Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review: Almost the perfect Android flagship

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review: AI, AI, AI! We all have become sick and tired of hearing about technology which is yet to become a big thing like the “internet”. Whenever discussion starts about AI, we always tend to talk in the future tense, “AI will become this, AI will become that,” but what if I tell you that, you can already live in the future by simply getting this one device? Samsung has taken 10 steps ahead to make sure its devices never get out of trend. The South Korean giant has finally launched its high-end smartphone, the Galaxy S25 Ultra which is a perfect amalgamation of power with AI.

This year Samsung has put all its focus on refining the smartphone for current as well as future requirements by integrating the most powerful mobile chipset, smart AI use, top-notch camera performance, and a design that always looks classy. I have been using the smartphone for about 2 weeks and I believe that it’s almost the best Android flagship smartphone. However, a few things caught me off-guard about the smartphone. I really want Samsung to take notes because this detailed review digs deeper into the smartphone’s performance and some slight AI refinements which can make the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra the best smartphone of 2025.

Now, with any further adieu, let’s dive deep into how Samsung has refined the Galaxy S25 Ultra and what makes it one of the best smartphones among competitors such as iPhone 16 Pro models, Pixel 9 series, and other smartphones powered by a similar Snapdragon 8 Elite processor.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra design: Boxy yet lightweight

Since the launch, I can not stop talking about the new design of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. This year it is slightly slimmer and much lighter than its predecessor, securing many benefits from a consumer viewpoint. Being a person with small hands, I prefer compact and lightweight smartphones that I can easily carry in pockets or even hands. But, this year Samsung has left me in shock with the Galaxy S25 Ultra design. While the smartphone is slightly bigger and retains its boxy profile, it has become much more comfortable in hand and it does not feel heavy in the pockets too.

The design includes a premium matte glass rear panel with a titanium frame and curved edges, showcasing the elegant and classic look that most smartphone users desire. While many may argue that Samsung follows a similar design profile, I believe that Samsung is simply maintaining its signature design. And let’s be honest, we do not need a major design revamp every year. We can expect upgrades in durability, and Samsung has upgraded the smartphone’s strengths with a second-generation Gorilla Glass Armor and a grade 5 titanium frame.

Apart from these refinements, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a bigger 6.9-inch display with thinner bezels and its signature anti-reflective coating for improved aesthetics. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a desirable look which will be preferred by many buyers.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra display: Bigger and better

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is slightly bigger in size in comparison to its predecessor. The new-gen features a 6.9-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED display with 2K resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and up to 2600 nits peak brightness. While, not much has changed in specs in comparison to last year, but Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra display still stays strong with vibrant visuals. The smartphone comes with upgraded Gorilla Armor 2 protection that provides an enhanced anti-reflective coating as well which balances the visuals.

In terms of viewing experience, the smartphone supports HDR10, HDR10+, and Widevine L1 allowing users to stream FullHD videos on YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video, and others. I thoroughly enjoyed streaming content on the device as I mostly prefer to watch them on smartphones. With a bigger display, sharp colours, and crystal clear detailing, there is no doubt that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has one of the best display technologies.

However, one minor trade of the smartphone is brightness as I felt it could have been better for harsh lighting conditions. I took the smartphone for a 6-hour hike to a hill station during harsh sunlight conditions and even with full brightness, I had to search for shade to use the smartphone. This was not the case when I used the Vivo X200 Pro last month. Apart from this smartphone being quite responsive 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, I did not encounter any stutter while switching between apps or when navigating with the S-pen.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra camera: Just WOW!

Before jumping into the details, let’s have a look at the camera specifications to examine what has been upgraded or stayed the same. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra features a similar quad camera setup as its predecessor that consists of a 200MP main camera with ISOCELL HP2 sensor, an upgraded 50MP ultrawide camera with ISOCELL JN3 sensor, a 12MP telephoto lens with Sony IMX754 sensor and 3x optical zoom, and finally a 50MP secondary telephoto lens with Sony IMX854 sensor and up to 5x optical zoom.

When it comes to main camera performance, the Galaxy S25 Ultra captures excellent images in the daytime with impressive dynamic range, colour accuracy and clarity. Even in harsh lighting conditions, it managed to reduce the lens glare and provide an impressive tone of the scenery as well as the person. I captured multiple images in the hill station, and I was surely stunned by the result as the sunlight was quite bright that day. There is post-processing involved, but it does not saturate the colours and make them artificial. However, the White balance could have been better. When using the main camera, I mostly relied on the 50MP camera due to the zoom, however, the 200MP camera was average in low-light conditions.

One of the most enjoyable camera features of Galaxy S25 Ultra is the portrait mode, it brings out the natural background, even when you want to capture the background but maintain a blur effect. Additionally, users can also adjust the blur effect after capturing the image which is a bonus for me as I was quite used to it by using the Vivo X200 Pro. The telephoto lenses also provide captivating images with up to 5x zoom. I was quite stunned by the fact that the images remained clear and sharp even with 10x zoom. However, for portrait images, I mostly retailed on 2x and 3x zoom which worked wonders.

Now, talking about the new 50MP ultrawide camera, well with greater resolution, the sensor manages to capture great amounts of light providing detailed images. However, I still felt like something was missing as I was not very satisfied with the sharpness which left me wanting more.

Lastly, the selfie camera remains at 12MP which may not be appreciated by buyers, but there is no compromise in image quality and it becomes sharper and bright. The selfie camera managed to provide fine skin tones and accurate colours, and the portrait mode was cherry on top. Honestly, I liked Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra’s selfie camera in comparison to when I tried the iPhone 15’s 12MP selfie camera.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra performance: Powerful than ever

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is powered by a custom Snapdragon 8 Elite For Galaxy processor fabricated with a 3nm TSMC process. The smartphone offers 12GB RAM and up to 1TB storage capacity. However, this year I expected a RAM boost with 16GB as many competitors have started to integrate better RAM storage for improved performance. However, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is a performance beast as it makes multitasking on the device fluid and day-to-day tasks are also a breeze.

I also ran a few heavy games on the device such as Genshin Impact, while it was a visual treat playing this game on Galaxy S25 Ultra, but it also provided a promising gaming performance. In my experience, the graphics performance and frame rate were top-notch, making the experience fun and enjoyable. However, running heavy graphic games for more than an hour generated a slight heat around the camera sensor, but it did not hamper the performance. I did not notice any frame drops and stutter, making the overall experience smooth.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra OneUI 7: AI takes centre stage

This year Samsung is running behind the course for rolling out the OneUI 7 update based on Android 15. However, I was lucky enough to test the new OS with the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Well, OneUI 7 majorly felt like an AI upgrade as we can see several custom AI features. However, OneUI 7 is a beast when it comes to customisation, while it is still a little choppy, Samsung is headed in the right direction.

Coming to AI features, Samsung integrated Gemini AI as a shortcut in the power button enabling users to access AI assistants at their fingertips. Gemini also gains app actions across Samsung and Google apps along with WhatsApp and Spotify. While this was a smart feature, I would’ve appreciated it more if it was Bixby instead of Google Gemini. It’s high time for Samsung to build its own LLM models for its smartphone AI assistant as competitors like Apple are racing to the top.

Apart from Gemini integration, Galaxy S25 Ultra also comes with some new Galaxy AI features such as Now Bar, Now Brief, AI Select, Sketch to Image and others. The Now Brief feature instantly caught my attention as it manages to track your physical activities, app interactions, connected devices, and others to provide a summary of what you have done throughout the day. However, this feature is only useful when you have a proper Samsung ecosystem. Additionally, the Now Bar feature is also quite intuitive but as of now, it feels incomplete due to the limited app compatibility. I hope Samsung take it as a note and brings more app support for Now Bar, as this is a game-changing feature for Android users.

Apart from these AI features, the Circle to Search and Samsung’s AI Eraser have also been upgraded. And Oh Boy, the AI Eraser is something I have not seen before. I have also mentioned before when I reviewed the Galaxy Z Flip 6 that Samsung’s AI Eraser is the best in the market so far and no other brand can do it like Samsung as of now.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Battery: Meh!

While I was impressed with the performance, display, camera, and other features, I was not very satisfied with the battery life. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra still features a 5000mAh battery, whereas competitors such as OnePlus and Vivo are offering a bigger battery and fast charging technology at a much lower price. The Galaxy S25 Ultra battery life offers a decent battery life and lasts throughout the day. However, I mostly felt anxious about letting the battery drop below 30% as it takes more than 2 hours to recharge from 1 to 100%. While, you will not have to worry about keeping a power bank, but you will have to get used to the long charging time.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review: Should you buy it?

Now, should you spend a whopping Rs.129999 on a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra? Well, if you are looking for futuristic AI experiences along with a powerful performance then this should definitely be on your consideration. Apart from AI being the major highlight, the camera performance has drastically improved but I am so sure about how I feel about the new ultrawide camera. The star of the camera feature was the portrait mode and the zooming capabilities which could easily compete with smartphones like the iPhone 16 Pro Max, Vivo X200 Pro, and other camera-centric phones. Therefore, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra hits all the right spots for a flagship smartphone but misses out on charging time and battery life. Hence, it’s almost a perfect smartphone and Samsung has surely done a great job with Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.