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Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has all the specs, features and future-proofing one would expect when spending more than R25 000 on a smartphone.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is an artificial intelligence (AI) marvel and a leader in innovative technology that is edging out the competition.
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S25 in January, setting a new standard as a true AI companion.
While there are three smartphones to choose from, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is the pinnacle of the Samsung experience, which arguably makes it the favourite among Android users.
Innovation
TM Roh, president and head of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics, said at the launch: “The greatest innovations are a reflection of their users.
“This is why we evolved Galaxy AI to help everyone interact with their devices more naturally and effortlessly while trusting that their privacy is secured.
“The Galaxy S25 series opens the door to an AI-integrated OS that fundamentally shifts how we use technology and how we live our lives,” Roh said.
This could not be more true as several mobile phone brands have integrated AI technology into their devices.
Features
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is Samsung’s top-tier flagship device, with all of the specs, features and future-proofing one might need when spending more than R25 000 on a smartphone.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra’s screen is truly the best I’ve seen on any phone and this is the reason to get the Ultra over its S25 siblings.
The cameras are also a step above what the S25 and S25 Plus have and its video features, like the ability to record in long format, gets the Ultra as close as it’s ever been to the Apple iPhone in terms of professional video capture.
The Ultra is the only S25 model with a titanium frame and the new Corning Gorilla Armor 2 as its cover glass.
Display
Samsung said this panel resists fractures 29% better than the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s first-generation Gorilla Armor. The front glass is also anti-reflective and rejects glare.
Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is seriously impressive, ranking among the fastest devices available.
Cameras
Samsung didn’t change the camera design on the rear, which includes four round lenses and a laser focusing module.
At a glance, the Galaxy S25 Ultra camera array looks unchanged from the S24 Ultra, but Samsung has given it a visual upgrade. All the lenses now appear to almost float above the chassis.
The big camera array is equally impressive, featuring a 200MP main sensor, 50MP ultrawide, 50MP telephoto and 10MP periscope lens.
Photos are detailed and vibrant, though digital zoom degradation becomes noticeable, rendering it less useful for distant shots.
It also has a 12MP front-facing or selfie camera.
In real-world use, the S25 Ultra delivers beautiful images. Colours are vibrant and consistent across all the cameras, with excellent detail visible even in challenging scenarios. Images are slightly brightened in a pleasing way.
AI
Coming onto AI, I love that you can replace Bixby with Google’s Gemini AI as the default assistant. This offers conversational capabilities with Gemini Live for real-time spoken responses.
The Galaxy S25 has a number of AI features, including AI Select, Audio Eraser, Natural Language Search, ProVisual Engine, Generative Edit & Sketch to Image, Writing Assist, Call Transcription, Cooking Master and Circle to Search among others.
One AI feature that piqued my interest was the Audio Erase feature when recording in noisy environments.
This allows you to erase background noise when recording an interview, which is particularly important in my case. As a journalist, I sometimes have to record in noisy environments, which may make the video inaudible and difficult to transcribe.
The Galaxy S25 audio eraser analyses and separates the sound specific to the video so that you can reduce the levels of unwanted noise.
Multimodal Search
Another feature that will no doubt be handy is Multimodal Search. This will be a hit when you stare at your fridge and the contents stare back at you with you grappling what to prepare for lunch, dinner or perhaps even a snack.
I can take a picture of my refrigerator when it’s open and it will suggest to me, based on the ingredients in the refrigerator, what I can make, how long it’s going to take and so forth. Bon appétit!
Battery
The S25 Ultra has a 5 000mAh battery capable of charging at 45W via cable or 15W wirelessly, just like the S24 Ultra.
Reverse wireless charging is available at a pokey 4.5W. Samsung doesn’t include a charger in the box, so you have to provide your own. I would have preferred a fast-charging brick in the box so I don’t have to wait for my Galaxy S25 to charge before heading out for a breaking story.
Verdict
I was disappointed that the S Pen no longer has Bluetooth and that the newly added Qi2 charging support means you have to buy a compatible case because there are magnets.
Despite this, the Galaxy S25 Ultra takes AI on phones to the next level with the ability to perform actions across multiple apps at once.
It delivers a superior camera experience, crisp HDR video, fantastic Snapdragon 8 Elite performance, and a super-long battery life.
| Pros | Cons |
| Impressive AI upgrades | No Qi2 magnets built in |
| Bigger and brighter display | S Pen loses Bluetooth |
| Superb cameras | |
| Very long battery life |
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is available now across the country, with pricing reflecting its premium flagship specs.
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