Also: Samsung Unpacked 2025: Five biggest announcements, including S25 Edge and AR glasses
While last year’s Galaxy S24 series ushered in Samsung’s Galaxy AI era, this year feels more like the company cementing itself as the leader in the space, besting Apple and even Google (for now) on features and capabilities. Of course, how decorative that honor is ultimately depends on how invested you are in using AI.
I’ve spent the three days so far testing the S25 Ultra and wasn’t too surprised to find myself both fascinated and bored. After all, this is now Samsung’s fifth iteration of the S-series Ultra model, and the changes year-over-year have been modest, to be generous. But if you’re currently using a three- to four-year-old handset and considering an upgrade, take this first-hand testimonial — I’m not calling it a full review yet — to heart. (And if you’re an enthusiast, it’ll matter just as much to you.)
The Galaxy S Ultra has always been a big-phone, two-handed affair, and that holds this year. When I first unboxed the S25 Ultra, it felt like the fanciest calculator ever (and I mean that in a nice way), with its round edges and tall stature. Coming from the OnePlus 13 I recently reviewed — which, on paper, is relatively similar in size — the S25 Ultra had a bolder and more striking presence.
Speaking of which, the new Gemini-Bixby hybrid AI agent, as Samsung confusingly puts it, can handle natural-sounding, conversational chains of actions, such as looking up the upcoming schedule of your favorite sports team and adding the date(s) to your calendar. While the agent-like capability mainly works across Google and Samsung apps, some third-party services like Spotify are supported, too.
Also: I may finally ditch my Google Pixel for a Samsung Galaxy phone in 2025. Here’s why
The important thing is knowing how to phrase your commands. For example, when I asked the AI agent to create a Spotify playlist for road trips and send it to my wife, it responded that it was unable to do so. When, instead, I asked it to find songs that were good for road trips, it curated the list and drafted a modifiable text message. Ladies and gentlemen, AI.
The new 50MP ultrawide lens pulls in four times more detail than the previous generation’s 12MP sensor, according to Samsung.
Kerry Wan/ZDNET
One of the key reasons to buy a Galaxy Ultra phone continues to be the camera, though Samsung hasn’t improved the specifications much this year — at least on paper. The only hardware change is the 50-megapixel ultrawide lens (up from 12MP), which, from my initial shots, yields greater detail and vividness, especially when capturing macro photos. The rest of the lenses, such as the 200MP wide, 50MP 5x telephoto, and 10MP 3x telephoto, are identical to last year’s S24 Ultra.
Also: The best Android phones to buy in 2025
There’s a bigger focus on the software side of things, with Samsung introducing helpful photo and video features like 10-bit HDR video recording by default to capture a wider dynamic range, a new Audio Eraser feature that lets you adjust the volumes of various frequencies (classified as audio subjects like voices, wind, and noises), and the ability to record in Galaxy Log mode.
The latter feature allows you to better spot overexposed areas and adjust the dynamic range as you’re recording videos, while also applying LUTs in post for better color and light control. I’ll be testing the shooting mode more in the coming days.
ZDNET’s buying advice (for now)
My first several day of testing the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra instead of embedding the actual technology within its phones.
It’s understandable that early adopters and tech enthusiasts might feel underwhelmed by the S25 Ultra. But when I consider consumers who are coming from an S21 series, Pixel 6 or 7, or even an older iPhone, Samsung’s new flagship handset checks almost every box you can think of. And you may even score a generous trade-in deal through your local carrier or retailer.