Samsung Galaxy S25 Review: Despite Its Compact Size, It Feels Much Bigger Than It Looks

The Samsung Galaxy S25 is the smallest of the three S25 models, aiming to be the standard-bearer for compact Android phones. Without sacrificing power, it’s an excellent choice for anyone looking for a durable device that won’t break the bank. I wasn’t disappointed.

The best model in a series often sets the tone for its generation. However, that doesn’t mean the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is for everyone. Some users prefer a phone with fewer features, a smaller size, and a lower price tag. That’s why I favor the standard Galaxy S25 over the Ultra. It’s more comfortable to use, saves money, and still has plenty of advantages.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Specs

Design: Curves Take a Step Back

I had the chance to handle all three models in the Galaxy S25 lineup. While they evolve rather than revolutionize, the protagonist of this review is almost identical to the Samsung Galaxy S24, without going too far away from the Samsung Galaxy S23. However, the changes in their design don’t necessarily work in their favor.

Samsung has opted for sharper angles, making the devices feel more rigid in hand. This effect is less noticeable on the Galaxy S25 due to its narrower width, but it’s still there. The straighter edges compromise ergonomics, even though the four rounded corners remain.

The phone’s back doesn’t help with grip, making it more prone to slipping. A case mitigates this issue, making it almost necessary—not just for protection, but for comfort.

On the front, the screen covers almost the entire surface, with Samsung’s signature centered hole-punch camera. The buttons are well-placed on the right side, while the bottom houses the USB-C port and dual nano-SIM tray. The device supports eSIM but lacks a microSD slot for memory expansion.

With solid construction, premium materials, and the typical high-end Samsung finish, the Galaxy S25 features Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection and an IP68 rating—no concerns about durability here.

Display: If It Works, Don’t Change It

Samsung has kept a winning formula for its display: an LTPO AMOLED panel with a peak brightness of 2,600 nits, a 120 Hz refresh rate, and adaptive scaling down to 1 Hz. It’s a fantastic screen for all types of content, with a slightly better screen-to-body ratio than before—though the difference is minor.

I’m more than happy with the 6.2-inch display. It strikes the perfect balance between size and usability. Color accuracy, contrast, and sharpness are excellent. At this screen size, FHD+ resolution is fine, though I wouldn’t mind 2K, even at the cost of higher power consumption.

Outdoor visibility is excellent, with well-calibrated auto-brightness adjustments. Samsung’s quick settings also include a dimming feature to avoid excessive brightness.

Customization options abound, including a night-friendly mode. In terms of color temperature, the “Natural” mode gets the best out of the panel, while “Vivid” mode offers advanced white balance adjustments.

The fingerprint sensor remains under the display and is still ultrasonic. I noticed an improvement in reading accuracy and authentication speed compared to previous generations. Even if my finger was slightly tilted, the scanner worked efficiently.

Sound: A Treat for Your Ears

Samsung always prioritizes sound quality in its phones, and the S25 is no exception. Whether wired or wireless, audio performance is top-tier, making music and video consumption a pleasure.

As expected, there’s no headphone jack. The USB-C port supports digital audio, but an external DAC is required for analog output. The phone delivers excellent sound with a high level of customization, strong bass, and ample volume. A slight enhancement in power would be a welcome bonus.

Beyond raw audio quality—heavily dependent on the codec paired with your headphones—the Galaxy S25 supports spatial sound and various enhancements, such as dialogue boosting for movies. It’s also Hi-Fi audio compatible.

The external speakers hold up well, even at max volume, without sounding harsh. Sound pressure reaches up to 90 dB, making for a loud and well-balanced audio experience.

Performance: Unmatched Power in a Compact Size

When I first saw the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s specs, I worried that Qualcomm had prioritized raw power over efficiency and sustained performance. However, after testing it in the Nubia 70 Ultra and now the Galaxy S25, I was pleasantly surprised.

This phone is lightning-fast. One UI 7 runs flawlessly, with zero lag or slowdowns, making everyday use smooth and snappy. Even during extended gaming sessions, I didn’t experience excessive heating. Benchmark tests indicate some throttling for stability, but it’s not noticeable in real use.

The Galaxy S25’s compact size and unchanged battery capacity don’t hinder the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s power. This chipset is the most meaningful generational leap in years.

The rest of the hardware complements the processor’s high performance: 12 GB of LPDDR5X RAM, 128 GB of base UFS 4.0 storage (though a jump to 256 GB would be ideal), and well-optimized software that maximizes efficiency without unnecessary bloat slowing it down.

I appreciate that Samsung maintains a compact format for the S25. It has a smaller screen without sacrificing quality and features a top-tier processor—the smart choice for those who want high-end performance in a more manageable size.

Software: Revamped With More AI and iOS Influences

When I switched on the Galaxy S25 for the first time, I was immediately struck by its visual design, which resembled iOS. I even shared screenshots with my colleagues, who confirmed that my impressions were right. One UI 7 bears a strong resemblance to iOS 18. While this resemblance isn’t necessarily a drawback, it ultimately comes down to personal preference.

Samsung has refined shortcuts and animations, and the notifications and quick settings area is now better organized by default. The icons in the status bar closely resemble those on the iPhone. The Galaxy S25 has reduced some of the typical redundancies found in previous Galaxy models. Additionally, it doesn’t come loaded with excessive bloatware, and One UI remains exceptional in this regard. However, it comes with Meta services and most Microsoft apps preinstalled, as it’s usually the case.

Although AI is more prevalent now, it hasn’t drastically improved my life compared to the Galaxy AI that Samsung launched last year. AI features include summaries and call interpretation or translation, which I find to be great added values. Samsung also offers generative AI for images (which I find more of a curiosity) and text (having it integrated into the keyboard is more practical).

Samsung and Google have strengthened their collaboration so that Gemini can become deeply integrated into One UI 7. The Galaxy S25 series introduces an updated assistant interface before the Google Pixel while retaining tools like Circle to Search. Gemini is significantly better than Bixby, which remains a supplementary AI tool in the background.

Two new features caught my attention before testing the S25 phones:

• Now Bar. Similar to iOS’s Live Activities, this lock screen bar adapts to current events. I found it useful mainly for player controls because I actually prefer controls to be larger and centered on the screen.
• Now Brief. This small widget-like feature on the Home screen is supposed to display essential information for the user. In my experience, it primarily showed the current weather, Spotify recommendations (which I already had), and some calendar appointments.

Both AI tools need more time to adapt. They rely on other apps, but not many supported apps are currently available. One noteworthy aspect of Samsung’s AI model is that the Galaxy S25 can run it locally. There’s even an option within the phone’s settings to choose this feature. While this may reduce the effectiveness of smart suggestions and advanced options in practice, it noticeably improves privacy.

While the AI features are the superhead for this phone’s software, one less-publicized aspect sets Samsung apart from other brands: DeX. This desktop mode is impressive, whether connected via cable or wirelessly to a TV.

The large-screen interface transitions to a computer mode, allowing everything to be displayed at a larger size. The phone can support multiple apps running simultaneously without any lag and can even function as a touchpad, eliminating the need for a keyboard. If I had to recommend one software feature that justifies purchasing the S25, it’d definitely be Samsung DeX. I really miss it now that I’m using a non-Samsung device.

Battery: Extended Life with the Same Capacity

As mentioned earlier, the Snapdragon 8 Elite is excellent at conserving battery life. Although it has the same capacity as the Galaxy S24 (4,000 mAh), its battery consumption is significantly lower. In fact, I often found that the charge lasted me a couple of days with average use, even when using mobile data.

When the screen is off, battery usage is minimal, typically consuming 1% or less in standby mode, provided no app is malfunctioning. However, as usage increases, so does battery consumption. During video and music streaming over Wi-Fi, it usually drops between 5% and 7%. In high-graphic games, the battery can decrease by 20% to 25% every hour. In performance tests, the battery drained by 33% per hour, with a maximum temperature reaching 113 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Galaxy S25 supports up to 25 W wired fast charging and 15 W wireless fast charging. Its reversible wireless charging feature allows the phone to charge other devices at 4.5 W. However, Samsung doesn’t include a charger in the box, only a dual USB-C cable.

Samsung claims that the Galaxy S25 can charge at a maximum rate of 25 W. However, I achieved a maximum of 22 W in my tests using a power meter. The phone maintained this 22 W output until it reached around 50% charge. After this, the power decreased, resulting in longer charging times.

Here are my charging results:

• 5-minute charge: 9% battery
• 10-minute charge: 20% battery
• 20-minute charge: 41% battery
• 30-minute charge: 59% battery
• 50-minute charge: 88% battery
• 100% battery: 1 hour and 27 minutes

Photography: Same Hardware, Almost Identical Feel

Photography is one of the most crucial aspects of any mobile device that aims to impress both the public and critics. I was surprised to see that Samsung has retained the same hardware configuration as the Galaxy S24 (and even the Galaxy S23, which is more concerning). The progression of the models seems to rely primarily on software enhancements, including AI, rather than significant hardware improvements. In fact, I haven’t noticed any standout advancements.

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S25 takes very good pictures, displaying a high level of detail in favorable lighting conditions. The wide lens performs adequately, and the telephoto lens offers a 3x zoom that can handle some distant shots. However, the zoom does sacrifice some quality in the final result.

Below are the Galaxy S25 camera specs, which replicate those of the Galaxy S24 (including identical figures):

• Main: 50 MP 1/1.56-inch sensor, f/1.8 aperture, 1.0 µm pixel size, Dual Pixel PDAF, 24 mm equivalent focal length, and OIS.
• Ultra-wide: 12 MP 1/2.55-inch sensor, f/2.2 aperture, 1.4 µm pixel size, 120° FoV, and 13 mm equivalent focal length.
• Telephoto: 10 MP 1/3.94-inch sensor, f/2.4 aperture, 1.0 µm pixel size, PDAF, OIS, 67 mm equivalent focal length, 3x optical zoom, and hybrid zoom capabilities of up to 30x.
• Front: 12 MP sensor, f/2.2 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF, and 26 mm equivalent focal length.

The camera system works exceptionally well together, which is likely one of the reasons the hardware has remained consistent. Additionally, thanks to the new processor, I found taking a photo somewhat faster and more efficient, even during burst shots or high-resolution video with HDR. I also noticed less heating during extended recordings, especially in 4K and higher resolutions.

The main sensor features 50 MP at full resolution, which are compressed to 12 MP in automatic mode through a process called 4-to-1 pixel binning. The Galaxy S25 allows users to shoot in full 50 MP mode at any time by simply tapping the icon at the top of the screen. This results in improved detail when zooming in on the image.

The phone’s main sensor produces very natural colors and maintains a good white balance. However, in certain scenes, the blues of the sky can be slightly oversaturated. The autofocus is quick, and the touch-to-focus feature on the screen works well. That said, the depth of field isn’t well compensated in these shots, which may leave some objects out of focus.

Even in well-lit conditions, the wide lens significantly reduces detail. The camera app generally does a good job of correcting optical distortion at the edges. It also maintains the capture quality of both the main sensor and the telephoto lens. As such, switching between the main sensor and telephoto doesn’t result in different image processing.

The performance of the telephoto lens is rather modest. It offers 3x optical zoom (while 2x zoom crops from the main sensor), and the digital zoom can reach up to 30x. However, photographs taken with the telephoto lens tend to be slightly darker, with a noticeable drop in detail. Sharpening is applied to improve clarity.

When light levels drop, the Galaxy S25’s camera struggles. However, night mode works well unless the situation is too extreme. It usually produces better results than the same shot in automatic mode. It can even save photos that would otherwise be lost without night mode.

With a complete camera app, the S25 doesn’t lack portrait mode, which offers good cropping and natural background blurring on both front and rear cameras. The Pro mode is one of the best on Android, with the option to expand its functions through a separate dedicated app. AI options assist in framing and processing, and the app allows users to adjust the level of automatic optimization.

If you want to see the S25’s camera in action, here are some photos I took with it.

Samsung Galaxy S25: Xataka’s Opinion

Samsung has repeated much of what it introduced in the S24, which itself saw only minor changes from the Galaxy S23. This small generational leap reduces the appeal of the Galaxy S25. It’s a better option for someone upgrading from an S22 or earlier rather than from the previous generation. Still, it’s undeniably a great phone. I’ve found it impressive at all times.

Performance is very strong without compromising battery life. However, the Galaxy S25 can’t sustain full power for long. It manages temperature well and doesn’t transfer heat to the exterior. The sharp edges can be annoying, but its compact size helps. That’s one of its best qualities: compact without sacrificing an excellent screen, great sound, and, importantly, remarkable photo quality. However, in terms of photography, it doesn’t change much either.

While it offers continuity, its power has improved, and it still delivers high-end performance. The smartest choice of the three S25 models.

The device has been loaned for testing by Samsung. You can learn more about our review process in the Xataka On Reviews Policy and our Corporate Relations Policy.

Images | Xataka On

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