An iPhone user's honest thoughts on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Like many people, I've been an Apple iPhone user for most of my life. It started with one of my mum's old models, passed down to me at age 14, and I've stuck with the same ever since.

Currently, I have a second-hand iPhone 13. Far from the newer models, it's held mostly together by a ratty case that desperately needs replacing. So, when I was offered the opportunity to play with a brand-new Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra for a few weeks, I couldn't wait.

However, switching from an iPhone to a Samsung presented its unique challenges which I think live in the heads of most Apple users as they consider the switch. So, I've taken copious notes to share with you on how to manage the changeover, and whether life as an Android person is better.

NOTE: Prices are accurate at time of publishing.

Samsung S25 Galaxy Ultra

Here from $2349

How I made the switch

Holding both the iPhone and the Samsung in front of me, I was immediately overwhelmed by how to even start transferring my data from one to the other. Thankfully, I found Smart Switch pretty quickly.

Smart Switch is a Samsung app that comes pre-installed on Galaxy devices, and it's genius. It saved me when switching from iOS to Samsung, even though I had to enact the process twice.

I learned about the Smart Switch app via Google and downloaded it to my iPhone to get started. Initially, I used Wi-Fi, but the transfer wasn't as successful as I'd hoped. I had none of my contacts, texts or WhatsApp messages, and none of the apps I'd originally had on my iPhone. Sure, I'm shifting entire ecosystems here, but the idea of doing an inventory of my apps and re-downloading them on Google Play had me shuddering.

Thankfully, a chat with a Samsung product trainer made me realise that my first transfer attempt hadn't worked properly. If you're using Smart Switch, he (and now I) recommend using a cord rather than Wi-Fi. Once the cord transfer was complete, the Samsung basically became my iPhone. Not only did I have my apps, I had my app categories, my screensaver, my contacts, my notes, my texts, and my Candy Crush scores – it was all there. The phone was so much easier to navigate, and made me more curious to explore what worked differently to iOS, given I could return to my regular home screen whenever I needed to.

Another recommendation is to enable swipe gestures. If you have a more recent iPhone model, it won't have a 'back button', but a screen you can swipe to navigate. While the Galaxy's 'back button' sat on the screen, I'd still find myself trying to swipe to navigate around the phone. To do this, go through Settings to Display to Navigation Bar, then choose 'Swipe gestures' instead of 'Buttons'. It'll make a world of difference!

READ MORE: Everything to know about the Samsung Galaxy S25

Things I loved

There are so many features on the Samsung Galaxy S25 that even after a week and a bit of use, I still feel like I've barely scratched the surface. However, I've picked out two features that I kept returning to, which would have me investing in the phone.

The camera

When it came to trialling a Samsung, I was most excited about the camera. The S25 Ultra has a 200-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel ultrawide shooter, and dual telephoto cameras with various optical zoom options. The images I took were crystal-clear and were able to fit so much in the frame. There was no frustration regarding contrast when I was taking photos of a sunset, and the S25 Ultra meant I could make the images even more beautiful. 

The photo editing capacity is also amazing. After testing out portrait mode on my partner's cat, I was able to use object erasure to get rid of a glass visible in the background. I simply drew around it and clicked to get rid of it, leaving me with just the cat in the foreground. You can also edit images using Generative AI, but note that instead of deleting your selection, it sometimes replaces it by generating something else.

The Best Face feature is another game-changer, especially with group shots. Using AI, the Galaxy S25 can identify up to five faces in a Motion Photo picture (Samsung's version of Apple's Live Photo), and then identify different expressions pulled while the photo was taken. It allows you to select a face, and then choose from the series of expressions made across the few seconds taken to capture it, so you can ensure everyone in the photo is smiling and looking happy, instead of looking in different directions or blinking. 

READ MORE: Our honest thoughts on the Fujifilm X-M5 camera

Auto-transcribing

There were two aspects of this feature that I found revolutionary.

The first is in Samsung's Voice Recorder app. As a journalist, I voice-record a lot when interviewing people (more on that later), but I also use it to make the occasional memo for myself. Recently, I injured my knee and was finding it difficult to remember all the details I needed to share between my different doctors. With auto-transcribing, I could make little recordings about each appointment and how my knee was feeling each day, and with the press of a button, Samsung's. And then, I could click to have the voice note summarised into dot points – crazy helpful!

The phone can also transcribe much more than just my voice. A standout feature of the S25 range is the ability to record calls (with a prompt that lets everyone on the call know they're being recorded, obviously). After recording a call, you can go into your call log to have it made into a transcript, and also a summary if needed. While this has been recommended as a game-changer for professionals who have to make a lot of calls for their work, and might often forget things, this is a great perk for a journalist who has to do regular interviews and transcribe them manually.

Parts where I struggled

The transition from iOS familiarity to Samsung is still difficult. Although I've evolved past googling 'Samsung notes app equivalent', I'm still navigating the best way forward in many areas. A lack of AirDrop means I now send photos over WhatsApp because they often lose their quality on text. I'm still deciding the best way to message my iOS familiarity. However, all of this is navigable.

My only other issue is the phone's size, which I still find slightly too big. While taking pictures is fine, it's difficult to hold the phone in my hand and take a good selfie. While that may seem conceited, I'd expect that all iPhone to Samsung users should make the most of the excellent camera upgrade.

I'm also slow to type given I need to hold it with two hands, and I honestly had trouble fitting the phone in my favourite purse (although a new purse might not be the worst idea). While these were things I struggled with, I deem them as navigable given the many great features of the phone.

So, am I a convert?

I'm a bit of a photography nerd, so if it came down to choosing between buying a new iPhone or a new , I'd choose the phone with the better camera. A camera as good as the one on the makes buying an actual camera redundant in my opinion. And not only is it a great camera, it's your phone. I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything , only gaining more benefits.

READ MORE: All the accessories you need for your new Samsung Galaxy S25 smartphone