Allison reviews smartphones and covers wireless carriers for The Verge. Previously, she wrote about digital cameras and mobile photography at DPReview. She’s a small phone enthusiast, home barista in training, and a roller derby retiree. You can find her on Threads most hours of the day at @allisonjo1.
8
Verge Score
There’s something very familiar about this year’s S-series phones.
Sure, the S Pen lost its Bluetooth features with the Galaxy S25 Ultra. But you know what hasn’t changed? It still smells kinda bad. I confirmed this myself when I unboxed the phone in San Jose, and have verified with another colleague who remarked that it smells “plasticky.” And guess what? That’s not even the only thing that stinks about it.
0Whether you want everything but the kitchen sink or top-tier performance for a midrange price, you’ve got options.
8
Verge Score
Still big. Still great. But Samsung is losing the plot on what makes the Ultra so extra.
