Galaxy S25 Ultra: Quality Speaking Louder Than Words

Update, August 2026: this is my launch review, kept as written. Eighteen months on, the S25 Ultra remains stubbornly brilliant, so much so that its own successor’s toughest fight is against it. See the S26 Ultra vs S25 Ultra head-to-head for the full picture.

One of the best ways to really test any tech is to actually use it. I love ignoring the hype and just going out there and using the damn thing, and for the last few days that’s exactly what I’ve done with the Galaxy S25 Ultra: pushing it to see what it’s really made of. Is it that much better than the S24 Ultra? Than the iPhone? While it’s still early, I get the sense that Samsung wants to let the quality do the talking here. The full video is here.

A transparency note first, because it matters: every year I purchase my own device, but this year, for the first time, Samsung let me have an early sample, which is why you’re getting my videos sooner. It changes nothing about my views. I just think you should always know.

The shutter-lag question, tested on a busy street

Lots of you asked about the infamous shutter lag, so I put it right at the front and took the phone somewhere busy to try to replicate it. Honestly, I think what people call shutter lag is really the blurry shots you get with fast-moving subjects: pets, cyclists, kids.

My findings so far: 1x is fast. The 50MP mode is a touch slower. 3x and 5x are still quick. Beyond 10x it slows noticeably, which is expected, because you’re asking a lot of the processing at that point. Cyclists, cars and people walking by at 1x were fine for me. And here’s my suggestion for Samsung: Honor and OnePlus both offer a burst-style multiframe mode (the little running man) that freezes motion completely. Add that mode, end the shutter-lag conversation forever, and we can all move on.

The display does the talking

Without question, the best display I’ve used on any smartphone. And here’s the more interesting part: Samsung screens are famous for vibrant, punchy colours out of the box, and I usually go in and tone down the greens and blues. This year I barely had to. The colours are becoming more natural by default, and maybe that’s a sign of maturity as a brand. Watching content or gaming on this thing is a delight.

One curiosity I’m still chasing: filming the screen showed flickering bars that usually indicate aggressive refresh-rate drops, and the developer options won’t clearly show what the panel is doing. Whatever Samsung is up to, it seems to help efficiency. If it’s smart optimisation, great; if it’s a shortcut, less great. I’ll dig in properly in a follow-up.

Galaxy AI: context beats reaction

AI is everywhere now, but for me it’s about context. Apple Intelligence (an unfair comparison, it doesn’t feel ready) is reactive by design. Galaxy AI is starting to anticipate. Real example from this morning: after a genuinely miserable, freezing, wet January run yesterday, the new morning brief suggested the best time to run today to avoid the bad weather. That’s the rare kind of tech moment where you go: that’s a nice touch. AI Select is smarter, and Writing Assist, one of my favourites from last year, needs correcting less and less. Anything that saves me time earns its place.

Cameras: excellent, ageing, and one overdue arrival

Ignore the cheap “it’s boring” takes. I’m the one who called Samsung boring two years ago; we should be past that now, and most of the people saying it are heavily Apple-biased anyway. The cameras are excellent, though the hardware is getting on a bit and Samsung does need to upgrade it soon.

Two software things stand out. First, the new interface for adjusting photo styles is genuinely better than Apple’s, which feels ridiculous to even say, because Apple’s camera UX is usually the one everyone copies. It’s simpler, more intuitive, and it makes the look your own. Second, and better late than never: log video has arrived. A blank canvas for video, like RAW is for photos. You might think that’s creator-only stuff, but we’re all making videos now, and we all look the same on Instagram and TikTok. This is how you stand out.

Worth checking too: Samsung’s trade-in offers this year reach up to $900 in credit in some regions, which can be insane value if you land a good deal.

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Early verdict

Samsung nailed it this year. I wasn’t 100% happy with the S24 Ultra; it never gave me the warm, fuzzy day-one feeling. This one does. It feels like the S21 Ultra and the S23 Ultra did, as if the good phones skip a year. Samsung seems to be letting the quality do the talking with the S25 Ultra, and so far, it speaks volumes. Come say hello in the comments.