Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Reviews: Still Worth Buying in 2026

Three months after the Galaxy S25 Ultra landed, the review consensus is easier to hear: the hardware is superb, the AI is uneven, and the price still stings. Tom’s Guide’s battery test hit 17 hours and 14 minutes, which is the sort of endurance that usually belongs to a bigger phone. This is the long-term picture buyers need before spending flagship money in 2026 (Tom’s Guide (phone-testing outlet)).

Display: 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X · Chip: Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy · Battery: 5000mAh · Main camera: 200MP · Updates: 7 years (Uswitch (mobile-plan comparison service)) · Weight: 218g

One pattern in the early review wave: Samsung kept the hardware familiar and bet on the long game. GSMArena’s review centered on the same core spec list that still defines the phone (GSMArena (phone benchmark lab)).

Is the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra still worth buying?

Value proposition in 2026

• Android flagship benchmark: Android Central says the S25 Ultra checks nearly every box for buyers who want the most well-rounded Android phone (Android Central (Android specialists)).
• Long-term support: Samsung promises seven years of software and security updates (Uswitch (mobile-plan comparison service)).

The value case gets simpler the longer you plan to keep the phone. The hardware is still close to the top of the Android ladder, and the seven-year update promise is the kind of commitment that makes a high price easier to spread over time.

Price versus competing flagships

• S25 Ultra: premium price for the largest display, the S Pen, and the most versatile camera system in the family.
• S25 and S25+: the same core Galaxy AI feature set at a lower price.
• Older flagships: strong hardware, but with shorter remaining support windows than the S25 Ultra.

The price conversation depends on what you actually use. If the S Pen and the giant screen are your daily tools, the Ultra’s premium is easier to justify; if you just want Galaxy AI and a reliable camera, the smaller S25 models cover those bases.

Software and AI edge

The practical takeaway: the S25 Ultra will not become a worse phone as AI matures, because Samsung has committed to seven years of updates. That is a stronger long-term promise than a flashy launch demo.

The pattern: the S25 Ultra is still worth buying, but the reason has shifted from “wow” to “longevity.” The hardware is excellent; the seven-year support promise is what makes the price defensible in 2026.

Is the S25 Ultra a flop or a hit?

Critical reception

• Tech Advisor calls it “boring but brilliant” — a refined upgrade rather than a reinvented one (Tech Advisor (consumer tech outlet)).
• Android Central says it checks nearly every box for buyers who want the most well-rounded Android phone (Android Central (Android specialists)).
• Digital Trends finds the main camera disappointing and Galaxy AI limited in appeal (Digital Trends (consumer tech outlet)).

That split is the whole story. The phone wins on screen, speed, and endurance; it loses some goodwill on the camera and the S Pen’s missing Bluetooth.

User sentiment and the long-term pattern

A flop would produce a different pattern: reviewers would struggle to say what’s good. Here, they agree on the screen, performance, and support.

Confirmed vs. unclear

• Confirmed: excellent battery life is a recurring reviewer point.
• Confirmed: the S25 Ultra is still described as a superphone.
• Confirmed: seven years of software support is part of the package.
• Confirmed: the main camera is the weakest part of the hardware story.

• Unclear: battery health after two or more years of daily charging.
• Unclear: whether Galaxy AI becomes core to daily workflows.
• Unclear: long-term durability of the titanium frame.
• Unclear: resale value in 2028.
• Unclear: whether the camera complaints matter enough to change a buying decision.

Between the praise and the caveats, the S25 Ultra is not a flop. It is a very good phone that reviewers wish were a little more different from the model it replaced.

How long will a Samsung S25 Ultra last?

Build quality and durability testing

• IP68 water and dust resistance is confirmed, though GSMArena calls the rating “basic” rather than leading-edge (GSMArena (phone benchmark lab)).
• The S Pen is still in the box, but its Bluetooth functions are gone — a tradeoff that reviewers flag (GSMArena (phone benchmark lab)).

Battery health over time

• Tom’s Guide battery test: 17h14m of web surfing over 5G (Tom’s Guide (phone-testing outlet)).
• Battery capacity: 5000mAh.

The 5000mAh cell is the same size as the S24 Ultra’s, so the longevity story depends on the more efficient chip and software tuning. That combination is why reviewers keep praising endurance.

Software support and security updates

• Samsung guarantees seven years of OS upgrades and security patches for the S25 Ultra (The Guardian (UK newspaper)).

What this means: the physical phone may need a battery replacement after a few years, but the software will not force an upgrade. For many buyers, that is the real definition of “lasting.”

Which is better than the Samsung S25 Ultra?

The field

• Screen: CNET says the S25 Ultra has the best display it has tested (CNET (tech review outlet)).
• Value: CNET also notes the S25 and S25+ offer similar features for less money (CNET (tech review outlet)).
• Overall: Android Central says it checks nearly every box for Android buyers (Android Central (Android specialists)).

Three columns, one pattern: the Ultra leads on hardware and support, while the S25 and S25+ lead on value.

Why you might choose something else

The trade-off: the S25 Ultra gives up some value and some camera polish to stay the most complete Android phone. If your priority is raw value, the cheaper S25 models are the smarter pick.

Which Galaxy S25 is best?

S25 vs S25+ vs S25 Ultra

• S25 Ultra: largest display, S Pen, and the most versatile camera system in the family.
• S25+: 4900mAh battery and a bigger screen than the base model, without the Ultra price.
• S25: the compact, most affordable way into the Galaxy S25 series.

The clearest split is between people who want the full Ultra experience and people who just want Galaxy AI in a lighter package. For the second group, the S25+ is usually the better middle ground.

S25 Ultra specs at a glance

• Core numbers: 6.9-inch display, 5000mAh battery, 200MP main camera, 12GB RAM.

Seven numbers that mattered in every review: display size, chip, RAM and storage, battery, camera, weight, and water resistance.

Recommendation by use case

• Creators and zoom lovers: S25 Ultra.
• Battery-and-size balance: S25+.
• One-handed use: S25.
• Value-first Galaxy AI: S25+ or S25, not the Ultra.

The pick: for most people, the S25+ is the best Galaxy S25 for the money. The Ultra is the best Galaxy S25 for someone who wants the biggest screen, the S Pen, and the longest update commitment.

Boring but brilliant — that is the S25 Ultra in four words.

— Tech Advisor (consumer tech outlet)

Excellent battery life and a deep generative-AI feature set are the two standouts from TechRadar’s testing.

— TechRadar (consumer tech site)

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is not a phone that needs to prove itself anymore. It has the screen, the endurance, and the update commitment to carry someone through the next several Android generations, and it is held back by the same caveats reviewers flagged at launch: the main camera, the Bluetooth-less S Pen, and a price that still hurts. For anyone shopping in 2026, the decision is clear: choose the S25 Ultra if the S Pen, the display, and seven years of updates matter most — or save the money and take the S25+ before the next Ultra arrives.

Frequently asked questions

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