Samsung Galaxy S25+ review: A premium yet safe bet

Samsung's Galaxy S25+ enters the flagship battlefield with the promise of refinement rather than revolution. While AI-powered features attempt to steal the spotlight, the bigger question is whether this phone does enough to justify its price tag. After spending time with the device, here's our verdict on Samsung's middle-child flagship.

Samsung Galaxy S25+ comes in two variants: Rs 99,999 for 256GB storage and Rs 1,19,999 for 512GB. The phone comes in Navy and Silver Shadow hues, and Samsung sent us the former for review in 12GB RAM and 256GB configuration. The Galaxy S25+ sits between the S25 Ultra and the smaller S25 in Samsung's 2025 flagship lineup.

Design & display: Same same but different

At first glance, the Galaxy S25+ looks strikingly similar to its predecessor. The minimalist camera module, flat-edged frame, and polished glass back all scream Samsung's signature premium aesthetic. It's a formula that works, but some might argue it lacks excitement. But why fix something that ain't broken?

The 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display is the real marvel. It has a peak brightness of 2,600 nits and offers 120Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling and animations. It makes content look stunning, be it watching reels on Instagram, binge-watching HDR content on Netflix, or playing your favorite FPS game. Samsung continues to dominate in the display department, and the S25+ is no exception.

Performance & AI

Powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite, the S25+ delivers reliable flagship performance. This is ground-breaking, seeing the chipset is the same across all three phones. Multitasking, gaming, and daily usage are smooth, with no noticeable lags or hiccups. Samsung's AI-driven enhancements, such as Live Translate and Generative Edit, were fun and practical to use.

One notable addition is Galaxy AI, which aims to make life easier through features like AI-assisted text summaries and enhanced photo editing. We used these features quite often and loved the accuracy with which it worked. The Drawing Assist feature upscaled my otherwise artistic skills, and now my daughter thinks I'm Picasso. Simply doodling anything will regenerate AI results, which are impressive. Even the sketch to image is a crazy cool feature, which lets your imagination run wild.

Then there's the Now Brief feature, which gives a summary of what your day looks like. This is a handy tool if you have to plan your day ahead, especially during events and team meetings ahead. But a more practical use case is getting live updates on everything from your Zomato order to Uber ride.

Samsung offers users both Gemini and Bixby, and we often flocked to the former with our queries. But the deeper AI integration meant more contextual conversations. Users who hate to navigate through the endless menus will find the AI assistant useful as a simple voice command in ways you understand will guide you to the right setting.

Running OneUI 7 out of the box, the interface feels snappy, and it continues to impress with its customizations. The bloatware is hard to miss, but with 256GB storage, there's room for a lot. But again, once you start shooting in 8K and 50MP, see those storage bars closing in quite rapidly over time.

Cameras: Playing It Safe

Samsung's camera game has always been strong, but the S25+ doesn't push the envelope. The 50MP primary sensor, 10MP telephoto (3x optical zoom), and 12MP ultra-wide lens offer solid, reliable performance. Photos are crisp, well-balanced, and detailed, but the lack of major upgrades from the S24+ is a missed opportunity.

Night photography sees incremental improvements thanks to AI-powered noise reduction, but in reality, the Galaxy S25 Ultra remains the better choice for camera enthusiasts. Samsung's decision to stick with the same zoom capabilities instead of adopting the Ultra's periscope lens feels like a strategic move to maintain clear differentiation between its flagship tiers.

Take a look at some of the camera samples:

Samsung Galaxy S25+'s zooming capabilities:

Battery & charging: Good, not groundbreaking

The 4,800mAh battery ensures a full day of moderate use, with Samsung's adaptive refresh rate helping conserve energy. The 45W fast charging is respectable but falls short of competitors like OnePlus and Xiaomi, which are pushing boundaries with 100W+ charging speeds. Wireless charging remains a mixed bag, as the S25+ is "Qi2 ready" but lacks integrated magnets, limiting accessory compatibility.

Verdict

Samsung Galaxy S25+ is a well-rounded flagship that delivers on most fronts—stunning display, smooth performance, and capable cameras. AI features, deeply rooted in the system, aim to make the phone stand out. But minimal design changes and a safe camera setup could've been something worth reconsidering.

At ₹99,999, the S25+ is undeniably premium, but does it bring enough to the table? For those with an S23+ or even an S24+, the upgrade feels unnecessary on design and camera fronts. Samsung is playing it safe in these areas. But it's interesting to see how Samsung is playing with AI and it's leagues ahead of competition, so if that's something that interests you, the S25+ might be it.