It's the same old 'sung

The S25 Ultra seems... well, an awful lot like the S24 Ultra. So has a laser focus on Galaxy AI made this year's Samsung flagship little more than an also-ran?

Might this be the phone equivalent of doing your homework the night before the deadline? The Galaxy S25 Ultra should be Samsung's crowning glory for 2025, yet I had to pore over the spec sheet to spot what was actually new.

Oh sure, it looks different.

That titanium frame is a little flatter, and the corners more rounded. Qualcomm's latest mobile chipset brings more power and efficiency. One of the rear cameras even has a new sensor! But it's more than just the cobalt in the battery that's been recycled: things have even gone backwards in one or two areas.

Samsung seems to have decided that chasing hardware supremacy simply isn't worth the effort, so it's going all-in on Galaxy AI instead. What were standalone features last year now work together in a far more cohesive way, and some of the Gemini goodies that used to be exclusive to Google's Pixel phones have also made the jump. There are functions here I could genuinely see myself using every day.... but it's hard to justify shelling out four figures for the privilege.

Then again, if the outgoing S24 Ultra was such an all-round showstopper, does it matter that its successor isn't a root-and-branch replacement? There's still plenty here that keeps pace with big-name Android competitors, and some exclusives that could just make up for any deficits.