Samsung has officially announced the Galaxy S25 Ultra, its latest flagship smartphone, which marks a significant shift in design and a focus on artificial intelligence (AI) with the introduction of One UI 7.0. The new device sheds its Note roots with rounded corners and flat edges, aligning it more with the rest of the S series. Despite the design overhaul, the S25 Ultra's hardware specifications are largely unchanged, with the exception of an upgraded ultrawide camera and Qualcomm's latest chipset.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra's design is notable for its departure from the Note series' signature curved edges, instead opting for flat sides and rounded corners. While the phone may appear larger in photos, it is actually slightly smaller and lighter than its predecessor, thanks to slimmer bezels and a larger 6.9-inch screen. The device is equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, tuned specifically for Galaxy devices, and promises seven years of OS updates and security patches.

One of the most significant changes to the S25 Ultra is the omission of Bixby as the default virtual assistant. Instead, Google Gemini will answer when the wake button is long-pressed. The included S Pen, a holdover from the Note era, has also been downgraded, losing its Bluetooth capabilities and air gesture controls. The camera hardware remains largely unchanged, with the exception of a new 50-megapixel ultrawide module, replacing the previous 12-megapixel module. Samsung claims that an upgrade to the S25's algorithmic image processing has improved detail in zoomed images.

The real star of the show, however, is One UI 7.0, which brings a slew of AI-driven software features to the S25 Ultra. The new operating system allows users to take action across apps using AI, such as taking a picture of a flyer and having Gemini add the dates to their calendar and send an email to their spouse. Additionally, the S25 phones will be able to suggest routines based on users' habits, automatically taking care of tasks such as turning Bluetooth on and off. These features will initially work across Google Workspace and Samsung native apps, with the addition of WhatsApp and Spotify.

Notably, Samsung has committed to bringing these new AI features to older devices where possible, although it remains to be seen whether these updates will always be free. The Galaxy S25 Ultra and its S25 siblings are set to ship on February 7th, marking a significant milestone in Samsung's AI-powered smartphone strategy.

With the S25 Ultra, Samsung is betting big on the promise of AI on smartphones. While the device's minor hardware refresh may not be enough to sway some users, the introduction of One UI 7.0 and its AI-driven features may be the key to unlocking the true potential of smartphones. As the industry continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how Samsung's AI strategy plays out and whether it can deliver on the promise of AI on our smartphones.