Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Becomes Official With Mostly Only Software Upgrades

Samsung has officially launched the Galaxy S25 Ultra, offering refined design, powerful hardware, and advanced AI capabilities. However, while the phone introduces several refinements, many of its upgrades feel incremental rather than groundbreaking, just like its more affordable brethren, the Galaxy S25 and S25+.

Design and Display

The Galaxy S25 Ultra debuts with a sleeker and more ergonomic design. Samsung has rounded off the sharp corners, making the phone more comfortable to hold despite its large size. It is thinner (8.2mm) and lighter (218g) than its predecessor, the S24 Ultra, which measured 8.6mm and weighed 233g.

The titanium frame adds durability, while the new Corning Gorilla Armor 2 offers enhanced protection against impacts and glare, along with anti-reflective properties. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra comes in 7 color options Titanium Silver Blue, Titanium Black, Titanium White Silver, Titanium Gray, Titanium Jade Green, Titanium Jet Black, and Titanium Pink Gold.

It features a 6.9-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate, Vision Booster, and Adaptive Color Tone. While these are premium features, they are identical to those found on the S24 Ultra, leaving little to differentiate this year’s model in terms of visual experience.

Internals and Hardware

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, coupled with 12 GB of RAM, delivering 37% faster CPU performance, 30% improved GPU capabilities, and a 40% faster NPU compared to the previous generation. These enhancements ensure smooth multitasking, gaming, and AI processing. Samsung has also introduced a 40% larger vapor chamber, providing improved cooling during intensive tasks, such as gaming.

AI Upgrades

The 40% faster NPU enables new AI features, allowing users to summon Gemini by pressing the side button. Circle to Search can identify phone numbers, emails, and URLs for quick actions. The device uses multimodal AI agents for natural interactions across text, speech, images, and video. For example, asking Gemini to find a specific photo in the Gallery yields quick results. Search also offers context-aware suggestions, like sharing a GIF or saving an event.

The AI suite also includes call transcription and summaries, along with a writing assist tool to summarize and format notes. Additionally, on-device generative editing lets users modify content without relying on external servers, keeping everything private and fast.  Samsung introduced the Personal Data Engine, which securely processes user data on the device and safeguards it within Knox Vault. For future-proofing, post-quantum cryptography protects against threats that may emerge with the development of quantum computing.

One UI 7

The Now Brief feature delivers a curated summary of your day, providing proactive updates on stocks, weather, events, and travel details—all accessible directly from the lock screen. The One UI 7, based on Android 15, debuts with the S25 Ultra and introduces these advanced AI features.

Samsung also commits to seven years of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates, ensuring the S25 Ultra remains relevant and secure for years to come.

Camera

The camera system introduces a 50MP f/1.9 ultrawide sensor, joining the 200MP f/1.7 main camera, 50MP f/3.4 5x telephoto, and 10MP f/2.4 3x telephoto. While the ultrawide addition enhances versatility, the other camera specs remain identical to the S24 Ultra, and the 12MP selfie camera is unchanged.

Samsung’s AI ProVisual Engine improves shooting, viewing, and editing. The device now shoots 10-bit HDR videos by default, delivering richer visuals, and includes a new Galaxy Log mode for professional-grade color grading.

The Expert RAW app adds a Virtual Aperture mode, allowing users to control the depth of field, while Portrait Studio lets users create personal AI-generated avatars. These features cater to content creators, but they are software-based, relying on AI rather than hardware upgrades, which may disappoint users seeking substantial camera improvements.

Battery and Pricing

The Galaxy S25 Ultra retains the 5,000 mAh battery from its predecessor, offering 45W wired charging (65% in 30 minutes) and 15W wireless charging. However, the lack of Qi2 support is a missed opportunity, and the charging speeds remain unchanged from last year’s model.

Pricing starts at $1,299.99 for the base 256GB/12 GB RAM model, with the 512 GB and 1 TB configurations costing more. Samsung’s pre-order bonuses, including a free storage upgrade to 512 GB and six months of Gemini Advanced, add value, but is unclear if they will be available in Pakistan as well.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Specifications