The Galaxy S25 Ultra is a fantastic Android phone I hate using

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is an excellent Android phone. Its specs are as high-end as they come, its hardware/build quality couldn’t be more premium if you wanted, and its level of software support is one of the best in the industry. By all objective accounts, it’s one of the best smartphones — Android or not — on the market today.

Despite all of that, I hate using the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

I’ve been testing the S25 Ultra on and off for over a month now, and while I can see and appreciate everything it does well, there’s something about it that doesn’t click with me. I know it’s technically a great phone, but the more I use it, the more I want to put it down for something else.

If you think that sounds crazy, I’m right there with you. I went into the Galaxy S25 Ultra wanting to like it, and truth be told, there’s a lot about the phone I thoroughly enjoy. So, what’s the issue?

Is it performance? No. The Snapdragon 8 Elite, paired with up to 16GB of RAM, results in the S25 Ultra being one of the snappiest and smoothest Android phones you can get your hands on. Is it the display? No way. Samsung’s AMOLED 2X panel is outrageously good, while Corning’s Gorilla Armor 2 glass suppresses reflections unbelievably well.

Is it battery life? The cameras? The downgraded S Pen we got this year? No, no, and no. It’s not even the software, which is usually a sticking point for me with Samsung phones. Between the new app drawer, redesigned Quick Settings layout, and improved animations, One UI 7 looks and feels better than any previous version.

Ultimately, my one tangible issue with the Galaxy S25 Ultra is its design. It’s not that the S25 Ultra is poorly built; build quality-wise, it’s about as good as it gets. The problem is the phone’s ergonomics.

It’s no surprise that the S25 Ultra is a big phone, especially since it has the same general design Samsung has used for the last several years. But in practice, that doesn’t change the fact that the phone is bulky, cumbersome, and not enjoyable to hold.

Phones like the OnePlus 13 prove that you can make a large phone that’s comfortable to hold and use, but Samsung apparently missed that memo when it designed the S25 Ultra. The flat sides combined with the sharp edges are supremely uncomfortable. The 218-gram body feels like an actual brick in my hand. The camera placement on the back means there’s no good spot to rest your finger under. More so than any other phone I’ve used recently, the S25 Ultra doesn’t fit well in my jeans pockets.

These may not sound like deal-breakers, and on their own, they aren’t. But they all contribute to making the S25 Ultra a phone I actively dislike holding and interacting with. And that’s a problem! I want to appreciate how fast the Galaxy S25 Ultra is, how much I like the software, and how fun the S Pen can be. But when I dislike the hardware this much, it’s hard to do.

My other problem with the Galaxy S25 Ultra is less tangible, but it’s just as much of an issue for me, if not more so.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is a very familiar phone to me. It shares the same overall design language as the Galaxy S24 Ultra before it, which also looked just like the S23 Ultra … and the S22 Ultra. As someone who covers mobile tech for a living, it’s a design I’ve seen, written about, and used for the past 3+ years. When I pick up the S25 Ultra, it feels like I’m using a phone from 2023 or 2022, and that’s not a feeling I want to have, especially not from a phone that starts at $1,300.

Is this a pain point everyone will experience? Absolutely not. If you don’t regularly follow mobile tech news or upgrade your phone every year, the Galaxy S25 Ultra probably looks and feels as modern as any other phone out there. But if you do stay on top of the mobile tech world and/or regularly upgrade your phone — two strong possibilities if you’re reading this article — I imagine you’ll end up in the same boat as me.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra has the specs, software, and AI features of a 2025 smartphone, but its identity is old and outdated. It makes the phone feel like it’s living in the past, and as a result, I’m not drawn to the S25 Ultra or excited to use it.

If the Galaxy S25 Ultra were in a bubble, these complaints of mine wouldn’t matter. But unfortunately for Samsung, the S25 Ultra is surrounded by incredibly fierce competition. And whenever I grab the Galaxy S25 Ultra, I can’t help but think of other phones I’d rather use instead.

The OnePlus 13 has been sitting on my desk during my month with the S25 Ultra, and each time I see the phone, I miss it. It shares some of the same specs as Samsung’s phone, but between its much more eye-catching design, more ergonomic hardware, and unique touches like its fast charging and alert slider, I’m drawn to it in a way I’m not to the S25 Ultra.

I’ve even felt that way about the Google Pixel 9a that recently appeared on my doorstep. It’s far less capable than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but what it lacks in CPU performance or camera prowess, it makes up for by feeling like a proper new smartphone. It looks unlike any Pixel I’ve seen before, and as a result, it’s a phone I want to spend time with and get to know.

Whether it’s the OnePlus 13, the Pixel 9a, or something like the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, they all scratch that curiosity itch. They’re phones that have a feeling of newness for one reason or another, and that excites the phone nerd in me. The Galaxy S25 Ultra doesn’t.

Does that make the S25 Ultra a bad phone? One you shouldn’t buy? Not at all. If you want a big Android phone with the latest specs, great software, and top-notch support, it’s one of the best you can buy. I can appreciate all of those things, and it’s why I call the S25 Ultra a fantastic Android phone in the headline of this article.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is an objectively great device, but as someone who wants a phone that feels novel and new, the S25 Ultra ends up being a fast, capable, and feature-rich handset I hate using.