Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review

30 January 2025


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  • S
  • Samsung s23 user
  • snT
  • 04 Feb 2025

Why the hate towards samsung all of the sudden? Yes they did minimal upgrades to the s25 series but people here bitching about not having brick in the box, some 200 usd phones shipping with case etc.

You are not paying for hardware only, yes you can buy 200 usd phone and use it same as Ultra, but, and i am not defending Samsung for repacking a s24u with better chip, camera and better glass, but you get 7 years of software support, newest chip, better thermals, better battery life and better image processing (fuccck the ai stuff).

Stop your bitching, not all of us change phones every year, so for me it is not a super big improvement but it is improvement, and i am going to use it for next 3 years while you will buy 4 200usd phones and they will get sluggish from facebook.

Samsung on other hand can improve battery tech and charging, so in that department they are cheap bastards.

    • ?
    • Anonymous
    • cSd
    • 04 Feb 2025

    Sorry, was trying to finish a comment where I described my experience in being about to move from a Samsung z fold to 25u when I hit the submit button by accident on my hinky tablet keyboard.

    The rest of my comment:

    I was describing how I like both the Samsung 24/25u and the Vivo x200 pro cameras and found comparisons showing shots that I preferred both on the 24u, and others on the Vivo from youtube comparisons.

    Since I ordered the 25u at a great discount with a switch to a new telecom provider offer, am thinking about supplementing it with the purchase of the x200 pro Vivo global version (for use as just a camera mainly) in the US so that I'll have a choice between them for different shots. Looks like the net cost of both phones given my discounts would put me at just under the full retail cost of the 25u if I hadn't gotten those discounts.

    The comparisons I've seen with both of these phone cameras with consumer version digital cams like the Sony 7 c and 6700 models are not that much different in a lot of cases. The Sonys have the advantage when you drill down into the minutia of true color, less AI manipulation, and such, but with landscape photography anyway, most people other than professional or dedicated high use amateur photographers won't notice much difference, IMO. There were even a few comparison shots in which I preferred the phone version to the digital cam's. It's pretty impressive how far the best phone cameras have evolved.

      • ?
      • Anonymous
      • cSd
      • 04 Feb 2025

      Hmm, quite a lot of hatred for Samsung here. I've got a contrary opinion as a user in the US.

      I have had the Samsung z fold/flip phone for a few years, and quite pleased with its camera capability overall. I mostly use it for outdoors landscape photos, and it's performed quite capably except for zooming in where it gets blurry because it has no special lens for zooming.

      So I have just ordered an s25U - it's a significant upgrade from the z fold in the camera department. I don't care as much regarding the fancy phone AI and app features, I will go light on those.

      My cost for the phone was $600 us for a 512 storage version. Switched telecom carriers to T-mobile with a 2 year commitment, and got $800 off with no trade in required. Plus about $350 in free merchandise to spend at Costco where I bought the phone and new service, with the switch, as part of the deal. So, actually, the phone cost me about $250, and I'm happy to switch to T-Mobile.

      Thinking of using the savings to buy a global version of the Vivo x200 pro to use mostly as a camera, especially for zoom shots. I have watched numerous videos comparing them. I agree the Vivo has a bit of an edge overall in the camera, especially the zoom. I don't see a significant difference in the main camera lens shots though. Some were better on the s24u (not many vids of the s25u comparison available quite yet), and others on the Vivo main cam lens.

      With a lot of landscapes, except for macro close ups,

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • Sbe
        • 04 Feb 2025

        Very poor photos compared to the Vivo x100 ultra and the Find X7 Ultra

          Anonymous, 04 Feb 2025Probably because as much as Samsung has been standing still... moreWhat do you mean ever since they got acquired? OPPO always owned Oneplus. It was initially just a brand they launched to target the international market. The early Onelus phones were carbon copies of OPPO phones in terms of design and they were manufactured by OPPO. Just the software has become more similar in recent years (or the same in China)

            • ?
            • Anonymous
            • B}K
            • 04 Feb 2025

            Samesung, 04 Feb 2025How could oneplus get lower rating than this junk? Also why... moreProbably because as much as Samsung has been standing still, OnePlus has been nose-diving ever since they got acquired and people actually start to notice that (despite it being obvious for years).

              Now eagerly waiting Lab tests for S25 and S25+ 👌🏻

                • S
                • Samesung
                • d%H
                • 04 Feb 2025

                How could oneplus get lower rating than this junk? Also why complain lacks a charger in the box for oneplus 13 but not samsung????

                  I got my S25 Ultra today, Feb 04, 2025. I ordered it from Samsung.Com and got the Jetblack color. The difference of this one from the Black is that the sides are also colored black. So far, i am loving the new UI compared to my old S23 Ultra. I can definitely feel the improvements since I skip a generation every time i replace my flagship phone. This will serve me well until the next upgrade with S27 Ultra. Haters gonna hate the S25 Ultra, but so far I am lovin' it. :)

                    So you purchase a 1300$ phone and all you get is a SIM ejection tool (some shop's give it for free) and a USB-C cable (not even 45W one). This makes me laugh. The cheap 100$ phones have more accessories in their box than this.

                      ulzzang, 03 Feb 2025OnePlus 13 also has a 1.5K screenthe oneplus has the same res as the s25 ultra, 1440p.... lmao what are you on about? Technically speaking the Oneplus has a slightly higher res screen so it should be better based on your argument.

                        Romeozero, 03 Feb 2025It's quite impressive for the battery life of 5000 mAh... moreI think I saw a youtube battery test where it did. I'm too lazy to look it up though.

                          • K
                          • Kiwi
                          • mGu
                          • 04 Feb 2025

                          Anonymous, 03 Feb 2025SPen DOWNGRADE Why why why Camera marginally better Ba... moreCamera is also the same but has an ever so slightly better output due to ISP and optimisation of One Ui 7

                            ulzzang, 03 Feb 2025OnePlus 13 also has a 1.5K screenNo, it has 1440p panel

                              jiyen235, 01 Feb 2025doesn't matter, the Oneplus 13 still demolishes it.OnePlus 13 also has a 1.5K screen

                                • ?
                                • Anonymous
                                • y26
                                • 03 Feb 2025

                                EricOuellet, 03 Feb 2025Why does GsmArena compare best phones camera with Vivo, Opp... moreHonor's cameras have been very underwhelming and only Dxo ranks them as highly as they do.

                                  • s
                                  • sdkk
                                  • nTd
                                  • 03 Feb 2025

                                  An interesting video with an interesting comparison:
                                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07FRuS67iD8
                                  To see the "notorious" battery optimizations, that they are nothing more than "aggressive power saving mode". Then why were there questions about how Samsung and iPhone with such small batteries are on par with Chinese phones with 6000 mAh batteries... Well, because some offer you everything now and at maximum speed, while others cut everything to the sanitary minimum...

                                    Why does GsmArena compare best phones camera with Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi but never with Honor? Does Honor has a less good camera system?
                                    I thought (a little bit based on DxoMark and here) Honor was better than Oppo?

                                      • ?
                                      • Anonymous
                                      • q3U
                                      • 03 Feb 2025

                                      Romeozero, 03 Feb 2025It's quite impressive for the battery life of 5000 mAh... moreiPhone runs on black magic

                                        yes I agree, I noticed this last year and ended all relations with Samsung. Clearly degrades, no upgrades, no inovations. I switched to VIVO (VIVO X Fold3 Pro), they have great cameras and also Funtouch15 UI is excellent and AI is great. I am happy that I switched from Samsung to the better VIVO.