Samsung Galaxy S25+ vs. Galaxy S24+: A minor update

Samsung’s 2025 Galaxy S25 lineup is out, and a predictable set of upgrades comes with it. The Galaxy S25+, in particular, finds itself in an interesting spot. Like the Galaxy S24+ before it, it brings most of the top-end Galaxy S25 Ultra performance while omitting the S Pen and some of the camera features, allowing for a much more affordable smartphone. Sharing much of the spec list with last year’s Galaxy S24+, picking a phone between the two can be difficult, especially if value is of primary concern.

Price, availability, and specs

This year’s big upgrade to the Galaxy S25+ comes in the form of the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset and a general weight reduction. Like last year, you can grab the Galaxy S25+ starting at $999 for the 256GB option or pay more for the 512GB version. There are several color options, too, with Icyblue, Navy, Mint, and Silver Shadow as standard colorways. In typical Samsung fashion, additional colors like Blueblack, Coralred, and Pinkgold will also be available directly through the company’s website.

The Galaxy S25+ is available across all major operators, including AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. You can also pick up the phone unlocked from Best Buy, Amazon, and Samsung. Samsung is known to offer excellent pre-order bonuses and exclusive colors, making it a good choice.

Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S24+ is available through the big three carriers — Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. The S24+ comes in various colors, including black, gray, purple, and yellow. Additionally, Samsung’s site offers exclusive pastel shades of orange, green, and blue for those seeking something unique. The Samsung Galaxy S24+ retailed at $999 at launch, but you can sometimes find it on sale at a deep discount since it’s a year old.

• 	Samsung Galaxy S25+	Samsung Galaxy S24+
  SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy
  Display type	120Hz AMOLED	AMOLED, 1-120Hz
  Display dimensions	6.7 inches	6.7″
  Display resolution	3120 x 1440	3120 × 1440
  RAM	12GB	12GB
  Storage	256GB/512GB	256GB or 512GB
  Battery	4,900mAh	4,900mAh
  Charge speed	45W wired, 15W wireless	45W wired, 15W wireless
  Charge options	Wired, wireless, wireless powershare	USB-C wired, Qi wireless
  Ports	USB-C	USB-C
  Operating System	Android 15, 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 OIS main; 12MP, f/2.2 ultrawide; 10MP, f/2.4 telephoto (3× zoom)	50MP, f/1.8 OIS main; 12MP, f/2.2 ultrawide; 10MP, f/2.4 telephoto (3× zoom)
  Cellular connectivity	5G, 4G LTE	4G LTE, 5G (sub-6 and mmWave)
  Wi-Fi connectivity	Wi-Fi 7	Wi-Fi 6e, Wi-Fi Direct
  Connectivity	NFC, UWB, Wireless DeX	NFC, UWB
  Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.3
  Dimensions	158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm	158.5 × 76.2 × 7.6mm
  Weight	190g	197g
  IP Rating	IP68	IP68
  Colors	Silver Shadow, Navy, Ice Blue, Mint	Onyx Black, Marble Gray, Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow, Jade Green, Sapphire Blue, and Sandstone Orange
  Stylus	No	No
  Price	$1,000	$1,000

Design

Familiar yet sleek

Looking at the Samsung Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S24+ from a distance, you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference in design. Indeed, Samsung has followed the philosophy of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

The Galaxy S25+ mirrors the design language of the S24+ but has shaved off about 0.4 mm from the overall thickness — barely noticeable. What is observable, however, is the weight reduction. The latter feels somewhat lighter in the hand, from 197 grams for the S24+ to 190g for the S25+. If you’re looking for something significantly thinner, you’ll need to keep waiting for the Galaxy S25 Edge.

Beyond that, the design is the same with the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection on the back and front and an aluminum mid-frame section.

Display

No changes there

Just like the design, there is no change on the display front. This isn’t a significant issue, however, as the Galaxy S24+ already packed an excellent display to begin with. To reiterate the specs, you’ll find a 6.7-inch 1440 x 320 Dynamic LTPO AMOLED display. Refresh rates top off at 120Hz, and the overall peak brightness is 2600 nits.

It’s not the brightest display on the block, but the display on the Galaxy S25+ should pose no trouble holding up just fine in bright daylight.

Software

The Galaxy S25+ is all about AI, but you won’t miss out

The biggest upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy S25+ comes with software. Like the Galaxy S24 lineup, Samsung is continuing its commitment to long-term software support, offering seven years of Android updates and security patches. Alongside this, the Galaxy S25+ debuts with One UI 7 and a strong focus on AI features. While the company isn’t ready to say goodbye to Bixby just yet, Google Gemini sits front and center as part of the software features.

This year, Samsung’s AI tools include new features such as Now Brief and Now Bar, which act as modern-day versions of Google Now and Apple’s Live Activities, respectively, keeping users updated with daily summaries and bite-sized content. Meanwhile, Circle to Search receives upgrades with AI overviews, providing quick summaries of search results and recognizing on-screen elements like phone numbers and URLs. Importantly, Samsung allows users to control which AI tools are active — particularly cloud-based ones — giving them the flexibility to prioritize privacy while benefiting from advanced AI capabilities.

That said, most, if not all, of these features will be coming to the S24 Series in the coming months — Samsung confirmed as much with Android Police during the S25’s launch. That makes it less of a differentiator and makes the S25 Series a way to get early access instead.

Performance

Flagship-grade performance in a svelte package

The Samsung Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S24+ are effectively flagships of their generation, decked out with top-tier specifications. This means a Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor in the case of the Galaxy S25+ and last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 on the Galaxy S24+. Both phones have 12GB of RAM as standard and a choice of storage configurations ranging from 256 GB to 512 GB. Unlike last year, there is no Exynos model — Samsung is using Qualcomm’s chipset across all models globally.

Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip with a 40% boost in NPU performance and 12GB of RAM across all models, the S25 series is designed for advanced on-device AI processing. In practice, the difference won’t be quite as dramatic as the numbers might suggest, and the Galaxy S24+ can easily hold its own while running the latest games or performing AI-based tasks.

Battery life

More of the same

Nothing has changed on the battery front either, and the Galaxy S25+ has the same 4,900mAh battery as the Galaxy S24+. In fact, there’s no change to charging speeds either — with wired charging topping off at 45W and wireless charging restricted to 15W.

Samsung has advertised the Galaxy S25 series as Qi2-ready, but in practice, this means Samsung is offering compatible first-party cases. If you’re looking for a phone with magnets built in, you’ll need to wait for a future release.

Camera

AI does the heavy-lifting

If you were expecting a serious camera upgrade with the Galaxy S25+, prepare to be disappointed. The phone sports the exact same camera combination as the S24+ — down to the sensors.

Samsung claims that the real enhancements come through its upgraded AI-based ProVisual engine. Among the promised upgrades are reduced shutter lag and 10-bit HDR recording, which you won’t find on last year’s Galaxy S24+.

Which is right for you?

The Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S24+ are solid options, offering flagship-tier performance, excellent displays, and long-term software support. However, if you already own a Galaxy S24+, the upgrades in the S25+ — such as the new Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, lighter design, and early access to AI features — do not justify the switch.

If you’re looking to pick up your first Samsung, the S25+ will do just fine. If you’re upgrading from an older phone, the Galaxy S25+ presents itself as a decent deal for $999. That is, if you don’t already have the S24+.

If you’re looking for a bargain or don’t care about early access to AI features, the Galaxy S24+ is an excellent value choice with near-identical capabilities. Plus, you can sometimes catch it at a much lower price. Also, if you happen to have an S24+, the upgrade from the S25+ is barely noticeable.