The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra isn’t so ‘ultra’ anymore

Once you yell “Are you able to simply Google it?” at your AI assistant, it’s honest to say that the AI assistant shouldn’t be doing its job.

I used to be browning some beef on the range and attempting to find out when my husband’s flight was touchdown. I didn’t have the flight quantity, however there are solely so many direct flights between Detroit and Seattle in a day. So I long-pressed the facility button on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely and requested Google’s Gemini assistant to seek out the data for me. It stated it couldn’t. So I insisted — loudly — to simply Google it, plus or minus an expletive. It couldn’t even do that, so I went to Google myself and had the reply in seconds. AI, all people.

This wouldn’t matter besides AI smarts are purported to be the massive deal with this telephone. The Galaxy S25 Extremely is a barely warmed-over model of final 12 months’s system, with some evenly bumped specs and ever-so-slight design adjustments. That’s high quality! The S24 Extremely was an awesome piece of {hardware}, and the S23 Extremely was, too. Samsung didn’t have to reinvent the wheel. Nevertheless it means the corporate is counting on these “Galaxy AI” options — plus some assist from Gemini — to offer the S25 Extremely that new-phone zhuzh. And regardless of all its sparkle, Galaxy AI isn’t as much as the duty.

Greater than something, Samsung has misplaced the plot on what makes this “Extremely” telephone extremely. The Extremely used to — and form of nonetheless is — the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink telephone. It has the stylus, the massive display, all of the cameras, and nearly each different souped-up spec you could possibly consider. However over the previous few years, Samsung simply hasn’t discovered a option to make this telephone any extra particular. In truth, it’s gotten just a bit bit much less particular, if something.

The S24 Extremely downgraded the 10x zoom to a 5x, which is simply okay at 10x, regardless of Samsung’s claims it’s simply nearly as good. The S25 Extremely downgrades the sensible stylus right into a dumb one with out Bluetooth connectivity and air management options. I wouldn’t have an issue with that if these issues had been sacrificed for another compelling function. However I can’t see what’s been added, and at $1,299, this is likely one of the most costly telephones you should purchase that doesn’t fold in half. Don’t get me improper, it’s a rattling good telephone. However I feel at that value, it’s honest to ask for just a bit extra.

Samsung launched us to the idea of Galaxy AI final 12 months, which incorporates some proprietary options like writing instruments, be aware summarization, name translation, and wacky photograph modifying instruments. This 12 months, it locations a brand new assistant entrance and heart: Google’s Gemini. Bixby remains to be round in a supporting function, however Gemini is the default helper you’ll get whenever you long-press the wake button. With the S25 collection, Gemini can take motion throughout a number of apps for you together with in Gmail and Calendar and a bunch of Samsung’s native apps. This was the operate I used to be most excited to strive on the S25 Extremely, however it’s an Android function coming to many different telephones, too.

The outcomes have been combined. I requested it to place an occasion on my calendar primarily based on what was on my telephone display, and it did it. Date, time, location have been all right. It felt form of magical, which I understand is a really low bar for magic. Different outcomes have been much less spectacular. If I requested it to generate an inventory of 5 movies to observe on a specific subject and add them to a be aware, it solely added the headline textual content — even once I prompted it so as to add them as hyperlinks.

The opposite downside is, AI makes shit up so much. I requested it to discover a particular recipe for an espresso martini on YouTube and add the substances to a be aware. It appeared to comply with instructions by pulling up the video I referenced, and the substances appeared like they could be in an espresso martini. However they have been completely completely different from what was featured within the video. I attempted to ask it about particulars of a flight leaving from San Francisco, and although I had it reference my affirmation e mail, it saved insisting that my flight was leaving from San Jose. It makes you suppose twice about counting on AI for something however the lowest of low-stakes duties!

Samsung has additionally built-in AI options right here and there throughout the OS. A distinguished AI function known as Now Transient affords summaries of your actions all through the day and supposedly surfaces related info primarily based in your calendar and placement. It’s on the homescreen by default and pops up on the lockscreen when a brand new one is obtainable. I discover it to be principally ineffective. It saved displaying political information headlines that I don’t wish to be bombarded with in the course of the day, so I turned these off.

None of that is distinctive to the Galaxy S25 Extremely and even the S25 collection. These AI options — which occupied most of Samsung’s Unpacked presentation introducing these telephones — will very doubtless come to earlier Galaxy telephones later this 12 months. I like to see older telephones get new options. Nevertheless it additionally makes it very onerous to see what units the S25 Extremely other than the remainder of the S25 collection and even the opposite Android competitors. There’s additionally a powerful chance that Samsung will begin charging for these options on the finish of 2025; Samsung’s high quality print solely ensures that they’ll be free by means of the tip of 2025. Don’t be stunned in case your AI telephone abruptly comes with an AI subscription payment.

The S25 collection ships with One UI 7.0, a major replace to Samsung’s Android pores and skin. It’s additionally a very iOS-y replace, most notably with cut up fast settings and notification shades and a Dynamic Island-like Now Bar with time-sensitive info. I don’t suppose it’s a very unhealthy affect, and you’ll undo or tweak many of those adjustments. I respect the flexibility to place all my apps on one web page within the app tray so I don’t need to scroll between a number of pages, like on different Android telephones. There’s a time to do your individual factor and there’s a time to simply comply with the group.

Samsung took one other good cue from Apple with the S25 Extremely’s new form. The last few Extremely telephones had a boxy form that paid tribute to the Word collection. However these pointed corners have been sharp and made the telephone uncomfortable to carry. This 12 months, Samsung ditched what was left of the Word styling and adopted curved corners like the remainder of the S collection.

The Extremely additionally loses what was left of its curved edges in favor of straight sides that make it simpler to select up. They’re delicate adjustments, however they do make the S25 Extremely extra comfy to carry and use, on the expense of wanting like each different trendy smartphone from the entrance. I feel it’s a web optimistic. I’d reasonably have a cushty telephone than a unique-looking one which digs into my palm.

The Extremely makes use of an up to date Gorilla Armor 2 protecting layer on its display. It’s supposed to face up to drops onto concrete higher than the earlier model, which I didn’t take a look at in my time with the telephone. However I can say its scratch-resistance has held up effectively to per week of abuse, and the display’s antireflective coating makes it one of many best telephones to make use of in direct daylight. However that was additionally true of the S24 Extremely.

The S25 Extremely, just like the S25 and S25 Plus, makes use of a model of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset that’s specifically tuned for Galaxy telephones. I used the 8 Elite within the OnePlus 13 and couldn’t let you know any notable distinction in efficiency between the 2. On a regular basis duties ran easily on the 8 Elite. The telephone crashed and restarted itself in a single occasion, which was a bit of uncommon, however I haven’t seen the rest like that within the week I’ve been utilizing it.

Battery life is about par for a flagship smartphone in 2025. I normally acquired by means of a mean day with 60 p.c or so left over. Good, however not wonderful. The S25 collection is Qi2 Prepared, which implies it helps the newest wi-fi charging normal however solely with a particular magnetic case — it doesn’t have magnets constructed into the telephone. It’s a good compromise since most individuals will put their telephone in a case and by no means take it off, however it’s a bummer for the case-averse like me.

The S25 Extremely nonetheless has an S Pen, however Samsung eliminated Bluetooth options that allowed you to make use of the stylus like a magic wand. Samsung says few folks used these options, and on steadiness, it’s no nice loss. Nevertheless it’s the precept greater than something that stings.

The cameras on the S25 Extremely are unchanged with one exception: a brand new 50-megapixel ultrawide. Samsung’s declare that it performs higher in low mild appears to carry up — I can see extra high quality element in pictures from the brand new digital camera in comparison with the ultrawide on the S24 Extremely. Likewise, the brand new ultrawide — in all probability helped by a wider f/1.9 aperture — permits the system to make use of decrease ISOs to get the identical stage of brightness in a shot, which helps preserve noise down, too. It’s undoubtedly an improve; is it one which Extremely homeowners have been clamoring for? I’m much less certain about that.

Samsung’s different notable declare is that its low-light video processing has been improved to higher distinguish between transferring and static topics, in idea permitting for smarter software of noise discount. I can’t say that is something I’ve had a specific criticism about on previous Galaxy telephones, however low-light video remains to be a problem for any cell digital camera.

And it seems to be working: in side-by-side video clips with the S24 Extremely, I can clearly see extra high quality element from the S25 Extremely, notably in dim indoor lighting. It isn’t a paradigm shift, however progress is progress. In any other case, the S25 Extremely’s pictures look very very like what I’ve come to count on from Samsung. This digital camera loves its vibrant reds and blues, and portrait mode segmentation remains to be a few of the finest within the recreation.

The Galaxy S25 Extremely stays the most effective telephones you should purchase. The display is superb, the cameras are a few of the finest within the recreation, and also you’ll have a tough time discovering any workload robust sufficient to problem it. That’s all been true of the previous few Extremely telephones, and it’s true of this one. However I feel there’s one thing intangible that the Extremely has been dropping over the previous couple of generations.

You should purchase the Galaxy S25 Plus or the Pixel 9 Professional should you simply need a good Android telephone. The rationale to purchase a Galaxy S-series Extremely is since you don’t need one thing that’s simply good; you need one thing that’s particular. This telephone feels rather less particular than the S24 Extremely did, which felt rather less particular than the S23 Extremely. Complaining concerning the “specialness” of a telephone could be foolish for some other telephone. However that is the Extremely! Doesn’t that imply one thing?

It used to return with a 10x telephoto digital camera and a stylus that labored like a magic wand. It used to look strikingly completely different from the remainder of the S collection, or some other telephone, for that matter. A few of these adjustments have been for the higher, however Samsung hasn’t made up for what it’s chopping. For now, the S25 Extremely nonetheless seems like one thing particular. But when the development continues, then the Extremely may turn out to be simply one other massive telephone.

Images by Allison Johnson / The Verge