It does everything well, and you wont be wasting your time and money on features you dont need.
Dont call the Galaxy S25 Plus a Goldilocks phone.
It isnt just a slightly bigger Galaxy S25, or a slightly cheaper Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Galaxy S25 on the left, Galaxy S25 Plus on the right
The Galaxy S25 Pluss secret weapon is its display.
What else do you get with the Galaxy S25 Plus, besides the best display?
Of course it has a larger battery inside as well, which translates to longer battery life.
Galaxy S25 on the left, Galaxy S25 Plus on the right
Another fun advantage the Galaxy S25 Plus has over the Ultra is the choice of colors.
Samsung sent me the S25 Plus in blue, and it’s the nicest-looking blue phone Ive ever seen.
Its a deep, rich hue that changes as it refracts light.
Im almost relieved that I didnt get a case with it, because I love showing off this phone.
I loved having more screen real estate, especially when it came to shooting photos.
I was expecting more suggestions and recommendations, if not a complete AI takeover like were seeing withAppleIntelligence.
Instead, during my time with the Galaxy S25 Plus, Galaxy AI was… quiet?
What the Galaxy S25 Plus lacks, compared to the flagship Ultra, is the best cameras Samsung offers.
At this price tier the competition is especially fierce.
it’s possible for you to forgo the basic iPhone 16 and get the titaniumiPhone 16 Pro.
This right here is your best option by far.
Overall, a superb opening deal and one that’s even better than I anticipated.
Every Galaxy S25 model, including the Plus and Ultra, comes with 12GB of RAM inside.
Samsung Galaxy S25
Dimensions
158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3mm
Weight
190g
OS
OneUI 7, Android 15.
7 major Android upgrades promised.
Maybe Samsung doesnt need a full redesign, but cant we at least have one more button?
The Galaxy S25 Plus just needs… something.
I dont need a Gemini button; I want my hardware buttons to control the hardware.
Or maybe a temperature sensor, like the Pixel 9 Pro.
Or maybe an infrared emitter to control my home gear, like the OnePlus 13.
Also, the overall design hews too close to the iPhone… again.
The Galaxy S25 Plus is especially bright, which helps when you gotta use the phone outdoors.
This tech is supposed to upscale the resolution on any video content you watch on the Galaxy S25 Plus.
Like the Galaxy S25, the Galaxy S25 Plus has a fingerprint scanner that gave me some trouble.
Ive seen much more reliable scanning from competitors, especially the OnePlus 13.
In this case, Im going to let things slide.
Somehow Samsung has struck the best balance between powerful AI and obtrusive AI of any phone maker.
Galaxy AI appears in the form of suggestions, not demands.
This is a nicely measured approach to mobile AI, and Samsung is doing it best.
I also appreciate the improvements to Samsungs own Bixby AI.
Bixby is better than ever at finding and controlling features on your phone.
Sadly, Bixby has been cut off from most of the Galaxy S25 Plus.
For now, the AI just doesnt do much, and Im fine with that it doesnt dotoomuch.
For now, Im just enjoying the suggestions.
It feels versatile, and theres no situation it cant handle.
There are, perhaps, a couple too many shooting modes.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
The maximum video resolution is8Kat 30fps, which is higher-resolution than any monitor I own.
Im skeptical about AI photo editing, but the Galaxy AI tools have become truly impressive.
It even managed to create proper folds in my pullover, or add landscape to fill in the blanks.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
In fact, Im not sure why I need all that power?
Whats above the top?
I still wonder if its time for the Galaxy series to step up to a more advanced experience.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: Battery
Battery life on the Galaxy S25 Plus is remarkable.
Our Future Labs testing agrees.
The S25 Plus lasted 18 hours and 45 minutes, while the Ultra lasted 18 hours and 35 minutes.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Both of those are stellar results.
The Galaxy S25 Plus charges faster than the other Galaxy phones as well.
Its strange that Samsung hasnt improved its charging speed, whether thats for USB-C or wireless charging.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Hopefully well see this improve with in the next generation.
Still expensive, but worth the high price.
Im ready for something new, but this design is a classic, with good color options this year.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
I only wish the fingerprint scanner were more responsive, but its still a great screen with minimal bezels.
5/5
Software
Samsung has improved One UI with a refreshed look and brighter colors.
Its time for an Ultra-fied camera upgrade for the rest of the Galaxy S25 lineup.
This Snapdragon wins benchmark tests, but in real-world performance its less apparent.
Still, its the fastest phone around, even if you cant see it.
Its time for Samsung to catch up if it wants to remain at the top.
It can only get better, right?
Only the Ultra has the best cameras Samsung makes, sorry Plus.
If you want the best cameras, you need the Ultra.
I played games, and edited photos from myGoogle Photoslibrary.
I also connected an Xbox wireless controller to play games.
I connected the S25 Plus to my car for Android Auto and multimedia.
I used Gemini as my primary side-button AI, but I also used Bixby extensively.
