Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Can AI completely transform the future of flagship smartphones?

Samsung has launched its flagship S25 series for the 2025 year in Nepal. The Samsung Galaxy S25 series includes the flagship Galaxy S25 Ultra, the Galaxy S25+, and the Galaxy S25. The smartphones launched are the successor to last year’s Galaxy S24 series, which includes the Galaxy S24 Ultra, the Galaxy S24+, and the Galaxy S24.

This year’s flagship, the S25 Ultra, has gotten a few major changes from its flagship predecessor, the S24 Ultra, such as design, chipset, build quality, ultra-wide rear camera, and connectivity features. Along with these changes, the S25 Ultra has got changes in the S-Pen with the removal of Bluetooth connectivity.

This change has been criticised by many since the loved feature of the S-Pen is the versatility with features such as remote camera control, which enables users to activate their phone’s camera shutter from a distance, and Air Actions, which allow for gesture-based navigation and app interaction. But with the removal of Bluetooth, that is now not the case.

Samsung has always been a leader in AI innovation when it comes to flagship smartphones, and the same holds true for the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The AI features from the previous Galaxy S24 series have been enhanced, offering more power and additional functionalities. However, Samsung is providing these AI features for free until the end of 2025, with charges being applied to select features starting in 2026.

Competition wise, the S25 Ultra will compete against the major flagships, including the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max, Vivo X200 Pro, Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, and the Oppo Find X8 Pro. Let us see what the flagship smartphone offers in terms of specifications.

Specifications of Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Design and Display

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra brings some small but important design changes compared to the Galaxy S24 Ultra. One of the most noticeable changes is the rounder corners and flatter edges, making it more comfortable to hold. The titanium frame now has a textured finish, which improves grip and gives the phone a more premium feel. Even though titanium is heavier than aluminium, Samsung has made slight adjustments to keep the phone lightweight and easy to carry.

These design changes have been praised, with the previous flagship having sharp edges, creating a deep indent on the palm when used for long. The camera layout is mostly the same as the previous model, but Samsung has added small refinements, like improved camera rings, to make it look cleaner.

At the front, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera. The display is flat and has very thin bezels on all sides, which has helped the screen-to-boy ratio to increase by a bit, expanding the overall viewing experience. It features a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a resolution of 3120 x 1440 pixels, delivering sharp and vibrant visuals. The screen supports a variable refresh rate up to 120 Hz, ensuring smooth scrolling and responsive touch interactions. And with a peak brightness of 2600 nits, the display remains clear even under bright sunlight.

To protect against scratches and damage, the screen is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass Armour 2. The display also supports HDR10+, enhancing the contrast and colour range for a more immersive viewing experience. For dust and water resistance, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has an IP68 rating, which can protect the smartphone for 30 minutes up to 1.5 metres.

Performance and Storage

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, built on a 3-nm process. Its octa-core CPU includes two high-performance cores running at 4.47 GHz and six efficiency cores at 3.53 GHz, ensuring fast and smooth performance for tasks like gaming and multitasking. The Adreno 830 GPU enhances graphics, providing clear and vibrant visuals.

The smartphone comes with 12GB of RAM, allowing for efficient multitasking and quick app switching, which is paired with two storage options: 256GB and 512GB. Running on One UI 7 based on Android 15, the Galaxy S25 Ultra benefits from Samsung’s commitment to long-term support, with seven years of OS and security updates.

Camera

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a versatile quad-camera system designed to capture high-quality images in various scenarios. The main camera features a 200 MP sensor with an f/1.7 aperture, ensuring sharp and detailed photos, even in low-light conditions. For distant subjects, the phone offers a 10 MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom and a 50 MP periscope telephoto lens providing 5x optical zoom, both equipped with optical image stabilisation (OIS) to minimise blur. Additionally, the 50MP ultra-wide lens with a 120-degree field of view is ideal for capturing expansive landscapes and group shots.

The rear camera system includes features like laser autofocus for quick and accurate focusing, Best Face to select the optimal expression in group photos, LED flash for better lighting, and auto-HDR to balance exposure in challenging lighting situations. For video, the Galaxy S25 Ultra supports recording in 8K resolution at 24 or 30 fps, 4K at up to 120 fps, and 1080p at up to 240 fps. The inclusion of 10-bit HDR and HDR10+ enhances colour depth and dynamic range, while stereo sound recording and gyro-based electronic image stabilisation (EIS) contribute to a more immersive and stable video experience.

Samsung has also integrated advanced AI capabilities into the camera system, such as Scene Optimiser, which automatically adjusts settings based on the detected scene, and Shot Suggestions to guide users in composing better shots. These intelligent features work together to make photography more accessible and enjoyable.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with a 12-megapixel selfie camera that captures clear and detailed photos. It features an f/2.2 aperture and dual-pixel autofocus (PDAF), ensuring fast and accurate focus for sharper selfies. The wide 26mm lens allows more people or background in the frame, making it great for group selfies. The camera supports HDR and HDR10+, improving colour and contrast for better-looking photos in different lighting conditions. For videos, it can record in 4K at 30/60fps and 1080p at 30fps, delivering smooth and high-quality footage for video calls and vlogs.

AI Features

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra introduces advanced AI features to enhance the user experience. By pressing and holding the side button, users can access Google Gemini, enabling natural language commands to perform tasks across multiple apps seamlessly. For instance, users can instruct Gemini to list places mentioned in a video and save them as a note without manually switching between applications.

Additionally, the Now Brief feature provides personalised updates throughout the day, such as morning weather forecasts, midday driving tips, and evening recaps of daily activities. The Circle to Search with Google function allows users to search for information by circling an object on the screen with their finger or S Pen, delivering immediate AI-generated overviews. Furthermore, the Audio Eraser tool utilises AI to filter out unwanted background noise from videos, ensuring clearer audio playback.

Battery and Others

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is equipped with a 5,000 mAh battery, providing extended usage time. It has an extended battery life of 17 hours and 15 minutes, making it one of Samsung’s longest-lasting smartphones to date. As for charging, it supports 45W wired charging, which can reach full battery in about 50 minutes. It also features 15W wireless charging, enabling convenient cable-free power-ups with compatible Qi-certified chargers. Additionally, the 4.5W reverse wireless charging feature lets users charge accessories like earbuds and smartwatches directly from the phone by placing them on the back of the device.

For connectivity, the Galaxy S25 Ultra supports Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), ensuring fast and reliable internet access. It also features Bluetooth 5.4 for improved wireless connections. The device is compatible with both LTE and 5G networks, offering versatile cellular connectivity options. The dual Nano-SIM configuration allows for flexible carrier usage, and the inclusion of eSIM support provides additional convenience.

In terms of audio, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is equipped with dual stereo speakers, delivering clear and immersive sound. The smartphone also includes a comprehensive array of sensors, such as an accelerometer, barometer, fingerprint sensor, gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor, hall sensor, light sensor, and proximity sensor.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is available in three different colour options in Nepal; Titanium Sliver Blue, Titanium White Silver, and Titanium Black.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is available in Nepal at Rs 184,999 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage option and Rs 199,999 for the 12GB RAM and 512GB Storage option.