With the new Galaxy S25 Ultra in my hand, I stand in the lobby of the LinkedIn building in San Francisco, which happens to be a POPOS: a privately owned public open space. It's a gorgeous hall, with long running panels of blonde wood on the ceiling and back wall.

At Rs 1,29,999, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is one of the most expensive non-foldable phones out there. While it’s a great device, it’s hard not to feel like something’s missing. For this price, you’d expect a standout feature or two, but there’s nothing truly new or game-changing to justify the premium, in terms of hardware at least.

The Galaxy S25+ and S23+ are tied for durability, at least on paper. Both feature Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2, Samsung’s Armor Aluminum frame, and IP68 dust and water resistance that lets them survive a dip in up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes.