Samsung Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus Review: Incredible Iteration

Samsung’s Galaxy S series is in its software era. Perhaps some phones with hinges (including Samsung) can be used throughout the smartphone industry as well. But overall, we have exited the hardware-oriented innovation cycle and are firmly in the software-based innovation cycle. If you want to prove, the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus are a good place to start.

These are great phones, which is no surprise. They look, feel and operate like devices worth the $799 and $999 price tags. They plan to get a 7-year OS upgrade, which is a good return on the investment. I use both to take pictures, play my little games, and usually don’t have a free ride.

The S24 and S24 Plus are correct, as well as the S23 and S23 Plus. I can’t give you a good reason why the S25 stands out compared to the third-generation S-series phones. I don’t think Samsung can’t, either, because the entire sales volume of the S25 revolves around software and AI features, many of which will almost certainly be Transplanted to previous S-Series phones Very short.

Here’s the kicker: software improvements aren’t that great either. AI can do convenient things like turning the messy page of notes into something readable. However, most of them are still unpredictable. A UI 7.0 includes a nice interface update, but many Samsung phones will be upgraded soon. Aside from “My current phone stops working, I need a new phone”, the list of reasons for upgrading to the S25 is very thin.

Maybe this illustrates more about how to use the “small” phone in 2025, but the Galaxy S25 is secretly the best small Android phone you can buy in the US. This may not have been intentional – more like a victory in the war of loss. Since Google’s phone calls, the Pixel 5 has only appeared in large and large, and niche small phone options such as the Asus Zenfone have also exited the competition. By using only a 6.2-inch screen, the smaller S-Series model has become the default option if you don’t want a huge Android phone.

With the Gargantuan S25 Ultra for a week, this effect is almost ridiculous. If you prefer smaller devices, and Of course I’ll do that – It’s a relief to be able to comfortably place the S25 in the jacket pocket and click something when the screen reaches my thumb to one hand. The smaller battery is a problem with smaller devices, but the S25’s 4,000mAh made me spend the day with modest use.

Of course, there is a bigger option. The S25 Plus has all screen real estate to satisfy the big phone fans. It has a 6.7-inch panel and a bumpy 1440p resolution on the S25, which is a good thing. Such a large display requires additional resolution. Similarly, even if there are more pixels to illuminate, the 4,900mAh battery will be used all day.

The design is basically the same as the last winding: flat edges, curved corners and Samsung’s signature fixed light rear camera arrangement. I’m still grateful to Samsung for turning to the flat edge here, as it makes the phone safer in my hands – especially when I pick it up from the table.

Samsung still uses Galaxy AI as a key selling point. This launcher suite of AI features includes new additions such as Natural Language Search in Settings Menu, Background Noise Cancel in Video Clips, and The best face swap for pixels. There is also a new voice assistant on the steering wheel: Gemini. Google’s AI-Imbud Assistant is now default, not Samsung’s Bixby, which has the ability to work across applications.

This feature is what I’m most excited about choosing the S25, and it’s not even a Galaxy AI feature – it can be used anywhere you can use Gemini (both iOS and the web). I’ve introduced it in more detail My Galaxy S25 Ultra Reviewbut TL;dr is it promising, but not consistent enough to rely on.

But, what should be attributed to: Samsung’s artificial intelligence tool (which is widely called Galaxy AI) does a great job of adding structure to a bunch of messy notes. Before I traveled to the pediatrician, I made a list of my child’s symptoms and the AI ​​was organized with a wise subtitle. Even if I didn’t write this sentence explicitly, it even accurately titled it “Child’s Disease Progress.”

Samsung’s One UI 7.0 software is an important update that introduces dynamic island-like bars, split notifications and quick shadowing, and some subtle design updates throughout. Like any galaxy phone, it still takes a minute to remove the software from my preferences, but overall it’s a welcome refresh.

Have you ever seen a photo of the sky with such a blue sky, and did it actually jump off the screen? Then, you have seen a photo taken by a Samsung phone. Samsung has been loyal to its oversaturated colors in the S25 series and continues another tradition: the damn portrait mode. It doesn’t always pin the isolation of the subject, but when it’s good, it’s OK

It’s the same as the camera system in the S24 series, minus some software tweaks. It doesn’t have an upgraded Ultrawide in the S25 Ultra, but that’s not a huge loss. I noticed that the S25’s camera insisted on focusing on the foreground rather than the distance I wanted. The depth of field is shallow enough, which makes a difference, so I came across two soft photos that were not available. This is not a lasting issue, but more and more I will pay attention to it in the future.

Maybe this is the slowdown in hardware cycles. Maybe it’s software season. Maybe we just arrived at the peak call. The combination brings us into the iterative S25 series. But if you’re going to trade on the S21 and you just want some familiar work?

If that description fits, the S25 or S25 Plus will do the job. The Galaxy S25 is the last full-featured, reasonable size Android phone you can buy in the US. S25 Plus has a large screen People obviously want. The camera is great, the battery life is great, and the software update will last for seven years. If this is a Peak Phone, it’s not a bad place.

The Galaxy S25 shows off attractive images of the useful AI look on our phones. Tell your AI assistant to add emails from emails to your calendar? Screenshot recipes and add ingredients to your shopping list? Sounds great. The problem is that it doesn’t necessarily work now, and it’s unclear when it will change. Galaxy phones over the past few years will also receive these updates. If you’re happy with your current S-Series phone, I don’t have any compelling reason to upgrade to the S25. That’s good – it’s a software era after all.

Allison Johnson / Photography at the Edge