Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra it has the best screen in the world telephone which I tested, but it was mostly an incremental upgrade over its predecessor. Samsung has removed some of the S Pen's features, making it more like a traditional stylus rather than one that connects via Bluetooth for Air Actions or serves as a remote camera shutter. I still enjoyed using the Galaxy S25 Ultra earlier this year, mainly thanks to its anti-glare display. But after Apple released its radically updated design iPhone 17 proSamsung has some catching up to do.
Apple's new aluminum unibody design for this year's Pro combines with improvements in video capture—improvements that are so significant that the iPhone 17 Pro was used to stream some MLB games on Apple TV Plus. IN CNET Lab TestingThe 17 Pro Max had the longest battery life of any phone tested, including the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Samsung needs to up its game for its next flagship, which will likely be called Galaxy S26 Ultraand I hope the company approaches Apple for some ideas. I've been using the iPhone 17 Pro Max since its launch, and here are some of the features I'd like to see on my next Samsung phone.
Add a square sensor to the S26 Ultra's selfie camera.
The iPhone 17 series' square sensor offers plenty of options for the selfie camera.
Although I would choose Samsung Galaxy AI over Apple Intelligence for a general set of artificial intelligence functions, iPhone 17 series has one AI-enabled feature that significantly improves quality of life.
Apple introduced a new 18MP Center Stage Camerawhich houses the square sensor. It allows you to hold your phone vertically and take horizontal selfies. It can also use artificial intelligence to automatically expand the frame in selfies when there are multiple people in the frame. This may seem like a minor update, but it's one of those rare AI features that has worked really well for me. This new sensor also helps stabilize the image when recording a video or making a FaceTime call.
It's just CNET's Abrar Al-Hiti and Patrick Holland taking a random selfie with Center Stage's new camera. 17 Pro automatically zoomed out to include both editors.
Being able to take selfies in a landscape group without fiddling with the phone's orientation or on-screen switches is a godsend because the moment is lost when you rotate the phone to take a photo. In my experience, the auto-zoom and auto-rotate features on the iPhone 17 are intuitive and work nine out of 10 times without any problems.
Samsung has a similar AI-powered auto-scaling feature for Galaxy Z Flip 7 And Z-flip 6which uses the main cameras on the main screen. Therefore, it does not work on video calls. I hope it can be extended to the Galaxy S26 Ultra selfie shooter next year.
Samung has introduced a new auto-zoom feature for group selfies on the Galaxy Z Flip 6.
I found this square camera sensor's ability to stabilize video particularly useful. As someone who constantly has shaky hands due to a nervous disorder, I love that my selfie videos no longer feel jittery—a stark contrast to my Galaxy S25 Ultra.
I hope Samsung adds a square sensor to the Galaxy S26 Ultra's front camera, as it will make everything more convenient and accessible (if done right).
Give the Galaxy S26 Ultra a Telephoto Lens Upgrade
Both the iPhone 17 Pro and Galaxy S25 Ultra come with telephoto lenses.
For a long time, Samsung was the king of scaling, but that lead has eroded over the past few years. Although Chinese manufacturers love XiaomiVivo and Oppo are in a league of their own, the South Korean company is also lagging behind in the American market.
Google uses artificial intelligence to achieve zoom levels of 30x or more, while Apple has moved to 4x optical zoom, which provides exceptional video stabilization even at 8x zoom. In contrast, the Galaxy S25 Ultra has two dedicated telephoto cameras (a 3x telephoto lens and a 5x telephoto lens), but only one of them rivals the competition.
Two generations ago, Samsung replaced its unique 10x optical zoom with a 5x periscope camera. Despite the increase in resolution (50 megapixels versus 10 megapixels on Galaxy S23 Ultra), the 3x optical zoom sensor hasn't been updated in several years. Personally, I take a lot of photos at 3x—whether of people or while photographing on trips—and the noisy results when shooting without bright sunlight aren't flagship level—let alone what I'd expect from a $1,300 phone.
The 5x sensor is nice, but Samsung has moved away from its unique capabilities in recent years. Two dedicated optical zoom cameras should be a bigger advantage than they currently are. In the Galaxy S26 Ultra, I hope Samsung upgrades the 3x telephoto lens and gives us a pair of optical zoom cameras that match or exceed each other in image quality.
Make Galaxy Ultra easier to hold
The Galaxy S25 Ultra may be a little harder to hold compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Apple gave the iPhone 17 Pro Max a new unibody design and a larger battery, making it heavier than its predecessor; however, it remains ergonomic. It weighs 231 grams compared to iPhone 16 pro max227 grams. On the other hand, Samsung has made the Galaxy S25 Ultra lighter (218g) than the Galaxy S24 Ultra (232g), but it is not ergonomic. Only one of these two new phones it's comfortable to hold and it's not Android.
Samsung has made the Galaxy S25 Ultra flatter on the sides, resulting in sharper edges at the back. Despite the curved corners, it digs into the palm of your hand during everyday use. The new Ultra may be lighter than its predecessor, but its sharp and flat edges make it less ergonomic to use, especially during long periods of use. I feel uncomfortable when navigating or scrolling on social media.
iPhone 17 Pro Max's curved sides and corners make it easier to hold
In contrast, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is easier to use thanks to its rounded corners and slightly curved back. It's still heavy in my opinion and you can feel the weight, but the usability is better than the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
I hope Samsung borrows this design element while keeping the Galaxy S26 Ultra under 220 grams. This could make it one of the most ergonomic big phones out there.
Don't remove any more features, Samsung
The new features of the Galaxy S25 Ultra took a backseat to the ones Samsung removed.
I often travel alone, and in the last two generations of Ultra phones, Samsung has removed several features that appeal to me as a traveler.
Firstly, the move away from the dedicated 10x optical zoom camera in 2024 was disappointing because it helped me take some amazing shots during my visit Costa Brava a year earlier. Photos of the coastline, waves crashing against rocks, and more are made possible only by the 10-megapixel telephoto lens, capable of capturing 10x optical images.
Then in 2025, Bluetooth functionality was removed from the S Pen. This meant I couldn't use the Galaxy S25 Ultra's S Pen as a remote shutter button, which was one of my two options for using the stylus. I could put the phone on a bench or lean it against a pole and start shooting with the S Pen, but that's no longer possible.
I hope Samsung stops this trend of removing features from their flagship phones. After all, “Ultra” used to mean all the extra features and then some more, but not anymore. The Galaxy S25 Ultra already has the best screen on a phone, a lightweight design, an intuitive interface, and more. However, it looks too similar to the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the phone that came before it.
I don't want a major redesign since Galaxy phones have created their own identity. However, Samsung needs to give the Galaxy Z Fold 7 a complete overhaul with the Galaxy S26 Ultra in terms of annual updates: the company's big phone could use some tweaking to make it easier to use. And if Samsung can upgrade the 3x telephoto lens and borrow the square selfie camera sensor from the iPhone 17 Pro, it could be one of the best updates to the Galaxy S series in a while.
Editor's note: The author's travel expenses related to the presentation of the Galaxy S25 Ultra were covered by Samsung. CNET's judgments and opinions are our own..
