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Galaxy S25 Ultra
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Clara’s Verdict
Very GoodGorgeous screen, incredible camera, and smooth performance make this the best Android experience, but the $1,050 price tag is a tough pill to swallow.
Best for: Android lovers who want the absolute best, Photography enthusiasts, People who keep phones for 3+ years, Anyone who spends all day on their phone
Skip if: Budget-conscious families, People happy with last year's model, Anyone who upgrades every year
Ethan’s Verdict
Very GoodA genuinely capable flagship that executes well across the board, but charges flagship prices for what amounts to a refined S24 Ultra with inconsistent AI features.
Best for: Android power users who need the absolute best performance, Professional photographers and videographers, S Pen workflow enthusiasts
Skip if: Budget-conscious buyers, Anyone satisfied with S24 Ultra, Users skeptical of AI gimmicks
Clara’s Pros & Cons
- +Absolutely stunning screen that's bright and beautiful outdoors
- +Camera system is incredibly versatile with excellent low-light performance
- +Smooth, fast performance that handles everything you throw at it
- +Lighter and more comfortable to hold than previous Ultra models
- −The $1,050 price is hard to justify for most families
- −AI features are hit-or-miss and often disappoint
- −Battery life is good but not exceptional for the price
- −S Pen has fewer features than previous generations
Ethan’s Pros & Cons
- +2,600-nit peak brightness with anti-reflective coating sets the display standard
- +Snapdragon 8 Elite delivers measurable performance lead over competitors
- +Improved ultrawide camera excels in low-light photography
- +Excellent durability: passes drop and water resistance tests
- −45W charging speed hasn't improved since S24 Ultra
- −AI features are unreliable and often fail to work as intended
- −Aggressive color processing leads to oversaturation
- −S Pen functionality actually regressed from previous generation
Score Breakdown
Performance9.010% wt
Display9.010% wt
Camera8.525% wt
Battery Life7.515% wt
Design & Build8.520% wt
Software & Features7.05% wt
Value5.515% wt
Score Breakdown
Performance8.520% wt
Display8.815% wt
Camera8.215% wt
Battery Life7.815% wt
Design & Build8.110% wt
Software & Features7.515% wt
Value5.210% wt
Clara’s Full Review
The Best Android Phone You Might Not Need to Buy
Honestly, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is incredible. If you're looking for the absolute best Android phone money can buy right now, this is it. The screen is genuinely one of the best displays on any phone, with bright colors and excellent outdoor visibility. Apps feel snappy, scrolling is smooth, and everything just works beautifully.
What's great is the camera system. The upgraded 50MP ultrawide is a real improvement over previous models, especially in low light. The 200MP main camera captures vibrant, detailed photos that look gorgeous. Whether you're snapping pics at the park, during school pickup, or catching your kids' sports moments, the cameras deliver. Portrait mode is excellent, and the versatility of having multiple telephoto options means you can get creative with different shots.
The design feels premium too. It's lighter than the S24 Ultra, and the rounded corners make it genuinely more comfortable to hold. It passed durability tests with flying colors, so you know it can handle real-life bumps and drops.
Here's the thing though: the price is steep. At $1,050, you're paying flagship prices for incremental improvements. The regular S25 and S25 Plus offer very similar features for hundreds less. Reviewers keep coming back to this point, and honestly, it matters when you're thinking about your family budget.
The AI features are also disappointing. Samsung promises a lot with Galaxy AI, but reviewers found the features inconsistent and often not delivering as advertised. Battery life is solid but not exceptional for this price point, and the S Pen has actually lost some functionality compared to previous generations, which is frustrating.
If you're someone who upgrades every year or loves having the absolute best, this is your phone. If you're looking for great value or already have a decent Android phone, the S25 or S25 Plus will make you just as happy for way less money.
Ethan’s Full Review
Samsung's Incremental Flagship: Good Execution, Questionable Value
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is a genuinely competent flagship phone that executes well on the fundamentals. The Snapdragon 8 Elite processor delivers measurable performance gains with Geekbench multi-core scores around 9,700 and PCMark Work 3.0 results that outpace the Pixel 9 Pro XL and OnePlus 13. The display is legitimately excellent, hitting 2,600 nits with an anti-reflective coating that makes outdoor visibility a non-issue. The camera system produces detailed, vibrant images across multiple sensors.
But here's where the business case falls apart: this is a refined S24 Ultra, not a generational leap. The rounded corners improve ergonomics. The ultrawide camera performs better in low light. The display is brighter. These are meaningful but incremental improvements that don't justify a $1,049 starting price when the S25 Plus costs $350 less and delivers 90% of the functionality.
The thermal story is worth noting. During sustained gaming, the phone gets noticeably warm near the camera module, though it remains comfortable to hold. Performance doesn't degrade visibly, but this indicates the engineering is being pushed harder than it should be at this tier.
The real disappointment is software. Samsung's AI features are inconsistent and frequently fail to deliver. Generative AI produces unreliable results. Portrait mode sometimes oversaturates colors. The front camera struggles with fine detail in portrait shots. And most egregiously, S Pen functionality has actually regressed compared to the S24 Ultra, which is unacceptable when you're charging $1,049 for an Ultra model.
Battery life data is all over the map depending on test conditions. Consumer Reports achieved 48 hours in their standard test, but PCMag measured 14 hours 15 minutes under full-brightness video streaming. Real-world mileage varies significantly. The 45W charging speed hasn't budged since the S24 Ultra, which is slower than OnePlus and uncompetitive at this price point.
Looking at the data, the S25 Ultra is the kind of phone that makes sense if you're already in the Samsung ecosystem and need the absolute best Android performance. For everyone else, the Pixel 9 Pro XL offers competitive performance at $150 less, or the iPhone 16 Pro Max delivers superior battery life at the same price. Samsung is asking you to pay premium prices for what amounts to a competent refinement of last year's flagship, with some features actually going backward. That's a tough sell.
Specifications
| camera | Quad 200MP + 12MP + 10MP + 10MP |
| battery | 5000mAh |
| display | 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED |
| processor | Exynos 2200/Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
Overall Rating
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Alternatives Worth Considering
Review History
Initial review from real source data
Initial review from real source data
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