Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra boosts flagship experience with AI and subtle refinements

Samsung’s latest Galaxy S25 Ultra smartphone elevates the flagship Android experience through significant AI advancements and thoughtful refinements to an already successful formula. While positioned as an incremental upgrade rather than a revolutionary overhaul, the device maintains Samsung’s leadership position by delivering comprehensive excellence across performance, camera capabilities, battery life, and software features. The expanded AI toolkit and continued S Pen integration highlight Samsung’s commitment to both productivity and ecosystem development in the premium smartphone market.

The big picture: The Galaxy S25 Ultra refines rather than reinvents Samsung’s premium smartphone offering, focusing on enhanced AI capabilities and subtle design improvements while maintaining core strengths.

• The device features slightly lighter construction with flatter edges and rounded corners, making it more comfortable to handle than its predecessor.
• Samsung’s ecosystem integration remains a key selling point, with the S Pen continuing to differentiate the Ultra model from other premium smartphones.

Key AI capabilities: Samsung has significantly expanded its artificial intelligence toolkit with Gemini-powered features that enhance productivity and creative applications.

• Gemini Live serves as an advanced assistant capable of executing complex cross-platform tasks and maintaining contextual awareness.
• Creative tools like Generative Edit for photos and Audio Eraser for isolating and removing specific sounds in videos demonstrate practical AI applications.
• Productivity features include Browsing Assist for summarizing web content, Writing Assist for text organization, and AI Select for analyzing on-screen content and suggesting relevant actions.

Hardware specifications: The S25 Ultra maintains Samsung’s tradition of top-tier components while making strategic improvements to key areas.

• The 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED display offers a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ support, and peak brightness of 2,600 nits, enhanced by a new anti-reflective coating.
• Camera capabilities have been upgraded with a 200MP main sensor and improved supporting cameras, including a 50MP ultra-wide (up from 12MP) and dual telephoto lenses.
• Performance comes from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, paired with a 5,000mAh battery supporting 45W charging that delivers approximately 14 hours of use in benchmark testing.

Software experience: The device runs Android 15 with Samsung’s One UI 7, focusing on seamless integration across the company’s device ecosystem.

• One UI 7 prioritizes connection between Samsung devices, allowing for smoother workflows across phones, tablets, and computers.
• The Now Brief feature presents periodically useful information, representing Samsung’s approach to ambient computing.

Why it matters: Despite being an iterative improvement, the S25 Ultra maintains Samsung’s position as the creator of “the most loaded Android flagship money can buy,” according to the review.

• The comprehensive package of hardware excellence and expanded AI features provides a compelling upgrade path for existing Samsung users.
• The device’s focus on refinement rather than revolution suggests a maturing smartphone market where even incremental improvements deliver significant user benefits.