Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Review: The Newest Contender for the Crown of the High-End Android Market Is Here. It’s Packed With AI

The time has arrived for one of the most important reviews of the year: the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. The company’s new flagship phone aims to be the benchmark in the Android world and serves as the primary competitor to the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Samsung maintains a traditional approach: If it ain’t broken (and users like it), don’t fix it.

This year, Samsung has focused on refining the solid foundation established by the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which received positive feedback. The outcome is a phone that’s sure to impress those seeking the finest offering in the high-end market. If you’re interested in this flagship device, take a seat. There’s a lot to discuss.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra tech specs

Design: A Quality Refinement

If you’re considering buying the Galaxy S25 Ultra, it’s likely because you prefer larger phones. Although the device is now thinner and lighter, it’s still a 6.9-inch powerhouse with a rectangular design and a height of more than 160 mm.

With that in mind, Samsung has made some interesting changes.

First, the company has reduced the phone’s weight. The Galaxy S25 Ultra weighs 218 grams, compared to 233 grams for the previous model. Is the difference noticeable? Yes. Is it a lightweight phone? Not exactly. Yet, considering that it uses the same materials and the battery size remains the same, the decrease in weight is quite impressive. Additionally, Samsung has made no compromises in this regard.

Second, the manufacturer has addressed a common complaint about the Ultra since the S22 generation: the sharp rectangular corners. In this new iteration, Samsung has softened the corners considerably, although the edges on the back remain relatively sharp. I found this phone much more comfortable to use than its predecessor. However, its rectangular design still prevents it from being as ergonomic as some of its main competitors.

The final change involves the design of the cameras. While the layout remains the same as last year, Samsung has updated the ring around the lenses to resemble the style of the Galaxy Z Fold. Personally, I find this design as appealing as last year’s version.

The power button position is ideal for medium-sized hands, while reaching the volume button requires some effort. Given that the button is quite high, turning the volume up can be a bit challenging.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is exceptional in terms of build quality and materials. It’s one of the best-crafted phones on the market, featuring a mix of titanium, aluminum, and glass. However, fingerprints are quite noticeable, at least in the Titanium Silver Blue model I tested.

Overall, the Galaxy S25 Ultra closely resembles its predecessor but presents minor refinements that enhance its comfort in hand.

Display: No Changes Needed, But They’d Be Appreciated

The Galaxy S25 Ultra features a display nearly identical to last year’s model but with an increase of 0.1 inches. While I could leave this section at that, there are a few important details worth discussing. Notably, many high-end smartphones in 2025 still come equipped with Full HD+ panels.

Interestingly, Samsung has consistently relied on Quad HD+ displays for many generations, providing a significant competitive edge over some rivals. This generation features a display that measures 6.9 inches instead of 6.8 inches, resulting in a slight decrease in pixel density. The Galaxy S25 Ultra has a pixel density of 498 ppi, compared to last year’s 505 ppi. However, the difference is unlikely to be noticeable to the average user.

Tech specs remain unchanged. The phone features an AMOLED display with dynamic LTPO capable of refresh rates from 1 to 120 Hz. It also offers HDR10 support and a peak brightness of 2,600 nits. Although panels boasting 4,000 and 5,000 nits have gained popularity, these figures are often more theoretical than practical. There’s little value in highlighting these impressively high numbers if the peak brightness is only achievable on a small percentage–typically no more than 1%–of the panel’s lit pixels.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra features a stunning display that performs exceptionally well in sunlight. This is thanks to its anti-reflective coating, which is a significant advantage for high-end screens. The blacks appear deeper–an important factor even for an AMOLED display, given that reducing reflections enhances visibility. On sunny days, viewing the panel is comfortable. Clarity also remains impressive even in naturally lit indoor environments.

Moreover, the new phone comes with second-generation Gorilla Glass Armor. While the screen’s basic design remains similar to last year’s model, it’s been enlarged and now boasts narrower bezels. The screen-to-body ratio has increased from 88.5% to an impressive 92.5%–not bad.

Regarding display specs, the configuration stays consistent with last year’s model, but I feel there could be more advancements in eye protection. The PWM dimming rate is set at 492 Hz, which is significantly lower than the 2,000 Hz offered by many competitors in 2025. This lower frequency could lead to increased eye strain during prolonged use.

Meanwhile, the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and its AI features enhance the display’s energy efficiency and image quality, especially when zooming in. However, it’s still reliant on AI scaling, so to truly assess image quality, I’d need to view them on a PC.

Overall, the panel is complete and technologically advanced, highlighted by its anti-reflective treatment, but it lacks some of the newer technologies.

Audio

I’m somewhat disappointed with the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s sound quality. The speakers in nearly all the high-end phones I reviewed in 2025 have improved significantly. The main problem with phones is their ability to reproduce bass, which is difficult due to the limited space for audio hardware. While competitors of the S25 Ultra have made considerable advancements this year, Samsung’s model hasn’t kept pace.

The sound features appear to be largely unchanged from what I tested last year. The phone supports Dolby Atmos, includes a custom equalizer, and is compatible with all major audio codecs. The speakers perform well, and the playback quality is generally good, but it doesn’t quite make it into the top three.

Performance: The Right Processor (With Some Drawbacks)

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra features the top processor available: the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite. The phone also has 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. Competition is becoming increasingly fierce, especially since some devices in this price range offer 512 GB of storage. However, I feel 256 GB is enough storage for this type of device.

Overall, my experience has been quite similar to last year’s model. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is impressive. It handles everything with ease, shows no lag, and operates with remarkable speed and smoothness.

Compared to its direct competitors, the Galaxy S25 Ultra tends to heat up more than necessary. This excessive heat can lead to battery drain under specific conditions, such as benchmarking tests. I noticed the device gets hot even in the coldest winter months, which probably means summer will be particularly challenging for this phone.

The heat isn’t unbearable or alarming. It’s just higher than it should be for a phone equipped with a sizable vapor chamber and one of the most efficient processors available.

Notably, the performance drop during sustained use is quite significant. While its rivals experience around a 20% drop when throttling occurs (due to processor overheating), the Galaxy S25 Ultra shows a nearly 40% decline.

There are no significant changes regarding biometrics. The phone features an under-display fingerprint reader and 2D facial recognition. Both methods are effective and fast, which is the expected standard for a high-end phone.

Software: Who Would Have Said That One UI Would Be My Favorite ROM?

If someone had told me a few years ago that TouchWiz would become my favorite ROM, I’d have responded with a few expletives. Fortunately, Samsung has made one of the best evolutions in software. One UI 6 was already a great piece of software, and with One UI 7, Samsung has put the icing on the cake.

Two significant changes define this ROM: AI improvements and design changes. Let’s start with the AI improvements. The basic features remain similar to last year. Recap:

• Call assistant
• Typing assistant
• Interpreter
• Notes assistant
• Transcription assistant
• Navigation assistant
• Photo assistant
• Drawing assistant
• Audio eraser
• Photo environment background
• Now brief

The main new features include the drawing assistant and image creation engine. Last year, it relied too much on the lines of our drawing. Now, it’s just a sketch from which the AI system creates something more elaborate. The prompt matters more than the drawing.

Samsung’s call assistant is called Bixby. It now records calls (after informing the other person that “this call is being recorded”) and transcribes them for storage in the app. The recording works excellently, but the transcribing isn’t as good. It captures many words, and some paragraphs become unintelligible without context.

Also noteworthy is the native integration of Gemini and how the device eliminates background noise in videos, which I’ll analyze in the photography section.

The key remains similar to last year: Everything that makes the S25's software unique on paper should be available on the Galaxy S24 with One UI 7.

Regarding the S-Pen, Samsung seems aware that its use is minimal. This year, it lost Bluetooth functions (such as the photo shutter) and remains a secondary tool for drawing, screen selection, etc. Personally, I forget it’s there after a few days, but fans of the Note line will still appreciate its presence.

Battery Life: Sometimes Less Is More

One of my biggest concerns about the Galaxy S25 Ultra was its battery life. The S24 Ultra’s battery performed excellently, but testing top 2025 models raised concerns about how the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s power might affect the “only 5,000mAh” battery.

That concern turned out to be unfounded. The 8 Elite is more efficient than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. However, most 6,000mAh phones lasted about the same as last year’s models, leading some to suspect the processor was a “bit of a guzzler.” Wrong.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra proves that this processor uses less power. Its autonomy is excellent, making it nearly impossible not to reach the end of the day. It¿s among the phones with the best battery life, even outperforming rivals with much larger batteries.

I’m not someone who spends more than 10 hours daily on a screen (I don’t have the time, nor do I think it’s healthy), but I end my days with about three to four hours of use and over 60% battery remaining.

Waking up the next day, knowing that 55-60% would last through another day, was highly satisfying. Compared to last year's model, idle consumption has improved. The only significant drain occurs during demanding tasks, such as 4K recording in logarithmic format and extreme usage.

In everyday use (WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, mail, and browsing), this phone is much more efficient than last year’s model. However, its fast charging is lacking at only 45 W. A full charge takes about an hour—not the fastest, but acceptable.

Cameras: In the Comfort Zone

The S25 Ultra’s cameras are easy to summarize: They remain the same as last year’s, except for the ultra-wide angle.

• Main camera: 200 MP, f/1.7, 24 mm (wide angle), 1/1.3’’, 0.6 µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS.
• Telephoto camera #1: 10 MP, f/2.4, 67 mm (telephoto), 1/3.52’’, 1.12 µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom.
• Telephoto camera #2: 50 MP, f/3.4, 111 mm (telephoto periscope), 1/2.52’’, 0.7 µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom.
• Ultra wide-angle camera: 50 MP, f/1.9, 120˚ (ultra wide angle), 0.7 µm, PDAF.

In addition, Samsung redesigned the camera app, making it faster and more modern. Functionality remains nearly identical, with the addition of LOG recording.

Photos With the Main Camera

One word defines the S25 Ultra’s camera: balance. However, sharpness hasn’t improved over last year. The main drawback remains a lack of dynamic range in shadows, especially during sunsets. Otherwise, it’s one of the best in mobile photography.

The white balance is almost perfect. It stays neutral when necessary but preserves warm tones when appropriate. Color remains oversaturated, a common trait among flagship phones.

One of my favorite aspects is its consistency. It may not be the best RAW camera, but it delivers predictable results. I know how the photos will turn out before taking them, with no risk of processing ruining an image.

A new feature this year allows Expert RAW mode to shoot at 200 megapixels. However, Pro mode’s real, unprocessed RAW remains limited to 200 megapixels. A 200-megapixel RAW image? Let’s check Lightroom.

It looks washed out. My criticism of Expert RAW remains the same as last year: A RAW file shouldn’t be pre-processed for sharpness. As seen, the image lacks sharpness even with slight zooming. The 200-megapixel RAW is more of a gimmick than a useful feature, especially given its 130 MB .DNG file size.

Portrait mode and skin processing continue to impress. Samsung is one of the few brands that respects natural skin tones. The blur effect is excellent, and the cutout quality is high, though fine elements like hair could be better isolated.

Portrait mode is enjoyable to use. It’s reliable and looks great regardless of the sensor.

However, when night falls, results drop—perhaps more than expected. Although night mode allows for long exposures, the camera automatically balances speed and quality. Sharpness is decent, but night photography remains a weak point.

Some highlights appear uncontrolled, and shadows lack refinement. The S25 Ultra produces slightly more realistic images than competitors, which rely more on processing. However, early results are underwhelming. Future updates may improve this.

Zoom and Ultra-Wide-Angle Photography

The S25 Ultra remains a leader in zoom capabilities, not just for its detail but also for its sensor consistency. Calibration remains identical despite vast differences between sensors, a remarkable feat.

The telephoto lenses impress with sharpness. The 3x and 5x optical zooms perform well, and zooming up to 10x presents no issues. Beyond that, images start to degrade. While 30x and 100x zoom modes exist, their quality drops significantly. Still, having that option is useful.

The new 50 MP ultra-wide-angle sensor delivers sharper images than last year’s, with no consistency issues. It’s among the best ultra-wide lenses I’ve tested this year.

Selfies

Selfie results are solid, though skin tones tend to lean slightly magenta. Improving dynamic range in extreme lighting conditions would help. Overall, the final shots are pleasing.

Video

Overall, I’m satisfied with the phone’s video capabilities. It offers 8K recording, excellent stabilization, LOG format, and manual video modes with zebra patterns to indicate overexposure. This camera provides nearly everything I’ve always wanted from a Galaxy in terms of video.

The only downside is that excessive contrast can sometimes obscure video details. Below is an example I recorded to demonstrate the advantages of recording in LOG.

Above, you can see the original 4K file on the left. Due to challenging backlighting, the shadow areas are completely blown out, and the highlights are overexposed. All this results in poor dynamic range. On the right, you can see the LOG file, which retains much of the information in the shadows, though the highlights still need adjustments.

After applying a Rec. 709 color space conversion LUT and making some minor adjustments, the differences compared to the auto mode are striking. While high-contrast situations can introduce some artifacts with LOG, the overall quality is significantly better than in auto mode.

Samsung always provides an option to correct the LOG color. This feature seems particularly beneficial. First, it allows you to record a file in LOG. Additionally, if you prefer a more processed look similar to the auto mode, you can simply “correct” it.

Regarding background sound removal, the Galaxy S25 Ultra performs excellently. The phone analyzes the video sound in real time and identifies elements that can be removed, such as noise, wind, nature sounds, music, and voices. Naturally, the more elements you choose to eliminate, the more artificial the final result may appear. However, it’s a fantastic option for scenarios with significant background noise.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, Xataka’s Opinion

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra closely resembles its predecessor, which is to be expected but not necessarily a drawback. The S24 Ultra was an outstanding phone. The company’s latest flagship comes with an improved design, a more powerful processor, enhanced battery life, and increased camera functionality. This makes the S25 Ultra an ideal upgrade for those coming from the S21 or S22 who wish to stick with the South Korean brand.

I noted two main drawbacks. First, the sound quality is lacking. While the quality of the speakers may not be the top priority for manufacturers, exceptional audio quality should be expected for a device priced at nearly $1,300. Its direct competitors have made significant improvements in this area, while the S25 Ultra seems to have stagnated.

Second, there’s the camera. It remains one of the most reliable cameras on the market, making it a viable alternative to those that produce better results under specific conditions. However, you should consider the variety in performance depending on different scenarios.

I got the impression that Samsung didn’t prioritize creating the best camera this year. In fact, during the phone’s launch event, the company shifted much of the focus towards AI advancements, somewhat relegating the camera to second place.

The device has been loaned for testing by Samsung. You can learn more about our review process in the Xataka On Reviews Policy and our Corporate Relations Policy.

Images | Xataka On

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