Samsung Galaxy S25 review: Two-minute review
TheSamsungGalaxy S25 is polished, powerful, and predictable.
Its all great, but its not very exciting.
Theres nothing this phone cant handle.
Maybe it will, someday, but none of that is here just yet.
In fact, throughout the phone, the AI takes steps backwards.
The Now Brief feature that Samsung wants us to use multiple times a day?
Even the health advice wasnt helpful get more sleep?
Thanks, Ill get right on that.
I used to be able to use AI to turn on the flashlight or activate my personal hotspot.
Now I have to wrestle between competing AIs.
In my time with the phone, however, that was not at all true.
Bixby continues to improve, and it comes closer to fulfilling its promise of a voice interface.
Sadly, Bixby itself is hard to find, relegated to the Search bar in the configs app.
Beyond that, it can, um… Im not sure, exactly.
Yes, Samsung looks like it’s obsessed with sleep across its Galaxy range.
So where, exactly, is the AI?
Im using a Galaxy S25, and aGalaxy Watch Ultra, andGalaxy Buds 3 Pro.
Im watching mySamsung Smart TV, and controlling everything, including my lights and thermostat, through Smart Things.
So, where is it?
Where are the suggestions?
Where is the intelligence?
I dont need AI-generated fake news headlines, or inaccurate summaries of my messages.
Theres no AI help for Notifications yet, sadly.
I can be patient, because, AI features aside, the Galaxy S25 is a satisfying phone.
The Galaxy S25 is a great phone, but there are competitors that are finally catching up to Samsung.
Its worth the premium.
Every Galaxy S25 comes with 12GB of RAM inside.
An important note here is that Samsung fans often say nobody pays full price for a Samsung phone.
This right here is your best option by far.
Overall, a superb opening deal and one that’s even better than I anticipated.
Finally, the camera specs havent improved, and thats disappointing.
The new phones look so much like the older models, even the dimensions are unchanged.
The Galaxy S25 matches the Galaxy S23 in height, width, and depth to within a millimeter.
A photo of me in front of a helicopter with some random people in the background(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Why does that matter?
Why are we paying the same amount for a phone that hasnt changed since 2023?
Except for the main processor and RAM, these phones are identical.
Photo edited using AI(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
The bezel is even smaller this year, though were talking fractions of millimeters, not a noticeable improvement.
There is still a bezel; its just very small.
The two have come full circle to resemble each other again.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
The camera lenses are arranged differently, but otherwise, these phones are glass slabs with rounded corners.
The only real difference is where Samsung and Apple stick the buttons.
Samsung Galaxy S25 review: Display
The Galaxy S25 has a fantastic display.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Its bright, colorful, and extra smooth when youre scrolling through your apps or web pages.
The extra brightness really kicks in when the sun is out, and it makes a big difference.
In terms of color, smoothness and brightness, the two are identical.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
I think the fingerprint scanner under the display needs improvement.
After using the OnePlus 13 for a few months Ive been spoiled by the reliability of that phones scanner.
It takes a light touch, offering suggestions but not being too pushy.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
I was expecting more pushy.
I was hoping for more pushy.
The most Ive gotten is a critique on my sleep habits.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
I was expecting much more.
And… nothing happens.
It doesnt happen, and I might need to do more to set it up.
Take Google Gemini, which now lives on the Side Button of my Galaxy S25.
So long, Bixby, right?
Nope, Bixby is still there, but you have to find it.
If you use the Search feature in the controls menu, youre using Bixby.
Thats too bad, because Bixby is better for the Galaxy S25.
Bixby can do things, and I dont just mean setting timers and checking the weather.
Bixby understands the configs menu better than the Samsung Help Hotline.
you might say turn on the flashlight and Bixby can do that, but Gemini cant.
I wish that Bixby were in charge of the phone, including Gemini.
Gemini can have a conversation, but Bixby can get things done.
Let Bixby talk to Gemini for me.
Thats not exactly true.
If you ask the wrong AI to do something, it will act confused and ignore you.
That doesnt make me want to keep using the AI.
The amount of extra, unnecessary software is mind-boggling.
But wait, theres more.
Theres Samsung News, Samsung Global Goals (?!
), and an app just for Tips about your phone.
Then there are two photo gallery apps, one from Google and one from Samsung.
Hope you enjoy LinkedIn.
Its time for the junk to disappear; its time for the duplicate apps to end.
Its not exactly accurate, but who cares!
These arent the best cameras around, not even in this price range.
I still like the Galaxy Camera app for its versatility.
Theres also a great Food mode that is my go-to for showing off anything I cook.
The Galaxy S25 is so good at this that it can even remove a persons shadow with accuracy.
Dont get me wrong, everything is very smooth.
I have no complaints - I was just hoping for a bit more.
Wheres my rippling screen when I tickle Bixby, the way my iPhone ripples when Siri wakes up?
How about cool animations, or even a fancy screensaver?
Samsung has a winner the Galaxy S25 is unequivocally faster than the iPhone 16.
Now, lets see what it can do with all that power, besides standing atop the winners podium.
Our Future Labs tests say the same.
The Galaxy S25 lasted longer than the similarly-sized iPhone 16 and Google Pixel 9. you could find better battery life on a phone, but youd have to buy a much bigger phone.
For charging, the Galaxy S25 is capable, but its speed is average.
It charges at 25W, the same as the iPhone.
4/5
Design
The Galaxy S is starting to feel like the same great song stuck on repeat.
A fantastic-looking display thats plenty bright, even on a sunny day.
Its smooth and responsive (except for the fingerprint reader), with a very slim bezel.
3/5
Cameras
Very nice cameras that always deliver a great photo, no matter the lighting or subject.
5/5
Excellent battery life, the best youll find on a phone this size.
I wish it charged faster, but its quite capable, with great wireless charging features.
Its a great all-around pick with few faults.
Not every phone this good is so easy to buy.
If its thin and similarly priced, it could be worth the wait.
I played games, and edited photos from myGoogle Photoslibrary.
I connected the Galaxy S25 to a Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, supplied by Samsung.
I wore the Galaxy Watch to bed, and let the Galaxy S25 monitor me as I slept.
I connected an Xbox wireless controller to play games.
I connected the Galaxy S25 to my car for Android Auto and multimedia.
I used Gemini as my primary side button AI, but also used Bixby extensively.
