The Samsung Galaxy S25 is a great upgrade and should win hearts with its compact form factor, while the S25+ is again a fantastic option for those who need a big screen.
The Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+ are Samsung’s all-new premium S-series smartphones in India. If you followed the Unpacked 2025 launch, you already know the biggest upgrade is under the hood. But does that mean the S25 and S25+ aren’t worth upgrading for S24 and S23 users? Well, that question doesn’t have a straightforward answer!
The Galaxy S25 and S25+ are perfect examples of why you should never judge a book by its cover. That’s because you should consider these because of how good the overall package is. And this is not the conclusion, and this is not the end of the review. You will have to stay tuned to this review to know why I just gave it all away.
Before jumping into our review, here’s a breakdown of the prices. The Samsung Galaxy S25 starts at Rs. 80,999 for the 12+256GB model, while the S25+ begins at Rs. 99,999 for the exact RAM and storage option. Both the models also get 512GB storage trim priced at Rs. 92,999 (S25) and Rs. 1,11,999 (S25+). Now that we are done with the prices let’s dive into design first.
Samsung Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+ Design: Familiar with some refinements
Dimensions — 146.9×70.5×7.2mm (Galaxy S25), 158.4×75.8×7.3mm (Galaxy S25+)
Weight — 162 grams (Galaxy S25), 190 grams (Galaxy S25+)
Colours — Icyblue, Navy, Silver Shadow, Mint, Blueblack, Coralred, and Pinkgold (S25), Navy, Silver Shadow, Blueblack, Coralred, and Pinkgold (S25+)
The Samsung Galaxy S25 brings back the familiar compact design. It sports a flat frame design with rounded corners that work perfectly for aesthetics. On the other hand, the Galaxy S25+ sits between the most compact and the biggest model (S25 Ultra). Like the little sibling, the S25+ also has flat panels. While Galaxy S25 is way more comfortable to use with just one hand and is lightweight at under 170 grams. The Galaxy S25+ sports a bigger screen but is mostly remarkable for one-hand usage, weighing under 200 grams. Both the phones sport second-generation Armor Aluminum frame.
Samsung has kept the anti-reflective Gorilla Armor Glass exclusive for the Ultra model, which is fine considering the Samsung Ultra is still the top-of-the-line model. The Galaxy S25 and S25+ are thinner and weigh less than their predecessors — something you might not even notice right away. Both models also get an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. Interesting to see Samsung not opting for the IP69 rating, which lately has become part of the spec lists of most recent Android flagships.
This year, Samsung has gone with rather muted colour choices like Icyblue, Navy, Silver Shadow, Mint, Blueblack, Coralred, and Pinkgold for the S25. For S25+, Navy, Silver Shadow, Blueblack, Coralred, and Pinkgold colours are available. It’s worth noting that Blueblack, Coralred, and Pinkgold colours are available only on Samsung.com. I got the S25 in Icyblue and the S25+ in Navy colour for the review.
Overall, the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+ feel almost identical to the S24 and S24+ in the design department. Both phones feature a matte design, which makes them fingerprint-resistant to a lot of extent. Samsung’s move not to use a huge camera island to house rear cameras at the back helps make the Galaxy S25 series less flashy, and it works for me. The flat design and minimalist approach work well. And there’s nothing wrong with that, considering the S-series phones have a distinct look and stand out in the sea of similar-looking phones.
Samsung Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+ Display: Best out there
Display size: 6.2-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED (S25) and 6.7-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X (S25+)
Highlights: (S25) 120Hz refresh rate, 1080×2340 pixels screen resolution, HDR10+, 2600nits peak brightness, and 416PPI pixel density (S25+) 120Hz refresh rate, 1440×3120 pixels screen resolution, HDR10+, 2600nits peak brightness, and 513PPI pixel density
The display specs are identical to the predecessors — S24 and S24+. This includes the maximum peak brightness of 2600nits, as well. Samsung has smartly followed the popular strategy — if something is excellent, why change it? And I’m not complaining. The display on both models is fantastic. They are bright and crisp. The texts appear sharp and sunlight legibility is fantastic.
The adaptive refresh rate works perfectly and drops to 1Hz when reading e-books or just browsing the Internet. Both the S25 and S25+ miss out on Dolby Vision video support. The panels are Widevine L1 compliant, which means you can enjoy HDR content on the go. If you love binge-watching shows or movies on the go, then you will love the S25 and S25+. Even for gamers, the S25 and S25+ can run compatible games at 120Hz; more on that in a bit.
Samsung Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+ Performance: You get the absolute best
Chipset: Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (custom)
RAM and storage: 12GB + 256GB and 12GB + 512GB
OS: One UI 7 based on Android 15
The Galaxy S25 and S25+ are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, a custom chip designed for the all-new S25 series.
