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When Samsung announced the Galaxy S25 Ultra, most of us were expecting the normal progression: better specs, subtle design tweaks, and a new look to justify the next upgrade cycle. Instead, Samsung delivered one of the most unexpected and intriguing flagships in years — at least in terms of the phone’s repairability.
At first glance, the S25 Ultra sheds some of the Galaxy flair, with rounded corners that are clearly Apple-inspired and a Quick Settings layout that’s suspiciously iOS-like. Still, as most tech reviewers have noted, the S25 Ultra is mostly an ultra-iteration of last year’s flagship phone. That’s not a bad thing, and we encourage manufacturers to ditch the annual release cycle altogether.
But there’s one saving grace for the S25 series devices. Building on the S23’s pull-tab mechanism, which was designed to make battery replacements easier, the latest version of the tab is even easier to operate. As a result, the S25 Ultra could be one of Samsung’s most repairable phones in a long time.
Apple aesthetics, Samsung logic
The S Pen is getting dumber
One of the most surprising changes is the new S Pen. Fans of Samsung’s stylus are used to advanced features like Bluetooth connectivity for taking photos or controlling media. But in the Galaxy S25 Ultra, that wireless magic is gone. The reason? Samsung claims that less than 1% of users rely on the Bluetooth feature; that was apparently enough for them to remove it entirely, rather than improving it or continuing to include it just out of the kindness of their hearts.
When we took a closer look at the new S Pen, we found that while the PCB and some familiar structures are still there, the key chip and capacitor that once powered Bluetooth are gone. In other words, the hardware part is there, but it’s not installed.
Samsung may have saved a few dollars worth of ICs here, but I’d wager that the 1% of users who prefer a remote camera shutter or media playback won’t realize (or want) those savings. Don’t forget, this is a $1,400 phone that Samsung is trying to save money on.
Whether this feature loss matters depends on how much you rely on the S Pen’s wireless capabilities. For everyday notetaking, drawing, or writing, you won’t miss Bluetooth. But it still leaves some early adopters shortchanged on the “Ultra” experience.
The biggest surprise is what’s inside: a truly handy battery
For years, Samsung has been notorious for making battery replacements a pain in the ass. Removing a Galaxy battery requires considerable courage, heat, and plastic prying tools—and often a silent prayer to the repair gods.
This time around, Samsung installed four nifty sticky tabs that “wrap” the battery. These tabs peel off easily, allowing the battery to be removed in seconds, with no additional glue required. You can just pull it out, no fuss, no mess, and no special solvents required. It’s a breath of fresh air for both consumers and repair professionals.
I’d love to think this is a move by Samsung to listen to feedback, but our own experience suggests the change is in response to pressure from Europe’s right to repair laws. Making the battery more removable means big benefits for longevity: as battery health degrades over time, users can more easily replace the battery and keep the phone in top condition without risking damage to other components.
Whatever Samsung’s motivations for making this change, we see it as another win for consumers and the planet.
Cameras remain modular
Samsung’s camera arrays are a hallmark of its Ultra series. The S25 Ultra features a multi-lens setup, including an upgraded 50 MP ultra-wide-angle sensor for improved image quality. While this is a point of hardware pride, it’s also worth noting from a repair perspective: each camera module is independent and can be removed or replaced individually.
This means that if one lens takes a bad hit or the sensor fails, you don’t have to scrap the entire camera system or buy an expensive all-in-one replacement. Modular cameras are an approach to easy repairs that more and more manufacturers are adopting.
The selfie unit wasn’t so lucky, though – it was firmly glued in place with epoxy. While we were able to remove it unscathed, we kept our teeth clenched. This level of complexity will put many people off.
Right to repair: a mixed bag
One of the biggest talking points about the S25 Ultra is Samsung’s stance on the right to repair. The simplified battery removal process is a win for those of us who want to use our devices longer. Plus, Samsung didn’t introduce any “parts matching” hassles.
However, the overall picture isn’t all bright. The official repair guides are lackluster, unintuitive, and complicated. Parts availability is spotty and expensive, which undermines the notion of easily repairable hardware if you can’t find what you need for a repair. We’re eager to see what Samsung releases for these devices – we hope they get better and better every year.
You’ll need to replace the adhesive with every repair, as both the rear glass and the fragile OLED can’t be secured with clips or screws. Overall, the necessary design changes required to get a respectable repairability score simply aren’t there.
Upgraded but not effective
Beyond the repair angle, the S25 Ultra’s core improvements feel more incremental than revolutionary. The new Snapdragon 8 Elite system-on-chip results in faster performance, but in day-to-day use, you probably won’t notice the huge leap unless you’re really pushing the phone’s limits. The upgraded 50 MP ultra-wide-angle camera, while impressive on paper, may not represent a stunning difference in typical photos, as some reviewers have pointed out. This leads to a consensus among many gadget reviewers: If you’re coming from a recent Galaxy phone, the S25 Ultra’s enhanced features may not be worth the big bucks. It’s nice to hear the tech world echo what we’ve been saying for years: skip the upgrade and fix the phone you already have. Extending the life of your phone has a bigger impact on the environment than you think.
Verdict: A step forward, but more is needed
Finally, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra offers a surprising highlight for repair enthusiasts: The pull-tab battery alone is a huge leap forward from the stickier adhesives of the past. Add in the modular camera and the continued elimination of forced parts pairing, and you have one of the most repairable Galaxy phones we’ve seen in a decade.
However, the improvements aren’t enough. Samsung’s official repair resources are patchy, and parts are often bundled together for pricing, making repairs impractical.
Taking these factors into account, the S25 Ultra earns a 5 out of 10 on our smartphone repairability score—better than most Samsung flagships of the past decade, but still far from the ideal situation where anyone can easily fix their own phone with readily available parts. If Samsung decides to improve its documentation, open up its parts catalog, and truly embrace the right-to-repair movement, we’ll be the first to applaud.
Until then, think of the Galaxy S25 Ultra as a big step in the right direction—a phone that might actually last a few more years in your pocket thanks to a more sensible internal design. As phone prices continue to rise, extended life is something to celebrate.
