I tested the Galaxy S25 Ultra one year after its launch: Still worth it?

The first thing that strikes me even a year after the release is how well the S25 Ultra has held up physically. Even after all the use, it's basically unscratched and feels practically brand new.

The Gorilla Armor screen deserves a ton of credit here. For comparison, an S25 Edge I used for just a short couple of weeks picked up a few visible scratches, while the S25 Ultra has remained scratch-free. That alone is a huge advantage in my book — it's one of just a few phones I feel comfortable using without a screen protector.

I also love the anti-reflective coating on this phone. It rarely gets mentioned in spec sheets, but it's an absolute game-changer for outdoor use. I'd take this over a modest performance boost any day — it really makes using the phone more enjoyable in various conditions.

I also still love the design. The S25 Ultra looks understated and feels relatively light for its size. The rounded corners make a big difference in comfort. Just compare that to the S24 Ultra, a phone that literally could cut a hole in your pockets! And compared to popular Chinese flagships, those tend to have massive camera systems, but that also means they are top heavy and unbalanced, while the S26 Ultra just feels very nice in the hand.

The S Pen

One thing I could do without is the S Pen. 

I almost never use it, and if I do, it's to demonstrate it to someone else or to jot down a quick note. But then, I immediately remember how uncomfortable that is and how much I prefer using the on-screen keyboard. For users like me, the S Pen is just wasted internal space that could go towards a bigger battery. That said, I realize the lack of an S Pen is a deal-breaker for some people, and Samsung clearly still thinks it carries value.

Software: The most underrated Samsung advantage

But probably the biggest advantage of this phone is One UI. Samsung’s skin is easily the most feature-rich one on Android, in my view. From the beautiful widgets, to the customization options, to GoodLock and even some super cool advanced tricks. For example, You can set a two-finger swipe up from the bottom to instantly open split-screen multitasking. How cool!

Let's not forget about DeX too. A friend of mine is a sailor, and he no longer carries a laptop with him because he can just plug in the Galaxy to a monitor and have a workstation ready.

And it’s also nice that Samsung promises seven years of software updates.

Camera

After a year, I wouldn't say the Galaxy S25 Ultra camera offers the absolute best image quality out there. I have also tested Vivo and Xiaomi flagships with their larger sensors and they do push technical image quality futher. But where Samsung still shines is the usability of its user experience.

For example, on Samsung phones you can take a regular photo and then add background blur after the shot, for a portrait effect. I use this all the time, but Vivo does not support that.

I also like having two telephoto cameras on the Ultra. The 3X zoom lens is not super high quality, but in bright light it captures just the right field of view for beautiful portraits and I have many memorable shots with that camera.

Galaxy S25 Ultra camera samples

I also recently started using 50MP mode instead of the default 12MP one, and the difference in image quality is noticeable, you really get a lot more detail and depth to images this way.

In video, I love having 10-bit video recording without the large file size of a ProRes codec. And yes, I’m looking at iPhones here. Sure, they record higher quality, but what use is that to a normal person when 1 minute of recording can take up 6 GB of space! That’s just absurd. With the Galaxy, however, you can shoot 4K30 10-bit Log video that takes up just around 600 to 800MB, way more reasonable and you can still color grade the footage later and get beautiful colors, less artificial oversharpening and cinematic footage.

Of course, this is for camera enthusiasts that will later edit their videos. Regular video at 4K30 and 4K60 still looks great for a smartphone, and you even have the option to swap between the rear cameras and the front camera mid recording, something that you don’t get on most other phones.

Battery and missed opportunities

However, there is one area where the Galaxy leaves me wishing for more. And it’s battery life. The 5,000 mAh battery size seems small compared to other modern phones. Battery life varies but you can get somewhere around 6 hours plus of average use. That’s decent but not amazing.

I also wish for faster charging. Currently, the Galaxy supports 45 watt charging. We tested charging times and a 30 minute top up gives you 68% battery, while a full charge takes 1 hour and 10 minutes. That’s not too slow, but it could be faster. If like me, you don’t charge overnight but top up in the mornings, fast charging is important.

The missing Qi2 connectivity is also a bummer. The Pixel 10 has adopted it, and I think every Android flagship should have this feature. It’s just super useful, whether you need it for charging, for use in the car, or on a tripod.

Audio and value

On the plus side, I have really come to appreciate the loudspeakers here. They are excellent for a phone, with boomy rich sound that even has a good amount of bass in it.

But the best part about the S25 Ultra is that all of that gets hugely discounted, unlike an iPhone. If you wait for the right deal, you can get this phone for $1,000 or even less. In fact, just before Black Friday, you could buy the 512GB model for just $850 dollars. And upgrading to a higher storage tier like 512GB (which I highly recommend) is half the price of iPhone upgrades even without the discounts.

Final thoughts

Despite all the criticism that Samsung is changing enough year over year, I still think the Galaxy S25 Ultra is one of the strongest flagships in recent years. Sure, it may not have the absolute best technical image quality, which is the most common criticism, but if you don't obsess over that, you get a much more refined interface with more options and long software updates.

What's been your experience with the S25 Ultra? Let me know in the comments.