I’m not the type to spend thousands on my phone, which is why I have a lot of interest around the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus. These two new phones from Samsung are more in line with my budget over the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and after spending some hands-on time with the duo, there’s no denying where Samsung’s placing is placing the emphasis for this year’s updated flagships.
Galaxy AI continues to be an integral part of the Galaxy S story, as the entire Galaxy S25 series have access to the same exact new features. Additionally, there’s a big focus on the cameras and new tools that make the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus as robust as the S25 Ultra.
Then again, these two phones are competing against other phones in their price ranges as contenders for best phones. Now that I’ve got a good feel for them, I’ll let you know which one could be worth your money in my Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus hands-on.
Samsung Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus hands-on: Specifications
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | Galaxy S25 | Galaxy S25 Plus |
| Starting price | $799 | $999 |
| Display | 6.2-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display | 6.7-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display |
| Refresh rate | 1-120Hz adaptive | 1-120Hz adaptive |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy | Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy |
| RAM | 12GB | 12GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB | 256GB, 512GB |
| Rear cameras | 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom | 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom |
| Front camera | 12MP | 12MP |
| Battery size | 4,000 mAh | 4,900 mAh |
| Charging speed | 4W wired, 15W wireless | 25W wired, 15W wireless |
| Size | 5.78 x 2.77 x 0.28 inches | 6.23 x 2.98 x 0.28 inxges |
| Weight | 5.71 ounces | 6.69 ounces |
| Colors | Navy, Icyblue, Mint, and Silver Shadow, Blueblack, Coralred, and Pinkgold | Navy, Icyblue, Mint, and Silver Shadow, Blueblack, Coralred, and Pinkgold |
Samsung Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus hands-on: Design
Samsung recycles the designs of both phones, as they look nearly identical to last year’s models with their flat edges, rounded corners and flat displays. They’re more or less the same, but there are a few minor changes.
For starters, I like how Samsung slims down the S25 ever so slightly because it’s now shorter, narrower, thinner, and lighter than the Galaxy S24. It’s the same for the S25 Plus too, but between them, I prefer the more compact size of the S25 because it’s much easier to handle with one hand. Both phones also benefit from an Armor Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and IP68 ratings.
Honestly, I was hoping to see bigger changes to the designs, but I suppose that by keeping the look unchanged for the most part, the new Galaxy S25 models keep their identity. To Samsung’s credit, they’re constructed from more recycled materials than ever before, but I would’ve much preferred to see an evolved design language. It’s overdue at this point.
Samsung Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus hands-on: Display
One thing I really honed in on during my Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus hands-on time was inspecting how their displays look. Last year’s panels were marred by a Mura effect that made the screens look grainy at low brightness settings. Thankfully, I’m happy to report that the displays are much more vibrant looking this time around.
The Galaxy S25 is still packing a 6.2-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, while the S25 Plus has the slightly larger 6.7-inch QHD+ panel. Both look extremely sharp, but I’m more excited by the fact that they look much more brilliant than their predecessors. And just as before, the displays have pinhole cutouts for their 12MP front-facing cameras and 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rates.
I pulled up a quick movie trailer on the Galaxy S25 Plus, and I wasn’t disappointed by the sheer color saturation and its iridescent glow at the highest brightness setting. However, it’ll only be a matter of time before we put the new phones through some proper testing to see if both displays eclipse the brightness of their predecessors.
Samsung Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus hands-on: Cameras
Hardware-wise, there are no major changes for the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus, which is a shame especially for the $999 Galaxy S25 Plus. That’s because it’s competing against rivals like the iPhone 16 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro, both of which have telephoto cameras with longer 5x optical zooms — the Galaxy S25 Plus still has a 3x telephoto lens.
The triple camera arrangement on both phones consists of a 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, and 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom. While the hardware is in desperate need of upgrading, Samsung focuses its efforts on arming the S25 series with new camera features that could up your game.
A new Audio Eraser feature can detect the different sounds in a video and then select which audio sources you want to boost or decrease. In the example Samsung showed off, the wind in the background was effectively removed — making the person’s voice in the video sound clearer.
Over on the video side, I’m happy to report that the Galaxy S25 has a robust package that will please videographers such as myself. Not only can these new phones shoot at up to 8K 30fps, but a new Nightography mode should allow for clearer, less noisy looking footage under low light conditions. And by default, both the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus shoot in 10-bit HDR to capture richer colors and offer more dynamic range.
Another new video feature I’m excited about is the introduction of Log Video that records in a flatter picture profile. It’s not for everyone, but I know how video editors can use the footage to better color grade their videos in post. And finally, there’s a new Virtual Aperture that gives you more depth-of-field control. It’s a nice addition, but I think it’s more of a gimmick because it’s basically similar to portrait mode where you can adjust the bokeh level.
All of these new features make the S25 and S25 Plus formidable cameras, but I’ll need to really test them out more to see if they’re enough to offset the fact that the hardware has remained mostly unchanged.
Samsung Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus hands-on: Performance
In making that iterative leap, the Galaxy S25 lineup is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy — silicon that’s tailored to draw out even more performance. Samsung claims that this particular chipset sees a boost of 40% in NPU, 37% in CPU, and 30% in GPU compared to the previous chip.
On the surface, it’s hard to say if there’s any meaningful performance boost because just as with the previous models, they handle all actions with tight responses and fluid animations. However, this is the minimum expectation I have with today’s best phones. What I’m more eager to uncover is how the S25 and S25 Plus handle their new AI experiences.
Samsung Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus hands-on: Software and AI
Usually I’m excited most about the hardware changes, but this is one of those rare times when the software steals the show. Both the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus are running Samsung’s One UI 7 on top of Android 15. From what I can see, the updated design of the interface looks clean — and it helps that both phones navigate around so fluidly.
One of the new features of One UI that stands out most to me is the Now Bar, which is almost similar in functionality to Apple’s Dynamic Island and Live Tiles, though Samsung’s version only shows on the lock screen. This Now Bar lets you preview information from apps such as Maps, Samsung Health, Sports from Google, and more. You could say it’s more of a personalization than anything else, but it supplements the Now Brief that’s laid out as a widget on the home screen.
Other new features include a better smart select function that can let you do all sorts of things with what you’re doing on the phone. For example, you can use smart select to make a gif animation from a YouTube video you have running — while another example involves making the suggestion to summarize an article you’re looking at.
Circle to Search, which made its debut with the Galaxy S24 last year, also gets upgraded to listen to the audio in videos and produce stronger results. But the bigger story here are all the new Galaxy AI features that Samsung is introducing. While the total amount doesn’t eclipse what we got last year, they’re evolved enough to make these phones work better for you. Here’s what you’ll get:
- AI Agents: This is without a doubt one of the most ambitious AI features with the Galaxy S25 because you can perform actionable tasks by long pressing the side button and telling the phone a command. Meaning, you can tell it to find out your favorite sports team’s season schedule and add it to your calendar. This is more or less similar to the Action button on the iPhone, but rather than creating commands, you simply use your voice. However, the key will be how many other third-party apps will be supported by this because at launch only Spotify and WhatsApp are supported. This feature leans on both Google Gemini and Bixby to perform all the necessary actions.
- Improved Generative Edit: Last year’s generative edit feature gave us tools to make photo edits faster, but Samsung’s improving it to be smarter at making edits. For example, when you remove people from photos, generative edit intelligently will also remove any shadows they cast in the photo.
- Portrait Studio: Likewise, Portrait Studio is also getting enhanced to generate even more realistic looking images — including the ability to cast realistic shadows on your face.
- Drawing Assist: Part of the Sketch to Image Galaxy AI feature, this new one allows you to create your ideas through combinations of sketches, image, and text prompts.
- Personal Data Engine: Much like the AI Agents on the Galaxy S25, the Personalized Data Engine analyzes your data to better tailor experiences on the phone. One example is using a voice command to search photos you’ve taken at specific locations or dates. It doesn’t end there because the personal data engine can suggest a specific routine if you happen to do it a lot, like falling asleep and leaving the TV on. This Personal Data Engine could suggest making a routine that turns off your phone through Samsung’s SmartThings platform. I’m also eager to see how this actually works day-to-day because the Galaxy S25 would need to learn your routines and habits in order to generate these recommendations. I often think about how the smart home experience could be elevated by this. Wouldn’t it be cool if your smart lock unlocks the door and the lights turn on automatically as you approach home? This could be game changing.
Samsung Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus hands-on: Battery and Charging
The Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus have battery capacities of 4,000 mAh and 4,900 mAh respectively. These are identical in size to last year’s models, so it’s going to come down to the power efficiency of the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Based on what we’ve tested with the Asus Rog Phone 9 Pro and OnePlus 13, I expect the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus to surpass the battery life of their predecessors. That will take some doing, given that the S24 and S24 Plus posted battery life times of 13-plus and 16-plus hours in our testing, which is well ahead of the average phone.
Unfortunately, charging remains unchanged at 25W and 45W wired speeds for the S25 and S25 Plus, respectively. Likewise, both phones still have the same 15W wireless charging speed as before. I’m bummed that neither phone gains the necessary magnets to make them Qi2 compatible out of the box — but cases are available that add magnetic wireless charging functionality.
Samsung Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus hands-on: Outlook
I’m more selective about which phone I’d buy, but Samsung is placing its efforts most into the software and AI features with the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus. I can’t say if the new additions and enhancements are enough to definitely conclude that they’re worth upgrading to, but I’m nonetheless eager to see how the ambitious Galaxy AI features pan out as I test them. I’m even more interested to see which features come to older phones. Samsung hasn’t publicly stated if they will, but I’m sure it’ll be only a matter of time — these new Galaxy AI features might be exclusive to the S25 series for a limited time.
Now the tougher question is how these two new phones will compare against their biggest rivals. For the Galaxy S25 Plus, I’m bummed that it’s still packing a 3x optical zoom camera in an era where the comparable $999 Pixel 9 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro have 5x optical zooms. I would most certainly lean towards the S25 for the savings and smaller size, but the S25 Plus could offset things once it’s properly tested — especially if there’s a big improvement with its battery life.
