The Samsung Galaxy S25+ might not completely reinvent the wheel, but it’s a solid step forward in Samsung’s flagship lineup. It offers a gorgeous AMOLED display, the powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, smarter AI integration, and a well-rounded camera setup. However, because some elements haven’t changed, the upgrade feels more incremental than revolutionary.
If you’re moving up from an S23+ or an even older model, the performance boost, refined AI features, and optimized battery life make the Samsung Galaxy S25+ a compelling choice. But if you’re already riding with the S24+, you might find the updates a bit too subtle to justify a switch.
The Samsung Galaxy S25+ lands right in that sweet spot between raw power and everyday practicality, delivering flagship-level performance without the extra heft of the Ultra model. This version rolls out some upgrades—notably the mighty Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which promises a serious performance boost. It keeps the sleek design and robust feature set of the S24+ including a punchy 6.7-inch AMOLED display, capable cameras, and smart AI capabilities. That said, while it really shines in many areas, many aspects remain unchanged, making the upgrade feel more like a smooth evolution than a complete reinvention.
Samsung Galaxy S25+ Review: Build and Design
At first glance, the Samsung Galaxy S25+ exudes a refined yet relaxed vibe. It sticks to Samsung’s much-loved minimalist style with clean lines and a seamless integration of components. The Gorilla Glass Victus 2 panels on both the front and back give it some serious durability, while the second-generation Armor Aluminum frame boosts structural integrity without weighing it down. Samsung even managed to make the device 0.4mm thinner and trim off 7 grams compared to its predecessor; a neat achievement given the extra power and AI features now on board.
It still sports an IP68 rating, meaning you can splash it around or get caught in a downpour for up to 30 minutes in 1.5 meters of water. The 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display takes centre stage with impressively thin, even bezels that keep the overall look sleek and modern.
Turn the phone over, and you’ll find a matte finish that matches the frame perfectly. Samsung has maintained its flat-back camera design, complete with three distinct rings for the lenses and an LED flash. Although those metal rings are mostly decorative, they blend seamlessly with the phone’s refined vibe. Skipping the bulky camera island gives the Samsung Galaxy S25+ a clean, no-nonsense look that feels timeless.
Positioned between the Ultra and the standard S25, this model nails the balance between size, usability, and multimedia enjoyment. It feels great in your hand yet offers plenty of screen space for immersive content. While some might wish for more dramatic design changes, Samsung’s commitment to refinement over reinvention keeps it polished and premium.
Samsung Galaxy S25+ Review: Display
The Galaxy S25+ rocks a 6.7-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display with a crisp resolution of 1440×3120 pixels, hitting a neat 513 pixels per inch. This QHD+ panel pops with vibrant colours, deep blacks, and impressive brightness levels that can peak at 2600 nits, ensuring you get excellent visibility even in bright sunlight. We measured a whopping 1,398 nits under direct sunlight on Auto Brightness mode, which is excellent.
The dynamic 120Hz refresh rate makes scrolling silky smooth and touch interactions super responsive. The display packs HDR10+ support for rich, dynamic visuals when you’re watching your favourite shows or browsing photos.
Adding to the convenience is the always-on display feature, letting you quickly check notifications and the time without waking up the whole device. On the flip side, Samsung hasn’t yet switched to a 10-bit or 12-bit panel like some of its competitors, so HDR content might not look as deep or as colour-accurate as it could be.
Samsung Galaxy S25+ Review: Performance and UI
Under the hood, the Galaxy S25+ is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset—the most advanced SoC on any Android phone today. The Galaxy-specific variant pushes its two Prime CPU cores to 4.47 GHz (a nice bump over earlier models), while its six Performance cores run at 3.53 GHz. The Adreno 830 GPU, with its clever sliced architecture and dedicated memory for each slice, delivers graphics performance that’s tough to beat.
Samsung has paired the powerhouse with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and offers storage options of 256GB or 512GB UFS 4.0, ensuring ultra-fast performance and plenty of room for your apps and media.
Benchmarks even show a 20-25% improvement in CPU performance over its predecessor, making this a blazing-fast Android device—though it doesn’t quite top every chart. The phone got a respectable AnTuTu score of 2196465, however, phones like the iQOO 13 far exceed this score. It does top the charts when it comes to the PCMark Work benchmark score though, which indicates strong productivity-based performance. That said, under prolonged high-intensity tasks, you might notice a dip in both CPU and GPU performance.
Running on One UI 7 layered over Android 15, the S25+ sports aesthetic tweaks, smoother animations, and improved overall fluidity. Samsung’s DeX mode still makes an appearance, letting you hook the phone up to an external display for a desktop-like experience, even though the old PC-based DeX has been swapped out in favour of Microsoft’s Link to Windows integration.
AI is front and centre in the Galaxy S25+ experience, thanks to Google Gemini powering a host of smart features. The system-wide natural language processing makes interacting with your device feel intuitive and effortless.
One standout is the AI Agents feature, which lets you go hands-free with functions like Live Translate for calls, AI Summarize for quick insights from web pages, and even voice-driven Gallery searches. The upgraded Circle to Search can now pick up background audio, making it even easier to zero in on what you need.
Perhaps the coolest feature here is Cross-App Actions, which allows you to automate tasks across different apps. For instance, you can ask the AI to grab event details from the web and set up a calendar entry, or to copy info into Samsung Notes and send it as a message—all in one go.
Samsung has also introduced Generative Edits in the Gallery, letting you remove or add objects in your photos with impressively accurate shadow details. Plus, AI-powered Now Brief and Now Bar help you stay organized by summarizing your schedule, tracking podcasts, and even suggesting travel departure times based on Google Maps data.
While a few of these AI tools might come off as a bit gimmicky at first, Samsung’s long-term commitment to enhancing AI features means they’re set to become even more practical. With third-party integrations for apps like WhatsApp and Spotify on the horizon, the S25+ is paving the way for a smarter, more connected ecosystem.
Are the cameras any good?
Sticking to its formula, the Galaxy S25+ delivers a well-rounded camera system that features a 50MP primary sensor, a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide sensor. Even though these numbers are similar to those of the S24+, Samsung has doubled down on AI-driven tweaks to boost overall image quality.
The main 50MP sensor snaps detailed and vibrant photos, especially when you’re out in the daylight. Thanks to a new AI-powered image processing pipeline, textures come out refined, dynamic range gets a boost, and noise is better controlled in low-light settings. Night mode, in particular, has stepped up its game with improved exposure balance and colour retention, so your nighttime shots look natural rather than overdone.
The 10MP telephoto lens offers 3x optical zoom, and Samsung’s Super Resolution Zoom pushes things further while keeping things sharp. However, it’s worth noting that Samsung still lags behind some competitors with periscope-style zoom setups, capping the Samsung Galaxy S25+ at a 30x hybrid zoom where clarity can drop off compared to the S25 Ultra.
The 12MP ultrawide sensor holds its own, producing expansive shots with minimal distortion. There’s a slight improvement in edge sharpness over the S24+, and Samsung’s AI de-warping technology helps maintain a natural perspective across your wide-angle photos.
On the video front, the phone is no slouch either—it supports 8K recording at 30fps and 4K at 60fps, with enhanced stabilization courtesy of AI-assisted Super Steady Mode. And when it comes to selfies, the 12MP front camera delivers excellent results with improved portrait processing and HDR balancing, making it a solid option for social media sharing.
Samsung Galaxy S25+ Review: Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S25+ packs a 4,900mAh battery that easily sees you through a full day of moderate to heavy use, thanks to the efficiency of the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and Samsung’s AI-driven battery management. In everyday testing, the phone clocks in a screen-on time of around 8-9 hours, making it a dependable daily driver. The phone got a PC Mark Battery Life score of 12 hours and 49 minutes.
Charging speeds haven’t changed much, with 45W wired charging powering the battery to 50% in just under 30 minutes, and 15W wireless charging still available for those convenient top-ups. Reverse wireless charging is back too, so you can juice up your Galaxy Buds or smartwatch when you’re on the move.
While Samsung’s focus on battery longevity over ultra-fast charging is a smart move, some competitors now offer significantly quicker charging options. This lack of higher-wattage fast charging might leave power users wishing for a bit more speed when they’re in a rush.
Should you buy it?
The Samsung Galaxy S25+ might not completely reinvent the wheel, but it’s a solid step forward in Samsung’s flagship lineup. It offers a gorgeous AMOLED display, the powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, smarter AI integration, and a well-rounded camera setup. However, because some elements haven’t changed, the upgrade feels more incremental than revolutionary.
If you’re moving up from an S23+ or an even older model, the performance boost, refined AI features, and optimized battery life make the Samsung Galaxy S25+ a compelling choice. But if you’re already riding with the S24+, you might find the updates a bit too subtle to justify a switch.
Even with all its strengths, there are a few niggles: the camera hardware hasn’t seen a major overhaul, the charging speeds lag behind some rivals, and the design remains largely unchanged. Samsung’s choice to stick with 3x optical zoom instead of venturing into periscope-style territory might seem like a missed opportunity—especially when competitors are pushing more advanced zoom capabilities.
All in all, though, Samsung’s promise of long-term software support, premium build quality, and a balanced feature set means the Samsung Galaxy S25+ remains one of the most reliable premium smartphones on the market. It’s a safe, polished, and powerful pick—just not the most thrilling one out there. If you’re after the ultimate AI-powered ‘Plus’ phone, the S25+ delivers an experience that’s smarter, smoother, and more refined than ever before.
Samsung Galaxy S25+ Key Specs, Price and Launch Date
| Release Date: | |
| Market Status: | Launched |
Key Specifications
Storage
256 GB
-
Battery capacity (mAh)
4900
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Rear Camera Megapixel
50 + 10 + 12
-
Screen size (in inches)
6.7
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Dhriti Datta
Perpetually sporting a death stare, this one can be seen tinkering around with her smartphone which she holds more dear than life itself and stuffing her face with copious amounts of bacon. View Full Profile
