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 
Samsung Galaxy S25 camera samples (tap image to expand)
Samsung Galaxy S25+ camera samples (tap image to expand)
Bokeh shots come out well with excellent subject isolation and blur effect. In different light conditions, the S25 and S25+ showed good depth processing on the objects in the background.
Bokeh shot: Samsung Galaxy S25 (on the left) and Samsung Galaxy S25+ (on the right)
In my testing, I noticed that 2x and 3x zoom photos come out well, though not as good as from the primary sensor. The ultrawide cameras on both are excellent and have good dynamic range. However, the lack of autofocus on the ultrawide camera is a missed opportunity, considering the S25 and S25+ are premium-priced devices. The low-light photos come out well, and the automatic processing on both the S25s is great and not over the top.
Samsung Galaxy S25 low-light camera samples (tap image to expand)
Samsung Galaxy S25+ night camera samples (tap image to expand)
Both phones support up to 8K@60fps video recording, and the quality is top-notch. The selfie cameras on S25 and S25+ do a great job, and I had no complaints throughout the review period. The skin tones captured are natural, and the colours are accurate, with a good amount of detail.
Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S25 and S25+ cameras don’t pack generational upgrades over the predecessor and instead stick to a tried and tested formula. For your everyday camera usage, the Galaxy S25 and S25+ are more than sufficient and won’t let you down in the most challenging situations.
It’s worth mentioning that on-device AI edits have become much more fluid and quick on the S25 and S25+. Of course, the feature debuted last year, but thanks to the refinements, operations are practically faster than ever this year.
Samsung Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+ Battery: Meets expectations
- Battery size: 4000mAh (S25) and 4900mAh (S25+)
- Fast-charging support: 25W wired and 45W (wired)
- S25 can charge up to 50% in 30 minutes, and S25+ can charge up to 65% in 30 minutes
Much like the battery figures, not much has changed in the performance credentials compared to the S24 series. The S25 can offer a full day’s battery life with a screen-on time of about 5 hours and 30 minutes. The battery output may drop if you mix more gaming or online streaming. The S25+, on the other hand, can easily last over a day with a screen-on time of about 6 hours and 20 minutes based on our internal tests. Of course, this can vary depending on different usage scenarios.
The Galaxy S25 packs a 4000mAh battery
One significant positive change I noticed this time was that the battery drain was in check thanks to optimisations of One UI 7.0 and Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy SoC. Overnight battery drain was much more improved on Galaxy S25 and S25+ than their predecessors.
With 25W fast charging, the Galaxy S25 still takes over 100 minutes to fully charge, which is slow, in my opinion. But it’s slightly better than what I saw on the S24 last year. Similarly, the Galaxy S25+ charged fully in under an hour with a Samsung 45W charger, which is way better than what the iPhone 16 Plus offers (which takes about two hours to charge fully).
Samsung Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+ Verdict
The Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+ are the best S-series flagships from Samsung. They are far better than their predecessors, and everything seems to be an upgrade, especially for people still holding on to their Galaxy S21, S22 and S23 models. The Galaxy S25 series is a significant upgrade and should be considered. For Galaxy S24 users, the upgrades are not that great, and they can skip this year.
The AI integrations on the Galaxy S25 are superior and better than ever. I can comfortably say that the Galaxy AI is years ahead of the competition, which is still busy pushing updates for its gallery app and claiming AI can do it for you. Thankfully, Samsung has gone past that era and with Gemini deep integrations, you can get much more done with your voice than ever.
Samsung’s new Galaxy S25 models are a solid package supercharged with AI
However, that brings me to the point that AI is still not the feature that can turn the tables for companies. Yes, the AI features keep me updated and help me stay ahead of the curve. But I still don’t think that consumers will like to spend upwards of Rs. 50,000 on devices to add some AI tricks.
Talking about basics, the Galaxy S25 and S25+ have some solid foundation and nail mostly every aspect of what makes a phone earn that ‘flagship’ title. At the same time, the Samsung Galaxy S25 is my favourite compact phone and is a better overall package than the Google Pixel 9 (Review). The Galaxy S25+, on the other hand, is comparable to the likes of Google Pixel 9 Pro (Review) and iPhone 16 Plus (Review). For alternatives, there are phones like the Vivo X200 Pro (Review) and Find X8 Pro (Review).
