the phone would get affectionate over longer menstruation of gameplay , especially when power high - end 3D title like Call of Duty Mobile and One Punch Man World .
There ’s a bounteous vapour chamber to facilitate keep that heat away from the chipset , but benchmarks still showed a bigger pearl in functioning over 20 minute of gameplay than OnePlus ’ flagship .
That said , you ’re unlikely to run into many issues in daylight - to - day habit . The S25 Ultra feels about as fast and reactive as you ’d expect . Apps open instantly , there ’s next to no shutter lag when assume photograph and load times in plot are jolly short . With an inordinateness of tycoon , I expect that to continue forquitesome prison term .
Elsewhere , the Galaxy S25 Ultra come with the same 256 GB , 512 GB and 1 TB storage options , with the top - goal modeling also boast a further 16 GB of RAM , and all the former raw material in connectivity including 5 G , Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi - Fi 7 are present and describe for .
Software and AI
It ’s clear from the fact that the majority of the S25 range announcement focused on AI that it ’s , once again , the main focal point .
Samsung claims that AI is baked directly into OneUI 7 and that should allow for an entirely more utilitarian AI familiar , with the ability to aggregate multiple app actions into a undivided asking .
This should allow the onboard AI to do thing like hunt for your football game team ’s fixtures and add together them to your Calendar app , but after trialling a few asking , it ’s still frustratingly limited in what it can do .
That also ties into Samsung ’s new Now Brief functionality , which should extradite a range of contextual information in the mornings and evenings from a variety of apps – things like ikon you ’ve lease , upcoming travel plans and more – but I ’ve not determine that to be the case .
Despite check my Brief every forenoon and eve for the preceding calendar week , all I ’ve been presented with is the weather and a shortcut to a random Spotify playlist I ’ve never used mob full of songs I ’ve never heard of .
You get more information like how you ’ve slept and current energy levels if you ’ve got a connected Galaxy Watch or Galaxy Ring , but it does n’t do the same with third - company trackers , even if that information is useable in Google Fit .
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Other new features include the power to search for songs in video using Google ’s Circle to Search , although this probably wo n’t be exclusive to these Galaxy speech sound for long .
Galaxy AI features antecedently exclusive to Samsung apps – like the writing assistant and power to summarise text – are now available across the osmium , though again , it ’s not something I found myself using all that often , if ever .
For me , it ’s the pattern of OneUI 7 that ’s worth get excited about . It bring out a redesigned UI with new icons , raw animations and more that help the telephone finger fresh , while also sporting new features like a split ascendancy centre and presentment shade , redesigned notifications and even an update multitasking card .
It ’s a genuinely notable UX upgrade , though with the same OneUI update follow to former Galaxy phones ( the S22 reach is substantiate to get the update ) it is n’t a key ground to bribe the S25 Ultra specifically .
And , as with last year ’s compass , the S25 Ultra will receive seven type O upgrades that ’ll take it through to OneUI 14 free-base on Android 22 – one of the longest support promises of any earpiece right now .
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is a bit of a mixed bag when it come to battery life sentence .
It got me through an average Clarence Day without much complaint , but this year ’s Ultra is starting to fall behind the competition with Samsung ’s antipathy to adopting the high - capacity silicon - carbon battery technical school , instead ship with the same 5000mAh cadre as the S24 Ultra .
In literal - world testing across a calendar week with the phone , I ’ve generally finished most days with around 20 - 30 % will in the tankful . That ’s with around 3 - 4 minute of screen fourth dimension over roughly 16 minute – a healthy mix of scrolling through societal medium , checking electronic mail , replying to WhatsApp message and the periodic spot of gaming .
That ’ll service most people just fine , but compare to the 5910mAh Oppo discover X8 Pro which would usually finish a comparable day with closer to 50 % bombardment remaining , it ’s lacking . Of naturally , your usage will vary depend on what you ’re up to , so you may well see better ( or bad ) battery life-time than I ’ve seen .
The unspoilt news program is that , despite ship with the same 45W charging as the S24 Ultra , Samsung has optimize the charging process . That translates to rapid charging , with the speech sound accomplish 70 % bang in 30 minutes with a full boot in 62 minutes compared to the S24 Ultra ’s 59 % and 71 minutes .
You still do n’t get a battery charger in the corner , so you ’ll have to source a compatible 45W battery charger yourself .
The S25 Ultra is also the first smartphone in the world to support the Qi 2.1 standard , but curiously , there are no observable benefit to this ; it still cap out at the same 15W as its herald , and you ’ll need a charismatic case ( sold separately – come up thebest S25 caseshere ) to benefit from Qi 2 - compatible accessories .
Should you buy it?
There ’s very little to complain about with the S25 Ultra ’s hardware , particularly with a various tv camera frame-up that consistently delivers great results .
Despite the 5000mAh cell lasting all sidereal day during examination , the S25 Ultra is lead off to descend behind the 2025 flagship rival .
Final Thoughts
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is undoubtedly one of thebest smartphonesaround right now , though it does have its drawbacks . I ’m personally a big fan of the redesigned look of the telephone set , bringing the design in personal line of credit with the rest of the Galaxy S25 Ultra scope while also providing good purchase and a more comfortable grip , but conversely , it no longer stands out in a sea of similar - depend flagship .
The screen continue to be a highlight of the Ultra experience with a larger 6.9 - inch panel made possible by impossibly thin bezels unmatched by the rest of the S25 grasp . The tv camera hardware is like to the S24 Ultra , but with improved processing and a young 50MP ultrawide , there are slight improvements to overall public presentation .
It ’s undeniably one of the most versatile camera setups around in 2025 , ranging from 0.6x all the way to 100x , with surprisingly useable results at the 30x mark , matched only by the likes of theOppo Find X8 ProandHonor Magic 7 Pro .
That all say , Samsung ’s big gamble on AI has n’t really paid off here ; the cock-a-hoop new feature are n’t as helpful as you might first expect , with a very barebones Now Brief and multi - app functionality that does n’t puzzle out with that many apps . And , with the OneUI 7 update coming to older Galaxy devices , it ’s likely that these will look on other Galaxy gadget in the add up calendar month .
Is it worth an rising slope from theGalaxy S24 Ultra , or even theS23 Ultra ? Probably not . Though the redesign is a squeamish touch , much of the hardware is share with the past few generations of Galaxy Ultra . That said , if you ’re coming from another smartphone make , or you ’re still rocking theS21 Ultra , you ’ll find a lot to appreciate with the S25 Ultra .
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FAQs
No , you ’ll call for to source your own 45W USB - C battery charger to get the practiced charging performance from the Galaxy S25 Ultra .
Yes , it offers full IP68 debris and piss resistor .
Samsung has charge to seven OS upgrades for the S25 Ultra , accept it through to OneUI 14 .
Test Data
Full Specs
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