Samsung Galaxy S25 Review – almost everything you need, but smaller

For most people this is all the phone you’ll ever need, and could be the best camera phone from Samsung, without going all the way up to a huge S25 Ultra, especially if you’re looking for a smaller phone. However, it would be nice if the S25 series got the 5x lens, and anti-reflective screen coating from the Ultra model. Find out how it performs as I put this phone through its paces.

At a glance 

• 50MP f/1.8 24mm equivalent, PDAF, OIS main camera 
• 12MP f/2.2 13mm equivalent, FF, ultra-wide camera 
• 10MP f/2.4 67mm equivalent, PDAF OIS telephoto camera 
• 12MP f/2.2 26mm equivalent, PDAF, selfie-camera 
• 8K 30/24p video main (4K from others)  
• 6.2inch screen, 2600nits (peak), 120Hz, Dynamic AMOLED 
• 4000mAh battery (25W wired, 15W wireless) 
• 146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2mm, 162g 

The Samsung Galaxy S25 series is part of Samsung’s flagship range of phones, with the S25 Ultra at the top, and the largest, with the S25 and S25 Plus under this offering a triple camera setup, and for those that like the idea of a small phone, the S25 is Samsung’s best offering – outside of Samsung’s flip and fold phones. 

Features

The Samsung Galaxy S25 (and S25+) has a triple camera setup on the back with an ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto cameras. The main difference between these two phones lies in the screen size and battery size, more on this later.  

The 50MP main wide-angle (1x) is the best camera on the phone with the largest sensor and brightest aperture (f/1.8), and is the most likely to be used. It gives a 24mm equivalent field of view, and comes with optical image stabilisation (OIS) as well as PDAF (phase-detection auto-focus). Optical image stabilisation will help keep shots sharp when using slower shutter speeds, for example when shooting in low-light. 

The next camera is the 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera (0.6x) with f/2.2 aperture, but unfortunately there is no auto-focus (AF), which rules out using this lens for macro photography, as it simply won’t be in focus. 

The third rear camera is the 10MP telephoto camera, thankfully, this also has OIS, and offers a 3x telephoto reach, equivalent to 67mm, with f/2.4 aperture, and phase-detection auto-focus (PDAF).

Finally, there’s the 12MP selfie-camera, which includes auto-focus (AF), a 26mm equivalent wide-angle view, and an f/2.2 aperture, as well as supporting 4K video recording. 

This main camera can record 8K video, whereas the other cameras can record 4K video.

S25 vs S25+ models 

The camera units on the S25 and S25+ (S25 Plus) are both identical. Where the difference lies is in the physical size, with the S25+ featuring a larger 6.7inch screen, compared to the 6.2inch screen on the S25. The S25+ also offers a higher resolution screen as a result, and the base model starts at 256GB, compared to 128GB on the S25.

Battery life is another area where the S25+ benefits from the larger size, as the S25+ comes with a 4900mAh battery, compared to the 4000mAh battery on the S25. Which you choose will most likely come down to personal preference, but the good news is that both offer the same camera system, so your photos won’t be affected.

Handling and Design 

The phone feels very well built, and has a stylish silver band made of metal running around the sides of the phone with a premium feel (and look). One issue I have with Samsung phones, is that they don’t provide any kind of screen protection in the box, which means you need to be careful with the screen, unless you install your own screen protector. A lot of budget phones come with a thin screen protector in a box, that helps keep your phone scratch free for longer.  

The screen has a relatively thin border, and this remains the same width all the way around the phone (something that budget phones often lack), with a neat curve in the corners. The screen is flat all the way over, with completely flat screens having benefits that, in my opinion, outweigh the looks of curved screens. 

The S25 in this review is the Silver Shadow colour. There are some nice colour options available (including my favourite Navy Blue), but there are additional, exclusive, colours available on Samsung’s website (Coral red and Pink gold).  

Photo app… 

The photo app starts off with the basic photo mode, being extremely easy to use, however if you want more control you can find that in the MORE option with Pro giving you manual controls, and if you want, you can add Expert RAW which lets you shoot raw photos (rather than just JPEG images). 

All the usual shooting modes are available as well, including portrait, video, Pro video, night, food, panorama, slow motion, hyperlapse, portrait video, dual rec, and single take, in addition to the modes mentioned above.  

Photo editing options include a good range of settings, and you can also use Samsung Galaxy AI to edit photos, with photo assist, drawing assist, audio eraser, and photo ambient wallpaper to name just a few of the AI features included.   

Like all Samsung phones, you can quickly double-press the power button, and this will open the camera app, ready to shoot. Double press it again, and it will switch from the rear camera to the selfie camera (and vice-versa). Press the volume button(s) up or down, and you can use this to take a photo. This makes it really quick and easy to take photos, without having to unlock the phone first. 

Performance 

It doesn’t matter too much which camera you use, you’re going to get pleasing colours from all of them, especially when shooting in good light. In low-light, the best results can be found by using the main camera. Speaking of the main 50MP camera, it outputs 12MP images on default settings, and images have good levels of detail (but not outstanding).

There’s also the option to zoom beyond 3x telephoto zoom, with the camera offering up to 30x digital zoom, however we wouldn’t recommend using this as the results lack detail and give a blurred image. In low-light the camera will automatically activate the Night mode, when it’s dark enough to warrant this.

Taking close-ups with the main camera can work relatively well, as long as you don’t get too close to the subject. If you do, you’ll spot a lot of blur around your image. A plate of food, for example, looks great, but a close-up of a small cheesecake can be a struggle. The food mode will boost the colours giving an image that you might find a bit too colourful, but your own personal tastes may be different to mine.

Using the ultra-wide-angle camera, noise is well controlled, and images look well-corrected with minimal distortion visible. Images can look a little bit soft if you view them at 100%, but I don’t know of many people who do this (other than people who review cameras).

Using the telephoto camera, photos look good, with nice levels of detail considering the “low” resolution of a 10MP sensor. Photos are saved as 12MP images to match the photos you take with the other cameras on the phone. 

Selfie camera – with a 12MP selfie camera, and auto-focus, shots are clear and detailed, with the AF system ensuring the main subject has the correct focus point. This is often one of the first things to go missing from budget orientated phones, so it’s nice to see auto-focus here, as expected. This also benefits vlogging, and using the selfie camera for video recording.  

Video options are well covered, with 8K available from the main camera, and 4K available from all the other cameras (including the selfie camera). There are plenty of options including stabilisation (on by default), as well as “Super steady” options, and a smooth zoom slider feature to help when zooming in and out. There’s also HDR video recording as standard, plus numerous audio options (in advanced settings). Video quality looks really good, and if you’re looking for a camera for YouTube, you’ll find there are a lot of people out there that use Samsung phones for video recording. You can also record Log in Pro video mode if you want! 

Value for money 

This phone, now that it’s been out for a while, can be found for around $529 / £555 (Amazon) for the 128GB version (Samsung also offer the 256GB version for less than the RRP, directly on the website) – this puts it in competition with mid-range phones, and makes it a great deal, although I’d definitely recommend the 256GB (or larger) models if your budget can stretch to this. If you’re looking for a competitor that offers similar features, then you’re looking at the Google Pixel 9 Pro, and Apple iPhone 16 Pro, as the most obvious competitors. Perhaps the only phone that could beat the S25 for both value and features is the S24 FE, or the S25 FE, when Samsung release that.

Verdict 

For people looking for a smaller Android smartphone, with a good range of cameras, the Samsung Galaxy S25 offers an excellent all-round package. There’s very little to complain about, apart from the base model’s 128GB storage option, which feels like it’s not enough these days for a phone in a premium range, especially if you plan on using the phone for video recording.  

The other area I’d like to see Samsung improve, is in the macro performance, but until Samsung offer periscope macro they’re not going to match (or beat) other brands. The S25 has almost no macro abilities, apart from close focus from the main camera. If you can look past these issues, then you get a phone that’s a pleasure to use, and by going for one with larger storage you should have a phone that lasts many years, thanks to Samsung offering 7 years of updates. This is the phone I’d buy if I didn’t need a larger phone.

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