Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Review: A Game-Changer or Overpriced Flagship?

February 03, 2025, 02:39 PM
by Farhana Afrose Rini

UNB News
Publish- February 03, 2025, 02:39 PM
Farhana Afrose Rini
Update- February 03, 2025, 02:55 PM

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S series has long been synonymous with cutting-edge technology and premium design, setting benchmarks in the smartphone industry. Continuing this legacy, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is officially releasing this month. Let’s go over the specs, standout features, limitations, and pricing of the S25 Ultra in Bangladesh.

Key Features of Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Design and Build Quality

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra retains the premium build quality that the Ultra series is known for, featuring Corning Gorilla Armor 2 on both the front and back, along with a grade 5 titanium frame. This makes it more durable than the S24 Ultra, which uses grade 2 titanium. Additionally, weighing 218g, the S25 Ultra appears a bit lighter (232g) than its predecessor S24 Ultra, improving comfort for long-term use.

Compared to its competitors, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Huawei Mate X6 feature foldable designs, which make them bulkier but offer a different experience for users who prefer a larger, expandable display. The Huawei Mate X6, for instance, has an aerospace-grade aluminum frame and is IPX8 water-resistant, making it more resistant to water damage than the S25 Ultra's standard IP68 rating.

Display Quality

The S25 Ultra comes with a 6.9-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a standard 2600 nits peak brightness.

However, it is quite disappointing that in the market a bunch of mid-range smartphones are offering higher refresh rates and peak brightness levels. For instance, the realme Neo7 offers 6000 nits peak brightness and iQOO Neo10 boasts a 144Hz refresh rate for much lower price tags. It can be a deal breaker for flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

S25 Ultra features a resolution of 1440 by 3120 pixels. Compared to the S24 Ultra, the screen-to-body ratio has increased from 88.5% to 92.5%, offering a more immersive experience.

When compared to competitors, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold offers an 8-inch foldable OLED display, making it great for multitasking but with a lower peak brightness of 2700 nits. Meanwhile, the Huawei Mate X6 has a 7.93-inch foldable LTPO OLED display with Kunlun Glass 2 protection, which is a great alternative for those who prefer foldable devices.

Camera Performance

Samsung has made notable improvements to the S25 Ultra's camera system. It retains the 200MP (f/1.7) primary sensor, but the ultrawide camera has been upgraded to 50MP (f/1.9) from 12MP in the S24 Ultra. Its quadruple rear camera setting also boasts a 10MP (f/2.4) telephoto lens and a 50MP (f/3.4) periscope telephone lens. Additionally, Samsung has optimized AI-powered enhancements such as Best Face, which helps improve group photos.

Against competitors, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold only has a 48MP primary camera, but it leverages Google’s AI algorithms to produce outstanding images. On the other hand, the Huawei Mate X6 boasts a 50MP primary camera with a variable aperture (f/1.4-f/4.0), allowing for better control over depth of field and low-light photography.

What’s more, the S25 Ultra outshines both in video recording, offering 8K at 30 fps. However, the S25 Ultra bears a 12MP (f/2.2) front sensor that maxes out at 4K like the S24 Ultra.

Processor Performance

The S25 Ultra features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm chipset), which offers a 37% faster CPU and 30% improved GPU performance compared to the S24 Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. With an octa-core configuration, including two high-performance 4.47GHz cores, this processor makes the S25 Ultra one of the most powerful smartphones available.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold comes with the Google Tensor G4 chipset, which is designed for AI-based computing but is not as powerful as Qualcomm’s flagship chip. Similarly, the Huawei Mate X6 runs on Kirin 9020, which performs well in general tasks but falls short in gaming and high-intensity applications compared to the S25 Ultra.

Gaming Performance

The S25 Ultra has significantly improved gaming performance due to the Adreno 830 GPU and real-time ray tracing support, making it ideal for high-end mobile gaming. The Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset also enhances power efficiency, allowing longer gaming sessions without excessive heating.

In comparison, the S24 Ultra, while still excellent for gaming, lacks the same level of GPU optimization and AI-driven gaming features. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Huawei Mate X6 are less gaming-focused, as they are optimized for multitasking and productivity rather than high-performance gaming.

Battery Life

Like the ancestor S24 Ultra, the latest S25 Ultra comes with a 5000mAh battery. However, the new 3nm chipset in the S25 Ultra allows for better power efficiency. Samsung claims that the S25 Ultra lasts up to 10% longer than its predecessor on a single charge.

While charging speeds remain unchanged at 45W wired, the wireless charging speed has increased from 15W to 25W (Qi2). In contrast, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a smaller 4650mAh battery with 21W wired charging, making it less efficient than the S25 Ultra. However, the Huawei Mate X6 surpasses them all with a 5200mAh battery and 66W wired charging, which offers the fastest charging speeds.

Nevertheless, the mid-ranger realme Neo7 wins the race against these flagships with a 7000 mAh battery.

Software and User Interface

The S25 Ultra launches with Android 15 and One UI 7, offering seven major Android upgrades, ensuring longevity. Samsung’s One UI 7 is known for its user-friendly design, customization options, and seamless integration with Samsung’s ecosystem.

In comparison, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold also offers seven years of updates, but its stock Android experience lacks Samsung’s custom features like DeX mode. The Huawei Mate X6, running HarmonyOS 4.3/EMUI 15, does not have access to Google Play Services, which may be a dealbreaker for some users.

Storage Options

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra offers multiple storage configurations, including 256GB with 12GB RAM, 512GB with 12GB RAM, 1TB with 12GB RAM, and a high-end 1TB with 16GB RAM variant. This marks an improvement over its predecessor, the S24 Ultra, which lacked a 16GB RAM option. It sports UFS 4.0 data transfer technology.

When compared to its competitors, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold maxes out at 512GB with 16GB RAM, while the Huawei Mate X6 provides storage options up to 1TB with 16GB RAM, putting it on par with the S25 Ultra in terms of capacity.

Pros and Cons of Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Pros

- Premium build with a titanium frame and IP68 water resistance.
- 6.9-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display
- Snapdragon 8 Elite processor with 12GB/16GB RAM for smooth performance.
- 45W wired, 25W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wired charging.
- 8K video recording with gyro-EIS stabilization.
- 200MP main camera with dual 50MP ultrawide and telephoto lenses.
- 5X optical zoom for detailed distant shots.
- Android 15 with One UI 7 and 7 years of software updates.
- Under-display fingerprint scanner for secure unlocking.
- Ultra Wideband (UWB) support for better connectivity.
- Samsung DeX and Wireless DeX support for a desktop-like experience.
- Stylus (S Pen) support for added productivity.
- Stereo speakers for immersive sound.
- 5G and NFC enabled for fast connectivity.

Cons

- No microSD card slot for expandable storage.
- No 3.5mm audio jack for wired headphones.
- Lacks an infrared port for remote control functionality.
- No FM radio support.
- No Satellite SOS feature, unlike some competitors.
- Average peak brightness level
- Average refresh rate.
- Average battery support.
- Low-powered selfie sensor.

The Price of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

The Galaxy S25 Ultra will be available at multiple prices for different configurations. The price of the 12/256GB variant is about BDT 224,999. However, the price is subject to change.

Final Words

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is perfect for power users, photographers, and gamers who want a premium display, top-tier performance, and advanced cameras. However, those needing a microSD slot, 3.5mm jack, FM radio, brighter display, higher refresh rate, or Satellite SOS may look into the other options.

On the whole, if you seek robust RAM, a versatile camera line-up, cutting-edge features, and long-term software support, this flagship is a great choice.