This review was supposed to be published much earlier, but life, like Uber, sometimes takes you in one direction and leaves what's important behind. Literally. Because just after Samsung finished its announcement event in San Jose, I got my hands on the Galaxy S25 Ultra – and then, less than a day later, I lost it. Not because someone stole it (sort of), but because I left it in the back seat of an Uber, and apparently, it decided to move on without me. Did I try calling the driver? Silence. I sent messages? Elegant disregard. Then came the cherry on top – Uber sent me a brilliant tip: "Next time, just keep an eye on your stuff." Really? I hadn’t thought of that!
At this point, I pulled out the heavy artillery – SmartThings Find, Samsung’s device tracking service. Within seconds, I identified the device's location, took a screenshot in case I needed evidence, and activated the ring. If the driver didn’t see my messages, maybe an annoying sound in the middle of the day would do the trick. But instead of a reply, I got a knockout: less than a minute after I activated the ring, the device shut off. And from that moment on? Silence.
My companions and I decided to try our luck and drove to the last address that appeared on the map, hoping the driver might still be there. But soon, it dawned on us that we were in the U.S. – a place where searching for a lost phone could end with a meeting with the wrong gun owner. We didn’t take the risk. After one look at each other, it was clear this battle was over. The Galaxy S25 Ultra officially entered the world of Uber.
And so, while the world began covering Samsung’s new generation, I tried to find a way to get a new one. Fortunately, Partner came to the rescue and provided us with a review unit, so after a slight delay – we returned with all the insights. Now, the question is: Is the Galaxy S25 Ultra so exciting that I had to fight for it, or was the fact that I lost it right after receiving it a hint? Here’s what I thought:
The Smartphone Market is Freezing, but Samsung Hints at Change
I remember the excitement I used to feel before smartphone announcement events. The anticipation of seeing a revolution, something that would shuffle the cards, change the way we use the most important device in our lives. But in recent years, that expectation has turned into a clear reality: innovations are shrinking, and upgrades are becoming more and more marginal. Still, when I hold the Galaxy S25 Ultra, I can't say I'm disappointed.
Samsung continues to do what it does best: build a high-quality smartphone, with excellent hardware, refined design, and a user experience that leaves no room for complaints. Is it a groundbreaking device? Absolutely not. But I forgive it, because it’s not the only one stuck in place. The entire smartphone market is struggling to innovate, and as much as I want to see revolutions – I also understand the reality.
But there’s one detail you can’t ignore: there’s a certain chance that this could also be the end of the Galaxy S series. Some speculate, without much basis, that Samsung’s surprising announcement at the end of the event is a sign of that: the Galaxy Edge model. What do we know about it so far? That it’s thin... and that’s it. Still, for now, the Galaxy S25 Ultra remains the best Android smartphone on the market – even if it mostly reminds us of how hard it is to innovate in this world.
Design and Hardware
If there’s one thing I’m really happy about this year, it’s that the sharp corners are finally out of the picture. After a few generations of somewhat stiff design, Samsung decided to soften the lines and give the S25 Ultra a more rounded look – and you feel it immediately. The grip is more comfortable, less sharp in the hand, and overall, it just looks better. This move also makes the device more similar to the smaller siblings in the series, reinforcing the feeling of a unified device family.
Speaking of comfort – not only the corners have changed, but also the weight. This year, the S25 Ultra is significantly lighter – only 218 grams, compared to 233 grams last year. It’s also 15% thinner. The screen also got a small but noticeable upgrade – instead of 6.8 inches, we get 6.9 inches, but don’t worry, the physical size of the device remains the same because the bezels have become thinner. This gives it a cleaner look, almost bezel-less, and that’s always nice to see.
The display itself, as usual, is among the best in the market, and if that’s not enough, Samsung has replaced the glass with Corning Gorilla Armor 2, which includes a new coating to reduce reflections – and it really looks great in everyday use. Fewer reflections, more screen – definitely an upgrade you feel.
In terms of hardware, it’s mostly refinements: the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, which brings a 40% performance improvement over the previous generation, and of course – all the new AI-based software upgrades Samsung wants you to be excited about. And that’s exactly the thing with the S25 Ultra – there’s nothing here that will leave you speechless, but everything is a little bit better, a little bit more polished, and it makes it the most complete device Samsung has ever made.
Performance
The Galaxy S series has never been weak, but that didn’t stop Samsung from adding even more processing power this year. With the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, 12GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage, it’s a performance monster that no matter how much you try to challenge it – it just flies. Every action is carried out at lightning speed, and there’s almost nothing that can slow the device down, whether it's heavy games, video editing, or intense multitasking.
But it’s not just on paper – Samsung also improved the interface itself. The animations in One UI are tighter and smoother, enhancing the feeling of speed. Everything feels sharper, faster, and more polished. However, there’s one point worth considering – under heavy load, the S25 Ultra consumes more power than usual, which could lead to faster battery drain when running heavy apps or working with multiple applications simultaneously. Additionally, the device heats up slightly, but that’s completely understandable.
The AI is Here – and It’s Smarter Than Ever
This year, AI takes a step up – and this time the main digital assistant is none other than Gemini from Google. Bixby is still here, but in a secondary role, with Gemini becoming the default assistant that automatically launches when you long-press the power button. What does this mean in practice? Gemini can perform smart tasks between different apps, including Gmail, calendar, and various Samsung native apps. If voice assistants were mainly good for basic queries in the past, now we’re dealing with a system that understands contexts and can really help with daily tasks. Want to schedule an appointment directly from Google Calendar? Ask it to send an email without opening the app? All of that becomes simpler.
The connection between hardware and software feels smoother than ever, and this is perhaps Samsung’s biggest emphasis this year – making AI a useful and intuitive tool, not just a buzzword. Another new feature is Now Brief – a smart feed that brings you weather updates, meetings, news, and everything Samsung thinks is important for you to know. Sounds cool? Yes, but in practice, it takes time for the device to really understand what interests you and what’s just taking up space on the screen. This feature is also integrated into the Now Bar, which shows updates on the lock screen and notification center – like a timer that shows how long you've recorded audio or sports updates.
Another cool feature worth highlighting is the improvement in voice commands. Finally, you can talk to the phone in a natural way, and it will understand exactly what you mean without requiring precise phrasing. For example, I asked it to add the “Eurovision 2025 final” to my calendar, and it found the information by itself, completed the details, and added it to my calendar without me having to search for the date or time. It may not change the world, but it does give the feeling that the device learns and understands more than ever, making it more intuitive and easier to use daily.
Camera: A Few More Megapixels, No Revolution
Samsung's Ultra models have always been impressive cameras, and the S25 Ultra continues that line. It features a 200MP main sensor, a 50MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom, and the significant upgrade this year – a new 50MP ultra-wide lens (compared to 12MP in the previous model). In practice, in daylight, as expected, the photos come out rich in detail, vibrant colors, and high accuracy, and Samsung’s smart processing does a good job of producing exceptionally high-quality images. But despite the impressive upgrade to the ultra-wide lens, I must admit that it’s the lens I use the least, so its impact on everyday photography isn’t very noticeable. On the other hand, if you take a lot of landscape photos or pictures at extremely wide angles, you’ll likely feel the difference.
And what about night photography? Samsung boasts an improvement in noise reduction in low-light conditions, but in practice, it’s hard to say the difference is significant compared to the previous generation. The photos are relatively clean, with less grain than usual, but it’s not a revolution. Still, even without a dramatic change, the S25 Ultra continues to lead the category, with performance on par with the iPhone and Pixel, providing the best results in the environment. You can see the comparison with the iPhone in the video attached below.
To view full-quality photos and more pictures, click here.
And one more small thing: the innovations don’t stop with hardware – Samsung also upgraded the camera and gallery apps, with a few smart and useful additions. One of the interesting tools is Audio Eraser, based on AI, which can identify and remove unwanted noises from video clips – like background speech or wind noise. For those looking for more advanced control in photography, there’s also virtual aperture control, which allows control over depth of field – it’s still not a replacement for a physical lens like in professional cameras, but it’s an interesting addition. Additionally, for heavy content creators, Samsung also allows shooting in the Galaxy Log format, a new video format that offers more flexibility for color grading and corrections.
Comparison: iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Galaxy S25 Ultra
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The Smart Pen Becomes Less Smart
The S Pen, Samsung's smart pen, has always been one of the most unique additions to the Ultra series, but this year it underwent a surprising change – it's less smart than before. It still fits into its place at the bottom-left corner of the device, and to remove it, you simply press it, and it pops out by a few millimeters. But here's the twist: this time it no longer supports Bluetooth, meaning it can no longer perform Air Actions – those wireless gestures that allowed controlling the device remotely.
Why did Samsung decide to remove this feature? According to them, less than 1% of users actually used it, and most of them did so just to use the pen as a remote control for the camera. So, for them, it’s not a major loss. Want to take pictures without touching the device? You can still activate the camera with hand gestures or simply use a smart accessory like the Galaxy Watch.
Other than that, nothing else has changed – the S Pen still offers 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, and it works just like before. Is this a critical decision? Probably not for most people, but it’s still a step backward.
There’s MagSafe, Sort Of
Samsung maintains the 5000mAh battery, meaning that with regular use, you'll get a full day of work without too many concerns. But if you're one of those who push the device to the limit – with gaming, intensive photography, and using heavy apps – you'll find that the battery drains faster than expected, especially due to the high power consumption from the powerful performance. In my case, despite fairly heavy usage, the device ended the day with about 30% battery.
Samsung did add support for wireless charging with the Qi2 standard – sort of. Qi2 is Android's version of MagSafe's magnetic charging, and it's supposed to allow precise alignment of the device on the wireless charger to prevent inefficient charging. But here’s the twist: the S25 Ultra doesn’t have built-in magnets, because Samsung didn’t want to add extra weight and thickness to the device. So how does it work? If you want to enjoy the magnetic alignment of Qi2, you'll have to buy a compatible case separately. In short, it's there, but not quite as it should be.
Bottom Line
Let’s get straight to the point – the Galaxy S25 Ultra is still the best Android phone you can buy right now. Period. Yes, the innovations this year are small, but it doesn’t change the fact that Samsung has further polished what was already excellent. The artificial intelligence here feels the most natural and useful it’s ever been in a smartphone, even more so than what you’ll find on the iPhone – which, for now, doesn’t even support AI in Hebrew.
As with every year, we get the best screen in the industry, battery life that lasts a full day without an issue, crazy performance, and a user interface that’s more polished and responsive than ever. And most importantly? It’s finally thinner and significantly lighter, a change that should’ve happened a long time ago. The camera, despite years of criticism, continues to deliver excellent performance, on par with or even surpassing the iPhone and Pixel in some cases.
And yes, it’s easy to understand why there are complaints online about Samsung not bringing revolutionary changes, but let’s be honest – it’s not just them. The entire industry is at a standstill, and Apple and Google are in exactly the same position. This doesn’t mean the innovations this year aren’t important – it just means that all companies are currently looking for a new direction, and that’s perfectly fine.
Is the Galaxy S25 Ultra perfect? No. Were we disappointed by the reduction in features of the S Pen? Definitely. But if you want the strongest, most polished, and most complete Android device available – this is the device for you, even this year.
The device was provided for review by Partner, which offers the Private Care repair service for all customers. The service includes a unique "Platinum" plan for flagship devices, covering screen/back crack repairs and various damage repairs at no additional cost.