Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Review: A Powerful, but Boring Phone

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, showcased at the Galaxy Unpacked event, emphasizes AI features over significant hardware upgrades, particularly in its camera system. While it offers a lighter design with a big, anti-reflective display and a higher-resolution ultra-wide-angle lens, the camera improvements are minimal, and much of the focus is on AI capabilities like the Personal Data Engine and AI Select. The phone's performance is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, ensuring smooth operation, but the AI features, such as cross-app capabilities and generative AI, don't significantly differentiate it from competitors like Google’s Pixel 9 Pro.

Despite its advanced AI and performance features, the Galaxy S25 Ultra lacks groundbreaking innovations that would make it a must-have upgrade for recent Ultra users. The absence of features like magnetic wireless charging, which could have set it apart, is notable. While it remains a high-quality device with a long lifespan, the incremental improvements may not justify its high price unless users have access to substantial trade-in deals.

Key takeaways

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra focuses heavily on AI features but lacks significant camera upgrades or design innovations.
The device is lighter and more comfortable to hold, with a big, anti-reflective display and a higher-resolution ultra-wide-angle lens.
The camera hardware remains largely unchanged, with incremental improvements in zoom algorithms and ultra-wide-angle photos.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra offers strong performance with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, but its AI features are not significantly more advanced than those on other devices.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Review: A Powerful, but Boring Phone

Key takeaways

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