Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra hands-on: The indifference is on display

Rounded corners aren’t the win I thought they’d be

Not what I expected

Any character the Galaxy S24 Ultra design had is stripped away with the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Yes, the corners are rounded, which Samsung says brings the Galaxy S25 Ultra design in line with the rest of its phones — as if that’s a design worth celebrating. Unfortunately, Samsung opted for flat edges on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, making it more awkward in the hand than its predecessor. Sure, the corners no longer dig into my wrist, but the rounded frame of the S24 Ultra made for a comfortable fit. The S25 Ultra feels like a hunk of glass and titanium, with little thought about how it would sit in your hand. Cases solve the S24 Ultra’s sharp corners, and the S25 Ultra’s flat edges will make the device even bulkier with a case. I believe there is a better solution to be found.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite powers the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but that feels like table stakes for a $1,300 phone in 2025 — even if it is the enhanced “for Galaxy” variant of Qualcomm’s chipset. I was disappointed that the Galaxy S25 Ultra doesn’t have a 16GB RAM model, especially given Samsung’s heavy push into AI this year. Samsung is doing more AI computing on the device than ever, including functions between multiple apps, but isn’t providing the additional RAM to help things run smoothly or guarantee additional AI features for years to come.

It’s surprising that Samsung opted to keep the same 5,000mAh battery size as last year’s Galaxy S24 Ultra. Samsung claims it’s seeing improved battery life with the Snapdragon 8 Elite, and keeping the 5,000mAh battery cell saves weight. It’s a curious decision, since the OnePlus 13 has a 6,000mAh hour dual-cell silicon-carbon battery fitted while weighing slightly less — maybe for the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

We’re left with the same charging speeds as last year, limited to 45W wired. However, the 50W wireless charging speeds on the OnePlus 13 are faster than the wired charging speeds on the Galaxy S25 Ultra — for $400 less. It’s another area where Samsung has lagged woefully behind, perhaps still haunted by the memory of the Galaxy Note 7.

The S Pen is no longer Bluetooth, which means air commands and remote shutter are no longer available. This is a minor issue but part of a more significant theme: Samsung gives us less. A lack of competition in the US has buoyed Samsung’s stagnant progress. Google was trying to find a direction that worked, and OnePlus took a while to find itself — but now that’s happened. The Pixel 9 series is terrific, giving users plenty of AI with a great software experience. The OnePlus 13 offers fantastic power and performance for several hundred dollars less, so the days of Samsung coasting are over. I promise software and hardware innovation can happen simultaneously. Samsung seems to be picking software enhancements over hardware features in 2025, and I’m confused about why the company is so limited.

I hope you really like AI

Samsung seems to have focused solely on software

If you’re scouring for reasons to pick up a Galaxy S25 Ultra, its software offers some hope. One UI 7 looks good and performed well in my brief testing. Samsung focused on more practical applications for AI. Prompts can be more conversational, with natural speech getting you from query to action faster. Cross-app integration pulls in data from several apps with a single prompt. You can add an event to your calendar and have it pull the information over to draft a text for your friend. At launch, the cross-app functionality will be limited to Samsung and Google apps, with access to Spotify and WhatsApp. However, APKs have been sent to developers, so I expect further integrations shortly.

I’m intrigued by Samsung’s work on routines. I like that my phone syncs with other devices and recognizes patterns in my behavior, suggesting routines. One UI 7 will even track your sleep and environment through items in your smart home, like your thermostat and television, highlighting the conditions under which you sleep best. The company is putting AI to work in the background to improve your life and workflow, and while many will never warm up to the sometimes intrusive nature of AI, it’s here to stay.

I like the Now Brief concept in One UI 7. I don’t mind a curated news feed or helpful tips on how to set myself up for success that day. Samsung demonstrated a scenario in which my Galaxy S25 Ultra recognized that I had an earlier-than-usual meeting the following day and recommended setting an earlier alarm. It’s refreshing we’re moving beyond AI being all about drawing funny cat pictures, but it doesn’t replace old-fashioned hardware innovation.

Samsung promises 7 years of One UI upgrades and security updates, which adds value but raises other questions. Why am I buying the Galaxy S25 Ultra, specifically? The S25+ and standard S25 will get many of the same software enhancements, as should my Galaxy S24 Ultra. But if I’m told in a few months that my Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered Galaxy S24 Ultra can’t handle certain AI features because it’s not running a Snapdragon 8 Elite, then I have serious concerns.

I don’t know where we go from here

It seems that Samsung doesn’t consider Google or OnePlus competitors. Instead, the company hopes that users of the Galaxy S22 Ultra will notice a significant boost in performance — I hope so. Samsung has adopted many things we dislike about Apple without even the ecosystem to back it up. I don’t doubt the Galaxy S25 Ultra will run well, and One UI 7 does seem smooth. I like the direction AI is taking, but if you ask for $1,300 out of my wallet, you better deliver the goods. Samsung is like an aging movie star, phoning in film after film, hoping no one notices. We’re starting to notice. Samsung needs to change its ways to keep top billing for much longer. I’ll wait for the review and hold out hope, but it’s challenging to recommend people upgrade to a Galaxy S25 Ultra.