The Galaxy S25 Ultra is a big, brilliant phone that doesn’t feel special enough to me anymore

You know that feeling when something comes out and you know that you should love it? Like when your favorite author drops a new title out of nowhere, even if it’s not their typical genre, or your favorite football team signs a promising but injury-prone young player? On paper, you know that there’s a ton of potential there, and your hopes should be sky-high. In reality, though, the experience isn’t always what it’s made out to be.

For me, that’s what has happened with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra after testing it for a couple of weeks. Even though I know I should be impressed by its new slate of Galaxy AI features, overclocked chipset, and flexible cameras, I can’t help but think that Samsung’s most expensive candy bar flagship falls a little flat. Here’s why I feel somewhat let down — but why you might feel differently.