The bottom line is – the Galaxy S25 is a really good phone if you are looking for a clean, crisp, and advanced experience with AI features that are actually useful. If you need an Android alternative to the iPhone 16, this is a perfect fit as it has everything that the latest vanilla iPhone lacks. While it delivers well-rounded performance across all areas, those with very specific needs in gaming performance and battery longevity may want to consider the S25 Plus or the S25 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Review: It’s been around 15 days since Samsung launched its most anticipated smartphone series. I’ve been using the vanilla Samsung Galaxy S25 during this time, and I’ve observed several important aspects that could help you make an informed purchase decision. While Galaxy AI appears to be a game-changer with features designed to solve everyday problems, my experience reveals a different story. Despite having what Samsung calls their most AI-capable smartphone, I found myself using only one or two AI features regularly over the past two weeks. This raises important questions: Are these AI features truly necessary? Is the Samsung Galaxy S25 worth its Rs 80,999 price tag? What are its significant drawbacks? And how does it compare to its primary competitor, the iPhone 16? In this comprehensive review, I’ll address these questions and more to help you make the right choice.
Samsung Galaxy S25 feels fragile, but is a tank!
The Samsung Galaxy S25’s form factor makes a striking first impression out of the box. While Samsung has maintained its signature design language over the years, this iteration brings welcome refinements. The S25 stands out with its slim profile, lightweight build, and compact dimensions that offer excellent ergonomics for both pocket carry and handling.
The device’s build quality matches its comfort. Protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both front and back panels, along with Armor Aluminum frames, the S25 exhibits premium durability. The IP68 rating provides reliable protection against water and dust exposure. However, the sleek dimensions can occasionally make the device feel less robust than its actual build quality suggests.
Despite these positive attributes, the S25’s visual design shows minimal evolution from its predecessor, the Galaxy S24. The new Icy Blue colourway, while sophisticated, lacks excitement. That said, the Navy Blue variant offers a more compelling aesthetic with its refined, professional appearance.
OneUI 7 is a gamechanger but performance….
The Galaxy S25’s premium experience extends beyond its design to its sophisticated software implementation with One UI 7. Having used both the iPhone 16 and Galaxy S25 as primary devices, I can confidently say One UI 7 stands as a worthy competitor to Apple’s iOS, which is often considered the industry standard.
One UI 7 distinguishes itself through fluid animations, extensive customization options, and exceptional app optimization. The integration of AI features, coupled with Samsung’s commitment to 7 years of OS updates, surpasses Apple’s current software support timeline.
Samsung’s continued partnership with Google has elevated the intelligence of the S25 through Gemini AI integration with Bixby. The enhanced Settings app now understands natural language queries – type “My eyes are burning,” and it immediately suggests Eye Comfort Shield settings. This intuitive problem-solving approach sets the S25 apart from its competitors.
Among the AI features, Audio Eraser proves particularly useful for content creators. It offers separate controls for Voices and Noise with adjustable intensity scales. However, it’s not without limitations – setting Voices to the maximum while minimizing Noise doesn’t completely eliminate background sounds, and the inverse setting fully mutes voices.
Overall, One UI 7 delivers a refined, fluid, and engaging experience. While the AI features show practical utility and promise, some aspects still require fine-tuning to reach their full potential.
Regarding performance, the Galaxy S25’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset delivered mixed results in benchmark testing. In Antutu, it scored approximately 2 million points – a somewhat disappointing figure considering devices like the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro and iQOO 12 achieved similar scores with older hardware.
However, the device showed more promising results in Geekbench, with both single-core and multi-core scores outperforming other flagship smartphones.
Thermal performance testing revealed some limitations. Using an enhanced stress test with 40 threads over 30 minutes (double the standard parameters), the S25 exhibited significant throttling and noticeable heat generation. While maximum performance metrics were satisfactory, the average performance scores fell below expectations.
In daily use, the S25’s performance is largely excellent, with thermal management being the primary area for improvement. Heat buildup becomes apparent during demanding tasks like gaming sessions and extensive camera use. Despite these thermal challenges, the device offers a smooth experience across most usage scenarios.
It’s a Samsung display on a Samsung flagship
The Galaxy S25 features Samsung’s signature display technology – a 6.1-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel that supports 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+. As expected from a Samsung flagship, the display quality stands out as one of the device’s strongest features.
The display’s brightness levels excel in practical use, offering comfortable visibility even in direct sunlight. The 120Hz refresh rate delivers exceptional smoothness in daily use, and the panel’s crispness is outstanding. Our Calman testing confirms the display’s impressive colour accuracy, validating the visual quality with an average deltaE of 0.6 which is an excellent score.
What about its camera?
Regarding the camera system, the Galaxy S25 retains largely similar hardware to its predecessor, the S24, with no major upgrades.
The ultrawide camera emerges as a standout feature, delivering colour accuracy and detail preservation remarkably close to the main sensor – a rare achievement among Android devices.
The main camera excels in well-lit conditions, capturing detailed images with balanced highlights and shadows. While colours show slight saturation, they maintain a natural appearance.
The macro capabilities impress with fine detail capture and vivid colour reproduction.
Portrait mode produces pleasing bokeh effects and accurate skin tones, though edge detection occasionally appears artificial.
Low-light portrait performance shows mixed results – edge detection can struggle, and some shots exhibit over-saturation and smoothing in dim lighting, yet the camera manages decent portraits in darker environments.
In low-light scenarios, the main camera at 1x captures detailed, well-exposed images with balanced processing and effective light management.
However, performance deteriorates at 2x and 3x zoom, resulting in a noticeable loss of detail and increased noise.
The 12-megapixel front-facing camera delivers impressive results, capturing natural-looking selfies with crisp details and minimal skin smoothing.
4000mAh battery does the work but could be better
The Galaxy S25 features a 4,000mAh battery with 25-watt fast charging capability. Charging from empty to full takes approximately 75 minutes – acceptable for iPhone users transitioning to Android, but notably slower than competing Android flagships.
Battery consumption runs higher than expected. GPS navigation depletes 7% per hour, while 15 minutes of intensive gaming consumes 5%. Moreover, in our PCMark Work 3.0 battery life test, the Samsung Galaxy S25 lasted for 9 hours and 50 minutes. Even with a full charge, the device struggles to deliver 24-hour battery life, likely requiring mid-day charging for heavy users.
So, should you buy Samsung Galaxy S25 at Rs 80,999?
The Galaxy S25 excels as a refined smartphone offering a polished experience with practical AI integration. It serves as an ideal Android alternative to the iPhone 16, offering features absent in Apple’s base model. While it delivers well-rounded performance across all areas, those with very specific needs in gaming performance and battery longevity may want to consider the S25 Plus or the S25 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S25 5G Key Specs, Price and Launch Date
| Release Date: | |
| Market Status: | Launched |
Key Specifications
Storage
256 GB
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Battery capacity (mAh)
4000
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Rear Camera Megapixel
50 + 10 + 12
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Screen size (in inches)
6.2
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Mustafa Khan
Mustafa is a young tech journalist who tells it like it is, cutting through buzzwords to deliver straightforward smartphone reviews. He’s the office go-to for insider tips and quick demos, and his video content doesn’t waste anyone’s time. When he’s off the clock, he geeks out over cars, photography, and hunting down the best spot for Indian food. View Full Profile
