Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Review: The Ultimate 2025 Flagship?

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is Samsung’s top-of-the-line Android flagship for 2025. It builds on the S24 Ultra’s success with a slightly larger 6.9-inch display, a new Snapdragon 8 Elite “for Galaxy” chip, and a suite of AI-powered features in One UI 7. While its design is evolutionary, Samsung has beefed up the camera system (including a 200MP main lens and an improved 50MP ultrawide) and added clever software tricks. In everyday use the S25 Ultra feels “super smooth”, with “AI smarts, [a] vivid display, mostly top-notch cameras, [and] … long battery life” combining into “a very impressive flagship”. Below we dive into the details – from specs and performance to real-world experience – and see how it stacks up against other 2025 flagships like the iPhone 16 Pro Max, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and OnePlus 13 Pro.

Design and Build Quality

The Galaxy S25 Ultra refines its predecessor’s boxy look with premium materials and a robust build. It has a titanium frame and Gorilla Armor 2 glass on both front and back. Despite its large 6.9-inch screen, careful trimming of the bezels makes it only slightly taller and thinner than before: it measures 6.41 × 3.06 × 0.32 inches (162.8 × 77.6 × 8.2 mm) and weighs about 218 g (7.7 oz) – lighter than the 7.99 oz iPhone 16 Pro Max. Samsung calls the back camera array a “floating camera design,” and we agree it looks cleaner than Apple’s camera bump. The quad-camera module protrudes modestly, with matte-finished sensor rings.

The S25 Ultra is also IP68-rated for dust/water resistance (up to 1.5 m) like its peers, though unlike some newer rivals it is not guaranteed against high-pressure jets. Samsung does not build magnets into the phone itself, so you’ll need a special case to use the new Qi2 magnetic chargers and mounts (a notable omission). Also, to shave weight, Samsung removed the S Pen’s Bluetooth module, meaning you lose remote air-gesture controls (like snapping photos from afar). Overall the phone feels solid and premium, but be aware these trade-offs: no S Pen Bluetooth and no built-in MagSafe magnets (a case is required for MagSafe-like convenience).

Display

Samsung bumped the S25 Ultra’s screen size ever so slightly from 6.8″ to 6.9″ by shaving the bezels. The panel is a top-tier LTPO OLED (allowing dynamic 1–120 Hz refresh rate) with QHD+ resolution (3120×1440 pixels) and a pixel density around 498 ppi. In tests the S25 Ultra’s display reaches an astounding peak brightness – around 1860 nits in HDR scene – making it extremely visible outdoors. (For context, the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s screen went up to ~2365 nits and the iPhone 16 Pro Max to ~1796 nits in GSMArena’s lab tests.) In practice the Galaxy’s screen looks incredibly vivid and colorful, with deep blacks and wide contrast. However, like most Samsung flagships it only supports HDR10+ (not Dolby Vision), whereas the OnePlus 13 Pro does handle Dolby Vision content.

Samsung has also upgraded the cover glass to Gorilla Armor 2 for better drop and scratch resistance. The result is one of the best displays Samsung has ever made – TG’s review called it “closest to perfect we’ve tested yet”. You also get the usual Samsung extras: an integrated S Pen layer (full pressure sensitivity built-in), a low-reflectivity coating for better sunlight readability, and an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. In short, the S25 Ultra’s screen is bright, large, and vibrant, ideal for movies and games.

Cameras

The S25 Ultra keeps its versatile quad-camera setup, tuned for maximum flexibility. The configuration is now:

• 200 MP main (f/1.7, 1/1.3″ sensor)
• 50 MP ultrawide (f/1.9, 120° field of view)
• 50 MP telephoto (periscope, f/3.4, 5× optical zoom)
• 10 MP telephoto (f/2.4, 3× optical zoom)

On paper this is almost identical to the S24 Ultra, except Samsung upgraded the ultrawide’s sensor from 12 MP to 50 MP. That yields noticeably sharper wide-angle shots and even macro-like closeups. The 200 MP main camera remains the largest sensor Samsung offers in a phone, letting you shoot in 12-bit HEIF for extreme detail. There’s also a 12 MP front camera (f/2.2, autofocus) for selfies.

In practice the S25 Ultra’s camera performance is stellar. Daylight photos have rich, saturated color and very high detail. In Tom’s Guide testing, Samsung was “easily one of the best camera phones we’ve tested,” with the Ultra capturing more depth and less noise in low light compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max. At 1× and 2× zoom, its edge-sharpness beats most rivals (photos are punchy yet still realistic). The new 5× telephoto lets you get much closer to distant subjects, and it out-resolves the OnePlus 13 Pro’s digital-6× zoom at range. On the other hand, the OnePlus’s 3× telephoto (with a faster f/2.6 lens) actually captured smoother detail at 3× in daylight.

Low-light stills on the S25 Ultra are generally very good: shots are bright with decent dynamic range, and noise is well-controlled thanks to the large sensor and multi-frame processing. In extreme darkness the Galaxy can be a bit grainier than the OnePlus (OnePlus’s main camera had “notably better” detail and less noise in auto mode), but it still holds up. Portrait mode photos have warm, pleasing skin tones. The 12 MP selfie camera is respectable – it autofocusses, which the OnePlus lacks, and our testers found it yields slightly more detail.

For video, the S25 Ultra adds 10-bit HDR capture and even LOG recording for color grading. It also has new AI-powered tools: you can remove unwanted objects (even shadows) and apply “sketch to image” transformations by drawing with the S Pen. A handy Audio Eraser in the video editor can filter out wind, chatter or music from clips. In our tests it cleans ambient noise fairly well. Overall, the camera package is very flexible: with two optical telephoto lenses and a 200MP main, the S25 Ultra covers more focal lengths than any competitor.

Camera Comparison: Against the iPhone 16 Pro Max, the S25 Ultra’s results are a mixed bag. Apple’s iPhone still leads in natural color accuracy and consistent performance, but Samsung often captures more shadow detail and depth. For example, the Galaxy’s 200MP main yielded richer colors and more texture than the iPhone’s 48MP shot in some scenes. The Galaxy also edges out Apple in low-light noise. On the zoom side, Samsung’s 5× telephoto bests Apple’s 5× (which is the same lens on the iPhone) – the Galaxy preserves finer detail at 10× to 20× digital zoom. Compared to the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, Samsung goes for hardware versatility: both have 50MP 5× zoom, but Pixel relies more on software for intermediate zooming. In daylight the phones were hard to distinguish: Pixel often boosts highlights more aggressively, while Galaxy shots can look bolder. Finally, vs. the OnePlus 13 Pro, the Galaxy wins in sheer reach and versatility. The OP13’s 3× zoom is very sharp, but the S25 Ultra adds a 5× lens (and a broader ultrawide). OnePlus does better in very low light with its main sensor, but the S25 Ultra has autofocus on its selfie camera and the benefit of Samsung’s refinements. In summary, the S25 Ultra has one of the most versatile camera systems of 2025, easily covering wide through 10× zoom with strong image quality.

Performance

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite (for Galaxy) chipset on a 3nm process, paired with at least 12 GB of RAM. In everyday use it feels lightning-fast: apps launch instantly, multitasking is fluid, and the UI never stutters. Benchmark scores confirm it’s among the class leaders. For instance, Geekbench 6 shows the S25 Ultra at about 3050 (single-core) and 9846 (multi-core). By comparison, the iPhone 16 Pro Max (A18 Pro) scored ~3490/8606; so Apple leads in single-thread, but Samsung’s phone wins on multi-threaded and graphics tests. Notably, the S25 Ultra’s 3DMark GPU score is far ahead (Galaxy ~6687 vs. iPhone ~4731), giving it a big edge in games. The OnePlus 13 Pro uses the same Snapdragon 8 Elite and 12 GB RAM, and our GSMArena tests show nearly identical performance between the two in most benchmarks (the Galaxy ties or slightly leads in multi-core, and both have similar GPU scores). By contrast, the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s Tensor G4 chip lags behind – in GSMArena’s tests the S25 Ultra more than doubled the Pixel’s performance in multi-core and graphics.

In real-world gaming and heavy workloads the S25 Ultra stays very smooth, though PhoneArena notes that under extreme sustained load it will eventually throttle after extended 3DMark stress testing. In daily use this isn’t noticeable – the phone “did get very respectable top scores” but remains “very snappy” for games and apps. Storage options start at 256 GB (UFS 4.0), up to 1 TB, and the base RAM/storage (12/256) is fine for most users. Both the Galaxy and OnePlus offer a rare 16 GB/1 TB variant (Samsung’s is region-limited).

On the software side, the S25 Ultra runs Android 15 with Samsung’s One UI 7. This new UI brings a polished look and some extra AI features (see below). Samsung promises 7 years of OS and security updates for this phone, matching Google’s Pixel promise, and far exceeding the typical ~5-year support for iPhones. One UI is feature-rich and user-friendly, and the phone comes with Samsung’s full suite of apps (Gallery, Samsung Health, etc.), along with Google’s apps. In short, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is as fast and smooth as any flagship, offering desktop-level performance in a handheld package.

Battery Life and Charging

The S25 Ultra packs a 5000 mAh battery, the same capacity as last year. In practice it delivers excellent endurance. In Tom’s Guide’s web-surfing battery test (6,000-cycle browsing at 150 nits), the S25 Ultra lasted 17 hours 14 minutes – about 30 minutes longer than the S24 Ultra. In real life we found it easily lasts a full day of heavy use, and even longer on lighter use. (Switching to 60 Hz can extend it to over 18½ hours in that test.) For comparison, GSMArena’s tests show the Pixel 9 Pro XL (5060 mAh) trails significantly in 3 of 4 scenarios, giving the Galaxy “a wide margin” in longevity. The 6000 mAh OnePlus 13 Pro can run longer, topping 19½ hours in TG’s test, but the S25 Ultra still outlasts almost every other flagship when rated by per-mAh efficiency.

Fast charging remains at 45W wired (via USB-C), which is faster than the iPhone’s ~30W but slower than the OnePlus 13’s 100W extreme speed. In practical terms, the Galaxy went from 0→~71% in 30 minutes, whereas the iPhone 16 Pro Max only hit ~55% in the same time. The OnePlus 13, with its 100W charger, achieved ~95% in 30 minutes. A full 0→100% charge on the S25 Ultra takes about 59 minutes, roughly half the time of the iPhone. So it’s not the absolute fastest around, but perfectly adequate – and far quicker than Apple’s. All four phones support wireless charging and reverse wireless charging: the Galaxy is Qi2.1-compatible with a magnetic case (15W max), the iPhone uses MagSafe magnets (18W max), the Pixel has a 23W Pixel Stand mode, and the OnePlus can reach about 50W on a special wireless dock.

Software and AI Features

Samsung is making a big push into AI with One UI 7 on the S25 Ultra. The phone ships with Android 15 and introduces a redesigned interface. Samsung’s new “Galaxy AI” suite brings features like Live Notifications (similar to iPhone’s Dynamic Island) and AI-powered assistants. For example, “AI Select” is a next-gen version of Google’s “Circle to Search” that can recognize anything on screen and offer actions. More impressively, the S25 Ultra can take multimodal voice commands across apps: you might say “Translate this page and email it to John,” and the phone will handle everything end-to-end. Under the hood, these assistants use Google’s new Gemini AI model, and Samsung even bundles 6 months of free Gemini Advanced access (2 TB cloud storage included). (By default, holding the side button summons Gemini; you can switch it back to Bixby if you prefer.)

Many Galaxy AI features are built into everyday apps. For instance, the Messages and email apps offer AI writing tools – tap the Galaxy AI button on the keyboard to translate, change tone, or reformat text. There’s an AI call transcript feature that records calls in real time and can auto-summarize them after you hang up. In the camera app, AI shows up as new editing options: you can remove objects and shadows (like an upgraded Eraser), or use “Sketch to Image” with the S Pen to turn doodles into realistic art. Even Samsung Notes gets AI upgrades for organizing and summarizing your scribbles. Samsung has rolled out many of these One UI 7 AI functions to older Galaxy phones too, but the S25 Ultra gets them first.

On the whole, the new software tricks are handy rather than gimmicky. In TG’s opinion, “the ability to perform actions across multiple apps at once using your voice has the potential to change how we interact with our phones”. (Not everything is perfect yet – some features like the “Now Brief” widget were deemed underwhelming – but Samsung will refine them.) We appreciate that Samsung simplified the settings and UI to accommodate these new features. And a big plus: Samsung offers 7 years of Android and security updates, meaning the S25 Ultra should stay current far longer than any iPhone or older Android.

Specifications Comparison

This table highlights how the S25 Ultra matches or exceeds the key specs of its peers: a very high-res screen, cutting-edge chip, massive camera sensors, and long software support.

Pros and Cons

• Pros:
  • Powerful performance: Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and 12+ GB RAM deliver very fast operation.
  • Outstanding cameras: Versatile quad-camera with 200 MP main and dual telephotos (5×/3×) yields excellent photos across zoom ranges.
  • Huge, vivid display: Large 6.9″ AMOLED panel is brighter and more color-rich than most rivals.
  • Long battery life: With a 5000 mAh battery it easily lasts all day (17+ hours in testing).
  • New AI features: One UI 7 brings Galaxy AI (voice multitasking, image editing, call transcripts, etc.) that save time.
  • Future-proof software: 7 years of Android updates ensures longevity. S Pen integration adds productivity.
• Cons:
  • Case needed for MagSafe: Lacks built-in magnets for Qi2 charging (you must use a special case).
  • S Pen limits: Pen has no Bluetooth now, so remote shutter and gestures are gone.
  • Some AI features immature: Features like “Now Brief” feel limited at launch.
  • Slow charging (vs rivals): 45W is decent, but OnePlus and others support much faster 100W/150W charging.
  • Incremental upgrade: Outside of AI tricks and ultrawide camera boost, it’s an iterative update – not a radical redesign.
  • High price: Starting around $1,299 (256 GB), it’s an expensive handset.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is an immensely capable flagship. It may feel “iterative” in some ways, but Samsung has made big meaningful upgrades where it counts: a brighter, larger screen, a faster “Elite” processor, a sharper ultrawide camera, and a suite of powerful AI-driven features. In real-world use the phone is impressively smooth and versatile. Its cameras rank among the very best of any smartphone in 2025, and battery life is excellent for its class.

Compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Pixel 9 Pro XL, the S25 Ultra holds its own. It matches or beats them in raw power and camera versatility, at the cost of a bit more weight and bulk. Unlike the iPhone it offers an S Pen and fingerprint unlock; unlike the Pixel it has more optical zoom lenses and (soon) Samsung’s Galaxy AI features. The OnePlus 13 Pro offers some advantages – notably a more compact frame and ultra-fast 100W charging – but the Galaxy’s display and software are more polished, and it still outshoots OnePlus at long range.

For power users and Android fans, the S25 Ultra is hard to beat. Its combination of speed, display quality, camera prowess, and innovative AI tools makes daily tasks easier – so much so that Tom’s Guide’s reviewer quipped he was “tempted to switch to Android” after using it. If you want the absolute best Samsung phone (and have the budget), the S25 Ultra is the one to get. For most users, it represents the pinnacle of 2025’s Android flagships and earns a strong buy recommendation.

Final Verdict: The Galaxy S25 Ultra is a very impressive premium smartphone. It delivers on all fronts (display, speed, camera, battery, software) and adds clever AI smarts that hint at the future. If you can afford it, it’s easily one of the best phones you can buy in 2025.

Recommendation: We recommend the S25 Ultra for advanced users, photographers, and anyone wanting cutting-edge Android features. Its extra cost and large size are justified by top-tier specs and longevity. If you want a slightly smaller or more affordable option, consider the Galaxy S25+ or look to competitors – but for those who want the ultimate Samsung experience, the Ultra won’t disappoint.