This is just my opinion, but if you were thinking about upgrading from the S24 Ultra, you should probably save your money. First of all, the pre order deals were pretty good. I changed my mind but then they did a "Spring Sale" and I went ahead and took the bait because I was wondering if I should have done the pre order. So I still got a good deal with trade in if $900 plus an extra $100 in credit, so I got the 1TB Phone and Buds 3 Pro for less than $600. Here's the funny thing...I didn't notice any difference whatsoever in speed or battery life. Add in the removal of the Bluetooth S Pen capabilities and little annoying things like the Now Bar and some things being removed from Goodlock and I started to realize I was having a change of heart. The rounded corners looked ok but the square corners on the S24 Ultra make it look more premium. So there you have it. I sent it back and plan on sticking with the S24 Ultra for at least another year and we'll see what Samsung decides to do with the S Pen and AI. Granted, if you're coming from an S21 or S22 Ultra, you might like and notice some differences between the two, but I hope this was somewhat helpful if you're trying to decide.
I will say this for the S25U coming from the S24U. Battery life 1.5 hrs more of SoT. It is noticeable faster. Every ones experience will be different.
The removal of Bluetooth functionality in the Spen is not a factor for me. I rarely used it. There are so many ways to snap a photo other than the spen, voice commands, hand gestures, and wearables. A total wash for me.
At first I wasn't keen on the slight rounded corners of the S25U. However, I have grown to love the feel in the hand better than the S24U. The weight of the might not seem that much, picking it up you feel the difference right away.
Where the S25u was an absolute game changer for me, the Qualco Snapdragon X80 5G-RF modem by far more superior than the Qualcomm Ć7 modem. I live in an apartment that faces the back. I had terrible 5g reception on Verizon. I was barely getting 4g speeds. Now, I am getting speeds that are equal to my Wifi 6 router. The modem is also future proofed for 5.5 g advanced that will roll out later this year, giving the benefit of improved battery life.
I pre-ordered the S25U, thinking that it would be a step up from my S23U. Like you, I didn't find it to be a worthwhile upgrade. I contacted Samsung within the return window, returned the phone, and got a refund.
Used to be, you could upgrade every other model year and be confident that it was a good value proposition. Samsung now seems to be content with making minor year-to-year upgrades and still charging a premium. In my opinion, the value isn't there anymore.
