Just a quick update on the S25 Ultra. I'm writing a review because: 1. I would like to share my experience, and 2. I feel like we only see the minority of bad experiences on Samsung Members speaking louder than those who are very happy with theirs.
So far, I've had a great experience upgrading from my S24+. In my opinion, there are a lot of things to love! I got the Samsung exclusive Jade Green Titanium, and I think it's utterly gorgeous and definitely stands out among others. I haven't had the opportunity to see the other colors in person, but I think Samsung has done a very good job at keeping the Ultra series simple and professional while also keeping a pleasant and clean look.
Camera.
I haven't had huge usage as I've been busy with uni and work. However, I have taken a couple, and I will provide them below. The first is some testing in the dark, a picture of a stadium, and the other I just took of some roses. I think the details are absolutely divine; the colours and auto adjustments seem absolutely spot-on.
My only issue is the rings around the camera. I like how they look, but I wish it weren't so easy for dust to get trapped between the tiny gaps. I hope they stay, as cosmetics they stand out, and they also seem to add additional support/structure to the camera.
Speed:
I have had no issues with apps, downloads, opening many tabs, etc. I have been using my phone an absurd amount recently, and the phone has absolutely tanked my usage. Scrolling feels smooth, snappy response and no Issues with crashing or freezing
S- pen:
Coming from a non-ultra phone, I didn't think I would ever use the S Pen. But the ability to quickly jot down notes has been more useful than I ever imagined. Use case? When I'm at work as a support desk colleague, I normally have to remember details, numbers, etc., or quickly run and find a pen, which have always been lost or taken—now I just take out the S Pen and write notes on the notepad that automatically opens. While in lectures, I use this for writing down keywords/notes that I should be revising.
AI:
Referring back to the camera, this year the cut feature on the camera is scary—utterly scary how well it can generate environments as if it were nothing, with no imperfections in my experience so far.
The new spelling and grammar checker has been a lifesaver. As someone who types much more than I should, I get tired and distracted so much that I love just typing and letting the AI fix it for me, and it has been such a time saver.
Gemini—the other day my girlfriend was ill, and I wanted to bake her a cake, but the problem is I've never done this before. I managed to bake an entire lava cake and buttercream frosting just using Gemini. I messed up many times and just asked Gemini how to fix the issues, and I got exact instructions. Gemini has been so useful, and I find myself asking it a bunch of nonsense—just because I can!
Software:
To me I love the new UI system. I think its clean and very nice to navigate and is very user friendly. This I know is personal preference, so opinions are widely spread. To me its similar enouth to older versions of UI but different enouth where I feel like suggestions have been considered. Something feels more- clean(?) to me. I know UI7 isn't complete, so I'm very excited to see what features are to come.
Settings:
There are so many settings, and as a tech person, I know what can be offered and what I am able to do. However, I think there needs to be a tour available for the settings. Some very important features are less easy to find; if you didn't know you could, you may never use them. I've noticed this in the members' community, with members asking how to do something even though it's just a case of finding and turning said feature on.
Security
I appreciate how secure I feel while using Samsung. Android has always been known as less secure compared to Apple, but I genuinely feel safe with Knox and the theft protection offered through Samsung. It feels very thoughtful, and genuine care and concern are apparent for peace of mind.
Experience with pre order.
The whole process has been good for me personally. From reordering all the way to delivery. Delivery on expected date, good communication through dpd.
Problem resolution: I paid £50 for a £100 reorder code, and as a student, it didn't work. After live chat told me I couldn't use it, I ordered the phone on the 22nd (release day), only to find out later that I could have used the code. Perhaps I was too eager. However, I was upset, so I contacted Samsung via email as suggested. I quickly received a response offering me £50 in my Samsung account. I think this experience showed how much Samsung cares when mistakes are made.
General usage.
I made the mistake of using a smart switch to move everything over—or so I thought it was a mistake. I've seen at least ten posts talking about how badly this messed people's devices up. However, I did the same, and I haven't had a single problem. Everything works as it should; everything is there, and I've experienced no bugs. The phone feels so much more responsive than my S24+. It feels much cooler during usage, and the screen feels much more refreshing, especially after adjusting the colors in settings. To me, the S25U feels much more personal, and that's where and why I enjoy Samsung—the ability to make your device feel like your own, whether simple or complex, professional or exploratory.
Battery life:
At first, I was concerned due to forgetting about the Samsung Battery configuration stage. At first, I was getting a good 6 hours of usage before the phone died—after two weeks, it doubled to around 12/13 hours! Which is plenty enough. I think battery calibration is smart. I appreciate Samsung keeping in mind each individual's usage and letting the device configure it accordingly.
That's my quick little review. I feel as though I could say so much more, but I will leave it at that. Like I mentioned above, I feel as though only the small percentage of people who have had bad experiences seem to post, over those who have loved their device—it would be amazing to hear your opinions of the new S25 series.
