The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra boasts a powerful combination of hardware and software, featuring a refined design, Google AI integration, and a capable chatbot assistant. While hardware remains largely unchanged from its predecessor, software improvements and AI features elevate the S25 Ultra to become the best Android phone currently available.
Every year, the Ultra variant of Samsung ’s Galaxy S line is expressly designed to be the biggest, most powerful and most expensive device the company can muster. But this year, so much of what makes it remarkable isn’t in the display, the cameras or even the chip. The S25 Ultra has all the usual hyper-premium hardware, but elevating it is Samsung ’s most recent take on software, which is a smart and useful blend of overhauled design and Google AI integration.
With a relatively capable chatbot assistant, the ability to record and transcribe phone calls, natural language understanding that lets you sort through photos or set reminders without having to jump through hoops, and the ability to ask the phone about things you’re seeing on the screen, the S25 feels like a useful AI phone rather than one that can create bogus images and make your emails sound more professional. If you were hoping for some big new revolutionary AI feature that’s exclusive to this phone, you’ll be disappointed; the best tricks are also going to appear on other devices. But the combination of Samsung’s hardware, refined software and fresh AI gives the S25 Ultra a credible claim to being the ultimate Android available right now.Looking at the specs, the S25 Ultra is a very similar device to the S24 Ultra from last year. The screen is the tiniest bit bigger but otherwise the same, the cameras are the same except for some tweaks on the ultra-wide lens, there’s a new version of the Snapdragon 8 chip at the heart of it all, and it’s still backed by a huge 5000 mAh battery. But in this case, more of the same isn’t surprising or disappointing. The 2024 Ultra was already phenomenal for hardware, and there just isn’t that much room for growth within a year. The huge display is one of the best on a smartphone, the brilliant multi-day battery life is improved here thanks to a more efficient processor, and the overall performance is absolutely top-notch.Plus there’s the fact that the phone feels substantially refreshed because of a new rounded design; it looks much more like the standard S models now than like the old Note phones, and it’s comfier to hold as a result.Sure, Samsung could have gone further. The included S-Pen stylus feels great but no longer has Bluetooth support, meaning it can’t be used as a remote shutter. The phone technically supports Qi 2 charging, but it doesn’t have any magnets in the back. There’s no justification for someone who bought an Ultra in the past few years to upgrade to this one, but that doesn’t change the fact that this is slightly better, and thus the best Samsung on the market. The familiar camera set-up of a huge primary sensor and two zoom lenses, plus an ultra-wide that doubles as a macro, gives your mobile photography an impressive range. A 10x zoom shot is very sharp here, and though you’ll start seeing some AI upscaling artefacts by the time you’re at 20x or 30x, the phone will technically go to 100x. You can’t expect too much at that length in terms of legibility (the photos being a cleaned-up crop of a 50MP 5x exposure), but some outdoor shots can be surprisingly clean. Meanwhile, the bright 120Hz screen paired with the overpowered chip makes for very smooth navigating and browsing, made all the better by the understated and less-cluttered approach to software Samsung has taken in OneUI 7. Overall, it finally feels like Samsung and Google are on the same page about how phones should work, and that follows through to the S25’s approach to AI.I was not overly impressed with the debut of Galaxy AI last year. Focused mainly on re-writing text and generating images, many of the features felt like complex and inaccurate answers to questions I was not asking. There’s still an element of that with the S25 — you can turn sketches into frankly unusable AI illustrations, or make videos sound eerie and robotic by removing noises — but there are also features I’ll actually get used to using. Google’s Gemini has come a long way in the past year, and here it makes for a competent main assistant (you can bring back Bixby instead, if you choose). Hold the side button and ask your query out loud, or you can type it, and Gemini gets to work. There’s also the option to set Gemini to “live” mode, which will keep it open so you can have a two-way conversation. The chatbot will access various apps and services to accomplish a task; for example if you say “set an alarm for two hours before the party tonight”, or “when is PAX Melbourne this year? Add it to my calendar”, it will work out what you want. Gemini’s ability to access your Google apps, Samsung apps, some third-party service’s and the web makes it a powerful assistant, though to be honest, it still isn’t reliable or consistent enough that you can fully trust it. Sometimes, it goes flawlessly but other times, it misses information you’d think would be obviou
SAMSUNG Galaxy S25 Ultra Android AI Phone Review Software Hardware Design Camera Battery Life Performance
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Review: The Ultimate Android?The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is a powerful and feature-rich smartphone that focuses on AI integration and refined software. While its hardware is largely similar to its predecessor, the S25 Ultra boasts notable improvements in software, making it a compelling choice for Android users. The integration of Google's Gemini AI brings useful features like chatbot assistance, natural language understanding, and enhanced productivity. The review explores the strengths and limitations of the S25 Ultra, highlighting its impressive camera system, vibrant display, and long-lasting battery life.
Read more »
Samsung Galaxy S25 Series: A Leap Forward in AI and DesignThe Samsung Galaxy S25 series, powered by a new Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip, pushes the boundaries of mobile AI with features like human-like AI agents, advanced AI select, and AI-powered call recording and audio editing. The series also boasts a slimmer design and rounded corners, particularly on the S25 Ultra.
Read more »
Samsung Unveils Galaxy S25 Series with Google Gemini AISamsung has launched the Galaxy S25 series, featuring a significant shift to Google Gemini as the default AI assistant, replacing Bixby as an optional choice. The new phones boast refined design elements, a powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, and long-term software support. Notable upgrades include enhanced AI capabilities showcased through collaborations with Google, a streamlined OneUI 7 interface, and a range of new accessories, including a unique Crocs collaboration.
Read more »
Samsung Unveils Galaxy S25 Series with Google Gemini AI IntegrationSamsung has launched the Galaxy S25 series, featuring a shift to Google Gemini as the default AI assistant, replacing Bixby. The new phones boast minor design tweaks, including thicker camera rings, and are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. The S25 Ultra introduces rounded corners and a simplified stylus. The phones run on OneUI 7, which offers a cleaner interface and iPhone-inspired features like a Now Bar and call recorder. Pre-orders are open, with availability on February 6th.
Read more »
Samsung taps Google AI for new S25 phonesGemini is the new default chatbot on the Galaxy S25 phones, which otherwise are near-identical to last year.
Read more »
Why Samsung’s latest Ultra can claim to be the best android available right nowPhones aren’t the competent AI assistants of sci-fi just yet, but Samsung’s blend of high-end hardware and Google smarts indicates the way forward.
Read more »