So Samsung flagship the Samsung S25 Ultra has been out for a few weeks and I have been using it myself now for over a month. It’s been an enjoyable experience, and they is a lot that is great about this phone, but there is a lot that have not pushed the needle all that much from its predecessor, the Samsung S24 Ultra.
There are a number of points want to discuss to see whether Samsung’s latest and greatest, it lives up to its flagship title.
- Design & Build Quality
- Battery Life & Charging
- Performance
- Camera System
- S-Pen Controversy
So, let’s dive into these points in more detail!👇
Design & Build Quality:
Let’s kick off with an area that has seen a pretty significant change over the S24 Ultra, and that’s the Design.
Design Changes:
The S25 Ultra has moved away from the squared off corners and now features more rounded corners and nice flat edge. This has made the phone more comfortable in hand, I don’t find that the corners dig into my hand or in particular my little finger. Although the edges are rounded (not as much as the iPhone) it still keeps that clear Samsung look.
Titanium Frame:
Again this year Samsung has gone with a Titanium Frame which provides enhanced durability which still providing a premium feel. Something that I noticed straight away when I pick the S25 Ultra up was the reduction in weight, coming in 15% lighter than the S24 Ultra. This helps with the ergonomics of the phone and is more comfortable when you are consuming content.
Display:
Samsung has always had beautiful displays and the S25 Ultra has followed suit. We have seen an increase in size this year with a 6.9in display (matching the 16 Pro Max) which has been achieved with have even thinner bezels.
We have an Adaptive refresh rate from 1 – 120Hz, which helps with battery life as well as a smooth scrolling experience. This is really standard for a flagship device. The screen is Gorilla Glass Armor 2 which has a peak brightness of 2600 nits which is paired with improved screen reflection technology, you will have no issue viewing your phone outdoors.
Again this year we have an Ultrasonic fingerprint Scanner and this remains one of my favourite features (I really wish this would come to the iPhone). It’s super quick, and I have not experienced any misses when I have gone to open my phone.
Battery Life & Charging:
The battery life on the S25 Ultra is solid and see me through the day and more with no problem at all. I am easily getting to bedtime with 40% and on someday’s more thanks to the S25 Ultra 5,000 mAh battery. So even if you are a heavy user, you are going to have more than enough juice to get you through the day.
In terms of charging, you get the following:
- 45W wired fast charging
- 15W wireless charging
So if you do need to charge during the day then you are not going to have to wait too long, especially if you opt for the wired charging. One of my favourite things about using android phone is that it will tell you how long till your phone if fully charged. This really useful when you are tight on time.
Performance:
With the S25 Ultra rocking the Snapdragon 8 Elite Processor, performance for the everyday user is not going to be an issue at all. With a faster CPU, you are going to find this phone to super smooth and responsive.
I have found that sometime my WhatsApp does hang occasionally, and I have to wait a few seconds for the app to open. This is annoying as it’s one of my most used app, but it happens infrequently and only seems to impact this app.
Camera System:
The camera system hasn’t changed much from my point of view, but there are a couple of things that I have tried that are interesting.
- Being able to film in Log
- Removing objects in photos with AI
Being able to film in log is a nice addition for those who use their smartphones to create content. It allows for better colour grading and been able to use LUTs more effectively in the editing process.
The other is being able to remove unwanted items/objects from your photos. It uses AI to fill in what would be behind the object etc and fills it in. When I tried this I was impressed with how it turned out, it wasn’t perfect, but it was pretty good and passable. I am not sure how often you would use this feature, but It’s nice to have up your sleeve.
Other than that what can I say, the camera’s as with all flagships are great, and It’s pretty hard to take a bad photo. Shutter Lag with moving objects is better but still is there, but it’s a camera that the everyday user will not be disappointed with.
S-Pen Controversy:
The S-Pen in this year’s S25 Ultra has caused a bit of stir for not what it can do, but for what it now can not do. Samsung made the decision to remove Bluetooth from the S-Pen, which means that you can no longer use it a shutter button when taking photos. It is now just a glorified stylish.
To be honest, I have only used the S-Pen a handful of times, and I sometimes forget that it’s even there. The only times that I have found this useful is if I am using Lightroom to edit some photos to put up on to social media. If you review a document on your phone, then this could be useful for marking them up or if you need to sign them.
Final Thoughts:
I have seen a lot of review stating that this is small upgrade and asking what has really changed. And I agree to an extent but is this not what most yearly releases are now? Small Improvements on the previous model but just enough to push people to upgrade?
So is the S25 Ultra worth upgrading or switching to? The answer to this question depends on a couple of things. What is your current phone, if you have an S24 ultra then It’s probably not worth spending your money as you will get the AI updates with OneUI 7.
If you have an older Samsung or just want to switch from an iPhone, then I think that this will be a great option for you. I do think for the tech enthusiast out there, I think that there is just enough to make it worth upgrading with the change to the shape and some other features.
Overall, this is a great phone. If you are looking for a new android or just thinking about upgrading, then this is worth considering.
Do you already have the S25, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.