The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is the latest flagship offering from Samsung, designed to deliver top-tier performance and cutting-edge features for tech enthusiasts.
With its bold design and powerhouse specifications, it enters a fiercely competitive market alongside giants like Apple and Google, aiming to redefine what a premium smartphone can be. This detailed review explores its strengths and quirks, tailored for Australian readers considering this high-end device.
Samsung has packed the S25 Ultra with advanced technology, raising expectations for a standout experience. From its sleek yet distinctive design to its robust internals, it promises to cater to power users and casual buyers alike.
Here, we’ll break down its design, performance, features, and more, in our full review.
Design
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra sports a refined design with squared-off edges, echoing the aesthetic of the iPhone 4S. This choice lends it a striking, modern appearance but compromises comfort, as the sharp edges can dig into the hand during prolonged use. A case quickly resolves this, restoring ergonomics while preserving its premium look.
Crafted with a titanium frame and Gorilla Armor 2 glass, the S25 Ultra feels durable and luxurious. It’s slimmer and lighter than its predecessors, enhancing portability compared to the bulkier S24 Ultra. Available in Titanium Black, Gray, Silver blue, and White silver, it offers style options for Aussies who value personalisation.
Compared to rivals, its design stands out for its bold edges, though it lacks the curved comfort of some competitors. The materials signal a step up in quality, aligning with flagship expectations. It’s a phone that looks and feels expensive, even if the grip requires an adjustment.
Performance
Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is seriously impressive, ranking among the fastest devices available.
In a side-by-side test launching a game like Pokemon, it beat the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL by several seconds (7 vs 11). This speed makes it a dream for power users that are launching apps rapidly, and those using their phone like a computer to do tasks like video editing and play games.
Benchmarks back up the real-world experience, with a Geekbench 6.3 multi-core score of 10,049—leaps ahead of the S24 Ultra’s 6,675. The GFXBench Aztec Ruins test clocked 86 fps, a notable jump from last year’s 66 fps, proving its graphical prowess. From video editing to running multiple apps, it handles everything without breaking a sweat.
For Australians who demand performance—whether streaming 4K content or gaming on the go—this device delivers. The Snapdragon 8 Elite ensures it’s future-proofed for demanding tasks. It’s a powerhouse that rarely stutters, setting a high bar for flagship smartphones.
Features
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra boasts a suite of standout features, starting with its amazing, bright, and responsive display. The 6.9-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED panel, with a 120Hz refresh rate and 2,600 nits peak brightness, offers vivid colors and smooth scrolling, perfect for movies or gaming in Australia’s harsh sunlight.
The big camera array is equally impressive, featuring a 200MP main sensor, 50MP ultrawide, 50MP telephoto, and 10MP periscope lens. Photos are detailed and vibrant, though digital zoom degradation becomes noticeable, rendering it less useful for distant shots, just be aware of the file size when shooting at the max quality.
When it comes to battery life, the now familiar 5,000mAh capacity is used well and battery life is impressive, easily lasting you through the day. When you do run it down, the phone supports charging at 45W wired and 15W wireless charging.
The S-Pen remains a nice option for those who need it, ideal for notes or sketches, though I don’t personally use it much—digital signatures suffice for me.
Below is a quick summary of the S25 Ultra specs:
- Display: 6.9-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz, 2,600 nits peak brightness
- Resolution: 3120 x 1440
- Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite
- RAM: 12GB
- Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
- Camera: 200MP main, 50MP ultrawide, 50MP telephoto, 10MP periscope
- Video quality: @60fps, UHD 8K (7680 x 4320)
- SIM type: Dual SIM (nano-SIM + eSIM)
- WiFi: Wi-Fi 7 (802.11 be)
- Battery: 5,000mAh, 45W wired, 15W wireless
- S-Pen: Included, no Bluetooth functionality
AI Features
In 2025, it’s impossible to ship a phone without AI features and Samsung has plenty for us under the banner of Galaxy AI. It is a little surprising that Samsung doesn’t pre-install all of these, with users left to opt-in to many of them.
Google Gemini Integration
I love that you can replaces Bixby with Google’s Gemini AI as the default assistant. This offers conversational capabilities, Gemini Live for real-time spoken responses, and multimodal input support (e.g., images, files, YouTube videos) for contextual queries.
Cross App Actions
Enables complex, multi-app tasks with a single voice command (e.g., “Find a vegan restaurant and text the details to a friend”), working across Samsung, Google, and select third-party apps like WhatsApp and Spotify.
Now Brief
A lock screen AI dashboard providing personalized daily summaries based on user habits, calendar, weather, and data from connected Samsung devices, adapting throughout the day with tailored insights.
AI Select
Accessible via the Edge Panel, analyzes on-screen content and suggests relevant actions, like creating a GIF from a video or setting a photo as wallpaper, enhancing usability with proactive recommendations.
Audio Eraser
An offline Gallery app feature that separates and adjusts audio layers (e.g., voices, music, noise) in videos, allowing users to reduce background noise for clearer sound.
Natural Language Search
Available in Gallery and Settings, lets users search with conversational phrases (e.g., “Find pictures of my dog at the park” or “My eyes hurt, adjust the screen”), improving accessibility.
ProVisual Engine
Enhances photography with AI-powered image processing, including noise reduction, 10-bit HDR for Nightography, and an object-aware engine for better subject detection and Space Zoom.
Generative Edit & Sketch to Image
Offline Photo Assist features for generative edits (e.g., object removal) and text-based sketch enhancements, with AI-generated results watermarked.
Personal Data Engine
Analyzes user behavior to suggest personalized routines, like automating settings adjustments (e.g., Bluetooth on/off based on location), often with other Samsung devices.
Writing Assist
Offers summarization, text formatting, and drafting support within apps, boosting productivity with AI-generated suggestions.
Call Transcription
Automatically transcribes recorded calls and provides AI summaries for longer conversations, a One UI 7 feature debuting with the S25 series.
Circle to Search Enhancements
Description: Powered by Google, recognizes audio, QR codes, barcodes, emails, and URLs on-screen, delivering richer search results with AI Overviews.
Now Bar
A lock screen feature showing real-time updates (e.g., sports scores, navigation directions) from supported apps, enhancing glanceable information access.
Knox Matrix Security
AI-enhanced security framework protecting user data across connected devices, ensuring privacy for on-device AI processing.
Issues and Opportunities
While the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra shines in many areas, it’s not flawless. The camera array, positioned on one side rather than spanning the phone’s width, causes it to tip or tilt on flat surfaces—a minor but annoying quirk. Future designs could balance this for stability.
The digital zoom’s noticeable degradation is another letdown, limiting its utility for far-off shots despite the stellar main camera.
Charging speed, capped at 45W, lags behind competitors offering 65W or more, and the S-Pen’s lack of Bluetooth removes handy features like remote shutter control.
Price and Availability
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is available now across Australia, with pricing reflecting its premium flagship specs. Here’s where to grab it:
Samsung Australia: Starting at A$2,149 (256GB/12GB), A$2,349 (512GB/12GB), A$2,749 (1TB/12GB). Samsung are offering up to A$995 trad-in depenidng on the quality of your trade-in. https://www.samsung.com/au/smartphones/galaxy-s25-ultra/buy/
JB Hi-Fi: From A$2,137, however there are a lot of deals right now, including a $200 JB coupon. https://www.jbhifi.com.au/search?query=Samsung%20Galaxy%20S25%20Ultra
Of course other purchase options include the Telcos.
Telstra: From A$1,949 which includes a $200 discount (until March 10th).
https://www.telstra.com.au/mobile-phones/mobiles-on-a-plan/samsung/galaxy-s25-ultra
Overall
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is a flagship that excels with its stunning display, top-tier performance, and robust feature set. Its design, with squared-off edges, looks sharp but isn’t the comfiest—nothing a case can’t fix. The Snapdragon 8 Elite chip powers through anything, from gaming to multitasking, making it a top pick for tech-savvy buyers.
The camera array is one of the best in the business, as long as you don’t push into the digital zoom and as a power user, I’m always appreciative of battery life that keeps up with the most demanding days.
While I personally don’t need it, I do like that Samsung manages to fit the S-Pen inside their flagship, rather than force users to a Galaxy Note as in previous years. With some of the AI-powered features there is actually some more use cases for it (precision selection).
At more than A$2,000, the price will attract the enthusiasts while setting a desirable flagship at the top of the range. Those with limited budgets will likely need to settle for another in the S25, but thankfully that compromise isn’t too severe.
The S25 Ultra is a powerhouse that justifies its cost for those seeking the best and I can easily recommend it if you’re in the market.. Until I got hands-on I was very comfortable with the specs and features of the Pixel 9 Pro XL, but the speed of the S25 Ultra is clearly superior.
