**The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is the most capable smartphone you can buy in 2026 — and it's not particularly close.** The camera is staggering, the Snapdragon 8 Elite is absurdly fast, and Galaxy AI adds genuinely useful features that aren't just gimmicks.
Who Is This For?
Power users, photographers, and anyone who wants the absolute best Android phone. If you use your phone for everything — work, photos, gaming, productivity — the S25 Ultra handles it all.
Camera: The Headline Act
The 200MP main sensor captures staggering detail. A photo of a building facade can be zoomed into to reveal individual brick textures. Night mode is exceptional too — dark street scenes come out bright and noise-free. The 5x periscope telephoto is brilliant for portraits, and a 10x zoom still produces usable results. It's genuinely the best camera system in any phone.
Performance: Snapdragon 8 Elite
Qualcomm's latest chip is a monster. Apps launch instantly, games run at max settings without breaking a sweat, and multitasking is seamless. Under sustained load, it runs cooler than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the S24 Ultra — Samsung and Qualcomm have clearly worked on thermals.
Galaxy AI: Actually Useful
Circle to Search (just circle anything on screen to Google it) is the feature you'll use daily. Live Translate during phone calls is incredible for international conversations. The Note Assist features — summarising, translating, formatting notes — paired with the built-in S Pen turn this phone into a pocket productivity powerhouse.
The S Pen
No charging, no Bluetooth pairing — just pull it out and write. For note-taking, quick sketches, or remote camera shutter control, it's brilliant. No other flagship offers this.
Is £1,299 Justified?
It's a huge amount of money. But factor in 7 years of software updates (it'll be supported until 2032), the S Pen, the best camera, and the most powerful chip, and the cost-per-year argument starts to make sense. The Pixel 9 Pro at £999 is excellent if you want to spend less, but it doesn't match this overall capability.
👍 What We Love
- 200MP main camera — staggeringly detailed photos in any light
- Snapdragon 8 Elite — the fastest mobile chip, period
- Galaxy AI: real-time translation, circle to search, live transcript
- S Pen stylus built right into the phone
- 7 years of OS and security updates promised
👎 Room for Improvement
- £1,299 is a lot of money — even for a flagship
- Large and heavy at 218g — one-handed use is a stretch
- Battery life is good but not class-leading
- Some Galaxy AI features require Samsung account and internet
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. With its current price point and feature set, it remains one of the best options in its category.
While newer models exist, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra still holds its own thanks to excellent build quality and software support.