The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra arrives with only modest hardware improvements but a new universe of possibilities within. Its display is bigger and more immersive than ever, and we like its rounded corners and narrower body, which make it easier to handle than previous generations. Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor, the S25 Ultra delivers ultra-smooth performance and the most impressive AI features we’ve seen in a phone yet, many of which run locally. At its sky-high starting price of $1,299.99, the S25 Ultra isn’t for everyone, but its blend of top-notch hardware, advanced AI software, and a built-in stylus give it an edge over the $799.99 Galaxy S25 and the $999.99 S25+ to represent the absolute pinnacle of Android phones in early 2025 and earn our Editors’ Choice award.
Design: A Welcome Refresh
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is the largest and most expensive model in the Galaxy S25 line. This year, the Ultra sheds its sharp, squared corners for rounded ones, which makes it look more like the rest of the Galaxy S family than a rebadged Galaxy Note, from which the Ultra has drawn its basic design influences until now. It’s the only Galaxy S model that includes and supports the S Pen stylus, which makes it especially attractive to artists and note-takers.
Coming in at 6.41 by 3.06 by 0.32 inches (HWD) and 7.69 ounces, the S25 Ultra is slightly less bulky and weighty than its predecessor, the Galaxy S24 Ultra (6.40 by 3.11 by 0.34 inches, 8.22 ounces). Still, if the size is too much, consider the Galaxy S25+ (6.24 by 2.98 by 0.29 inches, 6.70 ounces), which offers many of the same features in a slightly smaller package. For comparison, you won’t save much room in your pocket with either the $1,199 Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (6.42 by 3.06 by 0.32 inches, 7.99 ounces) or the $1,099 Google Pixel 9 Pro XL (6.40 by 3.0 by 0.30 inches, 7.80 ounces).
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
The Ultra is the only S25 model with a titanium frame and the new Corning Gorilla Armor 2 as its cover glass. Samsung says this panel resists fractures 29% better than the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s first-generation Gorilla Armor. The front glass is also anti-reflective and rejects glare. Samsung sticks with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 to cover the rear panel. The S25 and S25+ use aluminum frames and Victus 2 glass panels.
Like every model in the S25 (and S24) series, the S25 Ultra has an IP68 rating, meaning dust and water are no problem. It can handle up to 30 minutes in water as deep as about five feet. This is the standard for premium phones. The iPhone 16 Pro Max and the Pixel 9 Pro XL have the same rating.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
Samsung didn’t change the camera design on the rear, which includes four round lenses and a laser focusing module. A volume rocker and power button reside on the right edge, while only antenna lines adorn the left edge. Two small mic holes are visible on the top edge. The bottom edge houses the S Pen stylus, a speaker slit, a USB-C (v3.2) port, and a SIM card tray. The phone doesn’t support expandable storage or include a headphone jack.
The S Pen doesn’t sit perfectly flush with the bottom edge (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
Samsung phones usually stand out for their fit and finish, with build quality that rivals the very best. It’s aggravating, then, that the outermost part of the S Pen sticks out a bit and doesn’t sit flush with the frame.
As for colors, the S25 Ultra is available in Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Silverblue, or Titanium Whitesilver. Three exclusive colors are available from Samsung’s website: Titanium Jadegreen, Titanium Jetblack, and Titanium Pinkgold. The colors are visible only on the rear glass, with a surrounding chrome frame. The Titanium Jetblack model is the sole variant with a black frame. These colors are safe (and, dare I say, boring; I miss the bolder Titanium Orange and Titanium Violet color options of the S24 Ultra). The S Pen matches the color of the rear glass.
Left to right: Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Whitesilver, Titanium Black, Titanium Gray (Credit: Samsung)
The S25 Ultra has an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor under the display glass, which is its most secure biometric authentication method. The sensor works quickly and consistently. Face unlock is available, too, but it isn’t secure enough for sensitive applications such as banking. Apple and Google have both included secure face authentication on their phones for several generations. At this point, it behooves Samsung to join the party.
Display: Bigger Than Ever
Every display in the Samsung S25 lineup features a variable refresh rate of 120Hz and a peak brightness of 2,600 nits. The S25 Ultra gets a 6.9-inch LTPO Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen at a resolution of 3,120 by 1,440 pixels, which is a 0.1-inch increase in size from the S24 Ultra’s 6.8-inch display. Other than pixel density, which decreases slightly year over year, the rest of the specs are identical. Samsung reduces the S25 Ultra’s bezel thickness by 15%, so the front of the phone is almost entirely screen.
(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
The Galaxy S25+ has a smaller 6.7-inch screen but the same resolution and features as the S25 Ultra. Meanwhile, the base S25 has a 6.2-inch screen with a lower resolution of 2,340 by 1,080 pixels. For reference, the iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 6.9-inch screen with 2,868 by 1,320 pixels, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL has a 6.8-inch screen with 2,992 by 1,334 pixels, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits.
I find the S25 Ultra’s screen gorgeous, with sharp details and smooth performance. You can easily see it outdoors. The anti-reflective coating and incredible brightness help reject glare to overcome environmental light, making it easy to see even in direct sunlight.
S Pen: Still a Selling Point, But Not Quite as Smart
The S Pen inserts into the bottom left edge of the phone. Pushing the stylus in ejects it a few millimeters so you can grab it. This year’s S Pen no longer supports Bluetooth, so it can’t perform Air Actions. Samsung says less than 1% of its users used Air Actions and the majority of that 1% did so as a remote shutter for the camera. You can still trigger the camera remotely by waving your hand or with a Bluetooth accessory like a smartwatch or ring.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
Otherwise, the S Pen feels and functions the same as the previous version; pressure sensitivity still supports up to 4,096 levels. Replacement S Pens cost $49.99. Samsung says the old Bluetooth-enabled stylus doesn’t work on the S25 Ultra, so you can’t retroactively add Air Actions to the phone.
Performance: Absolutely Elite
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip powers all three versions of the Galaxy S25. Older versions of “for Galaxy” processors were simply overclocked versions of Qualcomm’s standard chip. This year’s model includes a customized application processor that allows the S25 series to perform more AI functions directly on the phone.
Samsung says the chip delivers a 40% increase in Neural Processing Unit (NPU) performance, a 37% increase in CPU performance, and a 30% increase in GPU performance compared with the last-generation processor. Samsung has also increased the size of the vapor chamber by 40% compared with the S24 Ultra, which helps with cooling and performance over time.
(Credit: Geekbench/PCMark/GFXBench/PCMag)
All three Galaxy S25 phones come with 12GB of LPDDR5x RAM, which means there is no increase compared with the Galaxy S24 Ultra. While 12GB is nice, competitors like the Asus ROG Phone 9 (starting at $999.99) and the RedMagic 10 Pro (starting at $649) offer up to 16GB and 24GB, respectively. The S25 Ultra is available with 256GB ($1,299.99), 512GB ($1,419.99), or 1TB ($1,659.99) of fast UFS 4.0 storage.
To determine how powerful the S25 Ultra is, we tested it against the $899.99 OnePlus 13 (Snapdragon 8 Elite), the iPhone 16 Pro Max (Apple A18 Pro), the Pixel 9 Pro XL (Google Tensor G4), and the Galaxy S24 Ultra (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy). The full results are below:
In Geekbench 6, which measures raw computing power, the S25 Ultra bests almost every phone on both the single-core and multi-core tests. The lone exception is the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which narrowly passes the S25 Ultra with a single-core score of 3,312 compared with the Galaxy’s 3,121.
On PCMark Work 3.0, which evaluates how a phone handles general mobile tasks, the S25 Ultra handily outpaces the OnePlus 13, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and S24 Ultra. This test does not run on Apple devices.
For graphics performance, we rely on the GFXBench Aztec Ruins test. The S25 Ultra produces 86 frames per second (fps), a solid improvement over last year’s model (66fps). It easily surpasses the Pixel 9 Pro XL (60fps), iPhone 16 Pro Max (58.8fps), and OnePlus 13 (43fps).
Playing the resource-intensive Genshin Impact for more than 15 minutes raised the temperature of the S25 Ultra. The area near the cameras was plainly warmer than the area near the USB-C port, though the phone remained comfortable to hold. The gameplay and animations were silky smooth, with no noticeable dropped frames or slowdowns.
Battery: Not Much Has Changed
The S25 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery capable of charging at 45W via cable or 15W wirelessly, just like the S24 Ultra. Reverse wireless charging is available at a pokey 4.5W. Samsung doesn’t include a charger in the box, so you have to provide your own.
Samsung claims the S25 Ultra battery can run for up to 31 hours, but its test uses a 720p local video file while under default settings over LTE. For our test, we stream a full HD video over Wi-Fi from YouTube with the screen set to full brightness. We found the S25 Ultra lasted 14 hours and 15 minutes, which is only five minutes longer than the S24 Ultra. It beats the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s battery life of 12 hours and 25 minutes, but the iPhone 16 Pro Max blows past both with a battery life of 22 hours and 5 minutes.
(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
When charged via a 45W brick from a completely depleted state, the S25 Ultra reached 35% in 15 minutes and 64% in 30 minutes. A full charge took 65 minutes, which is 15 minutes quicker than the S24 Ultra’s charging time.
As I wrote last year, other Android phones have moved well past 45W. The RedMagic 10 Pro supports up to 100W charging and comes with an 80W charger in the box. It took just 36 minutes to achieve a full charge. The OnePlus 13 took 40 minutes thanks to its included 80W proprietary SuperVOOC charger. I’d like to see Samsung up its game here a bit, particularly since the battery life didn’t improve much.
The phone supports the latest Qi2 wireless charging standard—sort of. Qi2 is basically MagSafe for Android devices. It uses magnets to help your phone and charging surface align properly so the phone actually charges. Samsung said it didn’t want to add the thickness and weight of magnets to the device, but the S25 Ultra is “Qi2 ready” in that it is compatible with magnetized cases for use with Qi2 chargers. In other words, you have to buy such a case separately to realize the dream of magnet-aligned wireless charging.
Connectivity: Quick and Reliable
For connectivity, the S25 Ultra supports 5G (sub-6GHz, C-band, and mmWave), Wi-Fi 7, NFC, and Bluetooth 5.3. It can use one physical SIM card and one eSIM.
(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
On T-Mobile’s 5G UC network in New York City, the S25 Ultra reached maximum speeds of 533Mbps down and 59.3Mbps up in testing. For comparison, the Pixel 9 Pro XL reached 597Mbps down and 13.3Mbps up in the same location. The S25 Ultra should work similarly well on AT&T and Verizon.
When connected to a Wi-Fi 6 access point, the S25 Ultra hit peak speeds of 455Mbps down and 22.5Mbps up. When tested from the same spot, the 9 Pro XL hit 539Mbps down and 22.6Mbps up.
Audio: Plenty of Volume
The S25 Ultra’s call quality is quite good. In a test voicemail recording in a quiet room, my voice sounded clear and understandable. The phone does a good job of removing background noise and music. The speakerphone is also loud and clear, reaching a maximum of 79.6dB. I find volumes at or above 70dB easy to hear, and the Ultra easily surpasses that threshold.
There are two speakers for media playback: the earpiece near the top and the down-firing speaker on the bottom edge. Playing Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” the phone reaches a maximum of 96.3dB, which can easily fill a small room. When playing The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the deepest bass notes are difficult to hear, which isn’t surprising for a phone. For a fuller audio experience, I recommend using Bluetooth headphones.
Cameras: Bright and Detailed Images
The Galaxy S25 Ultra features a 200MP f/1.7 main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS) and an 85-degree field of view; a 50MP f/3.4 telephoto camera with OIS, 5x optical zoom, and a 22-degree field of view; and a 10MP f/2.4 telephoto camera with OIS, 3x optical zoom, and a 36-degree field of view. These are carryovers from the S24 Ultra.
The lone hardware upgrade is the new 50MP f/1.9 ultra-wide camera with a 120-degree field of view, which is a significant improvement over the S24 Ultra’s 12MP ultra-wide camera. Not only do you get higher-resolution shots, but it also includes a high-resolution macro mode for detailed close-ups. Macro mode does a great job capturing textures that aren’t visible in normal photos.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
In real-world use, the S25 Ultra delivers beautiful images. Colors are vibrant and consistent across all the cameras, with excellent detail visible even in challenging scenarios. Images are slightly brightened in a pleasing way. Portrait mode via the rear camera produces natural results, while portrait mode via the front camera is sometimes overly aggressive in blurring fine details like hair. It handles transparent items like glasses well, though.
The cameras’ ability to produce vivid colors and detail is top-notch, although some false colors are noticeable in darker areas if you zoom in extensively. Shots at 3x and 5x optical zoom mostly look fantastic. Samsung’s 100x Space Zoom, which combines optical zoom with digital cropping, is available, though results at this extreme range tend to be soft and overly processed. Despite these minor drawbacks, the S25 Ultra’s camera system is simply outstanding.
The phone’s cameras may be overkill for most, however. PCMag’s camera analyst Jim Fisher said, “But really, what the heck are people using phone cameras for [that would require] going beyond 50MP practically? Heck, I’d argue that 12MP is the right setting for the vast majority.”
Main camera, 12MP (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
Ultra-wide camera, 12MP (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
3x telephoto camera, 12MP (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
5x telephoto camera, 12MP (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
100x Space Zoom (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
Macro camera, 12MP (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
The S25 Ultra’s 12MP f/2.2 front-facing camera produces sharp images with good color. Like the rear cameras, selfies appear brighter than reality.
Left to right: Selfie, Portrait (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
Low-light performance is excellent. In the sample image below, the left side (a screengrab from a video) is how my eyes saw a figure on a shelf. I then used the 5x telephoto lens to take the picture to the right. It’s not crystal clear, but the S25 Ultra pulled out accurate colors and a fair amount of detail, considering the lack of light.
Left to right: Video screenshot, 5x telephoto (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
Night photography using the main or ultra-wide cameras produces stunning images with bright colors and excellent details. Telephoto shots appear somewhat softer with blurred foreground items.
Main camera at night, 12MP (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
Ultra-wide camera at night, 12MP (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
3x telephoto camera at night, 12MP (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
5x telephoto camera at night, 12MP (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
Video quality depends on the resolution you choose. At its maximum resolution of 8K and frame rate of 30fps, stabilization suffers, and recordings look underexposed. Video clips at lower resolutions, such as 4K at 60fps, appear smoother and brighter with excellent stabilization. For the first time on a Galaxy phone, you can shoot video in Log mode, which is an advanced color setting that allows professionals to apply color grading in post-production. This addition puts the S25 Ultra on more even footing with the iPhone 16 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro when it comes to capturing high-quality video.
Software and Galaxy AI: One UI 7 Makes Life Easier
The Galaxy S25 Ultra ships with Android 15 and Samsung’s wholly redesigned One UI 7 atop it, which brings new functionality. Samsung says it will provide seven generations of OS updates and seven years of security patches. This is the longest commitment period for any Android phone other than Google’s latest Pixels.
Cross App Actions
Left to right: Gemini-generated text, AI Select offering context-specific options (Credit: Samsung/PCMag)
In developing One UI 7, Samsung simplifies how you use the Galaxy AI features on the phone. It introduces Cross App Actions, which, through Google Gemini, accomplish compound requests with minimal input. Until now, performing multi-step requests required you to interact with two or more apps. Now, you can make a single request that seamlessly runs across one or more apps for better end results. Samsung, Google, and some third-party apps support Cross App actions.
I tested this with the request, “Find pet-friendly restaurants in Clearwater, Florida, and send it to Robert.” Gemini compiled a list of such restaurants with an online search, organized it, and then put it in a text message to my contact, Robert. You have the option to edit the text or send it as is. I then tried, “Can you create a workout plan for a 45-year-old man and put it in Notes?” Sure enough, the S25 Ultra created a list for me in Google Keep.
The AI also keeps track of which apps you use. If I want calendar events sent to Google Calendar rather than Samsung Calendar, it will put any future calendar requests in Google Calendar unless you specify another app. Cross App requests worked well in my tests, though sometimes my voice input was cut off if I paused mid-request. Alternatively, you can type your queries. Samsung says that even if you don’t pay for Gemini, Cross App Actions will continue to work for at least two years.
Now Brief and the Now Bar
Left to right: Now Brief widget, interface, and settings (Credit: Samsung/PCMag)
One UI 7 generates daily briefs that are accessible through the Now Brief widget. It shows you the weather, your calendar events for the day, and some news. You can configure it to include more or less information. Samsung says the Now Brief will learn as you use the device and add more info over time. Unfortunately, you can’t fine-tune which news sources or kinds of stories you see within the Now Brief’s settings—there’s simply a toggle for news content.
A miniature version of the Now Brief, called the Now Bar, appears at the bottom of the lock screen. Other interactive widgets fill in below it. Changing between them requires an up or down swipe.
Circle to Search
Circle to Search already lets you identify text and images on your screen. Now, it can also perform searches for the audio within videos. It successfully found songs playing on YouTube videos and Netflix shows. Like before, Circle to Search for images works well everywhere, but it still doesn’t work on apps that prohibit screenshots, like Disney+.
Video Search
Video search (Credit: Samsung/PCMag)
Gemini can tell you about the videos you are watching. In the example above, I asked for a summary of a YouTube video about Gary Oldman’s performance in the video, and for the names of the video’s hosts. Gemini provided answers, and all of the information was correct. This feature felt like a magic trick as answers came up within seconds.
Natural Language Search
Samsung includes support for natural language search in the Settings menu and Samsung Gallery app. I often struggle to find items in the Settings menu, but natural language search makes everything much easier.
I asked, “Can I check notifications received yesterday?” The app brought me to Notification History. This feature is located in Settings > Notifications > Advanced Settings > Notification History. There was no need to hunt through menus; the phone just presented it to me. Natural language search also means you don’t have to say the exact same phrase twice. Saying, “I accidentally dismissed some notifications,” brought me to the same place.
Gallery search (Credit: Samsung/PCMag)
Gallery search worked well even with strange requests. I took screenshots of a WWE video and then asked, “Do I have any pictures of wrestlers?” The Gallery app found them. Asking, “Do I have any pictures of statues?” brought me photos of Chester A. Arthur in Madison Square Park. “Get me my motion photos,” surfaced all of them in my library. Bixby powers these particular requests rather than Gemini; you must launch it from within a particular app.
More Gallery Tricks
Audio Eraser is now in the Samsung Gallery app, which lets you remove or enhance certain sounds in a video. It analyzes the audio and then categorizes sounds like crowds, noises, and voices. You select the type of noise you wish to alter and use a slider below to adjust the volume. The changes happen in real time, so you can tweak the levels until you’re happy with the resulting video. Alternatively, you can tap the Auto mode and let Samsung do all the work.
Audio Eraser (Credit: Samsung/PCMag)
In tests, Audio Eraser does a great job of removing crowd and wind noise while preserving voices. Silencing background music is more difficult at loud volumes but works better at lower ones. If the background noise is loud enough, it may still be audible on the voice track. Audio Eraser works on-device and doesn’t require a cloud connection.
Samsung introduces a Best Face feature similar to Google’s Best Take. Best Face lets you replace faces in a group photo if the source image is a motion photo and the resulting photos are regular stills. To access Best Face, tap Edit, then tap the icon with four circles. You select the face you want to change and get several options from the motion file. You can also select particular expressions by scrubbing through the motion picture. By default, tapping Save overwrites the original, but you can also save it as a copy. This feature also works on motion photos you take on other devices. It, too, can function offline.
Best Face (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
Portrait Studio lets you reimagine your photos in various styles, including comic, sketch, and watercolor. It’s supposed to be better than the version we saw on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and create images that resemble the subject, but not exactly. Portrait Studio does a better job with hair than before, but it still has difficulty with my face and changes my race in some results. Portrait Studio requires a network connection.
Left to right: Source image, Watercolor, Sketch (Credit: Samsung/PCMag)
Generative edit now works offline if you go into Gallery > Menu > Settings > Photo Assist > Generative Edit and select “Process data only on-device.” Otherwise, the Gallery needs a network connection to edit out objects and generate new backgrounds. Online or offline, the results look realistic from afar, though some generated objects might not hold up to close scrutiny.
AI Select
AI Select is accessible through an Edge Panel toolbar and offers the ability to quickly interact with on-screen content. It’s now context-aware, so if you are looking at an image and open AI Select, it offers options like Drawing Assist features or Set as Wallpaper. If you’re watching a video, AI Select will suggest making a GIF. If text is on the screen, AI Select offers Writing Assist features and the ability to make summaries or tables. Again, Samsung eliminates the need to go through an ordered menu to find features and instead offers helpful suggestions right away.
Call Summarize in the Phone App
My call summary (Credit: Samsung)
You can record calls using the Phone app. When you start a recording, it alerts the person on the line so they know what’s going on. After the call, you can listen back to it or view an automatically generated text summary of the conversation.
In a test call, I talked about the movie Wicked in a stream-of-consciousness way without much organization. The summary of the call outlined my thoughts with topics and bullet points while giving some order to my rambling. The summary also included several keywords, which, when tapped, highlighted the word in the text. This can assist with searching through your summaries later.
Overall AI Thoughts
Samsung’s use of Galaxy AI makes the S25 Ultra genuinely easier to use for novices and experts alike. Its Cross App functions make it simpler to get things done without requiring you to jump through several apps. Edits in Gallery let you get the picture you wanted to take instead of a misframed snapshot. Samsung’s selective use of Google Gemini over Bixby is a great call, as it allows you to get the best results. One UI 7 isn’t perfect, but it offers more flexibility and functionality than stock Android (or Apple’s iOS, for that matter).
Verdict: The Ultra Android Experience
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is the best Android phone you can buy right now—interacting with AI has never felt more natural or useful. In addition, the phone’s gorgeous screen, helpful S Pen, solid battery life, and class-leading power all contribute to Samsung’s most well-rounded offering. Top-tier cameras with exceptional zoom merely top it all off. You can get a similar overall experience from the Galaxy S25+ and the Pixel 9 Pro XL for less money, but with a slightly smaller screen and without the stylus. For anyone seeking the ultimate Android phone, though, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is our Editors’ Choice winner.
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The Bottom Line
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is the ultimate Android handset with top-of-the-line power, terrific cameras, a built-in stylus, and the most innovative AI features we’ve seen in a phone to date.
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About Iyaz Akhtar
Mobile Analyst
