Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Hands-On Review: Powerful Performance and All-Around AI Features

Ever since Samsung released the Galaxy S25 Ultra, I’ve been eagerly anticipating the chance to get my hands on it. As the latest member of Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S series, the S25 Ultra not only inherits the family design style, but also introduces groundbreaking innovations in both hardware and software. This phone reaches new heights in performance and integrates deep artificial intelligence technology, offering users an experience that almost feels like it has a mind of its own.

Design & Build: A Smartphone That’s Almost a Work of Art

The moment I held the Galaxy S25 Ultra, my first thought was: “Wow, this phone is stunning!” Its design is sleek yet luxurious, exuding a sense of elegance, almost like a finely sculpted work of art. The body is made of titanium alloy, which strikes the perfect balance between weight and durability. While it’s slightly heavier than some of the ultra-thin models, the feel in hand is incredibly premium. What struck me the most was the ultra-thin bezel and expansive screen, offering a near-edge-to-edge display that gives an almost infinite visual experience. Despite the 6.9-inch screen, the slim bezel design ensures that the phone still feels comfortable to hold.

The back of the phone is minimalist, with three camera lenses neatly arranged along a parallel line, slightly protruding but not overly noticeable, giving the phone a futuristic look. This design can be considered a breakthrough in smartphone aesthetics by Samsung. Every detail has been meticulously refined—each touch and glance conveys a sense of sophistication and high-end quality.

Display: A Visual Feast You Can’t Tear Your Eyes Away From

The Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with a 6.9-inch AMOLED screen with a QHD+ resolution, offering detail that rivals the clarity of a high-definition television. Looking at this screen, I felt as if I had been transported into a virtual world, where every detail is visible and every color is vivid and rich. Watching movies and playing games on it completely immersed me—I couldn’t help but stop everything and get lost in the experience. Its adaptive refresh rate adjusts automatically based on the usage scenario, ranging from 1Hz to 120Hz, balancing both smooth operation and power efficiency.

Additionally, the S25 Ultra features ProScaler technology, which was initially introduced in Samsung’s television products. This technology upscales low-resolution content, providing a clearer viewing experience. Even when watching videos with lower resolutions, ProScaler sharpens them to such an extent that it feels like the quality has been boosted several levels. This reminds me of Samsung’s slogan, “Every frame is a masterpiece,” and the S25 Ultra truly lives up to that promise, offering an experience where each image feels like a piece of art.

Performance: A Powerhouse Engine Racing Forward

When it comes to the performance of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, “leap forward” is the only way to describe it. It’s powered by the newly upgraded Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, custom-made for the Galaxy series and built with advanced 3nm architecture. The performance has increased by nearly 40% compared to its predecessor, and the speed is nothing short of mind-blowing.

I tested various high-demand applications, including large-scale 3D games, HD video editing, and multitasking, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra handled everything with ease—no stutter or lag. Especially when gaming, the phone’s GPU delivers a 30% performance boost, making game visuals smoother and lighting effects more dynamic, almost like a full-on immersive visual experience. Even when running graphics-intensive games like Genshin Impact and Call of Duty: Mobile, the Galaxy S25 Ultra kept things running smoothly with no frame drops.

The NPU (Neural Processing Unit) is also extremely powerful, optimizing system performance through AI algorithms to improve overall efficiency. Throughout my use, the S25 Ultra felt incredibly fast, completing tasks instantly with virtually no wait time.

Camera Performance: A Revolutionary Leap in Photography

While we often see smartphone brands iterating on camera technology, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has undeniably taken it to a whole new level. It’s equipped with four cameras: a 200MP main camera, a 50MP ultra-wide lens, a 10MP telephoto lens, and a 50MP periscope lens. Each camera works independently, providing an unparalleled shooting experience.

I used the Galaxy S25 Ultra to take some landscape photos, and the results were breathtaking. Whether far or near, the details were captured with remarkable precision, and the color rendering was incredibly natural. When shooting portraits, the 200MP main camera delivered stunning clarity, capturing every detail, from skin tones to background textures. Using the 50MP ultra-wide lens for landscapes provided wide shots filled with rich detail, making me feel like I was standing right in the scene.

Additionally, Samsung has incorporated AI Scene Enhancement technology, which makes the photos come alive. The AI automatically adjusts exposure, contrast, and saturation, ensuring each shot looks as if a professional colorist had worked on it—vibrant yet true to life. Even in low-light conditions, the photos remained clear with minimal noise and excellent detail.

Battery Life: Exceptional Endurance

Despite the Galaxy S25 Ultra having a 5000mAh battery, its battery performance exceeded my expectations. Thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor’s efficiency and Samsung’s own power-saving optimizations, the phone never drained too quickly, even during extended use. Whether I was gaming, watching videos, or working, the S25 Ultra managed to last me well over a day, which is more than sufficient for most users.

The phone also supports 45W fast charging, allowing me to charge up to 60% of the battery in just 30 minutes. Even while charging, it stays at a reasonable temperature with no overheating issues. The 15W wireless charging is also incredibly convenient, especially when I’m at my desk; I can simply place the phone on the wireless charger and keep it topped up throughout the day.

AI Features: Turning Everything Smarter

The Galaxy S25 Ultra’s most standout feature is undoubtedly its powerful AI capabilities. Samsung has seamlessly integrated AI into nearly every aspect of the phone, not just in photography and gaming, but even in everyday tasks, making it feel like the phone is evolving alongside you.

For instance, the Circle to Search feature allows me to hum a tune and find the corresponding song, even if I can only remember part of it. It’s like having a music detective by your side that can instantly recognize the melody in your head and pinpoint the song for you.

Another feature, AI Smart Editing, allows me to automatically remove unwanted parts from videos, even filtering out background noise to maintain audio clarity. With AI Image Processing, I can quickly remove unwanted elements or background people from photos, resulting in cleaner, more polished images. These features empower every user, even those with little to no editing experience, to create professional-quality photos and videos.

Software & System: A Seamless User Experience

The Galaxy S25 Ultra runs on the latest One UI 7, which is based on Android 15 and deeply customized. The interface is sleek and modern, providing a smooth and intuitive user experience. One standout feature is the new Now Brief widget, which uses AI to send me daily summaries in the morning and evening, helping me efficiently manage my time and tasks. The seamless integration with Galaxy Ring and other devices makes me feel like the phone is just one part of a broader ecosystem.

Recommended Platforms for Purchase

For those in the U.S. looking to purchase the Galaxy S25 Ultra, here are some reliable platforms:

1. Samsung Official Website: Directly visit Samsung’s website to access the latest promotions and purchase the Galaxy S25 Ultra with official warranty.
2. Amazon: Numerous third-party sellers offer the Galaxy S25 Ultra on Amazon, allowing you to choose based on seller ratings and reviews.
3. Best Buy: As a well-known U.S. electronics retailer, Best Buy offers both online and in-store purchasing options, often with promotional deals.
4. Walmart: Walmart is another great option, providing both online shopping and in-store pickup services for Samsung smartphones.

If you’re after cutting-edge performance, exceptional photography, and intelligent features, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is undoubtedly the phone for you. Its hardware, software optimizations, and AI technology come together to provide an entirely new smartphone experience. While it may come with a hefty price tag, for those seeking the latest in technology and premium user experience, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is definitely worth the investment. If you have the budget and enjoy exploring the frontier of smartphone tech, this phone is the perfect match for you.