Hands-on review of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, S25+ and S25

Introduction and Specifications

It’s that time of year again, time for the new Galaxy S series. The new Galaxy S25 lineup is now more powerful and smarter than ever. Still, it’s not hard to admit that the hardware upgrades are very minimal. Over the past two generations, Samsung has focused its efforts on improving the software experience and developing AI capabilities.

In a way, Samsung is trying to make up for the lack of hardware innovations and upgrades with software smarts. This also includes camera processing. Samsung’s Galaxy S25 series now takes advantage of the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s improved ISP and promises significant improvements in camera quality, especially in video recording. Except for Ultra, that is.

The new Galaxy S25 Ultra now features an advanced 50MP ultrawide camera capable of 8K recording and better image quality. This is the only camera change in all three phones this year.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra specs at a glance:

• Body: 162.8×77.6×8.2 mm, 218 g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Armor 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Armor 2), titanium frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes), stylus (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro).
• Display: 6.90″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak), 1440x3088px resolution; Always-on display.
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite (3nm) for Galaxy: Octa-core (2×4.47 GHz Orion V2 Phoenix L + 6×3.53 GHz Orion V2 Phoenix M); Adreno 750 (1 GHz); Adreno 830.
• Memory: 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM.
• OS/Software: Android 15, One UI 7.0.
• rear camera: wide (main): 200 MP, f/1.7, 23mm, 1/1.3″, 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, laser AF, OIS; telephoto: 50 MP, f/3.4, 115 mm, 1/2.6″, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom; telephoto: 10 MP, f/2.4, 69mm, 1/3.52″, 1.12µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom; ultra wide angle: 50 MP, f/1.9, 13mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, Super Steady Video.
• Front Camera: 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF.
• video capture: rear camera: 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 1080p@960fps, HDR10+, Stereo Sound Rec., Gyro-EIS; front camera:4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 5000mAh; 45W wired charging, PD3.0, 65% in 30 minutes (advertised), 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless charging.
• Connectivity: 5G; é SIM; dual SIM; Wi-Fi 7; BT 5.3; NFC.
• various: Fingerprint reader (under-display, ultrasonic); stereo speakers; Samsung DX, Samsung Wireless DX (Desktop Experience Support), Ultra Wideband (UWB) support.

There are some welcome design changes too. All three phones have now become thinner and lighter. The S25 Ultra also has thinner bezels and is now built around a slightly larger 6.9-inch display without increasing the footprint.

Samsung Galaxy S25+ specs at a glance:

• Body: 158.4×75.8.8×7.3mm, 190g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes), rugged aluminum 2 frame with drop and scratch resistance (as advertised).
• Display: 6.70″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak), 1440x3088px resolution, 19.3:9 aspect ratio, 509ppi; always-on display.
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite (3nm) for Galaxy: Octa-core (2×4.47 GHz Orion V2 Phoenix L + 6×3.53 GHz Orion V2 Phoenix M); Adreno 750 (1 GHz); Adreno 830.
• Memory: 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM.
• OS/Software: Android 15, One UI 7.0.
• rear camera: wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm, 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS; telephoto: 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm, 1/3.94″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom; ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚, 1/2.55″ 1.4µm, Super Steady Video.
• Front Camera: 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF.
• video capture: rear camera: 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 1080p@960fps, HDR10+, Stereo Sound Rec., Gyro-EIS; front camera:4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 4900mAh; 45W wired charging, PD3.0, 65% in 30 minutes (advertised), 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless charging.
• Connectivity: 5G; é SIM; dual SIM; Wi-Fi 7; BT 5.4; NFC.
• various: Fingerprint reader (under the display, ultrasonic); stereo speakers; Samsung DX, Samsung Wireless DX (desktop experience support).

Perhaps the biggest hardware upgrade with the Galaxy S25/S25+ is the new chipset. We are no longer getting Exynos models. And the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy significantly improves performance and efficiency compared to its predecessor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy. The overclocked chip offers the biggest generational improvement in a long time.

In any case, Samsung would like you to focus on the new software smarts. The new One UI 7.0 overlay based on Android 15 is now equipped with improved AI capabilities and brand new features. The AI ​​assistant is said to be more personalized and proactive.

Samsung Galaxy S25 specs at a glance:

• Body: 146.9×70.5×7.2 mm, 162 g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame; Armored Aluminum 2 frame (advertised) with IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes), strong drop and scratch resistance.
• Display: 6.20″ Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak), 1080x2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 416ppi; always-on display.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8650-AB Snapdragon 8th Gen 3 (4 nm) – US/Canada, Exynos 2400 – International: Octa-core (1×3.3 GHz Cortex-X4 & 5×3.2 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2×2.3 GHz Cortex-A520) – US/Canada; Adreno 750 – US/Canada.
• Memory: 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM.
• OS/Software: Android 15, One UI 7.0.
• rear camera: wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm, 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS; telephoto: 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm, 1/3.94″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom; ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚, 1/2.55″ 1.4µm, Super Steady Video.
• Front Camera: 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF.
• video capture: rear camera: 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 1080p@960fps, HDR10+, Stereo Sound Rec., Gyro-EIS; front camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 4000mAh; 25W wired charging, PD3.0, 50% in 30 minutes (advertised), 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless charging.
• Connectivity: 5G; é SIM; dual SIM; Wi-Fi 7; BT 5.4; NFC.
• various: Fingerprint reader (under the display, ultrasonic); stereo speakers; Samsung DX, Samsung Wireless DX (desktop experience support).

There are also some non-AI smart features and redesigns available, making your everyday software experience a little more convenient and personalized. But more on that later.

With the meat and potatoes out of the way, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty.