Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra hands-on: Why I'm nearly sold on the flagship Android phone

Samsung's Big Bad Galaxy phone has arrived, and it's almost everything I expected. The Galaxy S25 Ultra, which starts at a bold $1,299 price tag, remains the company's do-everything handset, with a more durable display than ever, an upgraded camera system with some useful editing tricks, and the infamous S Pen stylus. Oh, and yes, AI is everything, everywhere, all at once.

Also: Everything announced at Samsung Unpacked 2025: Galaxy S25, Gemini AI, more

While last year's Galaxy S24 series ushered in Samsung's Galaxy AI era, this year feels more like the company cementing itself as the leader in the space, besting Apple and even Google (for now) on features and capabilities. Of course, how decorative that honor is ultimately depends on how invested you are in using AI.

I spent an intimate afternoon with the new Galaxy S25 phones, with ...