You know that feeling when you walk into a shop, look at the new flagship phone on display, and think, “Yep… looks exactly like last year’s one”?
That was my first thought when I picked up the Samsung S25 Ultra.
Now, before the Samsung fans start sharpening their S Pens, let me be clear: this is still one of the best phones you can buy in 2025.
But after spending three months with it, coming straight from both an iPhone and a OnePlus 13, I’ve realised the S25 Ultra is less about “mind-blowing innovation” and more about small, smart refinements. Yes, these refinements make life easier… but they also leave you wondering if you should just stick with last year’s model.
I’ve poked around all the new features, even the Galaxy AI tricks, and spotted a few annoyances you’ll want to know before making the switch!
Samsung s25 Ultra Review: Key Features and Changes
So what exactly has Samsung changed this year? On the surface, the S25 Ultra looks almost identical to its predecessor. But pick it up, use it for a week, and the refinements start to show. With sharper display tech and a few Galaxy AI upgrades sprinkled in, this is a phone that feels grown up and polished.
Design & Build Quality
Samsung’s clearly in its refinement era. The S25 Ultra sticks with the titanium frame from last year, keeps the same boxy, slab-of-glass feel, and still fits the S Pen in its usual spot. There’s a new shade or two, but nothing here screams “radical redesign.”
The front glass (now Victus Armor with an anti-glare coating) is one of the most underrated upgrades this year. You really notice it outdoors, where it shrugs off reflections far better than an iPhone 16 Pro. And durability-wise? Three months in and not a single scratch, which is a personal record considering I usually manage to mark my screens within a week.
It’s not all perfect. That familiar, hefty feel is still here, and at 232g, this thing is closer to a small tablet than a featherweight daily driver. Case compatibility is also a minor headache; subtle changes in the camera housing mean your S24 Ultra case won’t quite fit, which feels a bit unnecessary unless you enjoy buying accessories all over again.
Performance & Galaxy AI
Under the hood, the S25 Ultra is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip (in most regions), and it’s every bit as fast as you’d expect from a flagship in 2025. Apps open instantly, animations feel snappy, and gaming performance is rock solid, all without the phone turning into a pocket-sized hand warmer.
One of my first setup tweaks was diving into Developer Options and halving the animation scale times. It’s a simple change that makes the phone feel even faster, especially if you’re coming from an iPhone where you’re stuck waiting for all those slow, “pretty” transitions to finish before you can actually do anything.
Now, about Galaxy AI, Samsung’s big headline feature this year. When it works, it’s brilliant. You can translate calls in real time, summarise transcripts, use generative photo editing to remove or replace objects, and even get a daily “Now Brief” of your calendar, weather, and travel updates.
It’s like having a slightly more useful Bixby, but with the caveat that it still suffers from “AI syndrome.” Meaning, roughly 20% of the time, it nails the request and you think, “Wow, this is the future.”
The other 80% of the time? You’re either correcting it, asking again, or just reaching for a calculator. For example, I tried to get Galaxy AI to split a restaurant bill based on what I ordered. Let’s just say… my tablemates got the answer from their phones faster while I was still arguing with mine.
Battery Life & Charging
If you were hoping for another big jump in battery life this year, good news. The S25 Ultra comfortably lasts a full day of heavy use and can stretch to two days if you’re taking it easy. I regularly end the day with 20–30% left, which is more than I can say for my iPhone 16 Pro, which tends to start panicking before dinner.
Charging is faster too, though not quite in “OnePlus warp speed” territory. The S25 Ultra supports 45W wired charging, topping up to around 65% in half an hour and hitting full in just under an hour. That’s quick enough for most situations, but if you’ve experienced 100W charging on something like the OnePlus 13, you’ll notice the difference.
Wireless charging is here in the form of the new Qi2 standard, delivering up to 15W. The only annoyance? There are no built-in magnets like MagSafe, so you’ll need a compatible case (like the MagBak I’ve been using) if you want that secure magnetic snap onto chargers and accessories. Apparently, there just “isn’t room” inside the phone for magnets… which feels like a slightly thin excuse when Apple’s managed it since 2020.
Still, with better battery endurance than last year and solid charging speeds, the S25 Ultra is one of the most reliable flagships you can take through a full day without worrying.
Cameras
The S25 Ultra sticks with Samsung’s tried-and-tested camera formula, but upgrades the ultrawide lens to a new 50MP sensor. The rest of the setup (high-resolution main, periscope telephoto, and standard telephoto) is largely the same as last year’s S24 Ultra, which isn’t a bad thing considering that lineup was already one of the best in the industry.
Photos are sharp, well-exposed, and vibrant without tipping too far into “overprocessed” territory. Low-light shots hold detail without drowning in noise, and autofocus is quick enough to keep up with kids or pets in chaotic situations. In other words, if you just want a phone that nails the shot without fiddling with settings, this is one of the safest bets in 2025.
Video quality is also excellent. While iPhones still have the edge in certain cinematic scenarios, Samsung has narrowed the gap so much that for most people, it’s basically a tie. Stabilisation is strong, audio capture is clear, and 8K recording is there for those who want the extra pixels (and have the storage to match).
That said, this isn’t a generational leap. If you own last year’s model, you’re getting incremental improvements rather than a dramatic overhaul. The biggest difference you’ll notice is the upgraded ultrawide, which delivers cleaner detail and better dynamic range, especially useful for landscapes or big group shots.
And yes, the S Pen remote shutter trick is gone this year. With Bluetooth and the battery removed from the stylus, you can’t use it to snap photos remotely anymore. If you’re like me and never bothered with it, you won’t care. But if it was part of your workflow, you’ll feel the loss.
Performance & Connectivity
The S25 Ultra runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip (in most regions), and it’s exactly as quick as you’d expect from a flagship in 2025.
Where it really surprised me was network reception. In side-by-side tests with my iPhone on the same carrier, the S25 Ultra consistently held on to weaker signals better and switched between Wi-Fi and cellular faster. That means fewer “garage door won’t close” moments when leaving the house and better reliability when streaming or navigating on the go.
One quirk that takes some getting used to: NFC placement. Unlike the iPhone’s tap-anywhere approach, Samsung’s NFC sensor sits further down the back of the device, so you have to be more precise when paying or scanning. Not a dealbreaker, but it’s an adjustment if you’re coming from iOS.
Connectivity options are as complete as it gets: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, 5G, Ultra Wideband, and dual SIM (eSIM + physical). And while the phone supports the new Qi2 wireless charging standard at up to 15W, you’ll need a case with built-in magnets to take advantage of MagSafe-style accessories.
Display & Audio
Samsung’s displays have been industry-leading for years, but the S25 Ultra still managed to surprise me. The 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel is sharp, colour-accurate, and now topped with Victus Armor glass that feels almost scratch-resistant, a minor miracle given how quickly I’ve marked up previous phones.
The real unsung hero here is the anti-glare coating. Outdoors, even in harsh midday sun, the screen remains legible without the squinting-and-hand-shading routine. It’s also noticeably brighter than my iPhone 16 Pro, although Samsung’s auto-brightness can be a bit too cautious, occasionally requiring manual nudges when you step outside.
On the audio side, the stereo speakers are clear and loud enough to fill a small room without distortion. Enabling Dolby Atmos adds a touch of spaciousness, though it’s still a mobile experience, so don’t expect home theatre depth from a phone. The Adapt Sound feature can tailor frequencies to your hearing, but in practice, I didn’t notice huge differences.
Paired with a good set of wireless earbuds (in my case, PowerBeats Pro), the S25 Ultra handles music, calls, and video with zero dropouts or sync issues.
S Pen Changes
The S Pen remains a signature feature of the Galaxy S Ultra line, but with the S25 Ultra, Samsung made a controversial change: removing the Bluetooth functionality and the built-in battery. This means you can no longer use the S Pen as a remote shutter for photos or control presentations wirelessly.
To make matters more puzzling, the internal charging coils for the Bluetooth S Pen remain inside the phone, sparking speculation that Samsung might release a Bluetooth version as a paid accessory later.
The design has also been altered just enough that the S24 Ultra’s S Pen doesn’t fully fit, which many see as an unnecessary compatibility block. While these changes don’t impact those who rarely use the S Pen, for dedicated stylus users, it feels like a step backward in functionality.
The Bottom Line
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is the kind of phone that’s super easy to recommend but a bit hard to get excited about. It’s a polished, reliable flagship that will serve most people brilliantly. But for tech enthusiasts expecting bold leaps, this year feels more like a cautious shuffle.
If you’re upgrading from an older phone or breaking free from the Apple ecosystem, you’ll probably love it. If you’re hoping for the thrill of something truly new, you might leave the store feeling a little… safe.
Either way, it’s still one of the best Android experiences you can buy today, just with a few “why did they change that?” moments added in for good measure.
