Galaxy S25 Extremely Assessment: Stellar, however extraordinarily boring

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Extremely will doubtless be probably the greatest smartphones of 2025.

It seems nice due to its minimized bezels and extra rounded design, feels strong, and snaps glorious pictures that rival the Pixel 9 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro— it is the whole package deal. Then again, the telephone is almost an identical to the Galaxy S24 Extremely and embodies the quickly plateauing high-end smartphone completely.

Any means you take a look at it, the Galaxy S25 Extremely is a boring handset know-how lovers like myself haven’t got many causes to get enthusiastic about. There’s no flashy new feature this year like a questionably helpful devoted digital camera button, and whereas the design upgrades are welcome, they’re undeniably delicate. Oh, and people new AI options Samsung is pushing? They don’t seem to be nice.

However you understand what? That is okay to some extent. In the event you’re transferring from a Galaxy S24 Extremely to the S25 Extremely, there is not rather a lot to get enthusiastic about right here. However if you happen to’re a Galaxy S20 Extremely, S21 Extremely, S22 Extremely, and even S23 Extremely consumer, you will actually really feel the upgrades right here. And in as we speak’s market the place persons are hanging onto their smartphones for a number of years earlier than upgrading, the Galaxy S25 Extremely is a top-tier package deal.

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Galaxy S25 Extremely

The best-end variant of Samsung’s flagship smartphone lineup for 2025, the S25 Extremely ships with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, an enormous 6.9-inch show, and a quad digital camera setup.

Execs & Cons

• Gorgeous design
• Snaps nice pictures
• Minimized bezels look nice

• Similar to the Galaxy S24 Extremely
• Now Transient is not nice
• Most Galaxy AI options aren’t helpful

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Worth, availability, and specs

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Extremely begins at $1,300 and is accessible from a number of retailers, together with Samsung, in silverblue, grey, black, whitesilver. This yr’s Samsung Retailer unique colours embody jetblack, jadegreen, and pinkgold.

The S25 Extremely incorporates a model of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite (3nm) chip particularly designed for smartphones. Samsung says this chip presents a 40 % AI enhance, a 37 % effectivity enchancment, and a 30 % visible efficiency soar over the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip (take a look at my very own Geekbench 6 benchmarks under). The telephone’s AMOLED show measures 6.9 inches and has a 3120 x 1440 Pixel decision. Lastly, the machine additionally incorporates a 5,000 mAh battery that is an identical to the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s.

Relating to its cameras, the Galaxy S25 Extremely options the identical array because the S24 Extremely, together with an f/1.7 200-megapixel (broad) important shooter, an f/2.4 10-megapixel 3x (telephoto), and an f/3.4 50-megapixel 5x (telephoto). New for this yr is the ultra-wide digital camera being kicked as much as f/1.9 50-megapixel.

Galaxy S25 Extremely construct and design

It is nonetheless a familiar-looking Word with one other title

This yr, Samsung made minimal adjustments to the Galaxy S25 Extremely’s design. In truth, at first look, it is troublesome to search out any variations between the S24 Extremely and the S25 Extremely. Let’s begin with the again first — the identical rear digital camera array returns, and fortunately, there nonetheless is not a large bump beneath the lenses like with the iPhone 16 Professional and different smartphones, with every lens sitting independently. As a substitute, Samsung has added a subtly lined black rim round every lens, identical to the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6. Am I keen on this alteration? Probably not, but it surely’s so minor I do not actually care, and I wager most individuals will really feel the identical means.

The perimeters of the Galaxy S25 Extremely are additionally barely extra rounded, giving the telephone a friendlier, extra iPhone-like look that matches the remainder of the Galaxy S25 collection and the Galaxy S24 line. It additionally struck me as odd that final yr’s Extremely was slightly extra squared-off than the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+, however now, that is not the case. I like this new look, however once more, like loads of issues with the S25 Extremely, it is a minor shift some individuals may not even discover.

The S Pen is again once more and has a handy slot contained in the Galaxy S25 Extremely, much like the now-dead Note line. Nonetheless, this yr, Samsung has ditched Bluetooth from the stylus, which implies it not works with “Air Gestures,” together with utilizing the stylus as a distant shutter for snapping pictures. It is a disappointing and perplexing downgrade to what’s presupposed to be Samsung’s top-tier smartphone. Realistically, most customers will not discover that change since Air Gestures aren’t that well-liked, but it surely does not make it any much less of an odd cost-cutting resolution on Samsung’s half.

It is value stating that the Galaxy S25 Extremely is simply “Qi2 Prepared,” which, in the identical vein as ditching Bluetooth from the S Pen, feels very bizarre. Whereas the telephone helps the brand new wi-fi charging normal, together with sooner wi-fi charging speeds, you want a Qi2-compatible case. Meaning if you’d like iPhone-like MagSafe-style magnetic charging, equipment, and sooner wi-fi charging speeds, you will want a Qi2 case with a built-in magnet. This looks like an adjunct money seize on Samsung’s half, although there are already third-party circumstances out there (take a look at the expensive however strong Casetify case under). Can we simply carry Qi2 to each Android machine already, please?

And that is it — significantly. So far as design adjustments go, there actually is not something new concerning the S25 Extremely while you pit it immediately in opposition to the S24 Extremely. I do know we’re firmly within the period of iterative smartphone updates, however how comparable each units look is wild.

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Galaxy S25 Extremely show

The minimized bezels and larger display are its finest new options

The display is my favourite Galaxy S25 Extremely improve over its predecessor and earlier variations of Samsung’s Extremely-tier smartphone. Due to its almost non-existent bezels, the telephone’s 3120 x 1440 pixel decision, 6.9-inch AMOLED show seems extremely trendy, particularly sitting beside the Pixel 9 Professional and iPhone 16 Professional, its two key rivals within the US market.

Like in years previous, Samsung’s display prowess is on show right here. This show seems completely implausible. All the pieces from its shiny, vibrant colours to its 2,600 nits of peak brightness and even its dynamic 1Hz – 120Hz refresh charge (which is not new, to be clear) is flawless. That is an costly smartphone, however you get what you pay for within the display division, with the show surpassing the Pixel 9 Professional/9 Professional XL and iPhone 16 Professional/16 Professional Max when it comes to sheer high quality. It is actually the perfect smartphone show I’ve ever seen.

It is value mentioning that the Galaxy S25 Extremely’s smaller bezels have often triggered me to by chance press the show with my palm after I’m holding it. It does not occur usually, however it could possibly get annoying, so it is value noting.

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Galaxy S25 Extremely digital camera

The brand new ultra-wide digital camera is spectacular

I have been fairly outspoken about my dislike for Samsung’s out-there pictures and video post-processing. I am simply not a fan of blown-out highlights and vibrant colours that appear to be they have been shot on one other planet, however I perceive why some persons are — the pictures can generally look very cool, in spite of everything. This aesthetic is toned down with the Galaxy S25 Extremely, however I nonetheless miss the iPhone 16 Professional’s extremely customizable Pictures Kinds and the Pixel 9 Professional collection’ extra grounded tackle pictures and movies. I am hoping Samsung finally brings a equally intuitive function to the Galaxy collection that lets you tweak pictures precisely the way you need earlier than you shoot them.

On the {hardware} entrance, the Galaxy S25 Extremely’s lenses are an identical to the S24 Extremely’s, together with the f/1.7 200-megapixel (broad) and f/2.4 10-megapixel telephoto, with optical zoom maxing out at 5x (I nonetheless miss the Galaxy S23 Extremely’s 10x optical zoom). The identical f/2.2 12-megapixel digital camera can also be again. New for this yr is the Galaxy S25 Extremely’s f/1.9 50-megapixel ultra-wide digital camera, a step above final yr’s f/2.2 12-megapixel shooter. I do not shoot ultra-wide pictures usually, however the pictures shot with the Galaxy S25 Extremely look nice, providing extra definition and improved low-light efficiency over the Galaxy S24 Extremely.

Usually, if you happen to like Samsung’s pictures and video fashion, you will benefit from the Galaxy S25 Extremely’s cameras. Personally, I like Google’s and Apple’s extra grounded tackle smartphone pictures, but it surely all depends upon your desire. Any means you take a look at it, the Galaxy S25 snaps nice pictures and may even get clear pictures when there’s ample movement within the scene, a problem I’ve encountered with previous Galaxy S collection units.

There are additionally just a few extra pro-focused additions this yr, together with Log video assist. This function provides you a flat video profile whereas retaining data associated to highlights and shadows, making it simpler to tweak the footage exactly the way you need. This function is aimed extra at filmmakers and creators than the common consumer, so it is unlikely most Galaxy S25 Extremely customers will benefit from it.

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Galaxy S25 Extremely efficiency

All-day (after which some) battery is again

Excessive-end telephones (and most telephones, for that matter) have featured energy overkill for roughly half a decade or extra, and the Galaxy S25 Extremely isn’t any exception. This yr, Samsung’s top-tier smartphone incorporates a customized model of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip alongside 12GB of RAM. Would I’ve most well-liked the machine to supply 16GB of RAM given its “Extremely” moniker? You wager — however total, the S25 Extremely is loads highly effective. Whether or not you are working questionably helpful Galaxy AI options, enjoying high-end video games, or simply watching the world finish on social media, the expertise is silky easy.

For those who care about benchmarks, the Galaxy S25 Extremely hits a formidable 3,104 for single-core and 9,831 for multicore on Geekbench 6. I’ve additionally been impressed with the smartphone’s battery life. With common use, together with a telephone name or two, some digital camera testing, and scrolling social media, the S25 Extremely’s 5,000 mAh battery holds up like a champ, lasting effectively into the night with 20-30% leftover on most days.

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Galaxy S25 Extremely software program

The brand new Now Transient disappoints

Look, I get it. AI is a progress space for tech giants and is pegged as the following huge factor. This business strikes in huge cycles and AI is simply the factor proper now. I am additionally conscious that every one of this know-how could be very a lot a piece in progress. With that out of the way in which, Galaxy AI nonetheless feels half-baked in comparison with Google’s and even Apple’s AI choices.

This yr’s marquee function is the “Now Bar,” which reveals up on the telephone’s lockscreen, and the “Now Transient,” an AI-powered widget that lives on the house display. The idea is that it pulls information out of your telephone, together with your calendar, e-mail, pictures, and extra, and delivers a snapshot of data you care about, all pulled from a number of apps.

After a few weeks and making a concerted effort to combine Google’s app suite into Now Transient, it solely reveals me the climate, assumes I am continually touring, and hasn’t even began pulling in information tales I care about. No different data has appeared within the widget, which could be very disappointing. The thought of Now Transient is spectacular, and I genuinely assume it may very well be the primary instance of smartphone-powered AI that matches into my life, however in its present state, it feels fairly ineffective. Hopefully, Now Transient will enhance the extra the telephone is used. I am additionally curious if this Galaxy S25 series-exclusive function will make its option to earlier S collection units within the coming months.

Sticking with this theme, whereas the S25 Extremely’s cross-app performance powered by each Gemini and Bixby is spectacular (you are able to do loads of this with different Android telephones with simply Gemini and Google, to be clear), it does not at all times work reliably. For instance, I requested Gemini to make a Google Calendar itemizing for an upcoming work occasion with my work e-mail, and could not differentiate between the 2 accounts I had signed in on the machine. There’s potential right here if Samsung can iron out the problems and make its AI brokers extra succesful, however because it stands presently, it is simpler and way more dependable to carry out duties like this your self.

On a extra constructive notice, OneUI 7 seems nice — it is simplistic, stripped again, and incorporates a revamped, easier-to-use digital camera app. It additionally sort of seems like iOS (sorry, Samsung followers), which, so far as I am involved, is an effective factor. I’ve loads of points with Apple’s smartphones, however the clear structure of iOS 18 is not certainly one of them.

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Do you have to purchase the Galaxy S25 Extremely?

It depends upon what telephone you presently personal

One of many greatest questions surrounding the Galaxy S25 Extremely is why you’d go for it over the Galaxy S25 or 25+. Until you are actually into the S Pen and snap loads of telephoto pictures, you might in all probability go for certainly one of Samsung’s very succesful Galaxy S25 units, relying in your show dimension desire. This yr, the hole between Samsung’s different units and the Extremely is tiny, much like the Pixel 9/9 Professional and the iPhone 16/iPhone 16 Professional.

Whether or not the Galaxy S25 Extremely is really value it for you’ll depend upon what Samsung machine you are presently utilizing. These rocking a Galaxy S24 Extremely will not discover a lot right here, and the identical will be mentioned for Galaxy S23 Extremely homeowners to some extent. Nonetheless, if you happen to’re utilizing an earlier Galaxy Extremely telephone, just like the S20, S21, or S22, you will get rather a lot out of the Galaxy S25 Extremely.

Regardless of the minimal upgrades, the Galaxy S25 Extremely is likely one of the most strong all-around smartphones Samsung has launched in years.

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Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely

This machine was offered to Pocket-lint by Samsung.