The Galaxy S25 Ultra: Is the magic gone?

The smartphone world is buzzing about the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, and not in a good way. Samsung messed up with the AI. The phone's AI assistant was a big disappointment. In a simple test, when asked to find flight information by pressing the power button, Google’s Gemini assistant struggled. The user had to do it. This problem is a huge deal. The phoneis a simple upgrade from last year. It has a few new features, like a bigger screen and more cameras. But they are not really new. This is a problem because Samsung relies on these features to make the phone feel new. The Ultra used to be the phone with everything - a stylus, big screen, and all the cameras. It still is, but it's lost some of its charm. Samsung had to cut costs. Users can still have more for less. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is still a solid phone. It’s got a sharp screen, top-notch cameras, and it runs smoothly. But it doesn’t feel as special. The S25 Ultra has lost some of its standout features, and this is a problem. Users are asking for more. The price tag is steep—nearly 1, 299. The phone has new AI features, like writing tools and call translation. Samsung used Google’s Gemini as its new assistant. The results were mixed. The assistant could add events to the calendar but struggled with simple tasks, like adding video links to notes. Also, the assistant sometimes made up information, which is a big problem. The phone has a lot of new features. Gemini is the default assistant. It can do things like add events to the calendar, but it’s not unique. It will be available on other phones too. Samsung added some cool features, like the Now Brief, which shows summaries of your day. But it’s not very useful. It kept showing irrelevant news, so the user had to turn it off. Samsung made some tweaks to the phone’s design. The S25 Ultra has straight edges and a more comfortable shape. But it’s not as unique. The phone has a new protective layer on the screen. It’s supposed to be tougher, but the user only tested its scratch-resistance, and it’s good, but not amazing. The S25 Ultra is up to snuff on performance and battery life. But there’s a catch. The phone can’t charge wirelessly without a special magnetic case. The S Pen, Samsung’s stylus, has lost its Bluetooth features. The camera is also a mixed bag. It has a new 50-megapixel ultrawide lens, and the user noticed more detail in low-light shots. But is it worth the upgrade? Samsung claims that the low-light video processing is improved. The user couldn’t tell the difference, but it’s still a challenge for any mobile camera. It’s a solid phone, but it feels less special. Samsung needs to do more to justify the price.