The Galaxy S25 Extremely would not really feel ver...

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 instantly 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, nevertheless it’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 quite underwhelmed by the S25 Extremely — as a {hardware} refresh, the handset leaves something to be desired. Listed below are the explanation why I really feel that, general, 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 innovative 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 presents anti-reflective properties not discovered on some other mainstream handset in the marketplace.

Nonetheless, for a commanding worth of $1,300, I anticipate extra from Samsung. In no specific order, listed below are a number of the most obvious 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 in opposition to excessive water circumstances
• No developments in anti-flicker or pulse width modulation (PWM) show tech for eye consolation functions

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

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

The S25 Extremely’s chassis is a main 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 mentioned, I can not assist however really feel disenchanted in Samsung’s determination to stroll away from the design concerns that made its earlier handsets so distinctive from a bodily standpoint.

Worse nonetheless is the rear digicam 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 for my part.

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

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

The dearth 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 now not comes with built-in Bluetooth assist.

The S Pen, which harkens again to the times of the Galaxy Word 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 numerous 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 reside in a vacuum

The OnePlus 13, the Pixel 9 Professional, and lots 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 the earth of flagship Android smartphones, survival of the fittest is the secret. The just lately launched OnePlus 13 presents 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 sequence rising in reputation.

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

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