Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra first impressions: Promising hardware, class-leading AI features
Samsung has announced its latest Galaxy S25 series smartphones at the Galaxy Unpacked 2025 event. The lineup includes three models: Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra. As always, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is the company’s favourite child, and it sits at the top with the most changes and top-of-the-line features.
I got a chance to use the phone briefly, and here are the 10 most important things I’ve noticed about the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
New design feels more at home Samsung has updated the design of the Galaxy S25 Ultra with rounder corners, flat side rails and a flat display. Now, a flat display arrived with Galaxy S24 Ultra, but the changes here make the phone feel a part of the family with a similar look and feel across the lineup. On top of it, the Galaxy S25 Ultra still has that Aluminium built, it’s lighter by 15 grams compared to the S24 Ultra and there’s the new Armor 2 coating on the display as well. But, the biggest relief here is that the phone’s rounded corners now put less of a dent on the palm when using it.
2/10
S Pen is there but stripped down of its powers What’s a Galaxy S Ultra phone without its magic wand? But, the magic wand or the S Pen has lost some of its powers. And, I am referring to the gesture controls that are used to allow users to take selfies or perform certain actions within apps, etc. Seems like a step back, but I wonder if people are going to miss them.
3/10
AI is a big deal here – no cap Last year, Samsung introduced the Galaxy AI and it is taking things forward with the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Not only, but Samsung has also integrated Gemini Live well with Bixby to give users a wide array of possibilities like performing certain actions on the phone or looking for some information just by speaking to Gemini. That’s one part of it. There are a lot of other AI tools that Samsung has added this time. My favourite is the new Audio Eraser feature that allows users to customise the audio from a video to make it more clear and focus on vocals by reducing wind noise or surrounding disturbance. Then, there are the existing ones – Transcript, Live Translate, Writing Assist, AI Object Eraser, etc. Overall, the entire suite of AI features feels like a complete package with something for everyone.
4/10
Gemini Advanced subscription is free To capitalise on the entire AI move, Samsung is also offering 6 months of free Gemini Advanced subscription with all Galaxy S25 models. This also comes with 2TB of additional cloud storage.
New 50MP ultrawide camera can be a game-changer Galaxy S25 Ultra packs a new 50MP ultrawide camera for high-resolution photos. The sensor also allows for close-up shots using the lens. Apart from this, there’s the 200MP primary sensor with an improved ProVisual engine. In my experience, the phone’s shutter speed appears to be much faster compared to the previous generation models.
6/10
Big boost to video recording Samsung has taken a step up when it comes to video recording. Nightography in videos appears to do a good job by reducing the noise levels. For those who like to use the camera for professional video recording, there’s the HDR10 support by default and there’s the Log recording feature too.
7/10
Performance boost is inevitable If there’s one big hardware change in the Galaxy S25 Ultra, then it is the new Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset. The chipset brings updated performance, improved AI processing and also improved thermal management system. To make it more efficient, Samsung has also included a new vapour chamber to improve the thermals of the phone.
8/10
Same battery, same charging Galaxy S25 Ultra still comes with a 5000mAh battery and 45W charging. While the setup looks quite modest when you compare it with other options in the market, having used it with older phones, this isn’t a big concern for me.
One UI 7 and Now Bar is practical One UI 7 is perhaps one of the biggest updates for One UI since its launch. The update brings smoother animations, customisable widgets and improved AI integration across the UI. Moreover, the One UI 7 comes with a new Now Bar – a pill-shaped real-time notification update for running apps in the background like a timer, now brief, etc.
10/10
Thoughts Galaxy S25 Ultra is based on the tried and tested philosophy and as per my initial impressions, it justifies it well and takes things forward in the right direction. The changes and updates and minimal here, except for the design, but overall, the phone appears to make bold claims with performance upgrades, software improvements, all the AI features and a camera.
