The AI hype is becoming real for me after 72 hours with the Galaxy S25 Ultra

Samsung Big Bad Galaxy phone is here, and it’s everything I expected. The Galaxy S25 Ultra () – which starts at the exact same bold price of last year, $1.299. It remains the company’s all-in-one handset. It has a more durable screen, an upgraded camera with some handy editing techniques, and the latest Qualcomm chip to keep things running. AI is everywhere and everything at the same time.

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Last year, Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Series ushered in the Galaxy AI era. This year, Samsung has cemented itself as the leader of the industry, surpassing Apple and Google (for the time being) in terms of features and capabilities. How much you invest in AI will determine how impressive that honor is.

After three days of testing the S25 Ultra, I was not surprised to find that I was both fascinated and bored. This is Samsung’s fifth version of the S-series Ultra, and the changes from year to year have been modest. If you have a handset that is three to four years old and are considering upgrading, this first-hand testimony — I wouldn’t call it a review yet — will be of great help to you. If you’re a fan, it will matter to you just as much.

This year’s Galaxy S Ultra is a two-handed, big-phone affair. The S25 Ultra felt like a fancy calculator when I first opened the box. The S25 Ultra was a more bold and striking device compared to the OnePlus 13 that I reviewed recently, which on paper is similar in size.

Fortunately, the device is not as top-heavy as I remember previous models being, even though Samsung encased the four rear cameras with thicker rings this time around. In fact, the S25 Ultra is lighter than its predecessor by 16 grams, earning it the title of the thinnest Galaxy S Ultra ever. You’ll likely hear more about the “thinnification” of phones later this year.

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The other notable design upgrade with the S25 Ultra is the Corning Gorilla Armor 2 layered over the front display. It doesn’t take away from the anti-reflection surface treatment that made headlines on last year’s S24 Ultra, yet promises improved drop protection and scratch resistance. I believe it. My S24 Ultra last year had numerous micro scratches after just days of testing, while my S25 Ultra review unit has remained pristine so far.

Now if only Samsung could bring back the glory days of Aura Glow is a psychedelic finish. S25 Ultra colors are uninspiring. It could be the titanium finishes, or the harsh reality of consumers choosing safe colours with black, silver, and white hues over poppy and bright. You’ll need a case to give your S25 ultra a little personality.

The new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Pro chip is the same one that powers competing Android smartphones like the OnePlus 13 or Honor Magic 7 Pro. The chipset’s most notable benefit is the AI experience — specifically, a 40 percent increase in NPU performance over last year’s Snapdragon Gen 3.

We also tested the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. The winner was not as obvious.

In plain English, AI features on devices should use less bandwidth and power and function quickly. I was able to see the results first-hand, whether it was a placebo effect or not. My S25 Ultra is able to quickly remove subjects from photos (alongside their shadows) via Generative Edit, and pull up Gemini results in seconds.

The enhanced Gemini app can be credited with the improved performance. It can now be launched by pressing the power button for a long time. This change is a breath fresher for Samsung phones, which previously were limited to Bixby or Google Assistant if you did some sketchy backend modifications. It makes the transition from any Android phone that uses Gemini for its default assistant much easier.

The new Gemini/Bixby hybrid AI agents, as Samsung confusely calls them, can handle natural-sounding conversational chains of action, such as looking up upcoming schedules of your favorite sports teams and adding the dates to your calendar. The agent-like functionality is primarily available in Google and Samsung apps. However, third-party services such as Spotify are also supported.

I may also finally ditch my Google Pixel in 2025 for a Samsung Galaxy. Here’s why knowing how to phrase commands is important. When I asked the AI agent to createSpotify playlists for road trips and sent them to my wife, she responded that it couldn’t do it. It curated a list of songs and created a text message that I could edit when I asked it to createa Spotify playlist for road trips. Ladies and gentlemen: AI.

Considering last year’s S24 series introduced Google’s Circle to Search feature, and this year’s S25 series is doing the same for the enhanced Gemini-Bixby experience, it wouldn’t be farfetched to say that Samsung, not Google, makes the best AI phone on the market right now.

Some other new Galaxy AI tools like AI Select and Now Brief only reinforce that statement, with the former being an adaptive, context-aware screen selection tool, and the latter giving you daily summaries of the weather, calendar events, and news.

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I just wish Now Brief showed me more than just political news; even with my topic preferences within my Samsung News app set to technology and sports, the app still wakes me up with an “Uplifting Morning Prep” Spotify playlist and the latest scoop on the US president signing executive orders.

One of the key reasons to buy a Galaxy Ultra phone continues to be the camera, though Samsung hasn’t improved the specifications much this year — at least on paper. The only hardware change is the 50-megapixel ultrawide lens (up from 12MP), which, from my initial shots, yields greater detail and vividness, especially when capturing macro photos. The rest of the lenses, such as the 200MP wide, 50MP 5x telephoto, and 10MP 3x telephoto, are identical to last year’s S24 Ultra.

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There’s a bigger focus on the software side of things, with Samsung introducing helpful photo and video features like 10-bit HDR video recording by default to capture a wider dynamic range, a new Audio Eraser feature that lets you adjust the volumes of various frequencies (classified as audio subjects like voices, wind, and noises), and the ability to record in Galaxy Log mode.

The latter feature allows you to better spot overexposed areas and adjust the dynamic range as you’re recording videos, while also applying LUTs in post for better color and light control. I’ll be testing the shooting mode more in the coming days.

ZDNET’s buying advice (for now)

My first several day of testing theSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra () confirms a few things for me. The phone’s most notable features are its glare-free, vibrant display, and the versatility of its cameras and AI features. However, the upgrades made this year seem iterative and safe.

Samsung has taken a step back in some ways. The S Pen stylus is no longer compatible with Bluetooth controls and gestures and the company has opted for. Instead of embedding technology into its phones, it uses Qi2-ready case .

Early adopters and tech enthusiasts may feel underwhelmed with the S25 Ultra. When I think about consumers who have an S21 series phone, Pixel 6 or 7 or even an older iPhone model, Samsung’s latest flagship handset checks off almost all the boxes. You may even be able to score a generous deal on your trade-in through your local retailer or carrier.