Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. Galaxy S23: Are the upgrades enough?

The

Galaxy S25
is Samsung’s newest compact flagship. It’s powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip, which is customized for the Galaxy S25 series. The phone also features Android 15-based

One UI 7
. However, beyond these two significant changes, the upgrades to the Galaxy S25 feel incremental. If you own the

Galaxy S23
, which, although a couple of years old, is a solid phone, does it make sense to buy the Galaxy S25? Let’s find out.

Price, availability, and specifications

The Galaxy S25 has the same launch price as its predecessors, including the Galaxy S23. It starts at $800 for the 128GB model and goes up to $860 for the 256GB model. It’ll start shipping on February 7 and be available via all major retailers. Out of the seven colors, the Blueblack, Coralred, and Pinkgold colors of the phone are exclusive to Samsung.com.

The Galaxy S23 was launched at $800 and $860 for the 128GB and 256GB variants, respectively. It’s no longer sold as new.

Here’s a quick look at the raw specifications of the two phones.

• 	Samsung Galaxy S25	Samsung Galaxy S23
  SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy
  Display type	LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz	AMOLED, 120Hz
  Display dimensions	6.2″	6.1″, 19.5:9
  Display resolution	2340 x 1080	2340 × 1080
  RAM	12GB	8GB
  Storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB
  Battery	4,000mAh	3,900mAh
  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 13 and One UI 5.1
  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	146.3 × 70.9 × 7.6mm
  Weight	162g	168g
  IP Rating	IP68	IP68
  Colors	Silver Shadow, Navy, Icy Blue, Mint	Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender + Samsung.com exclusive Lime, Graphite
  Stylus	No	No

Design and display

Subtle tweaks

Although the design language hasn’t changed much between the Galaxy S23 and the S25, the two phones have subtle differences. For example, the Galaxy S25 has flat sides, a different-looking speaker vent, thicker rings around the rear camera lenses, and a slightly lower placement of the LED flash.

The Galaxy S25 is slightly longer than the S23 but smaller in every other dimension. Otherwise, both phones are glass sandwiches with an aluminum frame. They are also rated IP68 for dust and water resistance.

Samsung has reduced the bezels in the S25, which allowed it to fit a 6.2-inch display compared to 6.1-inch in the Galaxy S23. But size isn’t the only change. While the 120Hz OLED panel in the Galaxy S23 had a variable refresh rate between 40Hz and 120z, the LTPO OLED panel of the S25 supports 1Hz to 120Hz. Plus, the Galaxy S25 display has a higher peak brightness. Still, being OLED displays, both produce vibrant visuals with inky blacks.

Software

The Galaxy S25 will receive seven major Android updates

The Galaxy S25 runs on

Android 15-based One UI 7
out of the box. It packs several changes to the Samsung software, including deeper AI integration, upgraded AI features, changes to the visual aesthetic, and a new camera interface.

The Galaxy S23 was introduced with Android 13 and One UI 5.1 and has received

Android 14
and One UI 6.1.1. It’ll also receive the One UI 7 update in the near future. While it may not get every new software or AI feature, it’ll likely get some. The software experience will be largely the same on both smartphones after the Galaxy S23 is updated.

However, the S25 has a clear advantage in the software support period. It’s set to receive seven Android OS updates and security patches for seven years, a big upgrade over the four Android OS updates, and five years of security patches promised for the Galaxy S23. The S23 has received one major Android OS update, and Android 15 will be its second major update.

Performance and battery life

Snapdragon 8 Elite for the win

One big highlight of the Galaxy S25 is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip. It’s an upgrade over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy present in the Galaxy S23 and a powerful processor that promises snappy performance. It can handle almost anything you throw at it without breaking a sweat.

Although the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is capable and delivers a smooth and responsive experience, it falls behind the Elite in raw power and battery efficiency. This distinction makes the Snapdragon 8 Elite more futureproof. Another thing that makes the S25 more futureproof is the 12GB of RAM, which is four gigs more than the Galaxy S23.

The Galaxy S25 also packs a marginally bigger 4,000mAh battery than the 3,900mAh present in the S23. This extra capacity, combined with the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s better power efficiency, will result in better battery backup for the phone.

However, the two phones are evenly stacked on the fast charging front, with each supporting 25W fast wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 5W reverse wireless charging.

In other highlights, the Galaxy S25 has newer

Wi-Fi 7
and Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity protocols. On the other hand, the Galaxy S23 comes with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

Cameras

Samsung’s style is not for everyone

It’s been a while since Samsung changed the camera setup in its base Galaxy S-series model. You’ll be disappointed if you expect something new this year, at least on the hardware front. The Galaxy S25 has the same rear camera hardware that the company offered in the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S23, and Galaxy S22.

You get a 50MP main shooter with an f/1.8 lens, a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide shooter with an f/2.2 lens. The two phones have the same 12MP selfie shooters.

We haven’t reviewed the Galaxy S25 at the time of writing. However, with the same hardware, it’s safe to assume that any difference in the S25 and the S23 camera quality will come down to the software. It would be interesting to see if Samsung has made any tweaks to deliver better overall camera performance on the S25.

As we mentioned in our Galaxy S23 review, the phone’s primary camera takes excellent shots in good lighting. However, the company’s processing can take the final capture far from the reality of the scene. The photos are oversaturated and over-brightened. While this is fine for many people, others prefer a more natural look. If you’ve been okay with Samsung’s color performance in the past, you would likely not have an issue with the Galaxy S25.

The ultrawide camera works well in good lighting but not so much in low-light conditions. The telephoto shooter in the S23 also leaves much to be desired, with less crisp shots as you zoom in.

Which should you buy?

The Galaxy S25 packs several notable upgrades over the Galaxy S23. You get a more powerful processor, 12GB of RAM, and a slightly bigger battery. The display has also been upgraded with a slightly larger and brighter LTPO OLED panel. Moreover, the Galaxy S25 will receive updates for seven years, including major Android OS updates. With the Galaxy S25, you get a refined smartphone ready for the long haul. It can be an okay upgrade over the S23 if your phone gives you problems.

However, if you are happy with your existing Galaxy S23 and it’s not showing signs of slowing down, there is no rush to get the Galaxy S25. You can wait for a generation or more, and by that time, Samsung might decide to upgrade its compact flagship.