The Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus is a great telephone. The issue is that it is not meaningfully higher than the Galaxy S24 Plus and appears just about the similar. The utility options that it introduced with will even inevitably come to different Galaxy S telephones, too. Then again, if you’ll forget about all that, you can be proud of a Galaxy S25 Plus — simply do not improve to it from anything else more moderen than a Galaxy S22.
Each time a brand new Galaxy S telephone comes out, everybody makes a speciality of the Extremely fashion. It’s the largest and easiest, so it’s simply Extremely Extremely Extremely. Then again, we shouldn’t overlook concerning the two inexpensive fashions. In 2025, that suggests the Samsung Galaxy S25 and the Galaxy S25 Plus.The issue, despite the fact that, is that Samsung itself turns out to have forgotten about those telephones this yr. Each units are slightly upgrades over their predecessors, which begs the query: must those telephones even exist?
Slightly a brand new coat of paint
C. Scott Brown / Android AuthorityMuch has already been mentioned concerning the design adjustments of the Galaxy S25 sequence — or, extra as it should be, the loss of many adjustments in any respect. The bodily make-up of those two telephones is just about similar to what we noticed at the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus. You’ve were given the similar flat facets fabricated from an aluminum alloy, the similar glass again fabricated from Gorilla Glass Victus 2, the similar 120Hz shows at 6.2 inches (1080p) for the smaller fashion and six.7 inches (1440p) for the Plus — they’re the similar telephones, necessarily.
Outdoor of a few chunky rear digicam bezels, Samsung has slightly modified anything else concerning the designs of the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus.
The one vital design distinction is the cameras. Be aware that I mentioned “design distinction” there, because the digicam lenses and sensors themselves have no longer been up to date, which I’ll get to in just a little. Bodily, despite the fact that, the lenses now have chunky black bezels round them, making them glance extra uniform around the Galaxy S25 circle of relatives — particularly when in comparison to the Extremely fashion, which has historically had chunkier lenses. It additionally makes all 3 Galaxy S25 telephones glance extra very similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 6, effectively aligning them with Samsung’s top rate foldable flagship. That’s cool and all, however that being the level of the design replace is lovely unhappy.
If you wish to get large nitpicky, Samsung additionally moved the ejection hollow to the other facet of the SIM tray. This would possibly assist save you folks from unintentionally sticking a SIM software into the microphone hollow. That’s a welcome alternate however no longer just about sufficient to get fascinated about.
Even if the units’ bodily development has slightly modified, Samsung did herald some new colours this yr. Then again, the designers discovered a solution to make this disappointing, too, as there isn’t just about sufficient selection. Military is the boldest of the 4 same old colorways, coming in with a pleasing, deep blue. In the meantime, Icyblue is an overly mild blue, Silver Shadow is principally the similar colour as Icyblue, and Mint is simply Silver Shadow with a inexperienced tint. Principally, you’re left with the only blue fashion after which 3 refined permutations of silver — hardly ever exciting, however higher than what you get with the S25 Extremely.
Usual Colours
Samsung.com Colours
Fortunately, there are unique on-line colours, together with Coralred, Blueblack, and Pinkgold, which inject some much-needed taste into this lineup. Sadly, you’ll most effective be capable to get them from Samsung.com, leaving somebody who buys their telephone via their provider prime and dry. Particularly, this comprises the vast majority of American citizens.
Most effective the very fundamental {hardware} upgrades
C. Scott Brown / Android AuthorityGalaxy S25Samsung didn’t alternate a lot at the out of doors, however issues have modified at the within, proper? Smartly, sure and no.Essentially the most vital alternate is that each one Galaxy S25 telephones in each a part of the arena include the brand new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset. That suggests no Exynos chips in any respect this yr. As anticipated, the quite overclocked model of Qualcomm’s flagship cell chip is a monster, handily beating different telephones with the common Snapdragon 8 Elite in multi-core benchmarks and conserving their very own simply effective in single-core.
Irrespective of how the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy compares to the usual 8 Elite, there’s no query that it handily beats the Galaxy S24’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy in CPU-based exams (see graph at the proper, above). Within the PCMark Paintings 3.0 productiveness benchmark, the HONOR Magic 7 Professional comes quite forward of the 2 Galaxy S25 telephones. That mentioned, the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus nonetheless clobber the OnePlus 13 and ASUS ROG Telephone 9 Professional on this benchmark.
C. Scott Brown / Android AuthorityThe positive aspects aren’t slightly as vital within the GPU stakes generation-over-generation, however they’re nonetheless there. The OnePlus 13 stays the king of Snapdragon 8 Elite efficiency up to now, however the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus steer clear of the overheating pitfalls we’ve noticed with any other units powered by means of the chip, making an allowance for a good sufficient sustained efficiency within the tough 3DMark Wild Lifestyles Excessive pressure take a look at. That is virtually surely aided by means of Samsung’s new vapor chamber cooling programs. Those incorporated within the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus are 15% larger than final yr, which is good to peer. I touched the telephones whilst operating those benchmarks to peer how sizzling they were given, and so they had been certainly heat, however no longer excessively so.
The elemental gist is that, so far as uncooked efficiency is going, the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus are tangible upgrades in comparison to the Galaxy S24 sequence and, clearly, all different prior Galaxy S telephones. That’s just right!After all, the final vital alternate for the internals here’s only for the small fashion. It will get bumped as much as 12GB of RAM, which is clearly higher than the 8GB we noticed final yr. This implies all 3 Galaxy S25 telephones — vanilla, Plus, and Extremely — have the similar 12GB of RAM. Then again, this isn’t true globally — some spaces of the arena will see a 16GB fashion of the Extremely. In america, despite the fact that, all 3 telephones are locked to 12GB of RAM. That is nice information for the vanilla fashion, however the Plus variant is unchanged.
Samsung has higher the efficiency of the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus, which is excellent. It even introduced extra RAM to the vanilla fashion.
Sadly, that’s just about it for considerable interior upgrades. Wi-Fi were given up to date to Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth bumped to model 5.4, however the ones received’t make a lot of a distinction on your existence at the moment until you’re an influence person. The entirety else within those telephones is precisely the similar because it used to be in 2024. That suggests no digicam upgrades, no garage upgrades (in america, anyway), no charging energy upgrades (it’s technically Qi2 wi-fi charging able, however there aren’t any integrated magnets), and no battery upgrades.The loss of any digicam upgrades is amazingly scary. The digicam {hardware} comprising the 3 rear lenses hasn’t been meaningfully upgraded for 3 years operating. That’s proper: you’d wish to return to the Galaxy S21 sequence to peer the final time any such telephones had a distinct digicam setup at the again. That’s completely insane.Granted, the cameras right here aren’t horrible — they’re simply no longer precisely flagship-tier high quality anymore. I’ve dumped a number of full-res pattern footage into this Power folder if you wish to have an in-depth have a look at efficiency, however I’ll put some selection photographs right here.
As standard, we see diminishing returns the extra you utilize zoom at the Galaxy S25. We additionally see quite other coloring when the use of the ultrawide lens as an alternative of the principle one.For selfies, issues glance effective, however there’s not anything particular happening:
After all, I grabbed a couple of night time photographs. I used to be particularly considering those as a result of experiences that some night time photographs at the Galaxy S25 sequence lead to colour bands showing at the symbol. That didn’t occur with any of my photographs, despite the fact that:
C. Scott Brown / Android AuthorityOverall, the digicam right here is okay. Then again, “effective” doesn’t in point of fact reduce it for a flagship smartphone that begins at $800 when the contest will get higher yearly. Samsung must improve all 3 lenses at the backs of the Galaxy S26 sequence or it’ll fall dangerously at the back of competition on this realm.After all, battery existence on each telephones has additionally been — you guessed it — effective. Since each telephones have the similar battery capacities as final yr, you’ll see about the similar effects. Neither will likely be a two-day telephone, however you’ll get a complete time out of each simply, particularly for those who flip off the always-on-display and drop the solution of the Galaxy S25 Plus to 1080p. Even though you don’t do this, despite the fact that, you must be capable to get via a complete day and fee the telephones whilst you sleep. I do know there are technically slight battery positive aspects due to the ability potency of the Snapdragon 8 Elite, however they weren’t sufficient for me to note a lot of a distinction, let on my own push them to two-day units.
Galaxy AI is superior, nevertheless it’s simply utility
C. Scott Brown / Android AuthoritySince Samsung has left such a lot bodily unchanged with those telephones, utility is the main improve. The telephones within the Galaxy S25 sequence include Android 15 out of the field, skinned over with One UI 7. These days, those are the one Samsung telephones that experience this utility.In my view, the megastar characteristic of One UI 7 is the facility to make use of herbal language to look inside Gallery and Android settings. Within the local gallery app, you’ll pull up a voice seek and easily describe the photograph you’re in search of, and Galaxy AI will to find it for you. You’ll even use this to filter a couple of footage, akin to by means of asking, “Display me the footage from final yr’s cruise,” or “Pictures from Chase Heart.” It’s speedy, correct sufficient, and intensely useful.
The actual innovation right here, despite the fact that, is having the ability to seek via Android settings the use of the similar device. Samsung’s One UI pores and skin is definitely bursting with toggles, sliders, and buttons, such a lot in order that it may be lovely overwhelming, particularly for individuals who aren’t used to it. Now, with the brand new AI-powered seek bar, you’ll say or sort what you’re seeking to alternate about your telephone, and Galaxy AI will to find the right kind surroundings(s) for you.This will likely be a game-changing characteristic. For instance, my dad — who recently makes use of an iPhone — would do not know that he may use Android’s iOS-like gesture navigation device as an alternative of the three-button device that comes because the default on Galaxy telephones. On this state of affairs, he may simply say, “I don’t like the ground buttons,” and the AI will give him the choice of fixing to navigation gestures.
This makes issues so a lot more intuitive. My dad wouldn’t have recognized to seek for “navigation gestures,” however that doesn’t subject anymore. Now, folks can simply say what they would like (or don’t need) and to find the settings they want. That is the type of stuff that makes AI thrilling!Sadly, either one of those options light up an issue creating inside One UI: understanding which AI characteristic works wherein spot. For instance, neither of those AI seek options works with Gemini, which has changed Bixby because the default virtual assistant that looks while you cling down the facet key (recognized on all non-Samsung telephones as the ability button). In different phrases, to make use of the AI seek in Android settings at the Galaxy S25, you will have to be in Android settings and use the brand new AI seek bar that looks there and no longer anyplace else within the telephone’s UI. If Samsung isn’t cautious, this type of characteristic creep may create a large mess wherein customers don’t know the place to visit get what they would like, making the very idea of what it’s seeking to do inappropriate.
Some other of my favourite Galaxy S25 utility options is the brand new digital aperture. You wish to have to make use of the Skilled RAW app for this, nevertheless it principally will provide you with a super-powered portrait mode. Most often, while you shoot a photograph in portrait mode, the digicam utility does its easiest to infer the topic after which blur the background round it. On occasion this doesn’t paintings in addition to it must, despite the fact that. With a digital aperture, you’ll regulate this extra appropriately, very similar to how you may an actual digicam.Clearly, your effects will range right here, and it’s no longer just about as handy as simply pointing and taking pictures in conventional portrait mode. Including in digital aperture could also be no excuse for no longer upgrading any of the digicam {hardware}. Nonetheless, it is a characteristic that no different Galaxy telephones have, and I in point of fact loved taking part in round with it at the Galaxy S25.
C. Scott Brown / Android AuthorityThere are such a lot of different new Galaxy S25-exclusive options in right here, too. The brand new AI Make a selection serve as (previously referred to as Sensible Make a selection) examines what’s going down to your show and adapts itself to that. For instance, for those who cause AI Make a selection whilst staring at a video, it’ll provide the solution to make a GIF of that video. When you’re taking a look at textual content, it’ll be offering translation choices and replica/paste/seek choices. It’s in point of fact helpful and a pleasing improve over Sensible Make a selection (even though tacking “AI” to the title used to be wholly useless). The brand new Now Temporary widget will provide you with updates on climate, information, well being stats, footage you’ve taken, and extra as you move during the day. Audio Eraser does precisely what it appears like, and the brand new Galaxy Log video layout offers videographers extra regulate over colour correction in post-production.I will be able to readily admit that those are all helpful options, and Samsung’s coverage of providing seven years of utility upgrades is an out of this world dedication. The issue, despite the fact that, is that they’re all strictly software-based and thus most effective quickly locked to the Galaxy S25 sequence. Samsung has already admitted that the majority of — if no longer all — those new methods will come to different Galaxy telephones quickly. So, that brings me again to my unique query: must those telephones even exist?
Samsung Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus evaluation verdict: Must you purchase those?
C. Scott Brown / Android AuthorityThe TL;DR here’s that the majority of folks with an already succesful telephone must no longer purchase the Galaxy S25 or Galaxy S25 Plus. After all, that received’t prevent those telephones from promoting simply effective.You notice, I do know what Samsung is doing right here. Those telephones are most effective quite higher than the Galaxy S24 sequence, however they’re much higher than the Galaxy S22 sequence. For instance, the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus have smaller shows that aren’t just about as shiny. In addition they have smaller batteries and weaker selfie cameras. Clearly, in addition they have weaker processors, particularly for those who purchased one with an Exynos 2200 SoC.What Samsung is assuming here’s that the individuals who were conserving directly to a Galaxy S22 (or an excellent older telephone) will see the Galaxy S25 as a vital improve. As I discussed previous, right here in america, most of the people improve their telephone via their provider, so the ones other people will simply stroll into Verizon/T-Cellular/AT&T, say they would like the most recent Galaxy S tool, after which purchase any such telephones. And you realize what? They’ll most likely love the telephone as a result of it’ll be tangibly higher than what that they had.
Samsung thinks it will probably do what Apple does, however Android lovers world wide will combat to simply accept that if issues proceed this fashion.
Whilst this technique works for that particular roughly buyer, it ignores everybody else. It’s additionally extremely complacent. No longer considerably upgrading your flagship product since you’re depending on customers who don’t know any higher to shop for it blind isn’t the way you win the smartphone sport. That’s the type of factor Apple does and will break out with since the majority of people that purchase iPhones don’t care concerning the broader smartphone marketplace. They only purchase iPhones, so there’s, slightly actually, no competitor for them to trouble taking a look at.
Lanh Nguyen / Android AuthorityBut Android lovers are other. We all know there are alternatives. The Pixel 9 sequence is full of successful units, together with the Pixel 9 Professional ($999 at Amazon), which has no an identical within the Galaxy S sequence, that means a compact flagship with the entire bells and whistles of the one of the best fashion. The Pixel 9 Professional XL ($1099 at Amazon) is $100 dearer than the Galaxy S25 Plus, however that’s OK as it comes with more moderen digicam {hardware} that features a periscope telephoto lens, which neither the Galaxy S25 nor Galaxy S25 Plus have. The OnePlus 13 ($899.99 at OnePlus) is principally an Android fan’s dream of a top rate smartphone, with a larger battery, quicker charging, and different vital upgrades over its predecessor, to not point out an overly aggressive value. At an MSRP of $899, the selection between a OnePlus 13 and a Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus isn’t in point of fact a decision in any respect.Then again, Samsung’s complacency finally ends up serving to you out. Since the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus are so very similar to what we noticed in 2024, you’ll save a variety of cash. When you’re taking a look at any such telephones, simply skip them and get a Galaxy S24 ($859.99 at Amazon) or Galaxy S24 Plus ($1119.99 at Amazon) for a fragment of the fee when on sale. You’ll get principally the similar {hardware} and in the end get lots of the utility options as soon as One UI 7 rolls out to the broader Galaxy ecosystem. You’ll even get a greater collection of colours! If the ones reductions aren’t deep sufficient, the Galaxy S24 FE ($552.54 at Amazon) might be a very good choice, too.Even though you don’t heed my warnings and purchase a Galaxy S25 or Galaxy S25 Plus, it’s no longer such as you’ll be getting a nasty telephone. They’re just right! There’s simply no reason why to shop for them if in case you have many, many different telephones — each from Samsung and in different places — that will provide you with the similar bang for some distance much less dollar.
Samsung Galaxy S25
Samsung Galaxy S2512GB RAM • Massively stepped forward utility • 7 years of supportRefined utility, AI smarts, and next-gen hardwareWith an emphasis on AI options, and a transfer to Gemini, the Samsung Galaxy S25 is a thrilling replace to the Galaxy S line. Supplied with a 6.2-inch FHD+ show, Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, 12GB of RAM, an impressive 50MP digicam, and up to date {hardware} fabrics, we predict large issues from the bottom fashion of Samsung’s 2025 flagship telephone.Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S25 PlusSnapdragon 8 Elite energy • 12GB RAM • 7 years utility supportA tough 6.7-inch telephone, with 7 years of updatesThe center providing of Samsung’s 2025 flagship release, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus is a 6.7-inch QHD+ tool with a 50MP digicam, 12GB of RAM, 256GB+ of garage, and the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC. UWB connectivity, a 4,900mAh battery, and ProScaler for QHD+ spherical out the upgrades over the bottom fashion telephone.
