Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. Galaxy S24: It’s mainly about the Snapdragon 8 Elite

Samsung’s newest compact flagship, the

Galaxy S25
, is here. It packs Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, a host of updated AI features, and a slightly tweaked design. But otherwise, it’s very similar to its predecessor, the

Galaxy S24
, including the 120Hz LTPO OLED display, the 4,000mAh battery, and 25W wired charging. Are the upgrades in the Galaxy S25 enough to justify it over the Galaxy S24 as an upgrade or a fresh small phone purchase? Let’s find out.

Price, availability, specifications

Samsung has kept the Galaxy S25’s launch price the same as the Galaxy S24 in the US. You get two storage variants with the same 12GB of RAM: 128GB and 256GB. The 128GB model costs $800, whereas the 256GB version is $860. The phone will go on sale starting February 7 and will be available widely, including through Amazon, Best Buy, Samsung.com, and carriers.

The Galaxy S24, which was launched at $800 for the 128GB model and $860 for the 256GB model, is often discounted these days. It hasn’t got an official price cut, but it’s easy to get both storage variants with at least a $100 discount. It also has a relatively lower availability than the S25, so you may not get both storage variants at all retailers. Samsung still stocks both variants on its website, including the exclusive colors you can’t buy elsewhere.

Before we delve deeper, here’s a look at the raw specifications of the two phones.

• 	Samsung Galaxy S25	Samsung Galaxy S24
  SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
  Display type	LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz	LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz
  Display dimensions	6.2″	6.2″
  Display resolution	2340 x 1080	2340 × 1080
  RAM	12GB	8GB
  Storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB
  Battery	4,000mAh	4,000mAh
  Charge speed	25W	25W
  Charge options	USB-C Wired, Qi wireless	USB-C wired, Qi wireless
  Ports	USB-C	USB-C
  Operating System	Android 15 and One UI 7	Android 14 and One UI 6.1
  Front camera	12MP f/2.2	12MP f/2.2
  Rear camera	50MP f/1.8 main, 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide, 10MP f/2.4 3x telephoto	50MP f/1.8 main, 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide, 10MP f/2.4 3x telephoto
  Cellular connectivity	Sub-6 & mmWave 5G	Sub-6 & mmWave 5G
  Wi-Fi connectivity	Wi-Fi 7	Wi-Fi 6E
  Connectivity	NFC	NFC
  Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.3
  Dimensions	146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2 mm	147.1 x 70.6 x 7.6mm
  Weight	162g	168g
  IP Rating	IP68	IP68
  Colors	Silver Shadow, Navy, Icy Blue, Mint	Onyx Black, Marble Gray, Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow, Jade Green, Sapphire Blue, and Sandstone Orange
  Stylus	No	No

Design and display

Minor design tweaks with the same display

Samsung has chosen to go with a familiar design for the Galaxy S25, which closely resembles its predecessor. The phone retains the glass sandwich structure of the S24, with an aluminum frame. The only noticeable change is the thicker ring around the rear camera lenses, a design element borrowed from the

Galaxy Z Fold 6
. The Galaxy S25 is also slightly thinner and lighter than the Galaxy S24, but the difference is not significant.

Aside from these two tweaks, the design remains largely unchanged. Both phones boast an

IP68 rating
for dust and water resistance and feature Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back.

Things are similar on the display front. The Galaxy S25 retains the 6.2-inch 1080p LTPO OLED panel from the Galaxy S24, which has a 120Hz refresh rate. So you can expect the same punchy and vibrant visuals and variable refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz.

Software

One UI 7 brings significant updates

The Galaxy S25 runs on Android 15-based

One UI 7
out of the box. One UI 7 is a significant update to Samsung software and includes changes to the visual aesthetic, tweaks to the lock-screen setup, a revamped camera app interface, and more. AI also plays a big role and is more deeply integrated into the software. The company claims the One UI 7 brings improvements to Circle to Search, Drawing assist, Writing assist, Call Transcript, and more.

While the Galaxy S24 currently runs on Android 14-based One UI 6.1.1, it’s set to receive the

Android 15
and One UI 7 update by the end of Q1, 2025. This update will bring the software experience closer to that of the Galaxy S25.

In terms of the software support period, the Galaxy S25 will have the same seven-year update promise as the Galaxy S24. So, you can expect Android OS and security updates for seven years from their original launch date.

Performance and battery life

The Galaxy S25 has an edge

One of the most significant changes between the Galaxy S25 and the Galaxy S24 is at the heart of the two phones. The S25 is powered by Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Snapdragon 8 Elite chip that promises significant performance improvements over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which is present in the Galaxy S24. So, the S25 will be a big step up in terms of raw power. However, the 8 Elite also upgrades power efficiency and imaging performance.

The Galaxy S25 may have a more powerful chip, but that doesn’t mean the Galaxy S24 is a slouch. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is a pretty powerful processor that delivers excellent performance, which is good enough for most people. But the Elite is certainly more future-proof, especially if you don’t want to upgrade your phone for a long time. In addition to the more powerful processor, the S25 has 12GB of RAM, up four gigs from the Galaxy S24.

Another department where Samsung hasn’t changed anything is the battery. It’s the same 4,000mAh battery as the Galaxy S24. However, the power efficiency improvements offered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite will benefit the Galaxy S25. However, don’t expect a big difference. The charging speed is still 25W for wired and 15W for wireless charging on both phones.

Among other highlights, there is

Wi-Fi 7
, NFC, and Bluetooth 5.4 on the newer Galaxy. The S24 has the same connectivity options except for Bluetooth 5.3. Unfortunately, UWB is still missing and limited to the more expensive siblings of the Galaxy S25.

Cameras

The same setup as last year

The Galaxy S25 packs the same rear and front cameras as the Galaxy S24. You get a 50MP primary shooter with an f/1.8 lens, a 12MP ultrawide camera with an f/2.2 lens, and a 10MP f/2.4 telephoto shooter with 3x optical zoom.

While we weren’t particularly impressed with the Galaxy S24 cameras, it remains to be seen if the same is true for the Galaxy S25. You’ll be able to read about the phone’s camera performance in our Galaxy S25 review, which is expected over the coming days.

To recap what we know about the Galaxy S24 cameras, they tend to over-brighten and oversaturate photos. They also struggle with motion. While you can still get some excellent shots from the phone in the daytime with still objects, it’s trickier and needs some know-how. So, it’ll also be interesting to see if the One UI 7 update brings any imaging performance improvements to the Galaxy S24.

Which should you buy?

It’s clear that the Galaxy S25 is an iterative upgrade over the Galaxy S24. However, it does bring a notable improvement in the form of the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip with 12GB of RAM. You’ll also get Android 15 out of the box. Other features may not have changed, but you still get a beautiful display, a reasonably capable battery, and a long software support period. So, if you’re in the market for a smaller flagship and don’t already own the Galaxy S24, the Galaxy S25 is an excellent choice. However, if you already have the Galaxy S24, there is little reason to upgrade to the S25.

However, if you can get the Galaxy S24 at a good discount, it’ll be a value-for-money alternative. It’s mostly the same phone as the Galaxy S25, except for a year-old but competent processor. You get the same gorgeous display and same-sized battery. It’ll also get the Android 15-based One UI 7 update in weeks. So, it can be a smart choice for folks who don’t necessarily want to pay a premium for a brand-new smartphone.