The best big-screen Android phone you can buy, and barely distinguishable from the S25 Ultra it replaces.
Our score: 9 / 10
At a glance
| Spec | Detail |
|---|
| Display | 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED, 1–120Hz, Gorilla Armor 2 |
| Chip | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy |
| Cameras | 200MP f/1.4 main + 50MP 5x periscope + 10MP 3x + 50MP ultrawide |
| Battery | 5000 mAh, 60W wired |
| Stylus | S Pen in the body |
| Weight | Around 214 g |
The chip is the whole upgrade
Samsung has settled into a rhythm with the Ultra: the same slab, the same S Pen, the same 200MP camera, a new chip and a slightly better battery. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy is a real efficiency jump, noticeably cooler and longer-lasting under sustained load than the S25 Ultra, with headroom for the Galaxy AI features Samsung keeps adding.
The camera is a carry-over, and that is fine
The 200MP f/1.4 main and the 50MP 5x periscope are unchanged, and they are still among the most flexible on any phone. Past 10x, Samsung remains the one to beat, no other mainstream flagship holds detail at 30x and beyond the way this does.
One UI 8.5 leans hard on AI: generative photo edits, call transcription, cross-app agents. Some of it is genuinely useful, much of it you will open once.
The best display outdoors, still
Gorilla Armor 2’s anti-reflective coating remains a genuine advantage no competitor has matched. In direct sun, this is the most readable phone screen on the market, and it is not close.
The good and the bad
What works
- Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 runs cool and lasts
- The anti-reflective display is unmatched outdoors
- The best long-range zoom on any phone
- S Pen in the box, seven years of updates
What doesn’t
- Identical 200MP sensor and 214 g body as last year
- One UI 8.5 pushes AI features hard
- 60W charging is competitive, not class-leading
- $1,299 with no base-storage bump
Who it’s for
Buy it if you want the most versatile camera and screen in Android and you use the S Pen.
Skip it if you own an S24 or S25 Ultra, there is no reason to move.
Alternatives worth a look
- iPhone 17 Pro Max, better video and battery, worse zoom, no stylus.
- Galaxy S24 Ultra, the same core experience, heavily discounted, three OS updates left.
- Xiaomi 15 Ultra, a longer-reaching 200MP periscope if you can buy one where you live.
The verdict: The most polished big-screen Android phone on sale. Coming from anything older than an S24 Ultra, it is a superb upgrade.
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