If 2024 was the 12 months when AI would begin to ramp up on our units, then 2025 is the 12 months AI solidifies itself as a mainstay in our lives. The Galaxy S25 Plus is a telephone that exemplifies this higher than most, with its minimal {hardware} upgrades starkly contrasted by the quantity of latest and enhanced AI options stuffed into the telephone.
When Samsung launched the Galaxy S25 sequence, the main focus was predominantly on AI, a lot in order that you possibly can simply mistake it for a Pixel launch. Actually, after utilizing the Galaxy S25 Plus for only a week, I commented on how utilizing the telephone felt like I used to be utilizing a Pixel. It isn’t too shocking, given how intently Google and Samsung have labored collectively lately, to the purpose the place Samsung’s telephones will typically get Google’s new AI options earlier than Pixels do.
However is AI sufficient to justify upgrading to the Galaxy S25 Plus — particularly in case you personal any of the final two Plus fashions? And is the Galaxy S25 sequence actually adequate to be thought-about “Samsung’s Pixel”?
Off the bat, the center little one of Samsung’s newest flagship sequence is a unbelievable telephone with glorious efficiency and an ideal consumer expertise, and it might doubtlessly be a greater wager in case you’re looking to buy the Pixel 9 Professional XL.
That stated, it additionally represents how Samsung could also be dropping its contact and willingness to rock the boat in any significant approach.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus: Worth & availability
The Galaxy S25 Plus was launched alongside the bottom Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Extremely on January 22, 2025, throughout an Unpacked occasion in San Jose, California. The telephone was obtainable to preorder that very same day and goes on sale beginning February 7.
The Galaxy S25 Plus is out there at main retailers equivalent to Amazon and Finest Purchase, in addition to numerous carriers. The telephone retails for $999 for the bottom configuration, which incorporates 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The value goes as much as $1119 for the 512GB variant.
The primary Galaxy S25 Plus colours embrace Navy, Icy Blue, Mint, and Silver Shadow. Samsung-exclusive colours embrace Coralred, Blueblack, and Pinkgold.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus: Design & show
It is easy to have a look at the Galaxy S25 Plus and mistake it for the Galaxy S24 Plus… and even the Galaxy S23 Plus. Samsung principally copy-pasted its design over the past a number of fashions, making very refined tweaks with every subsequent launch.
With the Galaxy S25 Plus, Samsung goes utterly flat: a flat show, a flat rear glass panel, and a flat body with rounded corners. It is all very uniform and boring. Evaluate this to one thing just like the OnePlus 13, and you will see a really stark distinction in design, from the curved glass to the massive protruding digicam housing and even the rear glass design. The Galaxy S25 Plus would simply be neglected in a lineup of Android telephones.
The one redeeming high quality of the Galaxy S25 Plus design is the brand new Navy colorway. I’ve gushed over this ever because it was launched, but it surely really is Samsung’s greatest coloration possibility for the reason that inexperienced Galaxy S22. It strikes away from the pastels Samsung has been utilizing as of late, and I could not be happier to lastly get a deeper hue. I am particularly blissful that it is blue since that is my favourite coloration.
And it isn’t simply me who likes it; associates who’ve seen me utilizing the telephone have additionally commented on its coloration. That stated, there’s a Coralread colorway that is unique to Samsung.com, which is very nice, too. In any other case, the remaining Galaxy S25 Plus colours are reasonably forgettable.
The Armor Aluminum body is sandwiched between two Gorilla Glass Victus 2 panels, so the telephone is sufficiently sturdy. Nonetheless, in case you personal a Galaxy Ring and even an Oura Ring like I do, chances are you’ll need to watch out with the way you maintain the telephone. Inside days of utilizing the Galaxy S25 Plus, I seen some scratches on the again end, which is an unlucky reminder to purchase a case or perhaps put money into a Dbrand pores and skin in case you wanna add extra aptitude.
One more reason you may need a Galaxy S25 Plus case (and a display protector when you’re at it) is that the sharp corners will do a quantity in your fingers, particularly your pinky, in case you maintain telephones as I do with one hand. For me, it is the one draw back to the flatter design.
The show hasn’t modified a lot from the Galaxy S24 Plus. It is barely bigger at 6.7 inches and many shiny open air with very minimal bezels, however the decision and refresh fee stay at QHD+ and 120Hz. Sadly, the telephone inexplicably comes out of the field at FHD+, so you may have to alter it within the settings if you set it up, simply certainly one of Samsung’s many confounding choices with the telephone. In any other case, it is an ideal show, and I do not actually have any complaints in regards to the high quality.
I’ll say that I want Samsung would mess around with greater refresh charges, particularly for individuals who wish to recreation on their telephones. I like that my Razr Plus 2024, for instance, comes with a 165Hz OLED panel. Is it overkill? Maybe, particularly for on a regular basis duties. However Samsung is aware of the right way to make nice shows, and in case you’re gonna have a strong telephone like this, the corporate has the chance to offer a few of the gaming telephones a run for his or her cash. However I digress.
The show on the Galaxy S25 Plus is nice, however I want Samsung would mess around with greater refresh charges.
The Galaxy S25 Plus options IP68 water and dirt resistance, so it is nicely protected towards the weather. I am just a little bummed to not see IP69 right here, because it’s turning into an more and more common commonplace for water resistance on telephones. Certain, it is unlikely you may discover your telephone trapped in a dishwasher, however even low-cost Android telephones just like the Moto G Energy 2025 sport this ranking.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus: {Hardware} & specs
The Galaxy S25 Plus is powered by the most recent and best chip that Qualcomm has to supply. The Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy is a custom-made, souped-up model of the already highly effective and AI-ready Snapdragon 8 Elite, and it does a number of wonders for the Galaxy S25 Plus. Paired with 12GB of RAM, the telephone doesn’t present any indicators of stuttering or slowing down, which is just about anticipated at this level.
What stunned me was when taking part in video games like Honkai: Star Rail at max settings, the telephone stayed fairly cool. I seen it will get barely heat all through my gameplay, however general, the telephone is cooler than most when taking part in this recreation, even in excessive or medium settings.
That stated, the chipset is without doubt one of the few issues about this telephone that’s new, with the general specs intently matching the Galaxy S24 Plus.
| Class | Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus |
|---|---|
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy |
| Show | 6.7-inch QHD+ AMOLED 2X, 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Charge |
| Reminiscence | 12GB |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB |
| Battery | 4,900mAh |
| Charging | Tremendous Quick Charging 2.0 (45W), Quick Wi-fi Charging 2.0, Wi-fi PowerShare, Qi2 Prepared |
| Working System | One UI 7 (Android 15) |
| Rear cameras | 50MP Huge, 12MP Ultrawide, 10MP 3x Telephoto |
| Entrance digicam | 12MP, vast hole-punch digicam |
| Connectivity | 5G (sub6, mmW), Wi-Fi 7, UWB |
| Dimensions | 75.8mm vast x 158.4mm tall x 7.3mm skinny |
| Weight | 190g |
| IP ranking | IP68 |
| Colours | Icyblue, Navy, Mint, Silver Shadow |
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus: Software program
I am unable to specific this sufficient, however I really like One UI 7. As a fan of One UI all through the years, I admit the software program wasn’t excellent, and there have been some issues I didn’t like. With One UI 7, which debuts on the Galaxy S25 sequence, Samsung has addressed a number of my greatest issues with the software program.
The brand new vertical scrolling app drawer is arguably the most effective new addition. Oddly, it is not enabled by default, and turning it on is just a little complicated (change the setting to “Alphabetical” sorting), however as soon as it is enabled, it is excellent. However even past that, I’ve had a optimistic expertise with the adjustments to One UI 7, together with the newly separated (and admittedly iPhone-esque) Fast Panel and notification settings.
Samsung adopted a way more bubbly icon model for a lot of of its UI parts, together with widgets. It jogs my memory of the Pixel UI, which I am not a fan of, however I nonetheless desire how Samsung makes use of house, retaining the smaller customizable fast toggles whereas implementing a brand new expandable panel, and stacking notifications over one another for a similar app.
Total, One UI 7 feels unimaginable to make use of. Swiping, scrolling, increasing, and shutting by the software program feels extraordinarily buttery, nearly like nothing I’ve ever skilled earlier than on a telephone. Nearly each facet of it feels extremely optimized.
Samsung says the Galaxy S25 Plus will obtain seven years of OS and safety updates, which is turning into a brand new commonplace for the corporate’s flagship telephones. It’s going to be attention-grabbing to see simply how nicely the software program and chip maintain out that far into the longer term, however the Snapdragon 8 Elite feels prefer it will not decelerate any time quickly.
One UI 7 feels simply as quick and fluid as ever, and Samsung will hold the Galaxy S25 Plus up to date for seven years.
Sadly, Samsung remains to be performing some questionable issues with the way it handles its default out-of-the-box behaviors and settings. I already commented on the show betting set to FHD+ as an alternative of QHD+, however I discovered myself having to change the lock display notifications to the Playing cards model so I might truly see that I obtained notifications when the telephone was locked, in any other case they go largely unnoticed. I additionally needed to allow Notification Classes for higher customization, a difficulty we had with One UI 6 that I believed could be addressed with One UI 7.
I additionally hate that Samsung defaults to waking the AI assistant when urgent and holding the ability button. I simply need my energy button to be an influence button. That stated, I can see why Samsung would do that, and all of it has to do with Samsung and Google’s large wager on AI.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus: Galaxy AI
By default, the ability button prompts Gemini, which not solely obtained a brand new look but in addition obtained some helpful upgrades. A lot of the main focus has been on Gemini’s skill to work throughout completely different apps to get duties accomplished with out a lot enter from the consumer. In my expertise, this labored pretty nicely, however outcomes may be hit and miss relying on the complexity of what you are asking. And whereas Gemini can now be used throughout Samsung apps, its skill remains to be considerably restricted for now.
Nonetheless, it really works pretty nicely for what you may probably want or use it for. For example, I requested Gemini a couple of YouTube video explaining the latest controversy over uncooked milk, then informed it to make a listing of the primary takeaways. It saved a listing to Google Maintain with a title and bullet factors, and it was pretty spot on, getting the larger factors whereas skipping over a few of the minute particulars.
Gemini was additionally capable of precisely learn the main points of my flight itinerary from my display, then create a calendar occasion for me, create a listing with the main points, and textual content stated particulars to my buddy. That stated, there are occasions when Gemini will run into partitions as a result of it might probably’t entry sure apps, companies, or information, and typically it would both skip a step or simply say that it might probably’t full the duty for no matter motive.
At one level, I forgot to specify which video I used to be referring to and ended up getting Rickrolled by Gemini, which gave me a chuckle.
But, regardless of the shortcomings, it is spectacular to see simply how far Gemini’s capabilities have come. It is much more attention-grabbing to see how Samsung is basically making this the spotlight of its AI push on the Galaxy S25. Bixby remains to be round, but it surely’s placed on the again burner and goes largely ignored… except you completely need to use it.
Samsung’s different options are literally fairly enjoyable to make use of, and a few have obtained good upgrades. Drawing Help feels very very like Pixel Studio, offering a really stylistic hub the place you’ll be able to create pictures by drawing, utilizing photographs as a reference, or utilizing textual content descriptions. You can too mix pictures or drawings with textual content that can assist you refine what you need the ultimate end result to be. The outcomes are fairly good, though Samsung would not afford as a lot freedom to generate sure issues or characters as Google or Motorola (it ignored my makes an attempt to generate R2-D2 or Sora from Kingdom Hearts).
One other Pixel-like characteristic is Audio Eraser, which does simply because it says. You may take nearly any video in your telephone and alter the degrees of varied audio sources, equivalent to voices, music, and different noise. It really works surprisingly nicely and can even determine a crowd over a important speaker so you’ll be able to hear your topic higher. I additionally like that you would be able to edit movies you did not seize with the Galaxy S25.
And whereas Circle to Search may be very a lot current, AI Choose acts as a cool various to extract pictures or textual content out of your display to perform numerous contextual duties on the gadget. Circle a date or any textual content, and it will provide the possibility so as to add an occasion or open Writing Help. Circle a picture, and it will current you with choices for Generative Edit, setting it as a wallpaper, or making a GIF.
Oh, and Writing Help options are fortunately not tied to Samsung’s terrible keyboard and are accessible both with AI Choose or by highlighting textual content and tapping the flicker icon. Sadly, the extremely helpful Interpreter characteristic remains to be tied to Samsung Keyboard if you wish to translate your texts when chatting in different languages.
Mimicry is a type of flattery, and lots of the options make the Galaxy S25 Plus really feel like a Pixel in all the most effective methods. Though one new characteristic takes a cue from the iPhone, and one other characteristic is surprisingly not already on a Pixel, though it feels prefer it needs to be. I am speaking in regards to the Now Bar and Bow Transient, respectively.
Now Bar is a Dynamic Island of kinds that sits on the backside of the lock display and presents contextual info, equivalent to Google Maps instructions, music controls, sports activities, and extra. As a result of it sits on the backside of the show, it’s extremely simple to achieve to manage your music or increase the bar to get a greater take a look at stay scores.
For the time being, it feels a bit restricted, which can be because of a seeming lack of third-party help. Nonetheless, with Dwell Updates in Android 16, I think about it is probably not too lengthy earlier than extra apps soar on board. For now, it is simply good to have, particularly with Now Transient, which additionally seems on the bar all through the day.
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Now Transient offers you a snapshot of your day by presenting you with upcoming occasions, climate forecasts, information alerts, and extra. If you happen to use Samsung Well being, chances are you’ll discover your Vitality Rating or exercise ring right here, though this has been fairly hit and miss for me. Now Transient updates at completely different occasions of the day to maintain you up to date within the morning, noon, afternoon, night, and so forth. You may additionally discover photographs you’ve got taken earlier that day if you’re about to wind down.
That is one other characteristic that does not really feel as helpful correctly, however I do like the place Samsung goes with it. My briefings are sometimes devoid of something except for climate and calendar occasions, and my well being information would not seem practically as usually as I would really like. The expertise simply would not really feel very constant, which is one thing I hope will change over time with extra use.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus: Cameras
The digicam {hardware} on the Galaxy S25 Plus is essentially unchanged from its predecessor. That is not essentially a nasty factor, but it surely’s probably not an ideal factor, both. The 50MP main digicam produces very respectable pictures that really feel crisp and vibrant, even within the boring gray of Seattle. The photographs do not precisely blow me away, however they’re nonetheless adequate that I doubt many individuals would complain.
That goes for the ultrawide and telephoto cameras, too. Each are fairly good and capable of sustain with the primary sensor with out deviating too far by way of coloration copy and distinction. That stated, I do discover that pictures from the Galaxy S25 Plus are inclined to characteristic extra distinction than I would really like, and low-light pictures can usually seem surprisingly darkish, even with Evening Mode turned on.
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I additionally discover that the bokeh simply would not really feel as pure because it does with the OnePlus 12, which is ready to properly hold the lantern and the department it is hanging on in focus whereas every part else is sufficiently blurred. The Galaxy S25 Plus does an honest job, however the impact simply is not as dramatic, though it manages to no less than pull in additional coloration.
The colourful pictures taken with the Galaxy S25 Plus are inclined to really feel a lot livelier than these from my Pixel 9, though the latter does a greater job with low-light and nighttime pictures, pulling in additional mild whereas retaining loads of element. Samsung tends to stay to making use of as a lot distinction as potential, so the colours on the Fuego signal are fairly punchy, whereas the Pixel feels a bit washed out.
Sadly, you will not discover the identical enjoyable digicam options on the Galaxy S25 Plus as you’d on the Pixel. One thing akin to Add Me could be a enjoyable addition to the telephone, and there is additionally no Macro mode, which appears like a missed alternative.
There may be, nonetheless, 8K video recording at 30fps. Do we’d like it? No, but it surely’s one other a type of nice-to-have options. The brand new Galaxy Log is one other one, which lets the telephone shoot Log video with a flatter coloration profile and extra dynamic vary, giving customers extra flexibility when enhancing afterward. Sadly, enhancing on the gadget itself is fairly restricted to only making use of Samsung’s coloration correction, however you’ll be able to at all times deliver the footage over to applications like Premiere Professional and edit there so as to add your personal coloration corrections and coloration grading.
Once more, it isn’t for everybody, but it surely’s good to have for the individuals who need it.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus: Battery & charging
Regardless of having a extra highly effective chip and the identical battery capability as final 12 months’s mannequin, the Galaxy S25 Plus is fairly stable in terms of battery life. The telephone will get me by the day with out concern, even between taking part in video games like Pokémon Go and scrolling by Instagram Reels. I handle to common roughly seven or eight hours of screen-on time in my use, which is fairly good.
Charging hasn’t been as beneficiant. The telephone helps 45W charging speeds, which is a fairly respectable determine when in comparison with 25W on the bottom Galaxy S25, however I the telephone nonetheless slows to a crawl after I’m truly charging it. Granted, I haven’t got a Samsung charger, but it surely takes nicely over an hour for my 100W Anker charger to cost the Galaxy S25 Plus kind 1% to full, regardless of the telephone telling me it might solely take roughly an hour to refill.
As for wi-fi charging, the Galaxy S25 Plus helps 15W speeds and formally helps Qi2 regardless of not having built-in magnets. That is necessary as a result of it means you need to use these Qi2/MagSafe chargers your iPhone associates should prime up the telephone at full pace, granted you’ve a magnetic case for the telephone.
In my expertise, this has labored simply nice, and it actually makes me respect the comfort of MagSafe charging, even when speeds aren’t terribly quick. The one draw back for some is {that a} case is important to make this work, however we’ll at all times advocate having a case than not.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus: Competitors
The Galaxy S25 is without doubt one of the first telephones to launch in 2025, but it surely already has fairly various telephones to cope with in case you’re in search of a brand new gadget to improve to.
The obvious is the Google Pixel 9 Professional XL, which encompasses a barely bigger 6.8-inch QHD+ show. Just like the Galaxy S25 Plus, the Pixel sports activities a 50MP triple digicam setup, nice battery life, and 45W charging. There’s additionally loads of AI on the Pixel, and Google will usually launch new options there earlier than they attain different telephones. The Pixel has extra RAM to assist with AI processing, though the Snapdragon 8 Elite on the Galaxy S25 Plus will beat out the Pixel’s Tensor G4 by way of uncooked energy and efficiency. Each telephones value $999.
The OnePlus 13 can also be a worthy contender, sporting a bigger curved show and a really distinctive design. The software program is probably not as sturdy with AI, and also you get fewer software program updates, however the digicam is without doubt one of the greatest you may discover on an Android telephone, charging speeds are a lot sooner, and the OnePlus 13 prices $100 lower than the Galaxy S25 Plus.
Nonetheless, Samsung has a more in-depth relationship with Google, so many new options will attain the Galaxy earlier than they arrive to OnePlus, and {hardware} help for Samsung is a little more sturdy, particularly within the States, the place Samsung dominates. And regardless of being cheaper, the OnePlus is simply obtainable unlocked, whereas the Galaxy S25 Plus may be bought by carriers in case you do not need to pay outright.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus: Do you have to purchase it?
You can purchase this if…
- You need a highly effective smartphone with in depth software program help.
- You need the most recent AI options however do not need a Pixel smartphone.
- You are a fan of One UI and/or the Galaxy ecosystem.
You should not purchase this if…
- You personal a Galaxy S24 Plus or perhaps even a Galaxy S23 Plus.
- You need the most effective Android digicam expertise.
- You need super-fast charging speeds.
The Galaxy S25 Plus appears like a Pixel telephone in all the most effective methods. Not solely is it chock-full of AI, however the software program lastly feels fluid and cohesive. The AI would not overwhelm the expertise nor attempt to get in the best way, largely sitting there ready so that you can work together with it. In a time when AI is all over the place, that is one thing folks could respect about Samsung’s newest flagships.
There’s so much to love in regards to the Galaxy S25 Plus, from the massive, sharp show to the unimaginable efficiency and the environment friendly use of energy. As the center little one of the Galaxy S25 sequence, the Plus not feels just like the “awkward” one.
That stated, there’s one thing to be stated in regards to the lack of {hardware} upgrades. Other than the brand new Snapdragon chipset, the telephone options the identical quantity of RAM, the identical cameras, the identical battery capability and charging specs speeds, and much more of the identical. Certain, Qi2 is right here, however even that’s considerably half-assed.
The Galaxy S25 Plus simply is not that thrilling of a telephone, which is exemplified by its reasonably boring design. It is good that Samsung stored the value the identical, however it might even be good if AI and a brand new chip had been the one upgrades.
It form of echoes a lot of what I have been listening to in regards to the new NVIDIA RTX 50-series GPUs, which additionally characteristic seemingly vital efficiency upgrades whereas focusing closely on AI enhancements to enhance gameplay. In case you have the earlier mannequin, and maybe even the mannequin earlier than that, regardless of how good it’s, the latest factor simply would not really feel that thrilling.
Samsung’s Pixel XL
The Galaxy S25 Plus may be one of the crucial souped-up AI telephones, kicking off 2025 with a stable package deal because of the Snapdragon 8 Elite and a big QHD+ show. If you happen to can go with out an S Pen on the Extremely, then that is the large-screened Galaxy telephone you should purchase.
