4 reasons the Galaxy S25 Ultra is the right choice for your first Samsung phone

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is not a significant upgrade over the S24 Ultra, but it is substantially different from every other Android phone on the market, despite Samsung’s move away from the Ultra’s distinctive silhouette. Here’s why the S25 Ultra might be the perfect choice for your first Android phone.

4

A perfectly balanced suite of features

Plenty of customization options

Every Android OEM takes a different approach to its implementation of Android on their phones. Some, like Google, take a bare-bones approach; Pixel phones are the closest to stock Android in 2025. Pixel phones might offer fewer software features than other Android phones, but in general, they all work well together. It’s the best choice if you want an Android phone that just works without any fanfare. At the other end of the scale are Android skins like Xiamoi’s HyperOS, which pairs an impressive suite of features with bloatware and a frustrating amount of bugs. Great if you want lots of features, terrible if you want to enjoy using your phone.

Samsung has sometimes erred on the side of bloat with OneUI, but OneUI 7 brings a variety of powerful and useful features that show that Samsung now offers the most customizable and useful Android experience on the market. From the Now Bar that shows relevant information at a glance, to notification filters, it’s a significant upgrade for the Android skin.

OneUI 7 is coming to older Galaxy devices, which means you don’t need the S25 Ultra to enjoy its features. However, the powerful chipset and upgraded screen are the best way to experience the new features. With seven years of software support, you can hold onto the S25 Ultra until at least 2032. The upgraded chipset is also vital for powering One UI’s AI tasks

3

The best phone for handling demanding AI tasks

Use generative AI without a hiccup

It’s impossible to avoid AI features when picking out a new Android phone in 2025. So if you’re going to get a new phone, you might as well get one that does AI well.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset is the driving force behind the AI features on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. AI features are notoriously demanding on your phone’s battery life and performance, but the improved power efficiency of the Elite lets you perform any AI task without wiping out your phone’s battery. Thanks to the chipset, you also won’t need to rely on the cloud as much as features like Generative Edit are processed on-device. Older phones like the S24 Ultra rely on the cloud for this feature.

Galaxy S25 phones are also the first non-Pixel devices to support Gemini Nano. If you don’t want to use Gemini, you can try the new AI-powered Bixby assistant. In short, if you want the smoothest and most up-to-date AI experience, choose the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

2

The lightest and most comfortable Ultra phone yet

The differences are small but significant

Samsung has rounded the corners of the S25 Ultra, which brings it in line with the silhouette of every modern flagship Android and iOS phone. While it’s a shame to lose the Ultra’s distinctive silhouette, the rounded corners and flat frame don’t dig into your hand like previous Ultra phones.

The phone is lighter by 14g, thinner by 0.4mm, and narrower by 1.4mm than the S24 Ultra. These aren’t big numbers, but for phones known for being big and heavy, a small reduction in size and weight is massive. Don’t worry about screen size either, thanks to a minor reduction in bezel size, the screen is 0.1 inches bigger than the S24 Ultra.

It’s tough to justify upgrading from an S23 Ultra or S24 Ultra with these numbers in mind, but if you’re on the edge of making the jump to the Galaxy series, this Ultra phone is a more comfortable experience than earlier iterations. It makes it easier to make the switch from a smaller phone like the Pixel 9.

1

Relatively safe without a case

You can only get Gorilla Glass Armor 2 here

We always recommend picking up a case for your Android phone. It’s the simplest way to extend the lifespan of your Android phone, but you can’t show off how good your phone looks, as everyone just sees the case.

If you prefer using your Android phone without a case, you’ll be pleased to know that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra features new Gorilla Glass Armor 2 glass panels. This is exclusive to the S25 Ultra, and it is more durable and less reflective than its predecessor. In Corning’s lab tests, the glass can survive drops up to 2.2m onto “a surface replicating concrete.”

Only time will tell how durable the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s frame is, but it has the same titanium frame as the S24 Ultra. That phone proved that it was a top-tier choice when faced with brutal durability tests, so the S25 Ultra should be the same, if not better. When paired with the Gorilla Glass Armor 2, we can say that it’s the best phone on the market if you want to avoid damage without a case.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is a good choice for your first Samsung phone

We won’t lie, there aren’t many reasons to upgrade to the Galaxy S25 Ultra if you own any Galaxy S23 or S24 phone. However, switching from a device like the Pixel 9 gives you access to the best screen and chipset of any Android phone, a bigger variety of AI tools, and an Android skin packed with useful features. It’ll last you for years, and you won’t have to think about upgrading until at least 2030.