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    An AI powerhouse
    Samsung Galaxy S25+

    Samsung’s Galaxy S25+ continues to be the ideal middle ground in the company’s flagship lineup, offering an expansive, crisp, and bright display for those who don’t need the advanced features of the S25 Ultra.

    Pros & Cons

    • Oustanding 6.7-inch screen with even slimmer bezels
    • Excellent performance
    • Advanced AI capabilities, including Gemini Live
    • Design is getting a bit bland
    • Not all AI features are useful
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    Still going strong
    Samsung Galaxy S23+

    The Galaxy S23+ offers surprisingly solid performance for an older phone, with the ability to handle many of Samsung’s latest Galaxy AI and One UI 7 features. It’s hampered mostly by weaker battery life, a shorter update policy, and a lower-resolution display than its successors.

    Pros & Cons

    • Great performance
    • All-day battery life
    • Solid build quality
    • Photos can be overprocessed
    • Still a bit pricey
    • Nearing the end of its Android update cycle

Samsung kicked off 2025 with its annual Galaxy Unpacked event, ushering in an exciting year for smartphones with its new Galaxy S25 series. It’s the same trio of flagships, upgraded with cutting-edge silicon to power a more mature set of AI features.

Samsung gave us a taste of this last year with Galaxy AI, but the Galaxy S25 lineup feels like it’s coming into its own. The latest phones embraced the “Gemini Era” by adopting Gemini Live as the standard voice assistant and packing more powerful image processing to take photography to new heights.

Samsung’s Galaxy S Plus models have always been the sweet spots among the company’s flagships, offering a class-leading full-sized smartphone for folks who don’t need all the bells and whistles of the pricier Ultra models. This year, the Galaxy S25+ solidifies that position, but is it a worthy upgrade over the Galaxy S23+, a two-year-old model that still handles the latest software updates and a solid collection of Galaxy AI features? Let’s take a look at how Samsung’s two middle children compare.


Read our Ranking


Best Samsung phones in 2025

There’s a Samsung phone for everyone



Price, availability, and specs

The Samsung Galaxy S25+ is up for preorder from Samsung and will land in physical and online retail stores, carriers, and customers’ hands on February 7. The base 256GB model sells for $1,000, with a 512GB version available for $1,120. Samsung’s usual aggressive trade-on offers are available and can shave quite a bit off those prices. The standard colors for this year’s models are navy, mint, Icy Blue, and Silver Shadow. Unlocked versions ordered from Samsung.com also come in exclusive Blueback, Corralled, and Pinkgold finishes.

Released two years ago, the Galaxy S23+ is hard to find in new condition, although Samsung still sells the 256GB version in lavender on its website for the original price of $1,000. Certified renewed models are available from Samsung for as little as $769 for 256GB. Even better deals on renewed models can be found at Amazon, with prices as low as $500. The Galaxy S23+ originally came in Phantom Black, green, cream, and lavender, with exclusive graphite and lime finishes available from Samsung. However, you’ll have difficulty finding most of these colors in the renewed market. Phantom Black seems to be commonly available.

  • Samsung Galaxy S25+ Samsung Galaxy S23+
    SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy
    Display type 120Hz AMOLED AMOLED, 120Hz
    Display dimensions 6.7 inches 6.6″
    Display resolution 3120 x 1440 2340 x 1080
    RAM 12GB 8GB
    Storage 256GB/512GB 256GB or 512GB
    Battery 4,900mAh 4,700mAh
    Charge speed 45W wired, 15W wireless 45W wired (Quick Charge 2.0, Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging), 15W wireless (Samsung Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, WPC), Wireless PowerShare
    Charge options Wired, wireless, wireless powershare USB-C wired, Qi wireless
    Ports USB-C USB-C
    Operating System Android 15, One UI 7 One UI 5.1 w/ Android 13
    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 f2.2 wide (120°), 10MP f/2.4 OIS telephoto (3x)
    Cellular connectivity 5G, 4G LTE LTE, 5G, mmWave
    Wi-Fi connectivity Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi 6E
    Connectivity NFC, UWB, Wireless DeX 4G, 5G, UWB, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC
    Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.4 Bluetooth 5.3
    Dimensions 158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm 163.3 × 78 × 8.9mm
    Weight 190g 196g
    IP Rating IP68 IP68
    Colors Silver Shadow, Navy, Ice Blue, Mint Phantom, Cream, Green, Lavender + Samsung.com exclusive Lime, Graphite
    Stylus No No
    Price $1,000 From $1,000


Read our review


Samsung Galaxy S23+: No S Pen, no problem

The middle S23 is the best one for most people



Design

A new style for a new era

The Samsung Galaxy S25 in someone's hand showing the rear of the phone

While this year’s Galaxy S25+ doesn’t change much aesthetically over last year’s model, the Galaxy S24+, it inherits the same changes that set that one apart from the Galaxy S23+.

The Galaxy 25+ preserves the iPhone-like flat edges of its predecessor. Apple may have led the way into flat edges among mainstream smartphones four years ago, but Samsung made it popular in the Android world. Nearly every manufacturer now embraces the new flatness, but Samsung’s Galaxy S25+ remains distinctively a Samsung phone.

That’s because as soon as you flip it over, you’ll see the same trademark triple-camera array that’s become Samsung’s hallmark. The Galaxy S23+ eschewed the camera bump in favor of a more refined design with all three lenses protruding independently. It’s an elegant and uncluttered look, and we’re glad Samsung stuck with it.

The Galaxy S23+ and S24+ next to each other, focused on their frames.

The Galaxy S23+ is part of the same pedigree as its successors, but the Galaxy S25+ feels like it’s all grown up. Its edges are flat but not sharp, and the design allowed Samsung to shrink the bezels even more. The result is a 0.1-inch increase in screen size over the Galaxy S23+ that comes more from a reduced frame than an increased size. The Galaxy S25+ grows by only 0.7mm in height over the S23+ but reduces the thickness by 0.3mm.

The Galaxy S25+ and S23+ are tied for durability, at least on paper. Both feature Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2, Samsung’s Armor Aluminum frame, and IP68 dust and water resistance that lets them survive a dip in up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes.

Display

Big and bold

The Samsung Galaxy S25 in someone's hand showing the screen of the phone

The Galaxy S25+ has a larger 6.7-inch screen that follows in the footsteps of last year’s model, which was a substantial upgrade over the Galaxy S23+.

The screen makes good use of its 0.1-inch size increase by pushing the resolution to a QHD 3120 x 1440 pixel resolution, a healthy bump over the 2340 x 1080 FHD quality of the Galaxy S23+. The result is a crisper screen, at 514 pixels per inch (ppi), compared to the 393 ppi of the Galaxy S23+. In the Galaxy S23 lineup, the S23 Ultra had a noticeable quality advantage, but that gap no longer exists with the Galaxy S25+, which now sports the same resolution as its pricier sibling.

samsung galaxy s23+ laying against green fabric

Samsung Galaxy S23+

The Galaxy S25+ screen also gets considerably brighter, reaching 2,600 nits outdoors compared to 1,750 nits on the Galaxy S23+, and the variable refresh rate was extended downward to let it drop to 1Hz to deliver longer battery life and some nice improvements to the always-on display.

Last year, Samsung introduced a richer always-on display in One UI 6.1 with the Galaxy S24+ with a more colorful and dynamic view that could include the user’s wallpaper and not just the time. Despite being a feature of One UI, this didn’t come to the Galaxy S23+ as that older display bottoms out at 48Hz. The Galaxy S25+ still supports this feature. While Apple’s original implementation proved it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, Samsung made it easy to bend it to your will.

Software

Welcome to the AI generation

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra with the screen on showing lock screen notifications and AI

The Galaxy S25+ ships with the latest Android 15 release and heralds the official arrival of One UI 7, a significant update that feels greater than the sum of its parts.

With One UI 7, Samsung has rethought some of its core user interface designs. There are enough changes here that long-term One UI fans will need to make some adjustments, but we think most will be happy with the new way of doing things when they become accustomed to it.

A smartphone with its quick settings panel open.

Samsung Galaxy S23+ users can also get One UI 7. The Galaxy S25+ has it out of the box, but the Galaxy S23+ shouldn’t be far behind. While One UI 7 impressed us with how much more smoothly it ran on the Galaxy S24 lineup during the December beta, we’ll have to wait and see how well it performs on the older Galaxy S23+.

One UI 7 introduces a slew of new Galaxy AI tools, including swapping out Samsung’s classic Bixby assistant for Gemini Live, a Now Bar that provides Live Activities similar to the iPhone, and a Now Brief that gives you a glanceable summary of important information, from news and weather to your schedule and health metrics. Some of these features will likely come to the Galaxy S23+ when it gets One UI 7, but there’s little doubt it will perform better on the Galaxy S25+ due to the enhanced AI processing capabilities offered by its newer silicon.

The Galaxy S23+ will also reach the end of its software updates sooner than the Galaxy S25+. Samsung only promised four years of software updates for the Galaxy S23 series, and we’ve used two of those, which means the last it will get is Android 17. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S25+ will be good for seven years of updates, taking it to Android 22 someday.

Performance

Living on the edge

The Samsung Galaxy S25 on a desk showing the screen of the phone

Samsung put the best silicon available in this year’s Galaxy S25 models, using a customized “for Galaxy” version of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip in all three models everywhere. This represents a two-generation upgrade over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip in the Galaxy S23+, which also followed a Snapdragon-only policy. Qualcomm rebranded its Snapdragon chip with the “Elite” moniker this year, but it’s effectively the Gen 4.

The Galaxy S25+ is ahead of the Galaxy S23+ in raw performance, but we’re not sure most folks will notice this in daily use. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 was already ahead of its time in 2023, and we’ve never had complaints about it being slow. The faster performance and souped-up Adreno GPU in the Snapdragon 8 Elite will make a big difference for serious gamers. Still, both phones should be equally snappy when performing everyday tasks.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra on a desk showing the screen of the phone

The Galaxy S25+ gets a boost from an improved neural processing unit (NPU) that’s nearly twice as fast as the one found in the Galaxy S23+. This allows for more advanced image processing in the camera, better natural language processing for Gemini Live, and faster execution of on-device language models for things like summaries and writing tools.

When Samsung unveiled its Galaxy AI features in early 2024, it did its best to bring those to older Samsung devices, and the Galaxy S23 got many of the same AI tools as the Galaxy S24 lineup. However, it was left out of a few, and it’s reasonable to assume that we’ll see the same thing with this year’s One UI 7 release. You’ll need a Galaxy S25 model to take advantage of everything Galaxy AI offers.

Battery life

Power efficiency is key

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The Galaxy S25+ packs a 4,900mAh cell, which is a modest upgrade over the 4,700mAh battery of the Galaxy S23+. However, it boasts greater battery life thanks to this year’s more efficient Snapdragon chip.

The Galaxy S23+ can get you through a day of typical use, but you’ll likely need to hit a charger every night. Heavy gaming or long streaming video sessions could empty the tank prematurely, but lighter users could get the better part of a second day.

We’ll have to wait until we’ve put the Galaxy S25+ through its paces to see how it holds up. Last year’s Galaxy S24+ had no problem getting through a 15-hour day with five hours of screen time, an hour of gaming, and 20 minutes of GPS navigation, with 23% remaining at bedtime. We expect the Galaxy S25+ to do even better, as we’ve seen what Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip can do on the OnePlus 13, which boasts stellar battery life.

One area where the Galaxy S25+ hasn’t moved the needle is in charging speeds. It still caps out at 45W for wired charging or 15W for wireless. There’s no direct support for the new Qi2 standard, although you can bridge that gap by adding a magnetic case. The Galaxy S23+ has the same wireless charging speeds and Qi support.

Camera

Same hardware with better software

The Samsung Galaxy S25 on a desk showing the rear of the phone

It’s become evident in recent years that the race to improve megapixel counts and other smartphone camera specs is over. Today, the improvements are all about the software and deeper hardware, such as image signal processors (ISPs) and NPUs.

Perhaps nowhere is this more apparent than in Samsung’s Galaxy S series smartphones. The Galaxy S25+ has the same camera hardware as its recent predecessors, including the Galaxy S23+: a 50-megapixel (MP) primary, 12MP ultra-wide, and 10MP telephoto.

The improved photographic prowess of the Galaxy S25+ comes from the enhanced AI processing in the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, which promises computational photography advancements in recognizing scenes and objects, reducing noise, and improving dynamic range. Samsung also bolstered its ProVisual Engine with a new “Nightography” mode that offers better low-light performance. There’s also support for 10-bit HDR video and native support for the professional Log V3 video format.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 in someone's hand showing the screen of the phone

It’s hard to say how well the Galaxy S25+ will perform until we’ve done some photographic comparisons. However, the improvements in last year’s Galaxy S24+ make us optimistic that the Galaxy S25+ will do even better. For years, Samsung’s phones have leaned heavily into vibrancy and saturation, often producing over-processed images. The Galaxy S24+ was a nice course correction last year, with the ProVisual Engine giving photos a more natural and balanced look. We’re hoping the Galaxy S25+ continues this trend.

Should you upgrade?

The Samsung Galaxy S25 on a desk at a Samsung hands on event

Most smartphone makers understand that most folks switch to a new phone every two to three years or more. This is why many flagships only offer modest year-over-year upgrades. The Galaxy S25+ may not be a huge leap over the Galaxy S24+, but it’s a significant enough jump over the Galaxy S23+ to make it worth considering.

It’s probably not surprising that the Galaxy S25+ is all about AI. It will be a compelling upgrade for those fascinated by these new features, which embrace Google’s “Gemini Era” in a big way.

However, there’s more to the Galaxy S25+ than AI. Serious gamers will enjoy a better chip with an enhanced GPU, the new One UI 7 was made for Samsung’s latest phones and should run buttery smooth, and the cameras promise a noticeable quality improvement. You also get a crisper and brighter screen with a lower refresh rate that helps extend battery life, particularly for using the always-on display and streaming videos.

s25-plus-square

Best overall
Samsung Galaxy S25+

Samsung’s Galaxy S25+ has everything most folks are looking for in a modern flagship, with top-notch performance, excellent battery life, and a crisp and bright display. New AI features improve photography and videography, and the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip has a souped-up GPU that should help drive mobile gaming to new heights.

If you’re a Samsung fan on a budget, a renewed Galaxy S23+ at half the price may be worth considering. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip is more than powerful enough for everyday use, the cameras are competent, and it’s powerful enough to handle many of the best One UI 7 and Galaxy AI features. However, you’ll only get two more years of Android updates before it’s put out to pasture. There are other midrange Android phones in a competitive price range that you can purchase brand new with more current specs.

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Samsung on a Budget
Samsung Galaxy S23+