The day everybody has been ready for has arrived, because the Galaxy S25 Extremely is right here. In contrast to it is foldable counterparts, this is not simply one other try at re-wrapping the current simply to reward it once more for an additional yr.
No, we now have slimmer bezels, a redesigned chassis, an improved digital camera, and all the AI you might need! Oh, what’s that? The printer ink is operating out once more? That is okay, the Navy S25 Plus stole all of it, no worries.
However critically, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely appears to be like to revolutionize the best way we use our smartphones, in additional methods than one. Can it handle to stay as much as these claims? Or is there one thing lurking within the shadows that retains this telephone from being one of the best? Let’s discover out in our Galaxy S25 Extremely overview!
Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely: Pricing and availability
Samsung shocked many when it revealed that it will not be growing the value of its flagship smartphone. It is obtainable with three completely different storage configurations, with the 256GB mannequin beginning at $1,299. Plus, you will not must fork up extra dough for extra RAM, as we now have 12GB of reminiscence throughout the board.
If you happen to go for choosing considered one of these up out of your native provider or large field retailer, you may have 4 colours to select from: Titanium Black, Grey, Silverblue, or Whitesilver. Nevertheless, there are three extra colours which can be solely obtainable by Samsung’s on-line storefront: Titanium Jadegreen, Jetblack, and Pinkgold.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely: Specs
| Class | Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely |
|---|---|
| Show | 6.9-inch QHD+ AMOLED, 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Fee |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy |
| Reminiscence | 12GB |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Entrance Digicam | 12MP (extensive) |
| Rear Digicam 1 | 200MP Vast, AF, OIS |
| Rear Digicam 2 | 50MP Ultrawide, AF, OIS |
| Rear Digicam 3 | 10MP 3x Telephoto, AF, OIS |
| Rear Digicam 4 | 50MP 5x Telephoto, AF, OIS |
| Digicam Options | HDR Portraits, Selfie AI ISP, Nightography, Excessive-res Macro, Excessive-res Zoom, Log Video |
| Battery | 5,000mAh |
| Charging | Row 11 – Cell 1 |
| Connectivity | 5G (sub-6GHz, mmWave), Wi-Fi 7, UWB |
| Biometrics | Ultrasonic Fingerprint Scanner, Face Recognition |
| Ingress Safety | IP68, Corning Gorilla Armor (entrance glass), Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (rear glass), Titanium |
| Dimensions | 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2mm |
| Weight | 218 grams |
| Software program | One UI 7 w/ Android 15 |
Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely: Design and show
Now that I’ve had a number of weeks with the Galaxy S25 Extremely underneath my belt, my preliminary impressions nonetheless stand. I admire Samsung altering the design to convey it consistent with the opposite telephones in its flagship lineup. Now once you look throughout all of Samsung’s newest telephones, its flat edges so far as the attention can see, and that stage of uniformity is welcome.
There’s one kink within the armor, so to talk, that I’ve come to comprehend, nevertheless. And it is the identical downside that Apple faces, as there’s simply nothing actually particular about Samsung telephones anymore. I am positive in some unspecified time in the future I wrote that the curved edges should be banished to the shadow realm, however I do not suppose that was the suitable take.
Do not get me fallacious, the Galaxy S25 Extremely feels nice to carry and use, nevertheless it’s simply too darn slippery. I really suppose I’d’ve most popular for Samsung to take the Apple method from the iPhone 14 Professional Max with the polished body. No less than this may give me some sort of grip with out feeling the necessity to bury the telephone in a case for the remainder of its life.
It is the identical downside that I’ve had with each the iPhone 15 Professional Max and now 16 Professional Max. The matte end on the body simply would not lend itself properly to getting used case-less. Even for those who go for Samsung Care+, which claims “limitless repairs,” that is simply one other potential headache ready to occur.
Sadly, the magnetic alignment protocol of Qi2 charging is not constructed into the telephone itself. Which means I can not simply say “I am good,” and use a MagSafe PopSocket to maintain my telephone in my hand. So as a substitute, you are left counting on both Samsung’s personal magnetic case, or one of many third-party case choices on the market.
A recurring theme that I’ve felt all through my time with the Galaxy S25 Extremely is that I desire a telephone that is worthy of the “Extremely” title. There are only a few too many papercuts that preserve that from changing into a actuality, and it is already began to put on down my pleasure.
The redesigned chassis, allowed Samsung to make the show 0.1-inches bigger than the Galaxy S24 Extremely. So we now have a 6.9-inch slab of AMOLED glass staring us within the face all day and night time.
It is an opportunity for Samsung to flex its muscle mass and present that it makes one of the best shows on the planet, and for somebody like me, I might must agree. The display screen appears to be like completely gorgeous, and surprisingly, I did not instantly swap the colour profile to the “pure” tone, as I’ve somewhat loved the pop and punch provided by the S25 Extremely’s show.
Nevertheless, there’s an asterisk connected to this and just about any machine that makes use of a Samsung OLED panel; for those who endure from Pulse Width Modulation (PWM), keep away. Whereas the likes of Honor and OnePlus are implementing options to assist fight PWM, Samsung has carried out nothing of the kind.
I do not at present have the precise show measurements, however I do know that it will not take lengthy to have an effect on those that endure from PWM. Throughout our virtually two-hour-long hands-on session, my colleague Nick Sutrich remarked that he would not have been in a position to have a look at the screens for for much longer, as that comparatively brief period of time managed to take a toll.
Maybe I would not really feel as strongly as I do if I did not occur to work with somebody who has to fret about PWM on telephones. However I am really grateful for Nick, as a result of, with out him, I would not have any concept that PWM is a “factor,” not to mention being taught about the way it impacts folks.
It could be one factor if Samsung would peel again the veil a bit, offering an precise cause as to why it isn’t working to treatment these points. That is not the case, and as a substitute, the most well-liked Android telephone maker on the planet continues to chop out a portion of its potential shopper base for causes we won’t clarify.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely: Efficiency
When life provides you lemons, you let Samsung companion up and slap a “for Galaxy” on the model sticker. Properly, that is what the scenario was like, as there have been variations of Qualcomm’s newest chips particularly made obtainable for Samsung flagships over the previous few years.
Nevertheless, that is not precisely the case with the Galaxy S25 Extremely, as Samsung defined that it labored with Qualcomm to develop a customized model of the Snapdragon 8 Elite. As you most likely might have guessed, a lot of the reasoning will be attributed to enhancing the on-device AI capabilities. The Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy goals to take away the reliance on the cloud for AI processing whereas providing some type of peace of thoughts that your AI creations aren’t immediately getting used to coach Bixby or Gemini.
So what does the “strongest” Android telephone to this point really feel like in day-to-day utilization? Similar to each different flagship Galaxy telephone. That is not a tongue-in-cheek remark, neither is it meant to be taken as a damaging.
For 99% of people that resolve to improve to the Galaxy S25 Extremely, it would really feel precisely the identical because the Galaxy S24 Extremely. And for those who’re upgrading from an older Galaxy Extremely, or a flagship from one other model, the S25 Extremely will really feel such as you simply completed doing a clear set up of Home windows on a brand-new SSD.
Exterior of emulation, I’ve but to expertise any hiccups, slowdowns, or something of the kind with the Galaxy S25 Extremely. Nevertheless, after I carried out our gauntlet of benchmarks, I did discover a number of oddities.
| Benchmark | Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely | Honor Magic 7 Professional | iQOO 13 | RedMagic 10 Professional | ASUS ROG Telephone 9 Professional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCMark Work 3.0 (Total) | 20129 | 21008 | 16043 | 25320 | 25733 |
| PCMark Work 3.0 (Internet Searching) | 20601 | 24889 | 16307 | 28463 | 25064 |
| PCMark Work 3.0 (Video Enhancing) | 8617 | 8072 | 6899 | 9115 | 9311 |
| PCMark Work 3.0 (Writing) | 28484 | 27504 | 20445 | 36806 | 34828 |
| PCMark Work 3.0 (Picture Enhancing) | 32689 | 40642 | 39044 | 64891 | 56377 |
| Geekbench 6 (single-core) | 3001 | 2965 | 2954 | 3136 | 3137 |
| Geekbench 6 (multi-core) | 9381 | 6342 | 6650 | 9842 | 9936 |
| Geekbench 6 (Quantized rating) | 4026 | 2115 | 3915 | 3162 | 5479 |
| 3DMark Wild Life Excessive | 4855 | 6391 | 4514 | 5817 | 5935 |
| 3DMark Wild Life Excessive (FPS) | 29.08 | 38.27 | 27.025 | 34.84 | 35.54 |
| 3DMark Photo voltaic Bay (rating) | 8751 | 11298 | 7287 | 9796 | 10038 |
| 3DMark Photo voltaic Bay (FPS) | 33.28 | 42.96 | 27.695 | 37.25 | 38.17 |
Of the 5 telephones which can be included within the chart above, all of that are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, the Galaxy S25 Extremely solely got here in first in one check. Only one. In each different benchmarking check, Samsung’s newest and biggest is definitely outperformed by one, or most, of the competitors.
It is unlikely that you’d discover a lot of a distinction between the S25 Extremely and the RedMagic 10 Professional, however I can not assist however marvel why the outcomes performed out this fashion. Maybe there’s some sort of synthetic bottleneck that Samsung and/or Qualcomm have carried out. Sadly, I haven’t got a solution, however I shall be to see whether or not these numbers start to shift as soon as software program updates are rolling out frequently.
We’re on the precipice of one thing nice
Every time I get my fingers on a brand new machine, one of many first issues I do is load it up with all the finest emulators. Doing so provides me a fairly good thought of what efficiency might be like, particularly since I really like attempting to see what units are able to operating my favourite Change video games.
With all the efficiency good points which were described to us in regards to the Snapdragon 8 Elite, and the 8 Elite for Galaxy, I could not wait to see what the S25 Extremely might do. Nevertheless, that is the place I hit a brick wall, one which I can not work my manner round.
Between the Snapdragon 8 Elite being such a brand new chip, and Nintendo’s endless warpath towards Change emulators, growth has just about slowed to a crawl. Following the demise of each Yuzu and Ryujinx in 2024, there have been a number of forks which can be nonetheless kicking round, however none of them have been optimized for Qualcomm’s newest chip.
Including one other layer of frustration is the dearth of driver help, as some emulators will let you set up and use customized GPU drivers. The rationale that that is essential, from what I have been advised, is that Qualcomm’s native Adreno drivers simply aren’t excellent. And with the 8 Elite being so new, driver growth merely hasn’t picked up a lot steam for the most recent units.
So whereas upgrading from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and its Adreno 740 GPU to the 8 Gen 3 with the Adreno 750 wasn’t an enormous leap, that is not the case with the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Qualcomm’s 2025 flagship chip introduces the Adreno 830 GPU, which makes use of a “newly sliced structure.”
That is how Qualcomm claims the 8 Elite is ready to present a 40% enhance in efficiency and effectivity. Sadly, a brand new structure signifies that third-party driver growth has to principally begin from scratch.
That was a long-winded manner of claiming: good luck attempting to get wherever with higher-end emulation for the foreseeable future. However on the similar time, as soon as all the puzzle items fall into place, the 8 Elite shall be unstoppable.
Battery life and charging
One somewhat stunning space of enchancment has come within the type of battery life. No, Samsung is not utilizing a much bigger battery, and we’re nonetheless caught in 2019 with 45W wired charging speeds. However over the previous few weeks, I’ve come to comprehend that I haven’t got any anxiousness in regards to the Galaxy S25 Extremely operating out of juice earlier than I am able to go to mattress.
Thoughts you, I do not preserve essentially the most common hours, waking up between 7 AM and 9 AM, and never going to mattress till after 2 AM. Not as soon as did I discover myself needing to pop the telephone on the charger simply to provide me a number of further minutes of doom-scrolling social media.
That is what I’d anticipate from a flagship telephone, particularly one which’s touted as being 40% extra energy environment friendly than its predecessor. Nevertheless, that is the identical tune and dance that we have been offered by many Android telephone makers in recent times, so it is sort of become an “OEM who cried wolf” scenario.
I haven’t got any battery anxiousness with the Galaxy S25 Extremely, however charging speeds flip this 2025 flagship into one from 2019.
The “finest” battery day I’ve had resulted within the S25 Extremely lasting from round 6 AM till it gave up the ghost round 8 AM the subsequent morning. In line with the Battery exercise web page, I had about six hours of display screen on time, which was comprised of some YouTube, Pokemon TCGP, Discord, social media scrolling, and some different random apps.
Even on the day that I end off this overview, the S25 Extremely manages to carry up like a champ. My day began round 9:30 AM when my spouse kicked me off the bed. After preparing for the day and checking in with my compadres, I wanted to go take some extra digital camera samples.
Whereas making stops at a number of completely different locations, your entire time I used to be taking photos, the S25 Extremely was unlocked with the Digicam app open. Not as soon as did I even really feel the telephone get heat, however that is most likely due to the 30-degree climate and never a lot the telephone needing to work extra time to maintain issues cool.
Right here I sit, at a bit of previous 11:30 PM, and the S25 Extremely is at 26%. I additionally know that even when I do not go to mattress till 2 or 3 AM, I will not must plug it in till then. Which is only a peace of thoughts that I fairly get pleasure from.
All of that being stated, I believe it is an absolute disappointment that no enhancements have been made to the charging speeds on the Galaxy S25 Extremely. Positive, for those who use Samsung’s particular case, you “unlock” the power to make use of the Qi2.1 protocol, however there is no precise profit to that moreover including a magnet.
Which, by the best way, I can already do with loads of third-party circumstances. And, I am not restricted to only a clear case design both. Worst case situation, I snag a dbrand pores and skin and a MagSafe ring adapter, and name it a day.
If it weren’t for telephones just like the OnePlus 13 with its 100W wired charging and 50W wi-fi charging, then we most likely would not be so irritated. On prime of that, Samsung making the S25 Extremely Q2.1 compliant, whereas limiting charging speeds, and requiring using a first-party case, simply appears like a slap within the face.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely: Cameras
Is it simply me, or is it sort of ironic that when Apple makes sure modifications, Samsung tends to comply with go well with? As an example, the iPhone 16 Professional Max is now 6.9 inches, up from the 6.7-inch 15 Professional Max. No? What in regards to the transfer from a 12MP ultrawide to a 48MP ultrawide? Sound acquainted?
In any case, the one digital camera improve that Samsung launched with the Galaxy S25 Extremely over its predecessor is a brand new 50MP ultrawide lens. Final yr’s mannequin provided a 12MP sensor, which carried out properly sufficient however undoubtedly fell flat in sure conditions.
Picture 1 of 8
As is the case with the 200MP predominant lens and the 50MP telephoto sensor, you are not really taking a 50MP ultrawide {photograph}. As a substitute, we find yourself proper again on the 12MP “candy spot” due to pixel binning. This enables for extra mild and element to be captured, which might are available in fairly helpful contemplating that the ultrawide digital camera doubles as your macro lens.
That being stated, I’ve by no means actually had an issue with the photographs that I’ve taken from the finest Samsung telephones through the years. My issues have stemmed from the slight delay between tapping the “Seize” button and the image really being taken.
Nevertheless, I suppose Samsung might need solved the issue as soon as and for all. Perhaps. There are two photos that I’ve included that make me really feel like this $1,300 telephone is definitely a potato. No, like actually. I do not know what occurred, however neither image ought to’ve turned out this fashion.
Picture 1 of 2
Apart from these two anomalies, I am virtually tempted to depart my trusty Canon 70D behind and simply begin utilizing the S25 Extremely for all of my pictures wants shifting ahead. There’s loads of versatility simply within the sheer variety of cameras, plus, issues like Skilled RAW and Digicam Assistant give me much more flexibility when snapping pictures.
This is not the top of the road for our Galaxy S25 Extremely digital camera protection, as I am additionally engaged on a somewhat in-depth digital camera comparability. You undoubtedly will not need to miss it.
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Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely: Software program and Galaxy AI
If you happen to’ve used a Samsung telephone prior to now couple of years, you may really feel proper at house with the Galaxy S25 Extremely. Sure, there are a number of dramatic modifications, such because the addition of Now Temporary, the extra “bubbly” UI, and the redesigned Notification Shade/Fast Toggles drawer. However for essentially the most half, One UI nonetheless feels the identical as earlier than.
I can not assist however really feel as if the rationale why Samsung waited so lengthy to launch One UI 7 for the Galaxy S24 sequence was extra to do with the AI integration than the precise UI modifications. Then once more, there is a cause why I am writing about it, and never engaged on software program for Samsung or one other telephone maker.
UI modifications apart, principally every thing about Samsung’s software program on the Galaxy S25 Extremely works the identical. There’s one curious exception, as Samsung made the odd resolution to principally conceal lock display screen notifications. If it weren’t for some others within the business, I do not understand how lengthy it will’ve taken me to seek out the repair, however I actually want Samsung would cease making modifications to fundamental options for seemingly no cause.
On the very least, it might’ve let everybody in on the key forward of time. Or perhaps, add a display screen that exhibits up through the preliminary setup course of that lets you resolve the way you need notifications to look.
Now that I do know what the issue was and have mounted it, my telephone works simply as I might have anticipated it to out of the field. However right here we’re once more, at one other a type of “paper-cuts” that proceed so as to add up and trigger frustrations and irritations.
That being stated, for as a lot as I favor Google’s aesthetics, One UI is simply too good to go up. There actually aren’t many compromises on the subject of what you can also make the Galaxy S25 Extremely do. Positive, you may’t have the telephone do all of the AI duties domestically on-device, however that is solely a handful.
No less than with One UI, the aforementioned downside with lock display screen notifications will be remedied. It was only a matter of discovering the settings panel to make the wanted modifications. This is not the case with each OEM on the market, as some options will merely be eliminated or modified with none manner of “going again.”
To not point out that Samsung continues to guide the cost on the subject of software program updates. Because it’s being launched with One UI 7 based mostly on Android 15, the S25 Extremely shall be formally supported for seven years, till 2032.
The proper AI for another person
If you happen to managed to sit down by and skim my long-winded hands-on impressions, I first need to thanks. Now, I need to apologize. I genuinely got here away pondering that all the new Galaxy AI and Gemini-infused options would change my life in a single day. In apply, it is had little or no precise impression.
Whereas it is true that the Now Temporary widget lives on my house display screen, I’ve made checking it a part of my each day routine. Nevertheless, the “shimmer” is beginning to put on off, as are the opposite options that Samsung introduced.
The issue is that I simply do not suppose this was designed for folks like me in thoughts, not less than not but. Sure, my life is busy sufficient that it makes my head spin, however none of these issues will be solved by AI. Why? As a result of I earn a living from home, and neither my one-year-old nor I ever really depart the home.
Shortly after the S25 Extremely arrived, I’ve slowly been coming to this realization, and consequently, have been attempting to fabricate ways in which Galaxy AI and Gemini can “assist.” Perhaps I am simply not pondering far sufficient exterior of the field, however I can solely go up to now with attempting to make issues up.
Do not get me fallacious. I am not saying that it is utterly ineffective. I am simply saying that for somebody like me, and the place I am at at present in life, there’s simply not a lot that AI can do to assist.
What actually drove this level house was Now Temporary, with it displaying the identical few issues daily: the climate, my sleep rating, upcoming calendar occasions, and information from subjects that I do not care about and may’t change. Rinse and repeat for days and weeks, and I’ve realized that I am both a background character in The Truman Present or Groundhog Day.
The largest caveat (for me)
For as nice as One UI 7 appears to be up to now, there’s one factor that stopped me from shifting my predominant SIM card to the Galaxy S25 Extremely. It is undoubtedly not the dearth of options, as a result of Samsung does a wonderful job at packing its flagship telephones to the brim. As a substitute, the expertise fell flat for me at any time when it got here to attempting to make use of a couple of app at a time.
That is utterly subjective, however for me, each time I discovered myself wanting or needing to multitask, I used to be instantly reminded of my endearment for foldable telephones. After all, as an iPhone proprietor, I am conscious of the constraints of iOS and that you would be able to’t even use split-screen apps if you wish to.
However the thought of shrinking the Galaxy S25 Extremely’s show into two virtually 3.5-inch screens simply feels archaic. Oh and if it’s essential really sort in both of these app home windows, you are higher off simply grabbing your pill or laptop computer. It is undoubtedly potential to do every thing I’ve described, however it would undoubtedly check your persistence.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely: The Competitors
This is a stunning revelation that you just weren’t anticipating — the iPhone 16 Professional Max is not the most important competitors to the Galaxy S25 Extremely. It is a competitor, for positive, however I might argue that the OnePlus 13 really takes house that crown. Why? Properly, to borrow from our overview, “The OnePlus 13 is one of the best Android telephone ever made. It is the one telephone I’ve ever given an ideal overview rating as a result of there is no space the place the telephone falters or wants actual enchancment.“
One other large cause why the OnePlus 13 is price consideration over the Galaxy S25 Extremely is the value. Even whereas “missing” a fourth telephoto lens, the OnePlus 13 is simply $899 in its base configuration with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. And if you wish to get 512GB of storage, you additionally get 16GB of RAM, all for simply one other $100. I might actually preserve going, however simply go take a look at Nick’s overview to see why.
The iPhone 16 Professional Max might be the telephone that you will see most in comparison with the Galaxy S25 Extremely, and for good cause. Each telephones sport 6.9-inch shows, highly effective digital camera methods, and steep worth tags. Nevertheless, I might go as far as to say that the S25 Extremely is the higher selection if you would like one of the best AI expertise, as Apple has a variety of work to do.
What for those who’re on the lookout for the last word cell gaming expertise? Then I might level you within the course of both the RedMagic 10 Professional or the ASUS ROG Telephone 9 Professional. Each telephones have built-in lively cooling methods, together with a number of distinctive options that assist separate them from each different slab of glass on the market. Plus, they’re each inexpensive than the S25 Extremely when matching up storage configurations.
And if the OnePlus 13 or iPhone 16 Professional Max would not scratch the pictures itch, there’s all the time the Vivo X200 Professional. In his overview, Harish Jonnalagadda, Senior Editor of Asia, says “… the X200 Professional has what’s arguably one of many strongest digital camera packages, and the mix of the 50MP predominant lens and versatile zoom lens provides it a definite benefit.”
Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely: Must you purchase it?
You can purchase this if…
- You need top-of-the-line Android telephones of 2025.
- You are already entrenched in Samsung’s ecosystem.
- You need to see what Galaxy AI and Gemini can do for you.
- You need a particularly versatile digital camera system.
You should not purchase this if…
- You are on a funds.
- You endure from PWM.
After realizing my pleasure in regards to the Galaxy S25 Extremely, I absolutely anticipated to lastly transfer my private SIM card over. But right here I stand, some three weeks or so later, and that hasn’t occurred.
On paper, the S25 Extremely is every thing one might need. It has the most recent Galaxy AI options which can be supercharged by Google Gemini. Now Temporary is the right thought if you do not have a lot time however need to shortly atone for what’s taking place all through the day. And I believe my prayers in regards to the digital camera’s shutter lag have lastly been answered.
If I lived in a vacuum or did not care about foldable telephones, there’s an excellent likelihood that the S25 Extremely could be my each day driver. In a way, it would proceed to be, nevertheless it simply will not be the place my predominant SIM card resides. As a substitute, it will likely be my predominant Android telephone in the interim, not less than till the subsequent foldable telephone will get introduced, at which level I will have one other resolution on my fingers.
To reply the query posed, I most likely would not improve if I already had the Galaxy S24 Extremely. Positive, the improved ultrawide sensor is a pleasant contact, and the AI options might repay, however there’s simply not sufficient but that might sway me to take action. That being stated, if in case you have the funds (or are due for an improve), and are utilizing a telephone from earlier than 2024, then the S25 Extremely is completely price it. Simply ensure you do your due diligence and go searching on the competitors earlier than making the ultimate resolution.
