Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Review: Boring But Brilliant

Samsung’s latest flagship phone has arrived, and it’s not the upgrade that many of us were hoping for. In fact, at a glance, you may not notice anything has changed at all. Thankfully, that’s not actually the case, and there are a handful of new things to explore.

The design has been refreshed, and we now get corners with a bit of curve to them, which should be nicer on your palms. There’s the latest Qualcomm chip, and it’s a special “For Galaxy” version, as we’ve come to expect. There’s also a new 50Mp ultrawide camera, but in terms of hardware, that’s all you get.

The rest of the innovations come via software, and they’re mostly infused with AI smarts. There are some very novel features included, but I’d expect a lot of them to arrive on Samsung’s older flagships too.

So, is it worth investing in the new Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, or should you stick to an older model instead? I lived with the S25 Ultra as my main device for the past week in an attempt to find out.

Design & Build

• Boxy design with curved corners
• 218g, Corning Gorilla Armor 2
• IP68 rated

The Galaxy S25 Ultra has had a bit of a design refresh this year, although it takes more than a passing glance to notice. It’s still a very familiar shape with an identical camera layout to the last few generations.

The most impactful change is that the corners are a little more rounded, so they won’t poke your palms quite as much as the S24 Ultra did. However, the curve is still much sharper than the rest of the S25 family, and I think this is a wise move, as it means the phone maintains the iconic boxy shape of its predecessors.

The cameras on the rear now have a thicker black bezel around each lens, a lot like the cameras on the Z Fold 6. It’s purely an aesthetic choice, but I quite like it – it looks almost cartoon-like.

The side rails are now completely flat all the way around, matching the other S25 models, and this is still the only model with a titanium alloy frame. The S Pen is still tucked away in its usual position, and the buttons remain largely unchanged too.

Eagle-eyed Samsung fans quickly spotted a change with the S Pen, and that’s the fact that it no longer supports Bluetooth. Writing and sketching still work in the same way, but you can no longer use it as a remote camera shutter, which is a bit of a bummer.

I’m a little puzzled by this downgrade, presumably, it’s just a cost-cutting measure, but at least you still get an S Pen. I have suspicions that the people who actually use it are in the minority, so I’m always pleasantly surprised to find it hasn’t been removed entirely.

Phones are trending larger and heavier every year, so the weight reduction on the S25 Ultra is a welcome one

The S25 Ultra is around 15g lighter than its predecessor, and it’s a fraction of a millimetre slimmer, too. In reality, you aren’t likely to notice the difference, unless you keep a precise set of calipers handy. That said, phones are trending larger and heavier every year, so the weight reduction on the S25 Ultra is a welcome one.

I received the Titanium SilverBlue colourway for testing, but the phone is also available in Black, Grey and WhiteSilver. To be honest, aside from the black one, I have trouble telling them apart, as they’re all very similar. On the plus side, they all look slick and professional, so it’s hard to misstep with your colour choice.

If you buy the phone from Samsung’s website, you get access to the exclusive JadeGreen, PinkGold and JetBlack versions. These have a little more personality than the mainline options and could be the way to go if you want to stand out. 

Screen & Speakers

• 6.9-inch 120Hz 1440 x 3120 AMOLED
• 2600 nits peak brightness
• Stereo speakers

The Galaxy S25 Ultra screen has almost identical specifications to the S24 Ultra, but that’s not a bad thing. The S24 Ultra already had one of my favourite screens, and this one is slightly better. 

The bezels have shrunken by 15%, which means you get a larger screen without the chassis getting any bigger. The camera cutout is still tiny, and the sharp radius of the corners makes the display feel even larger than it is. Using it reminds me of the Redmagic 9S Pro, and I mean that as a compliment.

The main thing I loved about the S24 Ultra’s display was the anti-reflective glass coating, and I’m very pleased to see a new and improved version used on the S25 Ultra. It’s called Corning Gorilla Armor 2, and currently, it’s exclusive to the S25 Ultra – not even the S25 and S25+ get in on the action.

Small upgrades are enough to make the S25 Ultra’s display my favourite of any smartphone

This upgraded anti-reflective glass works in the exact same way, but it has enhanced scratch and impact resistance, so it should stay looking its best for longer. It’s a glossy screen, like any other smartphone, but reflections appear duller and darker, making them less distracting. It sounds like a minor thing, but it makes a huge difference. Small upgrades are enough to make the S25 Ultra’s display my favourite of any smartphon.

The S25 Ultra also boasts something called ProScaler, developed in collaboration with Qualcomm. Straight from the horse’s mouth, this feature uses AI to “boost image quality for a crisp viewing experience.” The only issue is that Samsung hasn’t been very clear about how or when this feature activates, and to be completely honest, I can’t say I’ve noticed a difference.

Elsewhere, you can expect the usual benefits that come with a Samsung OLED panel. The colours are accurate and vibrant, the black levels are exceptional and swiping around the OS looks perfectly smooth, thanks to that dynamic 120Hz refresh rate.

A 2600 nit peak brightness might not sound too astonishing, with other manufacturers boasting as high as 6000 nits, but while other marketing departments might get a little creative with the numbers, Samsung appears to keep things more realistic. I certainly never had any trouble seeing it, no matter the lighting conditions, and of course, that anti-reflective coating helps too.

The S25 Ultra has dual stereo speakers placed on either side of the phone, and as far as I’m aware, they’re unchanged from the last generation. Again, it’s not a problem, as they were already some of the best speakers I’ve tested. There’s more bass than most, along with a high maximum volume and little-to-no distortion.

However, my big gripe with the S24 Ultra speakers remains unsolved. When the phone is held in landscape, my palm is always muffling one of the speakers, and it drives me nuts. I’m not sure if Samsung can solve this, as it’s pretty cramped with the S Pen, SIM card tray and USB port on the same side, but regardless, expect to do some hand gymnastics when you’re watching full-screen YouTube videos.

Specs & Performance

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
• 12GB RAM
• 256GB / 512GB / 1TB storage

The Galaxy S25 Ultra has Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line chip onboard, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite. As we’ve seen with the last few generations, Samsung has worked directly with the brand to develop a special souped-up version exclusive to the S25 series. It essentially amounts to a small overclock, but it should give Samsung a leg-up over most competing Android flagships.

This chip is paired with 12GB of RAM, and unfortunately, rumours about a 16GB upgrade have proven inaccurate. Samsung reckons it’s unnecessary for now, and based on my testing, it seems it might be right.

I’m sure you won’t be shocked to hear that the S25 Ultra is lightning quick, no matter how many apps and tabs you have running in the background, this phone is a rocket. Part of this can surely be attributed to the speedy animation style of One UI 7, but the raw power of the Snapdragon 8 Elite plays an equally important role.

No matter how many apps and tabs you have running in the background, this phone is a rocket

In benchmarks, the S25 Ultra is up there with the best devices we’ve tested to date. In most cases, it only loses out to the gaming-specific powerhouse, the ROG Phone 9 Pro. Of course, this translates to real-world gaming, too, and maxing out the settings in titles like Genshin Impact is a walk in the park for the S25 Ultra.

To keep this new chip performing at its best, the S25 Ultra has a 40% larger vapour chamber than its predecessor. It seems to be doing its job, too, as the sustained performance on this device is very respectable. It’s worth noting, however, that the frame gets very warm during extended sessions. I found the Honor Magic 7 Pro stays a little cooler in the heat of the action.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra benchmarks

Cameras

• 200 Mp, f/1.7 main camera
• 50 Mp, f/1.9 ultrawide
• 10Mp, f/2.4 3x telephoto
• 50Mp f/3.4 5x telephoto
• 12Mp, f/2.2 selfie camera with PDAF

The cameras on the S25 Ultra are mostly unchanged from the S24 Ultra – it’s only the ultrawide camera that’s seen an upgrade. It’s the same approach we saw from Apple with the latest iPhones, and I must say, I was a little disappointed to learn this.

It means we still have a 3x telephoto with a relatively tiny sensor and only a 10Mp resolution – the same one we’ve had since the S21 Ultra. These specs are almost laughable in 2025, and to make things worse, the 70mm equivalent focal length is my personal favourite. I kept having to remind myself to take a few steps back and use the vastly superior 5x telephoto.

Hardware woes aside, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra still takes excellent photos, and actually, they seem to look better than ever. Samsung’s keynote mentioned a new Spatio Temporal Filter and the ProVisual Engine, co-engineered with Qualcomm. I won’t pretend to fully comprehend how these work, but they make photos and videos look slightly better than the last generation.

The main thing I noticed was that the colour accuracy seems to have improved, and in particular, skin tones look much more natural and life-like. Shots also appear slightly more detailed than they were on the S24 series, without looking oversharpened. It’s not a dramatic change, but it’s an improvement on an already impressive camera system.

Colour accuracy seems to have improved, and in particular, skin tones look much more natural and life-like

One thing that hasn’t been solved, though, is noise. In low-light conditions, the main camera fares decently well, but the other sensors really struggle, especially the 3x telephoto. The exposure and colours look good and the details are all present, but the images are a lot grainier than most of the competition.

As for the new ultrawide camera, it’s an improvement, but not a game-changer. You can expect to see slightly more detail when you zoom in, but at a glance, you’re unlikely to see much of a difference. Of course, if you use the high-res photo mode, that becomes even more true.

One of the most impactful changes for video shooting is the addition of a Log recording mode to the default camera app. This means you can record with a very flat image profile and process the footage in your preferred video editor.

Apple introduced a Log profile with the iPhone 15-series, and we’ve also seen it appear on rival Android devices from the likes of Honor and Vivo. Until now, Samsung offered no such option, and the change should make this phone more appealing to professional video shooters. It’s also, as far as I’m aware, the only phone to offer Log video recording at 8K resolution.

It’s hard to gauge exactly how good this Log profile is, as I’m not a professional colourist. From the small amount of testing I have done, though, it seems to capture more shadow detail than the default image profile and it can handle grading a lot better, which is exactly what you want from a Log profile. If you’re weighing up options, it’s still not likely to beat Apple’s offering, as there’s no ProRes-equivalent codec, only a relatively lossy HEVC option.

Battery Life & Charging

• 5000 mAh battery
• 45W wired charging
• 15W wireless charging

The Galaxy S25 Ultra has the exact same battery capacity and charging specifications as its predecessor. It’s disappointing to see Samsung resting on its laurels, as there are so many battery innovations coming from competing brands. That said, Samsung claims, thanks to new optimisations, the S25 Ultra will last about an hour longer during video playback compared to the S24 Ultra. 

In reality, the S25 Ultra’s battery lasts more than long enough for most people, and I often went to bed with 30-40% left in the tank. It’s not a two-day device unless you use your phone extremely sparingly, but it takes a lot of screen-on time to drain it before the end of the day.

45W wired charging sounds very underwhelming, especially with other brands exceeding 100W, but it’s still pretty quick. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it can go from fully flat to around 70% charged in just half an hour. That other 30% takes just as long, though, and a full charge took me just over an hour.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that it can go from fully flat to around 70% charged in just half an hour

As usual, there’s no charger in the box, just a USB-C to USB-C cable, so you’ll want to ensure you have a suitably quick wall adapter to benefit from the full 45W.

When it comes to wireless charging, the Samsung S25-series has technically been upgraded to Qi2.1, but unfortunately, that’s not as exciting as it first sounds. Really, all it means is that Samsung offers official cases with magnets built-in and you can use it with Qi2 wireless chargers.

The charging rate is still a measly 15W. It’s very unimpressive, especially after testing the Honor Magic 7 Pro, which supports up to 80W wireless charging speeds.

Software & Apps

• One UI 7, based on Android 15
• New Galaxy AI features
• Enhanced Circle to Search and Gemini

Just as we saw with the S24 series launch, Samsung’s keynote for the S25 series focused almost entirely on software features and AI.

One UI 7 has had a fairly rigorous overhaul. It comes with a slick refreshed look and AI features are now woven into every area of the operating system.

Starting with the basics, One UI feels faster than ever, with slick and snappy animations that outclass most Android rivals. There’s a ton of customisation on offer, so you can easily adapt the OS to make it look and act as you see fit. Fundamentally, it’s just very pleasant to use.

Of course, you get all the same AI features that were introduced with the last generation, and there’s plenty more here too. One of the big changes is that a long press of the power button now brings up Gemini, rather than Google Assistant or Bixby. However, it’s not the Gemini that we’re used to: it’s been given extra capabilities.

This new voice assistant mostly acts like Gemini on any other phone, but it can also interact with other apps and phone functions. It has the ability to add an event to your Samsung Calendar, for example, which Gemini can’t usually do. It’s pretty useful already, miles better than Bixby ever was, and I’m sure it’ll get more handy as time goes on.

The search bar in the app drawer and settings menu is now AI-powered too. It still does the same job, but you can now ask for things in natural language, rather than typing keywords and exact phrases. For example, you can now say “I want to make my screen brighter” rather than typing “brightness”. It’ll make finding things much easier for less techy users, but if you already know what you’re looking for, you won’t notice a massive difference.

One UI feels faster than ever, with slick and snappy animations that outclass most Android rivals

There’s another new AI feature called Now Brief, and by default, you’ll find a Now Brief widget on your home screen. This feature delivers a summary of key events and information from across your phone, and it’ll appear in your notifications in the morning, afternoon and night.

I was looking forward to trying this, but I quickly realised that you need to be fully invested in the Samsung ecosystem to get the most from it. As someone who uses Google services for just about everything, the Now Brief only told me the weather forecast and what events are on my calendar – not useless, but not too exciting, either.

If you use Samsung accessories like a Galaxy Watch or Ring, as well as Samsung’s internet browser, you’ll see much more in this briefing. I’ve seen other users’ briefings filled with things like sleep and activity data as well as news recommendations, and mine felt bizarrely empty by comparison. I think there’s potential here – I just wish it played nicely with a few more Google services.

The select tool has also received an AI overhaul, and there’s now a fair bit of overlap with Circle to Search (which is also present on this phone). You can use the select tool to copy text from an image, reverse image search, translate and more.  Where it differs is that you can create things from your selection. You can now generate images in different artistic styles, remove objects and even apply Sketch to Image to add your own AI spin.

Another big addition is the new AI audio eraser, which works a lot like the one on the iPhone 16 series and the latest Pixel phones. It means you can take a video clip filmed in a noisy environment, and make your voice much clearer while dialling down the background sounds. It’s very clever tech, but the results always sound a little unnatural to me, so it’s best reserved for situations where the footage would otherwise be unusable.

In terms of updates, Samsung is still committing to a class-leading seven years of both OS and security updates.

Price & Availability

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is available to pre-order in most regions globally, and units begin shipping to customers from 1 February 2025. The 256GB model costs £1,249/$1,299, the 512GB version is £1,349/$1,419 and the 1TB model will set you back £1,549/$1,659.

On the Samsung UK and Samsung US sites, there are also some appealing pre-order offers available.

The phone is also available on contract via all the major UK and US networks if you don’t want to buy it outright. See the widgets below for the best options:

Check out our guide to the best Samsung Galaxy S25 series deals to make sure you’re getting a fair shake.

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?

To be completely honest, I wasn’t expecting to give the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra a very positive review. I’m a tech enthusiast, and I want to see innovation, not the same phone repackaged with minor upgrades year after year. However, after spending some quality time with it, it’s hard to fault.

It might not be an exciting update, but this is still undoubtedly one of the best Android phones. It’s fast, looks good, takes great photos and videos, and the display is my absolute favourite. The battery might not be the biggest, and the charging certainly isn’t the fastest, but they’re still more than good enough. And if you love AI, nothing comes close to matching Samsung’s Galaxy AI right now.

With that said, if you already have the S24 Ultra, there’s almost no reason to buy this phone. Most of the improvements are software-based, and with many years of software support still promised, the S24 Ultra should get almost all the same features in the coming months. If you’re coming from an older Samsung flagship, like the S22 Ultra, then this phone starts to make a lot more sense.

All in all, I’ve had a great time with the S25 Ultra. The spec sheet might not be the most impressive, but as a complete package, the S25 Ultra delivers in every department.

Specs

• One UI 7, based on Android 15
• 6.9-inch, 1440 x 3120, AMOLED, 120Hz
• Ultrasonic fingerprint scanner
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
• 12GB RAM
• 256GB / 512GB / 1TB storage
• Cameras:
• 200Mp main sensor
• 50Mp ultrawide
• 10Mp 3x telephoto
• 50Mp 5x telephoto
• 12Mp selfie camera
• Up to 8K @ 30fps rear video
• Stereo speakers
• Dual-SIM + eSIM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be
• Bluetooth 5.4
• 5000mAh battery
• 45W wired charging
• 15W wireless charging
• 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2 mm
• IP68 certified
• 218g
• Colours: Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Whitesilver
• Samsung.com exclusive colours: Titanium Jetblack, Titanium Jadegreen, Titanium Pinkgold