Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Review

You know the feeling. That tiny pause before you peel off the plastic film on a brand-new flagship. That quiet hum in your chest when the boot screen flickers to life. That’s what the Galaxy S25 Ultra delivers from the jump – except this time, Samsung isn’t whispering evolution. It’s flexing.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra isn’t so much an upgrade as it is a provocation. Every curve, sensor, and silicon layer exists with intent—and while the spec sheet may look familiar on the surface, to that of the yeat before, the experience feels anything but.

But don’t mistake this confidence for perfection. While Samsung’s Ultra lineup still plays in the elite flagship arena, a few cracks are starting to show – and not just in the marketing or sentiments polish.

First Impressions Count: Still Premium, But It’s Getting Stale

The Galaxy S25 Ultra looks like… well, an Ultra. If you’ve seen the S22, S23, or S24 Ultra, you’ve more or less seen this one too. It’s not that the industrial design is bad – far from it. The titanium frame is solid, the matte finish hides fingerprints, and it feels like money in your hand.

But five iterations in, the silhouette is starting to age. There’s a fine line between “refined continuity” and “design fatigue”, and Samsung is now straddling it.

The camera island still protrudes uncomfortably when flat on a desk, and while the flat edges aid grip, they also feel sharp compared to the softened curves of rivals like the Pixel Fold or iPhone 16 Pro Max.

It’s still a premium device, but it no longer surprises.

Right in front, the 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display remains a highlight. It’s sharp, colourful, and bright enough to burn through midday glare without flinching. The upgraded Adaptive Vision Engine genuinely adapts tone and contrast based on your environment.

Watching HDR content or even navigating Instagram Stories in inconsistent lighting feels more fluid and visually stable.

That said, the jump from 120Hz to 144Hz adaptive refresh is more spec-sheet brag than noticeable boost. If you’re coming from an S22 or later, the difference is subtle at best.

Inside, Samsung’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 for Galaxy chip handles everything from Adobe Premier Rush, Lightroom edits to Genshin Impact sessions without breaking a sweat. Thermal management is excellent, and RAM allocation is smarter, with background apps staying alive longer—even after camera-heavy usage.

Battery life hits above expectations. The new 5,500mAh cell delivers genuine all-day performance with headroom to spare. Paired with 65W wired charging, top-ups are faster, though still lagging behind Chinese competitors pushing 100W+ standards.

When it comes to the camera, the S25 Ultra’s hardware is exceptional on paper – and mostly excellent in practice. The 200MP primary sensor remains a monster in good light, and the dual telephoto configuration (3x and 5x) delivers detailed zoom shots with minimal loss, even up to 20x.

But the marketing term “Nightography” continues to promise more than it delivers. Low-light photos often err on the side of aggressive brightening, leading to washed-out shadows and unnatural skin tones.

Night mode introduces noise-reduction artefacts, especially on the telephoto lenses, making shots look painted rather than captured. If you’re shooting after dark, don’t expect Pixel-level computational finesse.

Ah, the legendary S Pen is still here—and it still writes beautifully. Latency is near zero, pressure response is tight, and Samsung Notes remains best-in-class for digital handwriting.

But it’s hard to ignore how limited its ecosystem has become. Air Actions, once a clever trick for camera controls and media, are barely supported in third-party apps. The stylus no longer feels integrated into Samsung’s vision—it feels like a vestige. For power users who bought into the S Pen dream years ago, this generation feels like a quiet withdrawal.

One UI 7 runs on top of Android 15 and is as feature-packed—and bloated—as ever. There’s undeniable polish in the animations, settings menus, and gesture navigation. Samsung’s multitasking tools, especially split-screen and pop-up view, remain a standout.

But the pre-installed app count is getting out of hand. Between Samsung’s own suite, Google apps, and third-party bundles, your app drawer feels full before you even log in. Thankfully, most of it can be uninstalled—but it shouldn’t be there in the first place.

For those willing to live with a few quirks—aging design, pared-down S Pen tricks, and a night mode that is the best, but could still be improved in my books – the Galaxy S25 Ultra is undeniably one of the most capable Android devices you can buy today.

Priced from R28,999 for the 256GB model, it doesn’t come cheap, but then again, it’s not pretending to. This is a phone built for power users, creators, and loyalists who want maximum firepower in their pocket even if the polish is starting to wear thin in a few corners.

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Papi Mabele

Papi Mabele has a marketing background, he is a digital marketing expert with extensive experience in launching and building global brands in the emerging markets. Papi is also an avid tech writer, enthusiast and all round tech junkie. As a freelance writer and analyst he has been numerously published in Popular Mechanics (SA), GQ South Africa, Premier Magazine, Driven Magazine, Bloem News, Courant, The Weekly, Enthooze Magazine and PiE magazine amongst others.