Samsung’s delivered some great devices over the past few years, but people aren’t really happy with them because the brand isn’t really offering innovative or exciting products anymore. Sure, I’d love to see Samsung pull out all the stops, but there’s something reassuring about buying a product that’s been refined over a number of years, with small tweaks here and there to make the experience better.

Although Samsung’s top-end Galaxy S25 Ultra is the phone you’re going to hear about most, it’s not the one most people should buy. So, what’s my suggestion if you’re looking to buy a new Samsung phone in 2025? It might surprise you, but the Galaxy S25+ is going to be one of our top picks.

What makes the Galaxy S25+ great?

In fact, we’ve gone on record before and recommend the Galaxy S25+ when we can, especially when the price is right. We love the beautiful and vibrant AMOLED display, smooth software experience, and the fact that Samsung backs the phone with seven years of updates. So, in 2032, you can expect Samsung to deliver a new update that will keep the phone feeling fresh with new features.

It packs some of the best hardware

The Galaxy S25+ features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, 12GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. In addition, it comes with a large 4,900mAh battery that should last most people all day. But just in case you need to charge, the phone can top up quickly with 45W wired charging, and 15W wireless charging.

The phone also packs a triple camera setup on the rear, with a 50MP main shooter, 12MP ultrawide, and 10.8MP telephoto with 3x zoom. These cameras aren’t the best in their class, but they’ll get the job done easily, capturing important moments you’ll be able to look back on with fond memories.

The software is really good too

Over the years, Samsung has delivered some exceptional updates to its One UI operating system. One UI 7 really managed to take things to another level. And although the One UI 8 update isn’t as exciting, it still manages to deliver small feature updates, while adding polish to the overall experience.

As mentioned before, Samsung instills confidence in its products by offering seven years of updates. This might not sound like a big deal, but it’s a simple way to extend the life of the product. So, while you might be a bit hesitant to spend your hard-earned money on this phone, you will be glad to know that it will at the very least last you for many years to come.

So, why are we talking about the Galaxy S25+ right now?

This phone was first announced back in January and since that time, there have been a number of great discounts. We said it before, and we’ll say it again — when this phone gets a heavy discount, it becomes the Samsung flagship phone to buy.

With that said, Samsung’s making one final push this year, offering impressive trade-in promotions one final time. This promotion might not be for everyone, but if you have an old phone, especially something from Samsung, the brand is offering excellent trade-in credit for some of its more popular models.

If you manage to qualify, you can get up to $500 in credit. In addition, Samsung is also offering a free storage upgrade to the 512GB model. In total, you will be able to save $700 if you can manage to stack all the current promotions. It’s one of the better prices we’ve seen for this model, so get it while you can.


s25-plus-square

SoC

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy

Display type

120Hz AMOLED

Display dimensions

6.7 inches

Display resolution

3120 x 1440

RAM

12GB

The Galaxy S25+ might be the middle child in Samsung’s flagship lineup, but it’s also the one most people should be looking to buy if they’re thinking about a new phone. It features a 6.7-inch AMOLED QHD+ display, Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, 12GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. The battery life is great, and the best part is that it can be had for $700 less by trading in a phone.


Storage

256GB/512GB

Battery

4,900mAh

Charge speed

45W wired, 15W wireless

Charge options

Wired, wireless, wireless powershare

Ports

USB-C

Operating System

Android 15, One UI 7

Front camera

12MP f/2.2

Rear camera

50MP, f/1.8 OIS main; 12MP, f/2.2 ultrawide; 10MP, f/2.4 telephoto (3× zoom)

Cellular connectivity

5G, 4G LTE

Wi-Fi connectivity

Wi-Fi 7

Connectivity

NFC, UWB, Wireless DeX

Bluetooth

Bluetooth 5.4

Dimensions

158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm

Weight

190g

IP Rating

IP68

Colors

Silver Shadow, Navy, Ice Blue, Mint

Stylus

No

Price

$1,000