The Galaxy S25+ performs it protected, however is that basically a foul factor?

After I began scripting this story concerning the Galaxy S25+, the primary time I typed the title of the telephone, I by accident wrote the Galaxy S24+, which I really feel completely captures my ideas concerning the machine. After utilizing the Samsung Galaxy S25+ for over a month, I can confidently say this can be a nice telephone that gives a variety of worth. Nevertheless, it is also honest to say that Samsung performed it extraordinarily protected with this year’s refresh.

On the skin, when you mentioned this was a Samsung Galaxy S23+ or S24+, I might imagine you — the primary distinction between the S25+ and its predecessors is not actually on the skin; it is on the within. The telephone is powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, particularly custom-made for the Galaxy S25 collection.

The S25+ is only a powerhouse. By no means as soon as did I expertise a hiccup or slowdown when taking part in a recreation, multitasking, or looking. It is the smoothest expertise I’ve ever had utilizing a Samsung machine, and I am unable to reward it sufficient. However, chipset apart, in comparison with the Galaxy S24+ and even the S23+, there is not a lot new occurring right here.

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The definition of a refresh

Small refinements do make a distinction

Samsung’s huge focus this 12 months with the Galaxy S25 collection was its new Galaxy AI options and One UI 7, so after I first noticed the spec sheet for the Galaxy S25 collection, I wasn’t shocked to see how related it was to final 12 months’s fashions. The Galaxy S25+ shares the identical display, cameras, and total design because the S24+, a flat body with rounded corners. Nevertheless, there are two small however noticeable enhancements the S25+ has that make the in-hand expertise significantly better.

The S25+ is 7 grams lighter and 0.6mm thinner than the S24+, and I discovered the machine very comfy to carry and use for lengthy intervals. I am often a fan of smaller handsets, however my expertise with the S25+ impressed me, and sooner or later, I can see myself choosing bigger handsets in the event that they’re lighter and thinner just like the S25+.

Specializing in the show, what makes this a plus telephone is its bigger 6.7-inch Dynamic OLED 2X show, which has a 3120 x 1440 pixel decision, a 120Hz adaptive refresh charge, and a peak brightness of 2600 nits. I’ve spent each evening for the previous month watching TV reveals and YouTube movies on it, and there isn’t any query that it’s a stunning and vivid show. Whereas the S25+ has the identical show because the S24+, given its top quality, it is not a lot of a bummer that it hasn’t modified. Nevertheless, it’s disappointing that the anti-reflective coating the S25 Extremely options hasn’t trickled all the way down to the S25+. Hopefully, the S26 collection corrects this error.

The S25+ has the identical battery because the S24+, a 4,900mAh battery that’s barely smaller than the S25 Extremely’s 5,000mAh battery. I by no means had any points with the machine’s battery life, which constantly impressed me. After a full day of use, together with texting, doomscrolling social media, looking the net, taking photographs, and watching YouTube movies, I all the time discovered myself with 20-30 % cost left.

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One UI 7 and Galaxy AI

Helpful however not earth-shattering

One other out-of-the-box enhancement this 12 months for the Galaxy S25 collection is One UI 7 based mostly on Android 15, which introduces a number of enhancements, together with cleaner animations, a revamped notifications heart, redesigned app icons, and an overhauled consumer interface. To date, a month into utilizing the Galaxy S25+, I’ve no complaints about One UI 7, and I like how its design philosophy resembles iOS 18 — coming from an iPhone 14 Pro, it made switching to the S25+ a lot simpler.

One in all my favourite new options is the Now Bar — Samsung’s model of Dynamic Island, basically — which helps you to show stay notifications and music in your lock display. I discovered this significantly useful for managing Spotify playback controls on the fly. I additionally preferred how, when you comply with any sports activities groups on Google, the scores for his or her video games are displayed stay on the Now Bar, which I used for maintaining with the Toronto Maple Leafs after I could not watch a recreation.

Now Temporary can be prompted within the Now Bar, letting you shortly open your briefing. I used to be enthusiastic about Now Temporary when the Galaxy S25 collection was introduced. Nevertheless, after utilizing it now for a month, I can say it is fairly ineffective. All it did for me every single day was inform me the climate and my calendar, two issues I used to be already very conscious of. Typically, it might suggest me a random Spotify Playlist, too, however I by no means discovered any of them value listening to.

The one different Galaxy AI function I performed round with was Magic Eraser within the photographs app, and I used to be genuinely impressed with how good it’s at enhancing objects and other people out of photographs. You possibly can’t even inform that a number of the photos have been edited.

One UI 7 will roll out to older Galaxy S collection units starting in April, that means it will not be a big promoting function for the S25+ for for much longer. Nevertheless, it is value noting that the telephone already contains it proper out of the field.

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The Galaxy S25+ is a good telephone

Enjoying it protected wasn’t that dangerous of a factor in any case

In comparison with the Galaxy S25 Ultra, the S25+ doesn’t get sufficient of the highlight it deserves. Should you can stay with out the S Pen and the higher digicam array, I might argue the S25+ is a wiser purchase over the S25 Extremely. For $1,000, you get a quick smartphone with a vivid display, wonderful battery life, good cameras, and trendy AI options that can solely enhance with time.

Should you can snag the Galaxy S25+ on sale, it provides even higher worth. I’ve already seen the telephone go on sale for $800. That is $200 off already, and the telephone has solely been out for simply over a month. Whereas that deal has ended, I am positive extra nice offers will come sooner or later.

The Galaxy S25+ won’t be probably the most revolutionary smartphone obtainable, however it represents a constant evolution of Samsung’s improvements within the Galaxy S collection lately. This 12 months, Samsung performed it protected with the S25+, leading to an effortlessly stable but unremarkable smartphone that reliably will get the job performed. If in case you have an S23+ or older, in my view, the soar alone in efficiency is value it. The Galaxy S25 Edge is rumored to launch in mid-April, so I am additionally actually curious to see how the S25+ compares to it.

This machine was offered to Pocket-lint by Samsung.