Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra at its annual occasion, and AI dominated the presentation. There’s agentic AI, a characteristic akin to Google Now known as Now Brief, and higher integration with Gemini out of the field amongst many others Samsung highlighted, however what you do not get this 12 months is far in the method of upgraded {hardware}.
Hardwired
In Hardwired, AC Senior Editor Harish Jonnalagadda delves into all issues {hardware}, together with telephones, audio merchandise, storage servers, and networking gear.
This is not new both; final 12 months’s Galaxy S24 Ultra wasn’t markedly totally different to its predecessor, and I did not use the machine that a lot in consequence. I used to be holding out for Samsung to make appreciable modifications with this era, however that is not the case, and the S25 Ultra misses out on improvements that at the moment are normal on its rivals.
The key omission is silicon-carbide battery tech. The Vivo X200 Pro, Find X8 Pro, OnePlus 13, and Honor Magic 7 Pro all make the most of silicon batteries to ship higher density, so that you get a lot larger batteries with none distinction in dimension; the OnePlus 13 is definitely thinner and lighter than the OnePlus 12 whereas providing a battery that is 500mAh bigger than final 12 months.
Silicon batteries additionally maintain up higher in excessive chilly climate, and include higher sturdiness. The potential to fit in a much bigger battery with elevated sturdiness is a game-changer, and most different producers are taking full benefit of the tech — Xiaomi even presents it on the mid-range Redmi Note 14 Pro+. But the S25 Ultra misses out on the characteristic, with the machine that includes the similar 5000mAh battery as final 12 months.
Then there’s the charging state of affairs. The S25 Ultra nonetheless makes use of the similar 45W normal, and we do not get any upgrades this time. I began utilizing Qi2 chargers just lately, and I figured they is perhaps a great various with Samsung’s newest telephones, however the S25 Ultra is just Qi2 prepared, and does not have the magnets in the chassis itself — you will want to purchase a case to have the ability to use the characteristic.
Samsung switched out the wide-angle lens on the machine, and there is now a 50MP module that ought to take higher photographs. But the important and telephoto cameras are unchanged, and I am unable to assist however really feel that Samsung will lose much more floor on this space in opposition to gadgets like the X200 Pro and Find X8 Pro.
Chinese producers are doing unimaginable issues with cellphone cameras, rolling out large sensors and delivering generational upgrades on a constant foundation. The X200 Pro will get a 200MP telephoto digital camera that takes phenomenal portraits at 3x, and Samsung just does not have a solution to that.
Even the important digital camera on most Chinese telephones is markedly higher than what I used final 12 months, and whereas the S25 Ultra ought to take higher photographs because of the modifications to the ISP, I’m not certain it should dethrone Vivo, OPPO, and Honor anytime quickly — I’ll be placing that to the check as soon as I get my fingers on the machine.
Similar to final 12 months, most of the new options on the machine focus on AI. Every different cellphone producer is getting on the AI bandwagon, and all telephones I utilized in the final 18 months had some model of an AI utility. In every of those circumstances, I obtained the sense that the manufacturers are shoehorning doubtful AI options onto their gadgets just as a result of it’s the buzzword de jour. Samsung, nevertheless, is positioning Galaxy AI as the cornerstone of the S25 Ultra, and I’m not certain that is a profitable technique.
Don’t get me incorrect; I like the design modifications Samsung launched this 12 months. The S25 Ultra has flatter sides with rounded edges, and it’s thinner and lighter than its predecessor, which is nice to see. Samsung additionally shrunk the bezels, accommodating a much bigger 6.9-inch AMOLED panel with out rising the top. As a end result, the S25 Ultra is simpler to carry and use, and due to Gorilla Armor 2 safety at the back and front, it ought to have significantly better resistance in opposition to tumbles.
With the change to Qualcomm’s newest Snapdragon 8 Elite, the cellphone must be sooner as properly. Samsung as soon as once more labored carefully with Qualcomm to customise the platform, and the overclocked chipset has respectable positive factors over final 12 months. But it wasn’t like the S24 Ultra was quick on energy anyway, and whether or not you get any noticeable distinction is one thing I’ll want to attend and see till I get the cellphone.
Look, I’m not saying that the S25 Ultra is a nasty cellphone — removed from it. It’s just disappointing that Samsung performed it secure but once more, and the S25 Ultra is not the finest model of the cellphone it may make if it actually needed to take action. Samsung does not have any significant rivalry in North America, so it will possibly get away with out providing tangible upgrades to the digital camera or battery life.
While the OnePlus 13 is a significantly better displaying this 12 months, it does not have anyplace near the similar stage of service backing as the S25 Ultra, making it a nonstarter in the area. Combine that with Samsung’s beneficiant trade-in incentives, and the S25 Ultra inevitably finally ends up being the default choice if you need a high-end Android cellphone.