A good place to start is to compare the Galaxy S25 Ultra to its predecessor, the Galaxy S24 Ultra. In terms of design, Samsung has played it safe with the Galaxy S25 Ultra and has not strayed too far from the Galaxy S24 Ultra design.
There are, however, some cosmetic changes. The edges of the Galaxy S25 Ultra are rounder, as opposed to the sharp edges of the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Personally, I’m not a fan of the straight edges as I find it less comfortable to hold in your hand and keep in your pocket.
Another slight design change is the cameras. With the Galaxy S25 Ultra, the rings around the camera are more pronounced. In all honesty, the change here is so subtle that it almost isn’t noticeable.
The bezels are slightly smaller, they have been reduced by a minuscule 0.2 mm and are now measured at just 1.32mm. Cosmetically, not much else is different.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is also neatly wrapped in titanium, which adds to the sleek finish of its overall design.
To sum up the design of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, it’s clear that Samsung approached a 'why fix what isn’t broken?' philosophy, and it isn’t hard to understand why, as the previous iteration of the S series flagship proved to have a winning formula in this department. Still, there are some who question why the brand hasn’t pushed for something new and “interesting”.
I quite like the design of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and I found that the curved edges and the titanium frame play an important role in how the device feels in a user’s hands. Honestly, it just felt really comfortable to hold without a phone protector wrapped around it.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with Android 15 and One UI 7 layered on top. That means you’re getting a familiar interface with a few nice refinements, especially when paired with all the new AI features. Navigation is smooth, the phone feels intuitive, and the responsiveness is mind-blowing.
Now, seeing that the design walked a similar path, Samsung chose to focus on an area that it thinks will have the most appeal with its new flagship, and it isn’t hardware (although there are updates here). The innovation leap the brand has attempted to take with its new flagship and the broader S series is, almost unsurprisingly, in the form of AI.
Samsung has added a range of new AI capabilities across its S series. The most noticeable, and arguably most exciting, new AI feature is the integration of Gemini into its software ecosystem. Gemini works by pressing the power button, which leads to the Gemini AI assistant pop-up.
It’s more than just a chatbot. Gemini can pull up your favourite team’s fixtures and drop them straight into your Samsung Calendar, offer contextual info through an upgraded Circle to Search, and even act as a personalised research assistant with a feature called Deep Research,
this is the Seamless Actions Across Features, feature at prime play.
Beyond Gemini, Samsung has layered AI across nearly every touchpoint of the Galaxy S25 experience. There’s Writing Assist, which helps users rephrase or polish text across apps. Creative types will appreciate Drawing Assist, which turns basic sketches into more polished visuals using generative AI.
Samsung’s new Now Bar and Now Brief also lean heavily on AI. Now Brief delivers smart, context-aware suggestions throughout the day. The Now Bar, on the other hand, acts as a live dashboard for ongoing tasks and activities.
Another standout is the upgraded Circle to Search, now enhanced with AI Overviews. You can circle something on-screen—a word, an image, anything - and get a summarised, contextualised answer along with one-tap shortcuts for what to do next.
During my testing, the AI features felt less like flashy add-ons and more like tools I actually used. Writing Assist was great for quick replies, and Now Brief offered timely prompts without getting in the way. Gemini was fast, easy to access, and genuinely helpful. It’s clear Samsung is leaning into AI as the real draw this year - and from what I’ve seen, it’s a move that makes sense.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite and is paired with 12GB or 16GB of RAM, which makes the usability of the Galaxy S25 Ultra friendlier to use. I purposely opened up multiple apps and played a game at the same time, and I experienced no lag whatsoever, truly impressive.
The 6.9-inch Dynamic Amoled display is stunning, as I expected with a Samsung phone/ It’s super sharp (1440x3120), refreshes up to 120Hz, and can hit a peak brightness of 2600 nits, which means it's super bright in sunlight.
Another topical feature is Corning Gorilla Armor 2 which promises better resistance against scratches. I purposefully used the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra without a protective phone case during my testing period to see if any scratches appeared over time. The screen stayed clear and the titanium casing helped protect against minor drops on the floor.
There’s also a 5,000mAh battery, which lasted me a full day at most times/. Charging is fast enough: 45W wired, 15W wireless.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra retains its impressive 200MP main sensor, delivering detailed and vibrant images in most lighting conditions. A notable hardware upgrade is the newly introduced 50MP ultrawide camera sensor, which delivers epic shots from every range. This improvement, combined with a wider f/1.9 aperture, allows for much better light capture - especially noticeable in macro and ultrawide shots.
Some photos taken with the Galaxy S25 Ultra:
100x zoom on the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway
The 100x zoom remains an attention-grabber. It’s undeniably impressive in reach, but don’t expect crystal clarity at full blast. That said, macro and micro photography is solid, though darker shades can show some noise at times. One thing I appreciated during testing was the shutter speed: the Galaxy S25 Ultra takes photos quickly.
Overall, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is a refined iteration of its predecessor, the Galaxy S24 Ultra. While the physical design changes are subtle, such as the rounded edges and titanium frame, the device places a significant emphasis on AI integration, enhancing user experience across various applications.
Whether this represents a substantial leap in innovation is subjective, but there's no denying that the Galaxy S25 Ultra is a top-tier smartphone, arguably the best in its segment.
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