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Marques Brownlee - Samsung Galaxy S25/Ultra Impressions: What Happened?

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Community upload. AI output has not been independently verified.
Author: Marques Brownlee
Categories: Technology Science
Tags: technology, science
Views: 2 · Last viewed: 2026-10-16 08:10 UTC

Short Summary

Main recommendation: The Samsung Galaxy S25 series is a minimal "spec bump" over the S24, so the reviewer sees little reason to upgrade based on design, with the main changes being internal hardware and new AI software. Most of the new software, including One UI 7 and many Galaxy AI features, is expected to reach the S24 as well, which makes an upgrade hard to justify for owners of recent phones. Full reviews are still pending to see whether the new chip or camera ISP surprise.

Key Points

  • Design is nearly identical to last year's models; the standard phones can be hard to tell apart from the S24 except for the moved 5G antenna at the top.
  • Hardware changes are mostly internal: Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip, 12 GB base RAM, and a slightly upgraded vapor chamber (40% larger on the Ultra).
  • The S25 Ultra gets a new 50 MP ultra-wide camera replacing the 12 MP one, a Gorilla Glass upgrade, and bezels about 15% smaller.
  • The new assistant, triggered by holding the power button, is a hybrid of Google Gemini and Bixby that can take in-app actions such as adding calendar events.
  • Software is the biggest change, including One UI 7, a refreshed interface, and iOS-inspired lock screen customization.
  • Samsung's promise of seven years of software updates means most new AI features are likely to reach the S24.

Details Worth Noting

Concrete instructions:

  • To open the new assistant, press and hold the power button; a voice trigger such as "Bixby" or "Google" does not bring it up.

  • To use AI Select, swipe over from the edge panel or take a screenshot, then invoke AI Select to select on-screen content. On an article it can surface writing tools to summarize text; on a video it can make a GIF from a few seconds of the selected clip.

  • To clean up video audio, use the new audio eraser on any video on the phone, which can remove crowd noise, background noise, or wind with a single button press.

  • Use natural-language search in Settings and Gallery by typing regular sentences instead of keywords.

  • Some AI features work offline without an internet connection, while others depend on the connection.

  • The reviewer notes that One UI 7 changes the look more than any hardware change, having tested it in beta on his own S24 Ultra for a few weeks.

  • Items the reviewer has not yet verified include the new S Pen reportedly losing Bluetooth, and whether the new chip's ISP improves the cameras.

  • Features the reviewer notes are missing on the S25 include IP69 rating, silicon carbide battery, ultra-fast charging, and a brighter display.

Bottom Line

The S25 line is a low-risk, incremental update where the software and AI features matter more than the hardware, and the reviewer's full verdict depends on tests not yet completed.