Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Review: A Tech Reviewer's Perspective from the Apple Ecosystem

As a tech reviewer whose daily workflow revolves around Apple’s ecosystem—from iPhone 16 Pro Max to MacBook Air 15in and AirPods—the Galaxy S25 Ultra presents an intriguing paradox. Samsung’s latest flagship leans heavily into AI-driven software innovations, but hardware upgrades feel incremental compared to the S24 Ultra. Here’s a detailed breakdown of where it shines and where Apple loyalists might find friction.

Design & Ergonomics: Familiar Premium, Subtle Tweaks

The S25 Ultra retains Samsung’s titanium frame (now Grade 2 titanium, matching Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro), but with a softer, curved edge design that feels closer to the iPhone’s rounded aesthetics. At 218g, it’s lighter than the S24 Ultra (233g) and slightly thinner (8.1mm vs. 8.6mm), making one-handed use marginally better. However, the bulkier camera array still creates an uneven weight distribution, a stark contrast to the iPhone’s symmetrical balance.Notably missing are Qi2 magnets—a puzzling omission given Apple’s MagSafe dominance. Third-party cases with MagSafe compatibility exist, but this feels like a missed opportunity for cross-ecosystem synergy. The IP68 rating and Gorilla Glass Armor 2 are reliable, but Apple’s Ceramic Shield still feels more scratch-resistant in daily use.

Display

The 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED display on the S25 Ultra is slightly larger than last year's model, offering a crisp 3120 x 1440 resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate. The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass Armor 2, which is an upgrade, but I find myself missing the ProMotion technology of the iPhone, which dynamically adjusts the refresh rate for better battery efficiency.

Performance: Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy – Raw Power Meets AI

The custom Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip is Qualcomm’s answer to Apple’s A18 Pro, and the specs are staggering:

• CPU: 37% faster than Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (S24 Ultra)
• GPU: 30% faster, with hardware-accelerated ray tracing
• NPU: 40% faster, optimized for Samsung’s Galaxy AI

In benchmarks, the S25 Ultra outperforms the iPhone 15 Pro in multi-core tasks (Geekbench 6: 7,200 vs. 6,800) but lags in single-core performance (2,100 vs. 2,500). Real-world differences are minimal for everyday tasks—both phones handle apps effortlessly. However, sustained gaming exposes thermal throttling on the S25 Ultra, a rare issue on Apple’s vapor-chamber-cooled iPhones.Where the Snapdragon 8 Elite shines is AI workloads:

• Stable Diffusion image generation: 15 seconds vs. 22 seconds on iPhone 15 Pro
• Live translation latency: 0.8 seconds vs. 1.2 seconds (Apple’s on-device ML)

Yet, Apple’s unified memory architecture (shared between CPU/GPU/NPU) still delivers smoother multitasking, especially when juggling AI tasks like photo editing and live transcription.

Galaxy AI: Software Innovation Outpaces Hardware

Samsung’s bet on “AI-first” features is bold, but hardware stagnation (same 200MP main sensor, similar battery capacity) means software carries the weight. Key AI upgrades:

Now Bar and Now Brief: A Step Towards Personalized Information Delivery

Samsung's headlining software feature, the Now Brief on the Galaxy S25 Ultra aims to deliver personalized, context-aware information directly to the user's lock screen. Here's a summary:

Functionality and User Experience

• Static Information: Now Brief provides a daily briefing with static information, including calendar events, weather updates, news headlines, and reminders from connected smart home devices. This static nature means the information doesn't update in real-time, offering a snapshot of what's important at the time of viewing.
• Customization: Users can customize what information appears in their Now Brief, allowing for a tailored experience. This includes selecting preferred news sources, setting up weather alerts, or prioritizing certain calendar events.
• Contextual Awareness: Leveraging the Snapdragon 8 Elite's NPU, Now Brief understands user context, adapting its suggestions based on the time of day or location. However, this contextual awareness is limited to the information available at the time of the briefing.
• Voice Interaction: Users can interact with Now Brief using voice commands, asking for more details on any displayed information or setting up new events directly from the lock screen. However, the lack of real-time updates means voice commands might not always reflect the most current data.

Limitations and Room for Improvement

• Static Nature: The static nature of Now Brief means it doesn't provide real-time updates like Apple's Live Activities. For instance, if you have an ongoing event or a live sports score, Now Brief won't reflect changes as they happen.
• Limited Information: Without a Samsung wearable, Now Brief's utility is somewhat limited. It can't provide real-time health data, fitness tracking, or other dynamic information that wearables offer. This means users without Samsung wearables miss out on a significant portion of the feature's potential.
• Ecosystem Dependency: Now Brief's effectiveness is tied to the user's engagement with Samsung's ecosystem. For those deeply invested in Google services, it works well, but for users with a mix of services, the experience might feel fragmented.
• Privacy Concerns: Given the personalized nature of the information, privacy and data security are paramount. Samsung has implemented robust security measures, but the feature's reliance on user data might raise concerns for some.

Samsung One UI 7's Now Bar

Samsung's One UI 7 introduces the Now Bar, a pill-shaped widget at the bottom of the lock screen that provides glanceable information about ongoing activities. Here's a summary:

• Functionality: The Now Bar supports live notifications for Samsung apps like Clock, Google Maps, and Samsung Health, allowing users to interact with these notifications directly from the lock screen.
• Customization: Users can customize what information appears and expand the Now Bar for more detailed controls, enhancing the user experience.
• AI Integration: It leverages machine learning to offer personalized suggestions and reminders based on user behavior.
• Third-Party App Support: While initially limited, there's potential for broader app integration, with Google Maps already supported.
• Limitations and Future Prospects: The Now Bar's functionality was temporarily downgraded during the beta, but Samsung plans to restore and improve it. Its effectiveness depends on ecosystem engagement.
• Comparison with Competitors: While similar to Apple's Dynamic Island, the Now Bar focuses on live notifications and AI-driven personalization, with room for growth in third-party app support.

The Now Bar in One UI 7 is a promising feature that enhances lock screen interaction with live notifications and AI-driven personalization, though it has room for further development.

Cross App Action

Voice commands like “Find a vegan ramen recipe, save it to Google Keep, and share with Chris on WhatsApp” work impressively—akin to Siri Shortcuts but more context-aware. However, it struggles with multi-step requests involving non-Google apps, whereas Apple’s tighter app integration (e.g., Messages + Maps + Calendar) feels more polished.

Gemini-Powered Search

Deep Google Gemini integration allows context-aware searches. For example, circling a landmark in a photo pulls up Wikipedia entries and nearby restaurants. It’s faster than Siri’s visual lookup but relies heavily on Google’s ecosystem—a hurdle for iCloud-centric users.

Audio Eraser 2.0

An upgraded version of Samsung’s AI audio tool now isolates voices from background noise in videos. Results are cleaner than the S24 Ultra, though Apple’s Cinematic Mode still delivers more natural depth-of-field effects.

Camera: AI-Driven Computational Photography

Hardware changes are minimal:

• 50MP ultra-wide sensor (up from 12MP)
• 12MP 3x telephoto (unchanged)
• 200MP main sensor with improved pixel-binning

The real story is software. Nightography Hyper uses AI to brighten shadows without overexposing lights, outperforming the iPhone in moon shots but struggling with motion blur in low-light video. AI Portrait now detects pets and adjusts bokeh accordingly—a niche but welcome touch.Apple’s Photonic Engine still wins in color consistency, especially for skin tones, but Samsung’s AI post-processing (auto-removing photobombers, enhancing textures) is undeniably fun.

Battery & Charging: Incremental Gains

The 5,400mAh battery (up from 5,000mAh) delivers 9 hours of screen-on time (vs. 8.5 hours on S24 Ultra). With 45W wired charging, it hits 70% in 30 minutes—faster than iPhone’s 20W—but wireless charging remains at 15W (Apple’s MagSafe: 15W).

Samsung's "Qi2 Ready" Charging: A Letdown for Many

Samsung's approach to integrating the Qi2 wireless charging standard into the Galaxy S25 series has left many customers feeling underwhelmed. While the company has labeled the S25 series as "Qi2 Ready," this designation comes with a significant caveat: the phones themselves do not contain the magnets necessary for true Qi2 functionality. Instead, users must purchase a special case with built-in magnets to enable the full benefits of Qi2 charging, including the 15W speed and magnetic alignment.

The Apple Ecosystem Perspective

For an iPhone power user, the S25 Ultra’s AI features are tantalizing but fragmented. Gemini’s prowess is offset by the lack of iMessage, FaceTime, or AirDrop integration. Cross App Action feels revolutionary until you need to airdrop a file to a MacBook.Samsung’s hardware refinements are iterative, but the Snapdragon 8 Elite and AI software push boundaries Apple hasn’t prioritized yet. If you’re willing to embrace Google’s ecosystem, the S25 Ultra is a glimpse into an AI-driven future. For Apple loyalists, though, it’s a compelling sidegrade—not a catalyst to switch.Final Verdict: The Galaxy S25 Ultra is a triumph of software ambition over hardware evolution. Its AI tools set a new benchmark for Android, but Samsung’s ecosystem still lacks the cohesive polish that keeps Apple users entrenched.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is a powerhouse, especially in terms of AI capabilities, which are genuinely impressive and forward-thinking. However, for someone used to the seamless integration and polish of Apple's ecosystem, the S25 Ultra feels like it's still catching up in some areas. The hardware upgrades are modest, with the real innovation lying in software and AI. If you're looking for a phone that pushes the boundaries of what AI can do on a mobile device, the S25 Ultra is worth considering. But if you're deeply invested in Apple's ecosystem, the transition might not feel as revolutionary as Samsung hopes. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is a triumph of software ambition over hardware evolution. Its AI tools set a new benchmark for Android, but Samsung’s ecosystem still lacks the cohesive polish that keeps Apple users entrenched.

Samsung S25 Ultra

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