After spending some time with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus, the device feels more like a Pixel phone than a Galaxy, and that’s a good thing. The phone presents itself as a familiar device, similar to its predecessor, the Galaxy S24 Plus, but it’s also a welcome upgrade. The main differentiating feature this year seems to be a strong focus on AI, making the user experience feel more like an improved Pixel phone than a traditional Galaxy device.
Design
Color is a major topic of conversation. While Samsung has been criticized for its dull color choices in the past, the standout color this year is Navy. This deep shade of blue has a slight sheen to it, and can almost appear indigo in certain lighting conditions, reminiscent of the green Galaxy S22. The Navy color is inspired by the Galaxy AI’s signature sparkle, blending the design and the OS.
The phone features a frosted glass back with contrasting black camera rings and a flat frame that has an almost neon glow. The design is still relatively muted compared to other flagship Android phones like the OnePlus 13, but the choice of colours, particularly the Navy option, gives the phone a bit of a differentiator.
We know Samsung’s design approach doesn’t come close to the boldness of Motorola with the Razr Plus 2024, which offers vibrant and unique colours like Hot Pink, thanks to its partnership with Pantone. However, with colours like Navy and Samsung-exclusive Coralred, the Galaxy S25 Plus is more attractive than its predecessor.
One UI 7: A smooth and intuitive experience
While the outside of the Galaxy S25 Plus may look similar to previous versions, the operating system is where the most significant updates stand out. One UI 7 is a big improvement, looking smoother than any previous Samsung release.
While we’ve long admired One UI for its efficient space management, Android 15 has introduced some “bubble UI elements” that make it feel a bit like Pixel software, while still maintaining Samsung’s distinct style.
The main improvement is the edge panel, which was previously only available through the Good Lock app. Now, users can simply switch to the alphabetical sorting method to activate the vertical scrolling.
The quick panel and the notification screen are now separated by default, which is similar to the iPhone-style UI, which is becoming more common among manufacturers like Motorola. However, users are happy with this change.
User Experience and Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Elite processor in the Galaxy S25 Plus is a customized and improved version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. This means that Samsung has teamed up with Qualcomm to adjust the processor speed and some other aspects to achieve better performance specifically for the Galaxy S25 Plus. This approach is not new to Samsung, as it has followed the same strategy in previous years with its flagship phones, giving it a competitive advantage in terms of performance. The use of 3nm technology is a quantum leap in power efficiency, which means better performance and longer battery life. This partnership between Samsung and Qualcomm highlights the commitment of both companies to provide the best possible experience for users. The One UI 7 interface offers incredible smoothness and responsiveness. Transitions and animations are smooth, making the entire experience feel fluid and fluid. The lock screen and home screen have a “floating” effect, while the quick panel and notifications screen have a kinetic bounce. These changes provide a contrast to One UI 6 on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy S24 Plus, which feel relatively solid. Even Android 15 on the Pixel 9 is said to be one step behind One UI 7 in terms of smoothness.
AI features and functions
Gemini can be easily accessed with a long press of the power button, highlighting the partnership between Samsung and Google. Samsung is making AI features accessible and easy to use, something the Pixel excels at. This trend started with the Galaxy AI on the S24 series and is even more evident on the S25 Plus.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus Camera
Well, with the Galaxy S25 Plus, we get the same camera system as the Galaxy S24 Plus, Galaxy S23 Plus, and Galaxy S22 Plus. That’s right, they’re welcoming back the 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, and 10MP 3X zoom rear cameras, which have been a staple of regular Galaxy flagships.
While the lenses remain the same, Samsung has overhauled much of the camera back, with a new ProVisual Engine tightly integrated into the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and updated image processing algorithms, which are said to produce images with less noise and motion blur, as well as better detail. All of which would be greatly appreciated, if true. The Expert RAW camera mode gets a new default aperture, ranging from F1.4 to F14, allowing you to customize background blur and sharpness.
Video is also said to have received some crucial updates. Instead of 8-bit HDR video, we get 10-bit HDR video recording on the Galaxy S25 series, as well as Galaxy Log video recording for a flexible post-processing color correction experience. On-device AI has also been used for the new Audio Eraser feature, which lets you intelligently adjust audio levels for six different audio categories in your videos. This lets you mix and isolate the sounds you actually want, while reducing unwanted noise and other sounds. Other AI features, like Generative Adjustments and Object Remover, have also been improved and won’t create any unwanted artifacts.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus Battery
The battery department of the Galaxy S25 Plus hasn’t seen any major changes, with the device remaining with a 4,900mAh battery, just like the Galaxy S24 Plus. That’s not bad, considering it’s only slightly smaller than the 5,000mAh battery inside the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Given the high efficiency of the Galaxy’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, we expect battery life to improve across the Galaxy S25 series, and we certainly expect the Galaxy S25 Plus to have better battery life than the Galaxy S24 Plus.
The Galaxy S25 Plus features 45W wired charging and 15W wireless charging, which is similar to last year’s models, and its speed is similar to the Galaxy S25 Ultra. We were hoping for faster 25W Qi2 wireless charging, but that didn’t happen.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus is an attractive phone, with a clear focus on AI and software improvements that create a smoother and more intuitive user experience. While the hardware may not be dramatically different from its predecessor, the software changes and improved AI capabilities make it a strong competitor to Google’s Pixel phones. The new color options, especially Navy, add to its appeal. The Galaxy S25 Plus is a proper AI phone.
