The arrival of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has aroused considerable curiosity, heir to a line of regularly award-winning smartphones. The S23 Ultra and S24 Ultra were recognized two years in a row as the best smartphones of the year. Priced at €1,469 for the 256 GB version, the S25 Ultra maintains a technical specification very similar to that of the S24 Ultra. The question therefore arises: does this new model justify an additional investment of €500? After a week of intensive use, initial impressions confirm a solid smartphone that deserves a detailed analysis.
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Design and Ergonomics of the Galaxy S25 Ultra
At first glance, the Galaxy S25 Ultra looks very similar to its predecessor, the S24 Ultra, but a closer look reveals subtle but significant adjustments. The thickness has been reduced by 0.4 mm and the weight drops to 218 g, offering a more balanced and less bulky feel in the hand than before. These changes, while slight on paper, translate into noticeable comfort in everyday use, especially during extended browsing or gaming sessions.
However, ergonomics remain a delicate point. The relatively sharp edges and the width of the phone complicate one-handed use and can lead to fatigue after prolonged use. The choice of materials, with a titanium chassis and a glass back, gives an impression of robustness and premium quality, while improving the overall resistance of the device. However, to optimize comfort and grip, the use of a case is still strongly recommended, also protecting the smartphone against bumps and scratches while making the experience more pleasant on a daily basis.
S-Pen and Induction Refill
The S Pen, the iconic legacy of the Galaxy Note line, retains its core functions of note-taking, drawing, and touch navigation. However, this year it loses its Bluetooth capabilities, limiting some practical options such as remote photo capture, presentation control, and app triggering. This regression represents a notable compromise for users accustomed to advanced stylus uses.
On the wireless charging side, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is Qi2 compatible, allowing for fast and efficient charging. However, to take advantage of full magnetic compatibility, similar to Apple's MagSafe, the use of a dedicated case is required. The lack of magnets integrated into the chassis makes this feature less practical than with some competitors, forcing the user to invest in additional accessories to fully benefit from the potential of magnetic charging. Despite these limitations, the S Pen remains a powerful tool for creativity and productivity, but some advanced uses have been restricted compared to previous models.
S25 Ultra Screen and Display
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra's 6.9-inch display is slightly larger than the S24 Ultra's, instantly enhancing visual immersion, especially when viewing multimedia content or gaming. The AMOLED panel, developed by Samsung Display, achieves a peak brightness of 2600 nits, confirmed by independent measurements exceeding 2400 nits in HDR, offering exceptional readability even in direct sunlight. The anti-reflective coating and Armor 2 technology ensure increased resistance to scratches and impacts, while significantly reducing reflections, significantly surpassing the iPhone's performance in bright lighting conditions.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra also benefits from an adaptive refresh rate ranging from 1 to 120 Hz, which dynamically adjusts the frequency based on the content displayed. This feature improves fluidity when scrolling, gaming, or video playback, while optimizing power consumption. Colors are vivid and faithful, with the infinite contrast typical of AMOLEDs delivering deep blacks and sharp details even in very dark scenes. The combination of brightness, responsiveness, and panel robustness makes the S25 Ultra's screen one of the most convincing on the market today, ideal for users with demanding visual and outdoor comfort needs.
Photo and Video: Versatility and Creative Power of the Galaxy S25 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra's camera system remains one of its greatest strengths, combining powerful hardware with advanced software processing. The 200-megapixel main sensor captures impressive detail, particularly visible when cropping or enlarging, while the 50-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera allows for panoramic shots with minimal distortion and good light management. The 5x telephoto lens stands out for its versatility, offering powerful optical zoom with limited loss of quality, placing the S25 Ultra ahead of the iPhone in this segment.
This generation's software improvements help make images more natural: skin tone processing is more accurate, smoothing is less pronounced, and dynamic range management is more precise. For videographers, the introduction of the Log video profile offers the ability to capture raw images with advanced color grading in post-production, opening up professional uses on a smartphone.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra also includes a host of creative features, such as a "magic eraser" to remove unwanted elements from a photo, and audio cleanup in video to isolate voices and reduce ambient noise. A unique new feature lets you copy the style of a photo and apply it to other images, making it easier to create a consistent look across a series of shots.
Despite these strengths, low-light photography still lags slightly behind the iPhone. Shots remain bright, but excessive smoothing tends to smooth out some details and erase the naturalness of textures. However, the Galaxy S25 Ultra more than makes up for this with its versatility, zoom quality, smooth video, and advanced software options, positioning it as one of the most complete smartphones for photo and video on the market today.
Samsung Smartphone Performance
Under the hood, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra features the Snapdragon 8 Performance Elite chip, one of the most powerful solutions available on Android. This chip combines multiple high-performance cores with energy-efficient cores, delivering an optimal balance between raw power and battery life. Intensive benchmarks and stress tests confirm remarkable stability, even under prolonged use with heavy applications such as 3D gaming, video editing, or advanced multitasking.
Samsung's software optimization also plays a key role, allowing the smartphone to intelligently manage power consumption while maintaining maximum performance when needed. In practice, this results in a smooth and responsive experience, whether for everyday tasks, browsing the web with many tabs open, or running demanding software.
Compared to Apple's solutions, the Galaxy S25 Ultra has a notable advantage in terms of pure power. Benchmarks show that the Snapdragon 8 Performance Elite regularly outperforms the A17 Bionic in multi-core tests, while maintaining better energy efficiency in extended usage scenarios. This power reserve also guarantees future-proofing: the smartphone will be able to maintain its performance even in the years to come, in line with the seven years of software updates promised by Samsung.
Finally, thermal management has been optimized, with an efficient dissipation system that limits overheating during long gaming sessions or intensive use. The user thus benefits from constant user comfort, without noticeable throttling, which reinforces the impression of a robust smartphone ready for current and future uses.
Daily Autonomy and Charging Time
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra's battery life remains one of its strong points, thanks to its 5000 mAh battery coupled with 45W fast charging. In practice, the smartphone can easily last a full day of intensive use, including video streaming, gaming, web browsing, and multitasking apps. For more moderate use, focused on messaging, calls, and occasional browsing, it's possible to achieve up to two days of battery life, which is a significant comfort for mobile users.
The Snapdragon 8 Performance Elite's power efficiency, combined with Samsung's software optimization, plays a key role in this endurance. The smartphone intelligently adjusts power consumption based on apps and the screen's adaptive refresh rate, reducing the impact on the battery without compromising the fluidity of the user experience. This fine-tuned management also helps limit heating, providing consistent user comfort even during long sessions. While the Galaxy S25 Ultra may not break all the charging speed records on the market, its balance between battery life, performance, and heat dissipation makes it a particularly reliable smartphone for everyday use.
The pros and cons of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
- Design and construction: Titanium frame and Corning® Gorilla® Armor 2 glass, lightweight and scratch and impact resistant
- Display: 6.9-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, Quad HD+, 2600 nits brightness, 1-120 Hz adaptive rate, anti-reflective coating
- Performance: Galaxy-optimized Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, smooth One UI 7 interface, efficient thermal management
- Photography: 200 MP main sensor, 50 MP ultra-wide angle, optical zoom, high-performance video stabilization
- Artificial Intelligence (AI): Galaxy AI features with Google Gemini for photo/video editing and live translation
- Battery life: 5000 mAh battery, up to 31 hours of video playback
- Software: 7 years of major updates ensuring long life
- S Pen: integrated stylus for productivity and creativity
- Price: very high, less accessible
- Fast charging: 45W wired considered inferior to the competition
- S Pen: Loss of Bluetooth connectivity compared to the previous model
- Stagnation: limited evolution compared to the Galaxy S24 Ultra, few notable new features
- Connectivity: USB-C 3.2 not the latest, limited transfer speed
Alternatives to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
The iPhone 16 Pro Max stands out as a premium alternative for those looking to migrate to iOS. Powered by the A18 Pro chip, it offers solid performance and remarkable photo quality. Its 6.9-inch OLED display, with exceptional brightness, rivals that of the Galaxy S25 Ultra. However, its closed ecosystem and the absence of certain features like magnetic charging may be drawbacks for some users.
2. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
The Pixel 9 Pro XL stands out for its pure Android approach and advanced AI features. Its camera system, including a 50 MP main sensor, a 48 MP ultra-wide angle, and a 5x telephoto lens, offers remarkable versatility. It also benefits from fast and regular software updates, ensuring a smooth and secure user experience.
3. Honor Magic 7 Pro
The Honor Magic 7 Pro offers excellent value for money in the Android ecosystem. It features a Snapdragon 8 Elite, which delivers good performance, and a versatile camera system with a 50 MP main sensor and a 200 MP telephoto lens. However, some users report less than optimal thermal management, which can affect performance during long sessions of use.
4. Motorola Razr Ultra 2025
For those looking for an innovative foldable design, the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 offers a unique experience. With a 7.0-inch 165Hz internal display and a sleek design, it stands out in the foldable smartphone segment. However, its camera performance and battery life are inferior to those of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which may be a compromise for some users.
5. Realme GT 7 Pro
The Realme GT 7 Pro is positioned as a flagship killer, offering high performance at a competitive price. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, it features a 6.78-inch 120Hz AMOLED display and a battery that offers excellent battery life. However, the lack of wireless charging and sometimes improvable thermal management may limit its appeal to demanding users.
The choice between these alternatives will depend on your priorities:
iPhone 16 Pro Max : For a premium iOS experience with exceptional photo quality.
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL : For a pure Android experience with advanced AI features and excellent photography.
Honor Magic 7 Pro : For good value for money with solid performance and a versatile camera system.
Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 : For an innovative foldable design and a unique user experience.
Realme GT 7 Pro : For high performance at a competitive price, ideal for users looking for good value for money.
Final Verdict: Should You Buy the Galaxy S25 Ultra?
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra marks a notable advancement in the Ultra line, combining design, power, and versatility. Its titanium chassis and glass back give an impression of solidity and elegance, even if the ergonomics of the edges remain perfectible for prolonged one-handed use. The bright 6.9-inch AMOLED display, equipped with an effective anti-reflective treatment, is among the best on the market, offering exceptional visual immersion and optimal readability in all conditions.
Performance, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Performance Elite chip, is impressive, stable, and durable, ensuring a smooth experience for current and future uses. The photo and video system stands out for its versatility, high-resolution sensors, and advanced creative features, although low-light photography remains slightly behind some competitors. The cleaner and more consistent One UI 7 interface, incorporating artificial intelligence features, enriches the user experience and simplifies access to everyday tools.
Samsung's well-integrated ecosystem and the promise of seven years of software updates reinforce the long-term value of this smartphone, especially for users coming from an older Galaxy or looking to migrate from iOS to Android. Despite some concessions on the S Pen and ergonomics, the Galaxy S25 Ultra stands out as a serious contender for the title of best smartphone of 2025, combining technical innovation, high-level performance, and a premium user experience.
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