Last month, Samsung rolled out the One UI 8.5 Beta 7 update to Galaxy S25 series in regions like India, Japan, South Korea and the USA. While the update was pretty straightforward in terms of new features, it seems like the interesting "Ocean Mode" flew under the radar. Now, a new report from SamMobile has revealed that the One UI 8.5 beta update equipped the Galaxy S25 Ultra with Samsung's research-only Ocean Mode.
What Is Ocean Mode on Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?
The latest Samsung Camera app version 5.0.08.2 of One UI 8.5 Beta 7 has added a new Expert RAW mode, enabling "Ocean Mode" for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Ocean Mode was previously exclusive to a dedicated research build of One UI that Samsung unlocked for select community members engaged in the Coral Reef restoration project.
For those unaware, back in 2022, Samsung entered into a multi-year partnership with Seatrees to lead the global Coral Reef restoration project as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. The brand developed a coral reef 3D mapping algorithm, which leveraged the rear cameras of Galaxy S series phones for marine biology. In simpler terms, you can capture coral reefs with your Galaxy phone's cameras.
It was first made live with the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and is currently used by deep-sea divers in Fiji, Indonesia and the USA. Even the recently launched Galaxy S26 Ultra unlocked Ocean Mode for every user globally. Now, with the Galaxy S25 Ultra joining the list, Samsung is further expanding Ocean Mode to more Galaxy phone users.
Is Samsung Ocean Mode Useful for You?
The simple answer is no. Even though Samsung is rolling out Ocean Mode widely, only a handful of users will find actual use for this feature. First and foremost, just because your Galaxy S25 Ultra can now take photos of the coral reefs, it doesn't make the phone deep-sea water resistant.
Even though Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with an IP68 rating, it is strictly for freshwater and that too for a maximum submersion time of 30 minutes. If you decide to plunge into the saltwater, it will deteriorate the IP rating further.
Every deep-sea diver uses a specialised bolted case inside which the smartphone rests. Hence, in case you are a marine biologist who owns the necessary deep-water rig to shoot coral reefs with your Galaxy S25 Ultra, this feature may not be as useful for you.
