3 Reasons I'm Waiting for the Galaxy S25 Ultra

Samsung recently released its latest folding phones, and the current Galaxy S24 series is pretty great. However, I'm waiting for the Galaxy S25 Ultra to arrive early next year, and believe it'll be an excellent replacement for my aging Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Yes, I still use an old but highly capable Galaxy S21 Ultra as my daily phone. Why? It's a solid phone with a stunning screen, excellent cameras, the latest version of Android, and much more. The last few Ultra phones haven't been enough to sway me, but it's finally time to upgrade. Here's why.

Sure, every new flagship phone is slightly better than the outgoing model, but lately, Samsung hasn't made enough changes to make the upgrade worth my while. The Ultra has marginal upgrades, not to mention a big, square, boxy design. According to various leaks, that's finally changing with the upcoming Galaxy S25 Ultra. Personally, that's a big deal.

From what we hear, the Galaxy S25 Ultra design is better in every aspect. It'll ditch the square Note-like shape for rounded edges, making it substantially easier (and more comfortable) to hold. Honestly, that's my biggest complaint about recent Ultra phones. And yes, it'll still have the S-Pen stylus. These photos perfectly sum up my thoughts on the last three years of Ultra phones.

Those sharp corners, case or not, make big phones very uncomfortable to use for more than a few minutes. These phones are also increasingly wide and heavy, exacerbating the problem.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is expected to have a larger 6.86-inch display (compared to 6.79), but Samsung may market it as a 6.9-inch screen. Yes, the screen is bigger than last year, but thanks to smaller bezels, thinner side rails, and rounded edges, it should feel smaller in hand than the S24 Ultra and older outgoing models.

Other Galaxy S25 Ultra specs are likely a durable titanium design, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 AI chipset, improved cameras, more RAM, and continue with the S-Pen, IP68 resistance, and fast 45W charging, to name a few.

Better Cameras With AI Goodies

My aging Galaxy S21 Ultra is only getting a few of the many Galaxy AI features, and Android 15 will be its last major OS update. So, while it's time to upgrade, even if the Galaxy S25 Ultra only delivered a more rounded design, that would be enough for me. Thankfully, that's not all we're expecting to see.

Obviously, AI is everywhere. Samsung's upcoming phone will run the latest Android 15 update with One UI 7, and you can bet on several new AI features. Many of those will likely revolve around the powerhouse of cameras on the back, all powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.

Each year, the cameras improve thanks to software prowess, AI, and other minor changes. Even if we don't get four new cameras on the back (spoiler: we won't), it'll still be worth the upgrade. I expect an upgraded 50MP ultra-wide camera, a 200MP HP2 primary camera, a similar 10MP 3x zoom lens, and a 50MP 5x IMX854 sensor. We could see a better front-facing selfie camera, but all these will benefit from improved software, processing, and AI.

My nearly 4-year-old S21 Ultra still takes excellent photos, but the S25 Ultra will be an obvious upgrade.

Thinner and Lighter Than Previous Ultras

Aside from the more comfortable design with rounded corners, the Galaxy S25 Ultra could be the thinnest and lightest flagship Ultra phone yet. Rumor has it that Samsung will continue to use high-grade titanium for the frame. Still, it'll be thinner and not as wide, not to mention the size reduction from smaller bezels, ensuring the phone is physically lighter than before. Again, it's all about comfort when we're holding these massive devices in our hands all day.

Another report from the famed leakster UniverseIce mentions how the Galaxy S25 Ultra will weigh less than the S24 Ultra, S23 Ultra, and even the new iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Even with a bigger screen and better specs, the Galaxy S25 Ultra should be smaller, thinner, lighter, curvier, and easier to hold and use vs. previous Ultra models. Combine all of those design enhancements with the latest version of Android, a stunning AMOLED 2X display, seven years of OS updates, and a bunch of AI goodies, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra is shaping up as an excellent phone worth waiting for.