The Samsung Galaxy S25 arrives a year after Samsung began incorporating generative AI (gen-AI) features into the Galaxy S series. The phone aims to be a flagship for Samsung’s AI capabilities with deeper integration with Google’s Gemini AI assistant and more built-in features.
Design
The Galaxy S25 is a bit thinner and lighter than the Galaxy S24 it replaces. With its flat sides, flat display, and three single cameras protruding on the back, you can clearly see the resemblance to last year’s model, or the 2023 Galaxy S23, which debuted with Samsung’s current design.
The Galaxy S25’s sides are protected by Enhanced Armor Aluminum 2, which is claimed to be stronger than the standard Armor Aluminum of previous Galaxy phones, but Samsung didn’t share any figures on exactly how much that improves. Other key durability specs — Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the back and front and an IP68 dust/water resistance rating — are the same as last year.
The phone is available in Ice Blue, Dark Blue, Silver Shadow, or Mint. Blueblack, Coralred, and Pinkgold are also options if you buy the phone directly from Samsung.
Performance
Instead of using the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite chip like other high-end Android phones, Samsung has managed to get a special “Galaxy-specific” version of the chip. The results show the impact of Samsung’s deal with Qualcomm, delivering results that match, or even beat, the A18 Pro chip in the iPhone 16 Pro and the modified Snapdragon 8 Elite chip used by the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro, currently the most powerful Android phone tested.
In addition to the new processor, Samsung has improved cooling on the Galaxy S25 thanks to a larger evaporative chamber and a new TIM (thermal interface material) layer for better heat transfer. While playing Ex Astris at max settings, the game ran smoothly at all times, although the phone did get quite warm to the touch.
Samsung has installed 12GB of RAM in the Galaxy S25, which has helped improve performance.
In terms of storage, the base spec is 128GB, with a 256GB option available or a new 512GB option in some markets as well.
Operating system
Now Bar and Now Brief: The now bar is a new panel on the lock screen that acts as a dashboard and notification bar and also displays Google Maps navigation and media playback functions. The bar supports only eight apps, which is “disappointing.” The brief summarizes notifications, weather, and traffic guidance. It can also create daily summaries that can be accessed through a widget on the home screen. The brief is similar to the notification summaries on the iPhone
AI Select: AI Select, formerly called Smart Select, is present in the Edge slide-out panel and the screenshot toolbar. It suggests actions when you select or circle something on the screen. AI Select acts as a shortcut, suggesting translations or adding dates to your calendar.
Gemini AI integration: Gemini AI voice commands can be used to create reminders, plan routes, or send details via text or WhatsApp. This feature will be available on other Android phones that can run Gemini AI.
Cameras
The camera sensors on the S25 are identical to those on the S24, and are also the same as they were a year ago. This includes a 50MP primary sensor, a 12MP ultrawide lens, a 10MP 3x telephoto camera, and a 12MP front-facing camera.
Image quality: The S25 delivers clear, focused images. However, the iPhone 16 performed better in dark conditions. The S25 sometimes processes images differently between the telephoto sensor and the primary sensor, resulting in some nighttime photos with an amber “yellowish” tint.
Low-light performance: The new Snapdragon 8 Elite chip improves low-light performance by analyzing noise and processing moving and stationary objects differently. Samsung’s computational photography also improves in challenging shooting conditions. The 10x digital zoom delivers more usable images than its predecessors.
Virtual Aperture: Samsung’s Expert RAW app has a Virtual Aperture feature, an advanced version of Portrait mode. The Virtual Aperture effect works best in good lighting and struggles in dark environments.
Other improvements: The Gallery search feature has improved image categorization, making it easier to find what you’re looking for. Samsung has added 2.7 times the number of keywords to search.
Video: The S25 can shoot HDR video by default and 8K video quality at 30fps. A new Galaxy Log mode allows for log video capture for enhanced dynamic range and the video is recorded in 10-bit color depth, giving editors more flexibility. Samsung log is a new recording format for easy color correction and brightness control while editing video, but since Galaxy Log files are so large, taking up three times the space of a regular video, they’re not suitable for everyday shooting.
Noise removal: The S25 has an audio eraser feature that uses AI to remove ambient noise while recording video. The feature isn’t as effective in real-world use as Samsung has marketed it to be. As the feature may compress the sound, making the sounds unnatural. Compared to competitors: The S25 cameras show weaker performance than competitors such as the iPhone 16 and Pixel 9.
Battery
With the same 4,000mAh battery as the Galaxy S24, the Galaxy S25 relies on its new chipset and software to find longer battery life. Thankfully for Samsung, it’s paid off. The phone lasted 15 hours and 43 minutes in our TG battery drain test. That’s over two hours longer than the Galaxy S24, and compared to 14 hours and 7 minutes for the iPhone 16 Pro and 13 hours and 37 minutes for the Pixel 9 Pro.
Also in line with the Galaxy S24, the Galaxy S25 can be powered by 25W fast charging or 15W wireless charging. Using one of Samsung’s own 25W chargers, the S25 filled up to 28% in 15 minutes and 57% in half an hour in our tests. We’ve seen faster charging speeds from brands like OnePlus, but it’s enough to keep the Galaxy S25 ahead of its main rivals. The iPhone 16 Pro charges a little slower, hitting 56% in half an hour, with the Pixel 9 Pro lagging even further behind, hitting 49% in 30 minutes.
Conclusion
The phone hasn’t changed enough from last year to be worth considering compared to the now-discounted Galaxy S24. But even setting aside the AI and software features (since we don’t know how or when they’ll roll out to other Samsung phones), the performance and battery life boosts alone make this year’s upgrade worthwhile. And the more realistic image processing could tempt anyone who likes their photos to look more natural than dramatic.
So the bottom line of this Galaxy S25 review is that, yes, this is another excellent small flagship from Samsung. But who should buy it?
I don’t think it’s worth upgrading from the Galaxy S24, and probably not from the S23 either, unless you really want the highest performance and AI experience Samsung has to offer. Even if that’s the case, I’d recommend waiting a few months to see if future software updates add exclusive features to the S25.
Compared to its competitors, the S25 lags behind the iPhone 16 Pro or Google Pixel 9 Pro in camera specs, but it also costs $200 less. When compared to the iPhone 16 or Pixel 9, which cost about the same, Samsung is ahead in the cameras, and beats both phones in certain performance and display benchmarks without issue either.
The Galaxy S24 FE still offers better value for the hardware, but until it gets an update with the latest Galaxy AI features (assuming it ever gets them), the Galaxy S25 has a big advantage there along with performance and photography.
Summary of advantages and disadvantages
Advantages
Solid build quality
Incredible battery life
Gemini AI experience is smoother
Powerful new processor
Disadvantages
Same screen as S24
Same sensors as the S24
Same price as S24
Phone price
The price of the phone varies depending on countries and stores, but we will approximate the official price of the device for you
Samsung Galaxy S25 Phone Price
The dollar price of the Samsung S25 is about $800
In Egypt, 50,200 pounds
In Saudi Arabia, 2955 riyals
In the UAE, 3,200 dirhams
In Algeria, 114,000 dinars
