The Galaxy S25 Ultra, the high-end variant of Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone line-up, is now in our possession. However, it is still undergoing rigorous testing, so it will be a while until I can provide you with a review. In the meantime, here are my initial impressions of the device.
Like its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra arrives in a compact, all-black packaging – this time with a silhouette of the device instead of a full-on rendition. As with previous models, no charging brick or complementary cover is included, meaning you’ll need to purchase these separately. What you are getting are the standard affair of contents, including a USB-C charging cable, a SIM card slot pin, user manuals, and a warranty card.
As for the phone itself, the most obvious difference that sets it apart from the previous Ultra model is its curved corners and flatter surrounding frame. This gives the phone a more streamlined look, aligning it with the rest of the Galaxy S25 line-up. A minor update for sure, but a notable one nonetheless.
While its overall size is barely different from its predecessor, it actually sports a slightly larger display size of 6.9-inches thanks to the reduced thickness of the surrounding bezel. It still uses the same Samsung Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel, maintaining the vibrant, sharp and silky smooth visual output as last year’s model. However, the glass has been upgraded to Corning Gorilla Glass Armor 2 for improved durability.
In hand, the newer model feels noticeably lighter than the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which is a welcome improvement. That said, like most smartphones of this size, one-handed usage can still be a bit of a challenge for some, particularly when typing. And despite Samsung championing the phone’s titanium build and Gorilla Glass Armor 2 protection, I would still recommend getting a case for added peace of mind.
On first boot, the included One UI 7 interface delivers a familiar experience, with some updated design elements and a few new Galaxy AI features. In regards to the latter, one prominent addition is the new Now Bar, where you’ll find real-time updates, reminders and shortcuts. If you’re drawing similarities to Apple’s Dynamic Island feature then you’d be right, as both offer similar functions. However, unlike its iOS counterpart, the Now Bar only appears on the lock screen.
And to whom it may concern, rest assured that the S-Pen and its features are still around, with the exception of those that utilise Bluetooth. With the connectivity no longer available on this year’s iteration of the integrated stylus, also gone are functionalities such as remote camera capture and media playback. Samsung explains that these features were rarely used, and removing Bluetooth has also made the S-Pen lighter as a result.
In terms of imaging, the cameras on the Galaxy S25 Ultra closely mirror those of its predecessor, for better or worse. The primary and telephoto lenses feature the same sensors, but the ultra-wide camera has been upgraded to a 50MP sensor, up from 12MP on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. I’ll delve deeper into camera performance in my full review, but for now, I’ll let my initial test shots do the talking.
As for performance in gaming, battery life and AI capabilities, I’m still in the process of conducting various tests at the time of writing, so I can’t share much about them just yet. However, early impressions of the Ultra appear promising.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 has more gains than losses, which should be considered as a good thing. However, there’s still more to discuss, and whether it actually lives up to expectations is another thing altogether. Rest assured, I’ll share more in my upcoming review, so stay tuned.
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