The Galaxy S25 Extremely would not really feel very Extremely to me for these 5 causes

Samsung unveiled its newest top-of-the-line flagship smartphone, the S25 Extremely, at a Galaxy Unpacked occasion on January 22. The cellphone serves as essentially the most premium of Samsung’s sweet bar-style lineup, sitting straight above the usual S25 and its bigger S25+ sibling.

The South Korean tech big additionally teased the existence of a super-slim S25 Edge mannequin at this similar keynote, but it surely’s clear that the S25 Extremely is supposed to be essentially the most large-and-in-charge of the brand new product household.

Sadly, post-launch, I used to be left feeling reasonably underwhelmed by the S25 Extremely — as a {hardware} refresh, the handset leaves something to be desired. Listed here are the the reason why I really feel that, total, the S25 Extremely is not a worthwhile improve over final yr’s S24 Ultra.

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1 The Galaxy S25 Extremely lacks ambition within the specs division

Samsung hasn’t endowed its newest flagship with leading edge elements

In some regards, the Galaxy S25 Extremely is a tech powerhouse. The cellphone is without doubt one of the first to ship with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, and it one-ups the competitors with its bespoke ‘for Galaxy’ version chip tuning. The S25 Extremely additionally comes with Corning Gorilla Armor 2, which provides anti-reflective properties not discovered on some other mainstream handset available on the market.

Nonetheless, for a commanding value of $1,300, I count on extra from Samsung. In no explicit order, listed below are a number of the most obtrusive Galaxy S25 Extremely {hardware} omissions:

• No silicon carbon battery tech for elevated energy pack density
• No tremendous speedy wired or wi-fi top-up speeds
• No Qi2 Magnetic Power Profile (MPP) assist for MagSafe compatibility
• No IP69 ingress protection certification for assurance towards excessive water situations
• No developments in anti-flicker or pulse width modulation (PWM) show tech for eye consolation functions

If the S25 Extremely have been lacking one or two of those options present in different high-end smartphones, it would not be the most important deal on the planet. Nonetheless, Samsung seems to be stagnating on a number of fronts, which is disappointing for an organization so dominant inside the trade.

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2 Samsung has walked again the Extremely’s distinctive {hardware} identification

The S25 Extremely’s chassis is a major instance of smartphone homogenization

With the Galaxy S25 Extremely, Samsung has dialed again the distinctive design language of its flagship cellphone mannequin. Whereas the S24 Extremely was engineered with sharp, domineering corners, the S25 Extremely opts for a softer and extra muted footprint.

The S25 Extremely’s much less angular proportions are arguably extra appropriate for in-hand use. That being stated, I can not assist however really feel dissatisfied in Samsung’s choice to stroll away from the design concerns that made its earlier handsets so distinctive from a bodily standpoint.

Worse nonetheless is the rear digital camera module scenario — in an effort to distinguish the S25 Extremely from its predecessor, Samsung has stapled cheesy rings onto every particular person sensor, which is an aesthetic downgrade in my view.

The truth that these digital camera rings may be indifferent from the S25 Extremely’s chassis would not hassle me fairly a lot, but it surely definitely is amusing. Here is hoping that Samsung sticks solely to wearable rings sooner or later, reasonably than gluing them onto its handsets.

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3 The Extremely’s iconic S Pen stylus has been neutered

The shortage of Bluetooth on this yr’s S Pen is a demonstrable year-on-year downgrade

Consider it or not, Samsung has actually removed a feature with this yr’s S25 Extremely: the included S Pen stylus not comes with built-in Bluetooth assist.

The S Pen, which harkens again to the times of the Galaxy Observe line, has included Bluetooth because the launch of the Note 9 in 2018. The addition of this tech permits the stylus for use as a distant management shutter button, in addition to a makeshift wand for varied Air Actions.

It may be argued that the addition of Bluetooth inside the S Pen expertise is a superfluous one, with considerably doubtful utility. Nonetheless, it is by no means an amazing signal when an organization cuts prices by eradicating beforehand accessible {hardware} options.

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4 The Galaxy S25 Extremely would not stay in a vacuum

The OnePlus 13, the Pixel 9 Professional, and plenty of others are all vying for flagship Android supremacy

Even with all these complaints in thoughts, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely is a wonderful and well-refined smartphone. Its titanium body is high-end, its chipset is best-in-class, and its show is amazingly anti-reflective.

Nonetheless, Samsung is not transport its newest Extremely handset in a vacuum. On this planet of flagship Android smartphones, survival of the fittest is the secret. The just lately launched OnePlus 13 provides a whole {hardware} package deal, whereas undercutting the Extremely by a whopping $400. Google, in the meantime, continues to climb the hardware ranks, with its Pixel 9 collection rising in recognition.

Early gross sales figures for the Galaxy S25 Extremely point to a successful launch, however the firm should do extra subsequent yr if it needs to proceed to justify its yearly Extremely hype cycle.

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