Ten months. That’s how long this phone has survived everything I threw at it — brutal summers, freezing winters, long-haul flights, accidental drops, being sandwiched between other devices in a packed bag, and endless doom scrolling sessions. And somehow, it still refuses to age. This is my complete 10-month review of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra — the good, the bad, and everything in between.
I switched to the S25 Ultra from the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and because I was moving across operating systems, the first few days weren’t exactly smooth. The separate work profile felt unfamiliar, the camera tuning was different from what I was used to, the boxy design needed some getting used to, and yes — I missed MagSafe quite a bit. But after those initial days, things shifted dramatically, and in a positive way.
One feature I genuinely didn’t know I needed was the anti-reflective coating on the display. It significantly improves visibility, both outdoors and indoors. Reflections are absorbed so well that once you experience it, you want it on every phone. While newer iPhones have introduced some level of anti-reflective treatment, it’s still nowhere close to what the S25 Ultra offers. There is one caveat, though. If you apply a third-party tempered glass, the anti-reflective advantage weakens. The best option is Samsung’s official anti-reflective film, which isn’t tempered glass. Over these 10 months, I used the official film and changed it multiple times, and the display still looks as good as new.
Most of the time, the phone stayed inside a case, but that doesn’t mean it avoided accidental drops. It definitely had its fair share of encounters with the floor. Yet, even after months of real-world use, the build quality remains impressive. Interestingly, the titanium frame has held up better compared to aluminum builds seen on many other devices. It still looks premium and durable, and the lightweight feel is an added advantage.
Now, about the S Pen. To be honest, I didn’t use it as much as I expected. Sometimes I pulled it out just to flex or look busy, but that’s about it. I was initially annoyed when Samsung removed Bluetooth functionality from the S Pen, but looking back, it wasn’t really a dealbreaker for my usage.
Haptics are excellent in terms of quality, but integration could be better. There’s no haptic feedback while adjusting volume, brightness, or browsing recent apps. However, if you explore One UI deeply, there are workarounds. Using the Good Lock module called Sound Assistant, you can enable haptics on the volume slider. It works and looks cool, but I still wish Samsung would improve overall haptic integration because it genuinely elevates user experience.
Performance-wise, the S25 Ultra never gave me a hard time. Whether it was Android Auto running on long drives with Google Maps navigation, continuous music playback, and simultaneous scrolling — the phone handled everything calmly. No stutters, no slowdowns, no overheating. Daily usage involving social media marathons, binge watching, video calls, and multitasking never caused issues.
For gaming, I handed it over to serious gamers. BGMI at 120 FPS runs smoothly with no heating. Arena Breakout performs similarly well. Genshin Impact is capped at 60 FPS but remains stable. Wuthering Waves sees minor frame drops and slight temperature rise, but overall, gaming performance is strong.
One real-world scenario highlighted Android’s practicality. During a cruise trip from Italy to France, there was zero cellular connectivity, and we were allowed to connect only one device to cruise Wi-Fi. I mistakenly connected my iPhone first, only to realize that iOS doesn’t allow Wi-Fi sharing over hotspot. I had to get it disconnected and reconnect via the S25 Ultra — which does allow Wi-Fi sharing over hotspot. It’s small usability differences like this where Android shines.
The phone launched with One UI 7 based on Android 15 and is now running One UI 8 based on Android 16. The update may have been slightly delayed, but stability has been excellent. I didn’t experience any memorable bugs. Meanwhile, my experience with iOS 26 included frequent glitches. One UI is packed with features and promises updates till 2032.
Some features I regularly use include Dual Audio, which lets you connect two Bluetooth audio devices simultaneously, Separate App Sound for playing music on car speakers while using the phone normally, fullscreen music player on lock screen and AOD, and screen recording annotations for giving feedback to my video team. Good Lock modules add further customization — from lock screen tweaks to keyboard styling and home screen adjustments.
AI is where Samsung truly impressed me over time. Initially, I barely used AI tools. But gradually, writing assist became part of my routine. Since it’s integrated directly into the keyboard, it works across Instagram, WhatsApp, Gmail, Slack — practically everywhere. Photo editing capabilities are also more flexible, and the noise removal tool is incredibly useful for cleaning up background sound in videos. Gemini Live integration handles long conversations without losing context and performs tasks smoothly.
Battery life has been solid despite Samsung not using silicon-carbon batteries yet. With a 5,000 mAh battery, I consistently get 6 to 7 hours of screen-on time with heavy usage. That includes 2K resolution enabled, location and NFC always on, AOD active with wallpapers, and ambient effects enabled. Charging takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes from 0 to 100%. It’s not the fastest, but it’s reasonable. You also get 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging.
Connectivity has been flawless with Airtel SIM — no issues in calling, data speeds, or international roaming. Dual SIM flexibility is excellent with options for two physical SIMs, one physical plus eSIM, or dual eSIM. Samsung Wallet’s Tap to Pay is extremely practical, supporting cards, UPI, driving license, PAN card, tickets, and boarding passes — making everyday life easier.
Now, about the cameras. The S25 Ultra features a 200 MP main camera, 50 MP ultra-wide, 10 MP 3x telephoto, and 50 MP 5x periscope lens, along with a 12 MP front camera. Photos are detailed, colors remain natural, and low-light performance from the main lens is strong. The 3x telephoto works well in daylight but struggles at night. The 5x periscope delivers impressive results, even at extreme zoom levels. Ultra-wide performs well during the day and remains decent at night. Portraits offer good edge detection and balanced bokeh. Video quality in 4K 60 FPS is stable, with minimal color shift when switching lenses.
After 10 months, the Galaxy S25 Ultra isn’t just holding up — it’s still leading. The display is excellent, performance is reliable, battery life is stable, software and AI are feature-rich, and the cameras are dependable. There’s room for improvement in haptic integration, battery innovation, and faster charging. But if I had to choose one Android phone to trust long-term in 2025, this would be it.