How Long Will Your Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Be Good For?

Samsung's Galaxy S25 Ultra is arguably the most powerful Android smartphone out there, and if camera chops is your primary concern, it should be at the top of your wishlist. However, spending a minimum of $1,300 on a phone is not an easy decision, especially if you intend to use it for an extended spell. Will it get official software support for a few years? Can the internal hardware hold its fort against increasingly demanding software, especially the generative AI tools? Will the hardware weather a few tumbles for at least three to four years? What about the availability of spare parts?

Thankfully, Samsung has you covered quite handsomely aboard the Galaxy S25 Ultra. And with the recent wave of changes and sustainability initiatives, you can rest assured that your Android flagship will last you six or seven years at the very least. Moreover, if you purchase an Enterprise Edition of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Samsung will throw an extra year of software support alongside more robust security features.

Another valuable assurance is Samsung's global presence, which means no matter what corner of the globe you are in, there is likely an outlet or an authorized partner to fix your phone. That is one of the biggest reasons why some smartphone enthusiasts choose Samsung, especially if they are spending a fortune for a top-tier experience.

A phone is only as good as its software. Each update brings its own set of perks. From new features and flashy UI overhauls to bug patches and security plugs, long-term software support is what you should be looking for. On that crucial parameter, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is one of the best out there. Samsung has promised seven years of OS upgrades for the device. It made its way to the retail shelf running an Android 15-based One UI 7 experience.

If yearly Android OS updates matter to you the most, then the Galaxy S25 Ultra will go all the way up to Android 22. Going by Google's software release cadence, the phone should receive the aforementioned OS upgrade in 2031. Samsung takes its sweet time optimizing its One UI experience for each annual Android refresh, so you should be able to flaunt the Samsung flagship well into 2032. But, as mentioned above, there's more to software than just visual and functional freshness.

Security is a crucial element. To that end, Samsung has also assured that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will receive security updates for seven years. Now, the cadence might vary down the road. For newer phones, Samsung releases security patches on a monthly basis. But as they get older, they are moved to quarterly release plans or a bi-annual schedule. Nonetheless, it's a huge sigh of relief against critical vulnerabilities that are often exploited in the wild by bad actors on ageing hardware.

Samsung charges a premium for the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and in return, it has covered it in some of the most resilient materials on a smartphone out there. The frame is made out of titanium, which is lighter than stainless steel but offers superior corrosion resistance. Titanium also offers a higher strength-to-weight ratio, resistance to permanent deformation, and raw tensile strength. That's the reason why titanium is often preferred in the aerospace industry, despite being more expensive. In a nutshell, your Samsung daily driver is going to stand the test of time without breaking or cracking.

The phone's beautiful OLED display is protected by Gorilla Armor 2 glass layer. Developed jointly by Samsung and Gorilla, it is touted to be the "industry's first scratch-resistant, anti-reflective glass ceramic cover." Corning says the material can survive drops from a height of up to 2.2 meters on a hard concrete surface, and it is also four times more scratch-resistant compared to rival protective solutions.

This phone can also hold its own against the elements. The Galaxy S25 Ultra's build is IP68-certified against dust and water exposure. Samsung says the phone can survive immersion at a depth of up to 1.5 meters in fresh water for half an hour. Needless to say, if you intend to take some fun pictures of your pet in the pool, the Galaxy S25 Ultra can handle a few splashes of its own without breaking anything inside.