NOTE! This blog was not written by any AI. It’s 100% human—typed out by yours truly.
Let’s get straight into it. I’m not going to bore you with stuff you’ve already read or watched in dozens of unboxing videos—spec sheets, benchmarks, yada yada. Instead, here’s the real deal: how the Galaxy S25 Ultra performs in the daily life of an engineering student.
Not every student can casually afford a Galaxy S25 Ultra. It costs a bomb, no doubt. But it also packs serious power. Honestly, being able to own this phone as a student feels like a win. So here’s my take—raw and real—on how this beast fits into my college + freelancing life. And no, I’m not talking about on-paper stuff. This is all based on real usage, after more than two months of using it every single day.
Quick intro: I’m an engineering student at RV Institute of Technology and Management, Bangalore, and a UI/UX design freelancer. Been a Samsung fan since forever. I’ve had my eyes on the Ultra lineup since the S22 Ultra dropped. After a whole lot of hustle, I finally copped the S25 Ultra in Jet Black (12GB RAM, 512GB storage). And straight up, this phone has been amazing. Whether it’s the software, camera, or display—everything just hits.
Battery
Let’s start with the battery—my biggest concern with any phone. I’ve used a bunch of phones in the past and somehow always ended up with ones that had trash battery life. But not this one. I’ve got battery protection turned on (so it stops charging at 80%), and even with that, I easily get through a full day without stressing. I leave home at 8:45 AM, don’t plug in until the next morning, and I’m good. I don’t scroll reels or shorts much either, and when I’m out with friends, I barely touch my phone. So yeah, light to moderate usage.
Even on those random hangout days or long drives, I’ve never really felt like I’m running out of juice. Sure, gaming drains the battery faster—but let’s be honest, how often do we sit and game as students? I don’t carry a power bank and never felt the need to. Battery drain is only noticeable during heavy tasks, and that’s totally normal due to the extreme power that the Snapdragon 8 Elite provides. For regular use? This phone is a champ.
On an average day, I get around 6.5 hours of screen-on time with WiFi, Bluetooth, Mobile Data, Location, and background sync all on. And that’s with medium to high brightness too. Don’t worry, I’m writing another blog completely focusing on the battery life. Stay tuned on our social media to be the first ones to get the update when that blog goes live! Spoiler alert—I’ve got some shocking results. 😉
Software
Moving on—let’s talk software and build. One UI 7 is pure gold. I used an S24 before this and honestly, it was kinda disappointing. Choppy animations, frame skips—just not it. But with One UI 7, Samsung has nailed it. The animations are buttery smooth. And once you get used to that kind of polish, there’s no going back. Other phones feel janky in comparison.
Plus, One UI 7 is stacked with features. And by stacked, I mean it. It has so many features, that I don’t think I’ve even gone through them completely yet. You might’ve seen stuff about Good Lock’s HomeUp module—it lets you tweak the layout and animations in crazy detail. I’ve had a blast personalising my phone with it. Compared to the Motorolas, OnePlus, and budget phones I’ve used before, this software experience is easily the best in my opinion. People’s opinions matter.
A set of people like having vanilla android experience like Nothing’s software or even Motorola’s software. For vanilla android experience, Nothing and Motorola are nailing it. But I’d prefer to enjoy the extensive customization features since I’m very into customizing my phone.
Build Quality
Build quality? Solid. This isn’t me simping for Samsung—just being honest. I’m super careful with my phone (I mean, it cost 1.4 lakhs 💀), and the IP68 water resistance has come in handy more than once. Took it to Hogenakkal Falls in Tamil Nadu, got it wet, even washed it once because of a chocolate ice cream mishap—and it survived without a hiccup. I always use a case and screen protector, so I haven’t had a scary drop yet.
Yes I’ve dropped it a few times. I’ve dropped it a couple of times at the gym while I’m trying to pull out the phone out of my pocket and the phone goes flying out of my hands. It only fell from my waist height but it sure did scare me, although nothing happened to the phone.
The only thing I didn’t like about my phone falling is that whenever I drop my phone a little hard, the S-Pen flies out of its socket. I’m more concerned about the S-Pen getting damaged than the phone getting damaged because I know the phone’s not going to get damaged when it falls. I really do wish the S-Pen did not pop out of its socket when the phone drops. The S-Pen did not get damaged at all but yeah, I’m still a little scared. Based on durability test videos however, the S25 Ultra seems pretty rugged.
Galaxy AI
Now, about all that Galaxy AI hype. It’s cool… but do I use it much? Not really. I rarely use the S Pen, and the AI features tied to it don’t come into play for me. The only AI stuff I actually use is the voice transcription feature during classes and the object eraser in the gallery—that thing works like magic. The rest? Kinda forgettable. There’s also talk about Galaxy AI becoming a paid feature in the future, which might be annoying for heavy users, but I won’t be losing sleep over it. Not sure if that’s real, we’ll have to wait and see.
Our Final Verdict
So the real question, should you buy the S25 Ultra as a student?
Honestly—it depends. If you’re someone who binge-watches content, games a lot, or loves mobile photography, this phone is probably your dream device. It’s totally worth the splurge if you’re gonna use all that power. But if you just need a phone for calls, social media, and occasional photos, there are better budget options. Samsung’s M and F series are my personal picks in that segment.
That said, if you can stretch your budget for the S25 Ultra, I think this phone can easily last you 7–8 years. Samsung’s promised 7 years of Android updates, so you’re future-proofed. I won’t need to think about a new phone for a long time, and that’s a huge relief.
Hope you enjoyed this review! It took me 2.5 months of using the phone, testing it out, and putting this blog together. Do show some love—follow us on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram @deforecommended.
Catch you in the next one. Cheers!