Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Expert Review

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is widely regarded as one of the most advanced and well-rounded flagship smartphones of 2025, building on Samsung’s legacy of innovation in display technology, camera performance, and intelligent software features.

Design and Build

The S25 Ultra features a refined design with a flat 6.9-inch WQHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x display, boasting thinner bezels and softer corners compared to its predecessor. The titanium frame adds a premium, durable feel, and the phone is lighter than many rivals, making it comfortable to hold and use.

The weight distribution is excellent, and the placement of buttons is intuitive. However, some users would have preferred a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and a more advanced facial recognition system akin to Apple’s Face ID.

Display

Samsung continues its dominance in display technology with the S25 Ultra’s screen. The 6.9-inch panel offers a resolution of 3120 x 1440, adaptive refresh rates from 1-120Hz, and up to 2,600 nits of peak brightness.

This results in superb visibility even in bright sunlight, vibrant colors, and crisp HDR video playback. After some customization, users report the display as one of the best they’ve ever used, making it a pleasure for media consumption, gaming, and productivity.

Performance and Software

Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, slightly overclocked, 3nm flagship, the S25 Ultra delivers top-tier performance for gaming, multitasking, and AI-driven tasks. It comes with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and storage options up to 1TB (non-expandable). The device runs Android 15 with One UI 7, and Samsung promises a remarkable 7 years of software updates, ensuring long-term support and security.

AI features are a standout, with the S25 Ultra introducing advanced AI agents capable of performing multi-app actions via voice commands, making workflows more efficient. While some new features like the Now Brief are underwhelming, the overall AI integration is among the best on any smartphone.

Camera System

The S25 Ultra’s quad camera setup is a major highlight:

• 200MP main sensor (f/1.7)
• 50MP telephoto (f/3.4)
• 50MP ultra-wide (f/1.9)
• 10MP periscope (f/2.4)

It supports 3x and 5x optical zoom, optical-quality zoom at 2x and 10x, and digital zoom up to 100x. The Adaptive Pixel sensor ensures sharp, detailed images across zoom levels, and video recording capabilities include 8K at 30fps and high-quality slow-motion. The camera system is praised for its versatility and image quality, making it one of the top camera phones available.

Battery Life and Charging

Equipped with a 5,000mAh battery, the S25 Ultra delivers excellent endurance, lasting up to 1.5 days for typical users and over 17 hours in rigorous battery tests. Samsung’s AI-driven battery management further enhances real-world performance, minimizing unnecessary background activity and optimizing power usage.

Charging remains at 45W wired (faster than iPhone but slower than some competitors), 15W wireless, and reverse wireless charging is supported. However, Qi2 wireless charging requires a compatible case, as no built-in magnets exist.

S Pen and Other Features

The S Pen remains a signature feature, though it has lost Bluetooth functionality in this generation. The phone is IP68 certified for dust and water resistance, supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and Ultra Wide Band (UWB). Stereo speakers and an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner round out the premium feature set.

Overall Impression

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra stands out as a top-tier flagship, excelling in display quality, camera versatility, performance, and intelligent software. Its battery life is among the best, and the design is both premium and practical.

While there are minor drawbacks-such as the lack of built-in Qi2 magnets and the S Pen’s lost Bluetooth S25 Ultra is arguably the best Android phone of its generation and a compelling choice for anyone seeking the ultimate smartphone experience.

“The S25 Ultra is packed with smarter AI features I wish the iPhone 16 Pro Max had, like the ability to perform multiple actions at once across apps using just your voice… Overall the performance, battery life and AI smarts on the Galaxy S25 Ultra add up to the best Android phone I’ve tested and possibly the best phone period.”