Samsung Galaxy S25+ Review: This Could Have Been an Ultra

Samsung’s other phone, the Galaxy S25+, is not as extraordinary as its ultimate sibling, the Ultra. It’s hard to get excited about another smartphone, even if it is a solid buy. With seven years of software support, it’s promising that Samsung wants this device to endure. Still, I wish the company would package this model more like it does the Galaxy S25 Ultra. I don’t even care about the S Pen. At a $1,000 starting price, the Galaxy S25+ costs too much not to have far-reaching camera sensors, as the Ultra does, or a better RAM stack. I don’t understand why this can’t be marketed as a smaller Ultra at its price point.

At the very least, if you don’t like the size of the Galaxy S25+, you can consider the smaller Galaxy S25, which has almost all the same components. We don’t have the phone in for review yet, though I will explain the differences between the two models if you’re considering one, as it starts at $800. But if you want a bigger phone and can afford the additional cost, I suggest leaning toward the Ultra if you want to take the best pictures, S Pen and all.

Samsung Galaxy S25+ Review: Design

Looking good, as always

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The Galaxy S25+ is a Samsung smartphone through and through, from the triple-array camera placement on the back to the right-where-your-thumb-sits power button placement. Samsung made all versions of the Galaxy S25 this year lighter than its Galaxy S24 predecessors by quite a few grams. Compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, the Galaxy S25+ is nearly 30 grams lighter than its ultimate big sibling. It shaves some weight since it doesn’t have an S Pen or the extra camera glass. Samsung thinned out the bezels a tiny bit on the regular Galaxy S25/S25+, but not enough that you’ll run out and upgrade. Samsung hasn’t changed the design of this smartphone model in three generations. You’re not missing anything by sitting this one out except a lighter chassis.

Speaking of little that’s changed, the Galaxy S25+’s innards are merely a slight bump from last year’s device, even though there is slightly more RAM—that’s been this generation’s best addition to this lineup thus far, that everyone starts with 12GB at least. My biggest complaint was always that the smaller Samsung flagship felt underpowered. The processor has been upgraded to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, tuned for Samsung devices. It is just as capable as the one in the Galaxy S25 Ultra for playing games, multitasking between apps like music and email, and whipping up GIFs with AI Select. The Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S25 have the same batteries as last year. I will have an update on official battery abilities in the coming days, as I imagine some software tweaks will have helped these latest devices hold out just a bit longer.

The screen size has increased on both Galaxy S25 variants. Samsung increased the display of the Galaxy S25 to 6.2 inches, up from last year’s 6.1-inch display. The display of the Galaxy S25+ also increased slightly to 6.7 inches from 6.6 inches last year. The main difference between the device displays is that the smaller Galaxy S25 has an FHD+ resolution, while the Galaxy S25+ has QHD+. Essentially, the larger device has a higher resolution with a bit more sharpness.

Samsung Galaxy S25+ Review: Camera

Same camera, as always

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You can now consider this particular lineup of Samsung devices as “old faithful.” It’s always a sure bet that you’ll get consistent camera performance with this series, though not necessarily the sharpest and brightest compared to the Ultra variant. The Galaxy S25/S25+ has the same camera system as last year: a 50-MP Wide primary camera with OIS, a 12-MP ultra-wide camera, and a 10-MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and up to 30x digital Space zoom. Sadly, Samsung did not update the Galaxy S25+ series from 12-MP to 50-MP for the ultra-wide like the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The front-facing camera—a little dot in the middle of the top part of the Galaxy S25+—is the same 12-MP camera as last year.

I will give Samsung credit for its algorithms. I never think a picture will turn out when I see it through the viewfinder, but the final product tends to prove me wrong. My only concern is that at night, it’s harder to get the Galaxy S25+ to focus, even if there’s a bit of off-camera lighting shining through. I’m also still a fan of Google’s nighttime algorithms compared to Samsung’s. And I’m not saying you should buy a smartphone based on its nighttime camera capabilities. But if you’re like me and you’re always chasing the whimsy of the stars, maybe that matters to have that kind of phone in your back pocket. Something to think about.

I still think the Galaxy S25+ is a little barebones compared to other devices at this price point. Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro and Google’s Pixel 9 Pro start at the same price with 5x optical zoom. If Samsung will price it the same way, why not offer parity between spec offerings? Make the Galaxy S25+ a real choice for folks considering Samsung instead of the backup plan for people who don’t want to spend the extra $300 on the Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy S25+ Review: Software

Same Android, as always

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The Galaxy S25/S25+ ships with the same version of Android as the Galaxy S25 Ultra. It’s Samsung’s One UI 7 on top of Android 15. You cannot escape Samsung’s promises of AI here. It comes preinstalled in all currently available Android flavors, including Google’s Gemini, with the Galaxy S25 series being the first to debut features like song recognition in Circle to Search. It’s a winning moment for Samsung to show itself as a willing partner in Google’s all-platform AI shift. It’s what Samsung hopes will keep you buying its phones over the Pixel devices, even though they aren’t the first to get what’s new from Google.

Samsung also offers its own AI magic in the form of the Now Brief and things like generative imaging. Weeks later, I still think the Now Brief isn’t so much a utility as it is another app screen to paw at. I’m struggling to understand Samsung’s value-add here. Sure, cross-app integration was announced at Galaxy Unpacked, but is my ability to add a calendar entry to the Samsung Calendar app that the company prefers me to use anyway going to move the needle on sales numbers? At least there isn’t a silo between what Google offers and what Samsung does. AI is simply part of the Android package now.

Samsung Galaxy S25+ Review: Verdict

Should you buy the Galaxy S25+?

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I still think the Galaxy S25+ should be an Ultra mini or something similar. The 5x zoom seems essential on a phone that starts at $1,000, mainly if the competition offers it at the same price. Samsung should package this model more like Google did with the Pixel series: two sizes for a “pro” phone plus a regular “almost pro” for people who want to save a little money because they don’t need all that. It could even keep the RAM stack at 12 GB instead of 16 GB. I really just want more zoom capability, especially when the price has four digits in the number, and it’s supposed to be somewhat comparable to the Pixel and iPhone Pros.

Okay, but if you don’t care about all that—I’m aware it’s pedantic on my part—you might be able to find this one with discounts and sales at a price that’s more attractive than what it’s going for outright. In this case, I suggest you check out the Galaxy S25+ if you’re due for an upgrade and coming from a three- to four-year-old Android device. The phone is slightly lighter than the Ultra, making daily carry easier. It has the same charging speeds as the rest of the Galaxy S25 family, stellar battery life, and a sharp screen fit for YouTube on the train. Just don’t zoom too far with your photos! Nothing past 3x.