Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 - A Coming of Age

If ever there was an example of the tech industry presenting us with a product nobody asked for, it's the folding phone.

A flip phone? Sure. That made sense. Having the ability to essentially bundle your phone up to make it half its size was great. Much more pocketable. And you could protect the screen inside. And it made you look a bit like Captain Kirk using his communicator.

But a phone that folded out to be twice as big?

I'm a pretty big sci-fi fan and I can't think of any portrayal of the future where our phones were bigger, not smaller.

And yet...

Because they could, they did. They told us this was the phone that doubles as a tablet and amazingly, some people actually bought them and some of those people even used them that way.

Despite the massive crease in the middle. Despite the terrible battery life. Despite the mediocre (and sometimes even plain bad) cameras. And despite the fact when you folded it up it was like having two phones in your pocket instead of one.

This was what I like to call an Emperor's New Clothes moment; the folding phone was silly but everyone was too afraid to admit it.

Well I'm here to tell you, things have changed. Now the only silly thing about it is the price.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 is available in four colours; Blue Shadow, Silver Shadow, Jetblack and Mint. It comes in 256GB, 512GB and 1TB options and has an RRP ranging from NZ$3,249.00 to NZ$4,099.00 - although whether anyone will ever end up paying over $4k for a phone is unclear as pre-orders of the 1TB variant are currently being discounted by $300 on the SamsungNZ site and there are some incredible bonus bundles out there too.

Still, a lot of money - as the Galaxy Fold always has been. However, this year, finally, you might almost be getting what you pay for.

Let's start with the size; The Z Fold7 is both bigger and considerably smaller - in all the right ways.

The main display (unfolded) is now a full 8-inches - last year's was only 7.6. Because of that, the cover display has also expanded out to 6.5-inches but more importantly, it has a more familiar aspect ratio, no longer unnaturally tall and skinny in the hand.

The even bigger headline is how slim Samsung has managed to make this thing; just 4.2mm when unfolded. It's lighter too; only 215 grams which means it amazingly now weighs slightly less than its S25 Ultra stablemate - and not much thicker, even when closed.

Despite this incredible new slimness, there's a new feel of durability about the device - not only are the displays protected by some of the latest developments from Corning Gorilla Glass, Samsung has made the Armor Aluminium frame even tougher and has completely redesigned the all-important hinge mechanism, now rebranded as the Armor FlexHinge.

This, in turn, has led to the least-visible crease on a Samsung folding display yet. In fact, the folding technology is now so good, I honestly don't even notice it. If I want a bigger screen, I just open the phone. It seems much more natural than ever before.

Another significant, tangible upgrade is the camera configuration, both inside and out. I've been highly critical of the cameras on Samsung's folding phones from the very beginning. I just couldn't understand why you'd hamstring your most expensive phone with average photo performance. Then, to add insult to injury, they made the camera on the Fold3's main (internal) screen even worse. The under-display sensor was covered up (sort of) by larger pixels, rendering it (sort of) invisible - but at the cost of terrible quality photos and videos.

Thankfully, at last Samsung has seen the error of its ways and reverted back to a decent 10MP punch-hole sensor, just like we're used to on any other handset. Now, if they could just move it to somewhere more practical, like the centre of one of the edges so we can actually look people in the eye when we're on a video chat.

To be honest, I seldom use that internal camera for anything other than unlocking via facial recognition, not when now, finally, the primary camera array outside is so good.

It's only taken seven generations but now we have a 200MP wide camera, a 12MP ultra-wide and a 10MP telephoto module that really stands out - both figuratively and literally. This is a classic illustration of the reality check Samsung has given itself; Yes, you can have one of the thinnest phones ever - but if you want great photos and videos, you'll have to put up with a big camera module. That's just physics. And I'm pretty sure Fold fans will be fine with that compromise.

The 200MP main camera doesn't just mean incredible detail, it also does some cool stuff with light - as demonstrated by this twilight shadow shot...

Meanwhile, the ultra-wide also performs like a flagship camera should...

While the ability to zoom in on these crazy cloud formations above Mauao worked a treat.

As an Android device, Gemini AI is pretty baked in. Sporting the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor, the Z Fold7 is more than capable of supporting AI functions like Google Gemini, not to mention all its native Galaxy AI tricks too.

Do I know the difference between Galaxy AI and Gemini AI? Nope. Does it matter? Nope. Do things like multi-screen translation, Circle-to-Search and Object Eraser work better than ever? Of course. So who cares what it's called? Rest assured, there's plenty of NPU power to turn my dog into a 3D cartoon and more than enough graphics ability to play the latest and greatest mobile games on either the cover screen or primary display.

A bit like how I said I no longer really notice the crease, the Galaxy Z Fold7's OneUI operating system has now evolved to a point where the transition from using an app like Outlook on the cover screen to the much more user-friendly wider version inside happens so smoothly and instantaneously, I don't even think about it.

And that's the ultimate test of great tech; when things work so well, you don't notice them.

I was shooting a video yesterday for a forthcoming review of a cooking appliance. I had an expert explaining how to use it and part of that was through the associated app. At which point, quite organically, I simply opened the Z Fold7 to see the recipe suggestions in their full, wide-screen glory. It wasn't until my guest commented on how cool that was I was reminded that yes, indeed, that really is pretty cool.

Which it would have to be - remember, this phone is more expensive than most people's computers. Hell, it's more expensive than a lot of people's cars. In saying that, with the latest and greatest mobile chip, up to 1TB of storage and up to 16GB of RAM, this device could put a lot of other computers to shame.

If you've been an early-adopting Fold fan from the start, it's probably more because you saw the potential of the device rather than being super satisfied with the reality of those first few iterations. Now all of that potential has been realised, so it might be time to upgrade and start living the dream.

    

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7.

Oppo A5 Pro - The Phone You Don't Have to Take Care Of

When it comes to choosing a phone for your kid, or maybe your staff, if they've got a bit of a reputation for drowning, scratching or breaking them, you might be reluctant to spend too much on a replacement.

That said, you still want a phone that works. It needs good battery life, decent cameras and enough storage and power to do the job - whatever the job happens to be.

So it's tricky... Features like water resistance and toughened screens don't come cheap.

Unless they become the priority, of course.

The Oppo A5 Pro 5G might just be the answer to your problems - and right now it retails for just NZ$499.00. In fact, there are several phones in the new A5 range and they start even cheaper - from as low NZ$229.00 - each one designed to be more rugged than your average phone.

Even without the multiple durability features I'll get to shortly, the A5 Pro seems to offer plenty for its sub-$500 price-tag. For example, it comes with 256GB of internal storage - that's comparable with many premium flagships and it should be plenty for most users.

The 8GB of RAM is also quite generous in this price range - especially given the A5 Pro uses RAM Expansion to reallocate unused physical storage to boost processing performance.

Unsurprisingly, the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 Mobile Platform chip is not the fastest or most powerful processor out there but it gets the job done. I certainly haven't encountered any stutters or crashes although admittedly, some websites take a little longer to load and some apps are slightly slower to launch. However, this chip is also very efficient, which helps conserve battery life.

Importantly for me, the A5 Pro is eSIM compatible, which makes this a great travel option too.

I thought I'd find the LCD screen a bit lacklustre after some of the other "more high-end" handsets I've been using lately but I needn't have worried. Its peak brightness under sunlight is rated at 1000nits - anything into four digits is welcome and I can assure you, not every phone display looks this good in outdoor lighting conditions. I was also pleasantly surprised to discover the 6.67-inch display was capable of a 120Hz refresh rate. Interestingly, it's set at for a variable refresh rate as default and initially I found scrolling around some apps a little bit jerky. But once I set the refresh rate to 120Hz all the time, everything smoothed out nicely.

When you change that setting, the A5 Pro's user interface, ColorOS warns you it might impact battery life. If it did, I certainly didn't notice, the battery in this thing is a massive 5800mAh - most other phones are typically 5000mAh at best. This means I can easily burn through two whole days between charges. Another above-average feature is the A5 Pro supports 45W SuperVOOC fast charging - although there's no power brick included in the box, just a cable. No wireless charging here either - mind you, Oppo has never been massively into wireless charging, preferring to spruik the merits of fast charging instead. And I have to admit, with such a big battery, at this price that's a compromise I can definitely live with.

So that's already a lot of phone for the money. Now let's talk about how tough it is.

For starters, this is not one of those shiny, slippery, glass-backed handsets that runs the risk of you cracking it on both sides. The A5 Pro comes in Mocha Brown and Olive Green and the rear panel is a grippy, leather-feel material that I love because it's comfortable to hold and doesn't show greasy marks or fingerprints.

The display is covered by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i Xensation - a variation of Gorilla Glass I haven't heard of before and Oppo claims it makes the screen 160% more shatter-resistant than the previous model. You'll see from my video below it certainly stands up to quite a bit of careless treatment.

In fact, the entire phone is internally reinforced against drops and knocks - the motherboard is covered in "robust aluminium" and something Oppo calls "bionic cushioning" has been deployed to keep the A5 Pro's most sensitive components protected. As a result, it's earned the MIL-STD-810H badge for passing fourteen different military-grade tests.

This is also one of the most water-tight and dust-proof handsets around. I've reviewed many devices with the IP68 rating that means they'll survive half-an-hour in shallow water. The A5 Pro also carries both IP66 and IP69 ratings which means it'll shrug off high-pressure water jets and high-temperature water too - up to 80°. So not only can you spill your cup of tea on this phone, you can actually throw your teacup at it as hard as you can!

It's not invincible - again, if you watch my video below you'll see I managed to ding the bottom edge by bashing it against my metal mic boom a few too many times but try as I might, those minor blemishes seemed to be the only damage I could do.

Now, I haven't said much about the camera performance, which is unusual for an Oppo phone because they're normally all about the cameras. I have to admit, if your passion is photos, this is not the phone for you. Yes, there's a decent 50MP primary shooter, but it's teamed with a mere 2MP monochrome sensor Oppo refers to as a "bokeh lens" which basically means, the rear-facing camera takes good portraits.

This effect is shown in this picture of last weekend's cocktails...

The drinks are the main focus while the menu and the rest of the bar are progressively less distinct. Unfortunately, under-par low light performance means you can barely make out my artfully placed spectacles in the foreground.

I had better results outside in the daylight the next day...

It was an overcast but bright morning - glarey conditions and while the colours here don't exactly pop, I was happy with the level of detail. I did miss the option for Ultra-Wide or zoom shots though.

As for the selfie cam, it performs well enough, given it's only an 8MP sensor and as far as video goes, you can shoot in 1080p from either camera and there's even the option to use them together for a dual-view video - but only in 720p.

So it's clear where the compromise has been made to get this phone down under the $500 mark - and while the photos aren't gallery-ready, they're not terrible. On the other hand, this is unquestionably one of the toughest phones I've come across, so if you're a tradie, a teen or just hard on your handsets, it could be an excellent option.

     

Click here for more information and pricing on the Oppo A5 Pro 5G.

Oppo Reno13 Series - Serious Value for Money

Oppo is a big player global smart phone sales, ranking fourth or fifth in market share depending on which survey you read and which quarter you're referring to.

Here in New Zealand, Oppo ranks a clear third and yet time and again, when people ask me which phone I'm using, they claim they've never even heard of Oppo.

It's weird.

More often than not, the reason they're asking me about my phone is because they've seen the photos I've been taking. Oppo has always taken a camera-first approach to smart phones.

And this year's Reno series is no exception...

At NZ$699, NZ$999 and NZ$1399, the Reno13 F, Reno13 and Reno13 Pro are all priced to be a very competitive alternative to devices with similar specs from the likes of Samsung and Apple.

It's hard to make a like-for-like comparison though, because while one handset may have a superior camera, if it has an inferior chip running it, that doesn't count for much.

What I can do is compare the Reno13 Pro with the Reno13 F - because I've been sent both to test.

Firstly, let me just say how impressed I was with the sub-$700 device. I was expecting a lot of compromises, especially with photo quality and the performance of the chip. I didn't need to worry.

Without getting to bogged down in the nerdy stuff, let's start with the chips; the Pro sports the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 while the F runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 Mobile Platform. Neither of these chips are the flagship product from their respective suppliers but those suppliers are both well regarded and I can't say I experienced any performance issues at all. Admittedly the Reno 13F wasn't quite as snappy as its twice-as-expensive sibling - but it still operated very smoothly, with apps installing and opening quite speedily. This is despite the Pro having 50% more RAM and twice the internal storage.

In fact, when it came to using both handsets, if I was judging them on usability alone, I couldn't honestly justify the $700 price difference. 

Both are eSIM capable, which is a relief for me because I chucked my physical SIM card away years ago.

Likewise, both devices have large, 5,800mAh batteries, although the Pro will charge much faster with the 80W SuperVOOC power brick included in the box.

And that's how it is with most features on these two handsets; the Pro just adds that little bit extra. For example, both displays offer refresh rates at up to 120Hz but the screen on the Pro is bigger - 6.83-inches as opposed to 6.67-inches - and can run at a higher resolution, which means side by side the Pro looks clearer and a bit more colourful.

The Pro's screen is also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, which adds to its durability - although, because its flexible AMOLED display curves slightly at the edges, I did run into the old simultaneous touch problem; that's where my fat fingers register touches on the edges at the same time as what I'm trying to control in the middle of the screen. This results in nothing happening at all. It's a price I'm willing to pay though, because a curvy phone like this definitely feels more premium in the hand.

My review Reno13 Pro is Plume Purple, which reflects light in a very eye-catching way on the back panel. My Reno13 F is a much more subdued, Graphite Gray. Both phones come in both colours but again, the Pro is slimmer and feels less plasticky than the F model.

Both handsets carry an IP69 rating against dust and water. I don't think I've ever encountered an IP69-rated device before and I had to look up exactly what it means. Apparently, now you can not only drop your phone in the toilet, you can literally squirt it with a high-pressure hose. Which you might want to do if you've dropped it in the toilet, I guess?

I paired the same set of earbuds with both phones and was intrigued to discover how much better they worked with the Reno13 Pro. Turns out this is because the Pro connects using the latest Bluetooth 5.4 protocol which is much stronger and transmits at very low latency compared to the Bluetooth 5.1 on the Reno13 F. You'll need a decent pair of buds to make the most of it though - luckily, Oppo is currently offering its own Enco Air4 Pro buds for free with a Reno13 Pro purchase. I haven't tried the Enco Air4 Pros but I do know they are also Bluetooth 5.4 enabled. 

Camera performance is where the Pro really starts to pull ahead. As I said in the intro, I've never met an Oppo phone that didn't take great pics but I'd argue the Reno13 Pro can hold its own with the best of the best. On the back, both Pro and F have 50MP wide and 8MP ultra-wide sensors, although when you really dig down, the Pro's lenses are more well endowed.

The third sensor on the F is a 32MP macro lens - so yes, it'll do great close-ups but I'd rather have the 50MP telephoto sensor on the Pro. That means way better zoom shots and quality close-ups too.

It's not a level playing field around on the front side either. The F has a 32MP camera which is very respectable - especially for a phone in this price-range. You can shoot lovely bokeh (blurred background) portraits if you like and even create panorama selfies. You can shoot dual-view video (using front and rear cameras simultaneously) and the selfie-cam can film in 1080p@30fps - very good quality video for a forward-facing camera.

But not as good as what the Pro can do. 4K@60fps from a selfie-cam? Crazy. You get auto-focus too.

Don't get me wrong. The Reno13 F's camera performance is great. It's just that the Pro's is quite a bit greater.

Both phones have an underwater mode though. So that whole IP69 thing must be for real, right?

Now for my pet peeve. As usual, Oppo has left wireless charging off both devices. I wouldn't expect it from the $699 device but every iPhone charges wirelessly and has done for years. As do Samsung's Galaxy S and Z series devices. Because Oppo's SuperVOOC charging has always worked so well, effectively out-charging the opposition, it's never made wireless a priority but that needs to change. I can't be the only one who finds plugging and unplugging my phone clumsy and annoying - not to mention the fact cables, plugs and USB ports break and wear out a lot more often than wireless charging pads do.

Or is that just me?

If it is, and if pure camera performance is your priority, you won't find many phones that can out-photo the Reno13 Pro, certainly not at NZ$1399. On the other hand, if you just want a phone that'll take a licking, keep on ticking and is more feature-packed than many others in the below $700 category, the Reno13 F is definitely worth a look. And by the way, it's 5G, so could be the perfect replacement for those of you with older devices that are going to stop working at the end of the year.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Oppo Reno13 Pro.

Click here for more information and pricing on the Oppo Reno13 F.

Samsung Galaxy A-Series (2025) - The Most Confusing Time of the Year

Why bring out one phone when you can launch six?

Once again, Samsung is in the process of swamping the market with mid-range Galaxy A-Series phones. Yes, there are half a dozen to choose between this year, starting at just NZ$229.00.

If that isn't overwhelming enough, there are still four A-Series handsets from last year listed on Samsung's New Zealand website. If you're wondering how to tell the difference, the 2025 models all end in a "6." Because, of course they do. What's confusing about that?

Hopefully, if you're in the market for a sub-$1000 phone, you'll come across a well-trained sales expert who can carefully and precisely explain the differences between all these devices.

If you're shopping online, I guess it's up to me.

Unfortunately, I'm only going to be able to help you with the Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56, the two higher-end variants of this year's crop. It's hard enough reviewing two phones simultaneously, let alone six. 

Essentially, the main differences between A-Series phones of any given year mostly comes down to build quality, camera performance and above all else, processor power.

This last thing can be somewhat wonky to get your head around if you're not the kind of phone-user who cares that much about the latest and greatest in phone tech. In fact, let's face it, this year you might only be buying a new phone out of necessity because they're turning off the 3G network and you need something capable of 4G... or perhaps even 5G?

Both the A36 and A56 options Samsung have brought to New Zealand are 5G-capable. They both have large, 5000mAh batteries that'll cruise through a full day (and probably a second) and they both have sumptuous 6.7-inch Super AMOLED displays. Those displays - and the rear panels - are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus +. This makes them very hard-wearing indeed and I was surprised to see it on phones in this price range. The IP67 water and dust protection is another welcome durability feature.

Both phones come in three "Awesome" colourways - Lavender, Lime or Black for the A36 and Pink, Graphite or Lightgrey for the A56. Although they look almost identical, if you hold them both at the same time you'll immediately feel the first difference; the A56 has more durable metal rails around the edge which gives it a much more premium, solid and generally less plasticky feel.

The next big difference is also on the outside but you won't be able to spot it by looking at it. Although both handsets have a 50MP three-sensor primary camera module on the back, the Ultra-Wide lens is 12MP on the A56 as opposed to 8MP on the A36.

I've taken excellent photos with both devices but for some reason, the A56 seems to result in slightly clearer images and videos with truer colours.

That reason probably has a lot to do with why I'd choose the A56 over the A36 every time; processing power. The performance gap is noticeable with just about everything you do with either handset... Scrolling and navigating around the device is smoother on the A56. Opening apps is much slower on the A36 - especially opening the camera app. And changing orientation from portrait to landscape and back again is also laggy and choppy on the A36.

Interestingly, the end results are generally quite comparable and the major feature both devices bring to the table in 2026 is Galaxy AI. Or Google Gemini. Or both. Or maybe it's the same thing. 

To be honest, this whole AI racket is a real mess. You can obviously add other AI apps to these phones too and if you're subscribed to a whole suite like Microsoft 365, then you're probably introducing Copilot into the equation as well.

Even Google can't quite seem to decide if you should be summoning Gemini or Google Assistant. The point is, you don't have to shell out for a $1000+ flagship to access a lot of this stuff. If you want this stuff, that is.

One place where Samsung's version of AI really comes to the fore is editing photos. There's a lot you can do to clean up your pics after the fact - things like removing unwanted people and objects in the background for example. Again, this takes a bit longer with the cheaper phone but it can still do it.

The A36 starts at NZ$649.00 while the A56 is definitely in the next bracket up at NZ$799.00. In saying that, I can assure you the 256GB A56 is a far superior device and well worth every cent. If it had wireless charging I'd be more than happy to use it as my daily device. And if, like me, you have a relative you need to move off 3G by the end of the year, either of these phones would be a major upgrade and a great replacement.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Samsung Galaxy A-Series. (A36 and A56 devices available from March 28, 2025)

Apple iPhone 16e - Welcome to the Family

It's been almost three years since Apple last released an "entry-level" handset.

At the time, although I was impressed with its performance, aesthetically the design was an out-and-out throwback to a much earlier era of iPhones; the ones with small screens sandwiched between two inexplicably large blank spaces top and bottom - and yes, although by then the "Home Button" was long gone on the iPhone flagships, the SE still had one. How quaint.

And the camera? Well. Enough said,

Still, at just NZ$799.00 it was a pretty cheap iPhone.

Well, finally there's a new pretty cheap iPhone. It's not AS cheap. But it's way prettier.

The Apple iPhone 16e doesn't look, feel or behave anything like previous SE models which is presumably why Apple didn't call it the next generation iPhone SE.

And after using the 16e for a week or so, I can certainly understand why they were determined to make it clear this new device is a legitimate member of the iPhone 16 family.

Holding it and looking at it front-on, there's very little to distinguish it from the base-model iPhone 16. The 6.1-inch super retina display is the same size and it's protected by the same Ceramic Shield that makes all modern iPhones so hard to destroy.

When you turn the iPhone 16 on you'll notice there's a notch at the top of the display which has morphed into the slightly less-intrusive "Dynamic Island" on the other late-model flagships. While it has its uses, I'm betting the vast majority of iPhone owners consider the Dynamic Island a nice-to-have rather than a must-have - that's if they even know what it is. So no great loss there.

Just like its more expensive siblings, the 16e has an Action Button, the programmable shortcut that can launch your favourite app, set the phone to silent or call your mum. It doesn't have the Camera Control shortcut sensor all the other 16-series devices have, so you'll have to zoom and change filters the old-fashioned way.

Which brings us to the most obvious compromise on this handset, the camera itself. 

You won't find too many single-lens shooters on today's smartphone shelves which is why Apple has labelled this one a Fusion camera. To be fair, somehow they have managed to integrate 2x optical telephoto zooming abilities into this 48MP sensor, so it does indeed behave a bit like "two cameras in one."

To prove it, here's a shot of the view outside my window. Admittedly, it'd be better if it was Ultra-Wide, but that's definitely off the table here...

Pretty much what you'd expect from any iPhone; natural colours, excellent light-and-shade balance - especially on the tree in the foreground.

Now let's zoom...

This is the some shot at 7x zoom. Despite a generous helping of digital assistance, the row of houses about 1km away looks pretty damn clear to me.

You can still shoot in Portrait mode, although you have to switch to it manually in the camera app. Those of you lucky enough to own a recent iPhone flagship will know you can just press the little f symbol to achieve the same bokeh effect as I have here with doggo in the back seat.

So no little f... what a tragedy.

Look, I get it. If you're super fussy about your photos, this probably isn't the iPhone for you. And as far as video goes, I'm afraid I have to tell you, the 16e does 4K in Dolby Vision.

Wait...

What?

Yes, as you'll see in my video at the bottom, only true video aficionados are really going to care too much about any shortfalls here.

But what about Apple Intelligence and all its cool tricks? Image Playground? Genmojis? Clean Up for your photos?

Not to worry. As a genuine member of the iPhone 16 clan, the 16e even has the same generation of chip; the A18. In fact, the 16e has something the other 16s don't; Apple's in-house C1 cellular modem. This means more efficient mobile data and Wi-Fi connectivity on top of the already speedy A18 CPU - that all adds up to some very welcome battery life statistics.

You may also be surprised to hear the 16e can charge wirelessly too, although it isn't MagSafe compatible so if you have invested heavily in magnetic chargers and accessories, you'll also need to invest in a 3rd-party MagSafe-friendly case.

When I first saw the iPhone 16e's specs, I thought it was too good to be true. Practically nobody is going to spend an extra $400 just to get MagSafe or Dynamic Island. Sure, there's just no way the camera setup can physically compete with the iPhone 16, Plus, Pro and Pro Max. But it's certainly not bad.

And I guess that's why this isn't really a "budget" option. Remember how I said 2022's iPhone SE was only NZ$799.00? The 16e starts at NZ$1199.00. In saying that, there's no longer a 64GB version, so the gap closes pretty quickly when you start at 128GB.

I think the iPhone 16e is worth every penny, and then some. It's fast, it's durable, it has excellent battery life and a fabulous display. If you're not a professional photographer, this is the mid-range phone I'd be considering right now.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Apple iPhone 16e.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra - AI Takeover Almost Complete

What does A.I. mean to you?

Is it a genuine suite of tools you can easily access to increase your productivity? Or is it just a glorified search engine, presenting you with occasionally inaccurate information, albeit in a more accessible, conversational tone?

Personally, even now, I'm still an A.I. sceptic. I don't see how "learning to use" a specific set of A.I. features helps me save time, especially when I can't trust the factual integrity some of the results.

But I might be the Lone Ranger here. Certainly if Samsung's latest flagship launch was anything to go by.

Tuning into last month's Galaxy Unpacked event, I was left feeling it wasn't really about the phones at all. There's been a seismic shift. The focus was squarely on Galaxy A.I. and Gemini. The S25 handsets were merely the latest conduits to access those A.I. tools.

Which is a shame, because after spending a week or two with the new Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, I have no doubt it'll be one of the phones of the year - regardless of how much A.I. has been bundled into it.

Critics will claim this year's Ultra isn't that much different to last year's - but then, they say stuff like that every year. At least there's no confusing the 2025 version with the 2024 one; the titanium edges have been squared off while the corners of the handset are now curved, no longer the sharp points reminiscent of the Galaxy Note devices of yesteryear.

With no more pointy corners stabbing into your palm, the S25 Ultra is now more comfortable to hold, despite still being one of the largest phones around. 

The 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display provides sublime viewing in all light conditions (as usual) - in fact, just like Samsung's flagship TVs, the S25 Ultra now boasts an even more effective anti-reflective coating which means improved outdoor performance.

Speaking of performance, as you'd expect, there's been a chip upgrade too; despite early rumours of an in-house Exynos chip running the show, a bespoke collaboration between Samsung and Qualcomm sees the introduction of the Sanpdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy instead. I won't linger on the significant gains in power, speed and efficiency this new processor offers - obviously there's a noticeable bump when doing things like gaming and video editing.

Samsung has done a lot of work to keep the S25 Ultra cool too, with a 40% larger vapour chamber and every other available space jam-packed with some kind of magical thermal material to keep operating temperatures at their optimum.

Strangely, neither all this extra cooling or a more efficient chip seem to have done much to improve battery life. The 5000mAh cell is the same capacity as last year's and if there have been any improvements in how long a full charge lasts, I haven't exactly been blown away. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the S25 Ultra won't get a heavy user through a long day, it just won't get you through two.

Another notable (excuse the pun) design decision was to strip the on-board S-Pen stylus of its bluetooth abilities. For years now the S-Pen has been able to double as a remote; playing and pausing media, clicking through slides in Power Point presentations and wirelessly firing off selfies - always easier to control than setting a timer and hoping you get back in shot in time. But now the S-Pen is just a pen. Samsung must have gleaned that most users either chose not to use the S-Pen's bluetooth functions or more likely, didn't even know about them. While I've read some disgruntled customers have penned a petition to bring the supercharged S-Pen back in 2026, given I too never used it much, I can't really complain.

Perhaps the S25 Ultra's most significant upgrade (other than the god-like neural processing power we'll come to shortly) is the improvement to the Ultra Wide camera, going from 12MP to 50MP. This not only means a more detailed, higher resolution result but in my testing I felt the new sensor took pics that were much more consistent in terms of colour and contrast with those taken with the 200MP primary shooter.

For example, this was shot on a bright day with the excellent 200MP main camera...

Now let's go wider...

You'll see the sky is perhaps ever so slightly more blue, but in terms of brightness and contrast, very consistent... and lots of detail.

Speaking of which, what happens when we compare the Ultra Wide with the Zoom sensor?

Tricky in such bright light to see doggo in much detail - except...

The Zoom lens nails it. I think I zoomed in even more than 10 x here and yet there's no real noise or graininess to my eye. Pretty impressive.

When it comes to video, 10-bit HDR recording is now applied by default. This makes it one of the best low-light shooters I've used to date. Again, that super-duper new chip is hard at work, reducing noise and boosting clarity.

Wait, is that A.I.? I'd argue it is, and it's my preferred kind; the A.I. I don't know is happening. Don't worry though, there are plenty of more obvious examples baked into this device.

Like Audio Eraser - which could be my new favourite feature. You know how these days most camera apps offer you the option to delete distracting people and objects from the background of your pictures, using A.I. to fill in the space? Audio Eraser is a similar tool, except it works with the sound on your videos. The classic example is concert footage. Presumably when you play it back you'd prefer to hear the artist who's performing, rather than the group of drunk teenagers forgetting all the words, just out of shot beside you. Now you can use the Audio Eraser function to extract an editable, multi-track audio master from your recording. Then you can boost sounds like music while reducing crowd noise - or perhaps muting it completely. It's like having a sound-editing suite squeezed into your phone.

There are a host of other A.I. tricks you can access (assuming you can remember what they are and how to use them). Many, like Circle-to-Search, rely on Google Gemini, not just Galaxy A.I. to work. This all gets very confusing, very quickly. I mean, I know I can now circle anything on my screen and Gemini will list off all sorts of relevant information, be it an app on my home screen or a car caught in freeze-frame in a movie. But who do I thank for that? Galaxy A.I.? Gemini? Or both?

Samsung has also made a big deal about inter-app functionality. In theory, this allows Gemini - or Galaxy A.I. - or both? - to access a photo you took of fish tacos from your Gallery, look up the location of a restaurant that serves them nearby using Google Maps, then arrange a dinner date using information from your Contacts and sending a calendar invite through Google Mail.

Seriously, even if it worked first time - is that something you're going to trust your phone to do for you just by asking it? And what if I'm using non-Google or non-Samsung apps like Outlook and Waze? I've had varying degrees of success playing around with some of these new tools. Yes, they're starting to become more intuitive but when my phone still thought I was trying to call Tim on my way home instead of Time Saver Traffic to report an accident, I think there's a way to go yet.

As I so often find with freshly-launched flagship handsets these days, it's hard to figure out which of these fancy A.I. features are specific to the newly released handset and which will eventually become available to previous generation models in future software updates.

Which all means as far as I'm concerned, A.I. alone is not a good enough reason to upgrade.

I can't help thinking if Samsung had spent extra time highlighting more traditional features like camera and processor upgrades, that'd make a more compelling argument. Not to mention the completely superficial - yet no less valid - cosmetic changes like rounded corners and an impressive seven different colours to choose from. (Three are online-only, but they're still options)

A.I, by its very nature, is constantly evolving and refining itself and I'm not denying its exponentially growing importance as part of any piece of tech like this. But you'll still need the best phone to get the best out of it and let me assure you, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is definitely one of the best.

Click here for more information and pricing on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.