The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has the very best display on any cellphone that I’ve examined, nevertheless it was largely an incremental replace over its predecessor. Samsung eliminated some S Pen options, making it extra like a standard stylus slightly than one which connects over Bluetooth for Air Actions or to make use of as a distant digicam shutter. I nonetheless beloved utilizing the Galaxy S25 Ultra earlier this 12 months, primarily because of its anti-reflective show. But after Apple launched its dramatically redesigned iPhone 17 Pro, Samsung has some catching as much as do.Apple’s new aluminum unibody design for this 12 months’s Pro is paired with enhancements for video seize — enhancements which might be so important that the iPhone 17 Pro was used to broadcast some MLB video games on Apple TV Plus. In CNET’s Lab testing, the 17 Pro Max had the longest battery lifetime of any cellphone examined, together with the Galaxy S25 Ultra.Samsung must up its sport for the subsequent flagship, probably known as the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and I hope the corporate seems to be to Apple for a couple of concepts. I’ve been utilizing the iPhone 17 Pro Max since launch, and listed here are a few of its options that I’d like to see on my subsequent Samsung cellphone.Add a sq. sensor on the S26 Ultra’s selfie digicam The sq. sensor on the iPhone 17 collection offers a number of choices for the selfie digicam. Prakhar Khanna/CNETWhile I’d choose Samsung’s Galaxy AI over Apple Intelligence for its general AI function set, the iPhone 17 collection has one AI-enabled performance that could be a huge quality-of-life enchancment.Apple launched a brand new 18-megapixel Center Stage digicam, which homes a sq. sensor. It lets you maintain the cellphone vertically and take a horizontal selfie. It may use AI to routinely broaden the framing in selfies when a number of individuals are within the shot. This may appear to be a minor improve, nevertheless it’s a type of uncommon AI options that’ve labored reliably properly for me. This new sensor additionally helps stabilize the picture when recording movies or making a FaceTime name. It’s simply CNET’s Abrar Al-Heeti and Patrick Holland taking an informal selfie with the brand new Center Stage digicam. The 17 Pro routinely zoomed out to incorporate each editors. Patrick Holland/CNETBeing in a position to seize panorama group selfies with out twiddling with the cellphone orientation or on-screen toggles is a godsend as a result of the second is misplaced by the point you flip the cellphone to snap a photograph. The iPhone 17’s Auto Zoom and Auto Rotate options are intuitive and kick in 9 out of 10 occasions with none points, in my expertise.Samsung has an analogous AI-powered auto-zoom function for the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Flip 6, which makes use of the primary cameras on the duvet display. So it would not work on video calls. I hope it may be prolonged to the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s selfie shooter subsequent 12 months. Samung debuted an new auto-zoom function for group selfies on the Galaxy Z Flip 6. John Kim/CNETThis sq. digicam sensor’s skill to stabilize movies has been significantly useful to me. As somebody who has fixed tremors in my fingers as a consequence of a nervous dysfunction, I like that my selfie movies are now not jittery — a stark distinction from my Galaxy S25 Ultra. I hope Samsung provides a sq. sensor to the front-facing digicam on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, as it will make every little thing extra handy and accessible (if completed proper).Give the Galaxy S26 Ultra a telephoto digicam improve Both the iPhone 17 Pro and the Galaxy S25 Ultra have telephoto cameras. Prakhar Khanna/CNETFor the longest time, Samsung was the king of zoom, however that lead has diminished over the previous few years. While Chinese producers like Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo are in a league of their very own, the South Korean firm has additionally fallen behind within the American market. Google is utilizing AI to deal with zoom ranges of 30x or extra, whereas Apple has shifted to a 4x optical zoom that delivers distinctive video stabilization, even at 8x. By distinction, the Galaxy S25 Ultra has two devoted telephoto cameras (a 3x telephoto and a 5x telephoto), however solely one in all them competes with the competitors.Samsung changed its distinctive 10x optical zoom with a 5x periscope digicam two generations in the past. While it obtained a decision enhance (50 megapixels versus 10 megapixels on the Galaxy S23 Ultra), the 3x optical zoom sensor hasn’t obtained any upgrades in a couple of years. Personally, I seize lots of photographs at 3x — whether or not it is of individuals or throughout my photowalks on journeys — and the noisy ends in something with out vibrant daylight aren’t flagship-level — not to mention one thing I’d anticipate from a $1,300 cellphone. A 5x sensor is sweet, however Samsung has strayed away from its distinctive capabilities lately. Two devoted cameras for optical zoom needs to be a much bigger benefit than it’s proper now. For the Galaxy S26 Ultra, I hope Samsung upgrades the 3x telephoto digicam and offers us a pair of optical zoom-capable cameras that match or exceed one another when it comes to image high quality.Make the Galaxy Ultra simpler to carry The Galaxy S25 Ultra is likely to be a bit tougher to carry in comparison with the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Prakhar Khanna/CNETApple gave the iPhone 17 Pro Max a brand new unibody design and a bigger battery, which resulted in it being heavier than its predecessor; nonetheless, it stays ergonomic. It weighs 231 grams as in contrast with the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s 227 grams. On the opposite hand, Samsung made the Galaxy S25 Ultra lighter (218g) than its Galaxy S24 Ultra (232g), nevertheless it turned unergonomic. Only one in all these two new telephones feels comfy to carry, and it’s not an Android.Samsung made the Galaxy S25 Ultra flatter on the edges, which resulted in sharper edges on the again. Despite the curved corners, it digs into the palm in day-to-day use. The new Ultra is likely to be lighter than its predecessor, however its sharp and flat edges make it much less ergonomic to make use of, particularly for lengthy durations. I can really feel the discomfort when navigating or doomscrolling on social media. iPhone 17 Pro Max’s curved sides and corners make it simpler to carry Prakhar Khanna/CNETBy distinction, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is less complicated to make use of, because of its rounded corners and barely curved again. It remains to be heavy for my liking, and you may really feel the heft, however the usability is healthier than that of the Galaxy S25 Ultra.I hope Samsung borrows this design aspect whereas preserving the burden below 220 grams on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. This may make it probably the most ergonomic huge telephones.Don’t take away any extra options, Samsung The Galaxy S25 Ultra’s new options had been upstage by those Samsung eliminated. James Martin/CNETI solo journey regularly, and within the final two generations of Ultra telephones, Samsung has eliminated a few options that enchantment to me as a traveler.First, the 2024 departure from a devoted 10x optical zoom digicam was disappointing as a result of it helped me seize some wonderful pictures once I visited Costa Brava a 12 months earlier than. Photos of the shoreline, waves crashing into the rocks, and extra had been attainable solely due to that 10-megapixel telephoto digicam able to taking pictures 10x optical photos.Then, it eliminated Bluetooth functionalities from the S Pen in 2025. It meant I could not use Galaxy S25 Ultra’s S Pen as a distant shutter button, which was one in all my two use instances for the stylus. I may place the cellphone on a bench or lean it towards a pole and begin taking pictures with the S Pen, however that is now not attainable.I hope Samsung stops this development of eradicating options from its flagship telephones. After all, the Ultra used to imply all of the extras after which a bit bit extra, however not anymore. The Galaxy S25 Ultra already has the very best display on a cellphone, a light-weight design, an intuitive interface and extra. However, it’s too just like the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the cellphone that got here earlier than it.I do not desire a main redesign, as Galaxy telephones have carved out an id for themselves. However, Samsung must do a Galaxy Z Fold 7-style overhaul with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, when it comes to year-on-year updates: the corporate’s huge cellphone can use some polish to make it simpler to make use of. And if Samsung can improve the 3x telephoto digicam and borrow the iPhone 17 Pro’s sq. selfie digicam sensor, it may find yourself being top-of-the-line Galaxy S-series updates in current occasions. Editors’ be aware: The creator’s journey prices associated to the launch of the Galaxy S25 Ultra had been lined by Samsung. The judgments and opinions of CNET are our personal.
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