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I was really looking forward to seeing what Samsung had in store for the Galaxy S25 lineup, but after going through everything it offers, I can’t help but feel let down. There’s just not enough here to justify an upgrade this year.
1The Samsung Galaxy S25 Barely Offers Anything Over the Galaxy S24
Starting with the Galaxy S25 and S25+, they were the biggest letdowns of the event. I don’t mind that they look almost identical to their previous years' counterparts, but there isn’t much that has changed internally, either.
Other than an upgrade to the custom Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip and a RAM boost to 12GB, everything else remains exactly the same. The battery capacities, charging speeds, cameras, and displays are basically unchanged.
I was really hoping Samsung would adopt silicon-carbon batteries this year, similar to the OnePlus 13. However, it looks like we’ll have to wait at least another year for that.
While the S25 series does bring several new Galaxy AI features, these seem to be the only major differences compared to the S24. Plus, I wouldn’t be surprised if these features eventually make their way to the S24 series.
2Other Android Phones Offer More at the Same Price
Over the past two months, I’ve been truly impressed by two phones—theVivo X200 Proand theOnePlus 13. Despite it’s early 2024 launch, I previously considered the Galaxy S24 Ultra the latest benchmark for Android phones. I don’t feel the same about its successor.
Like the standard Galaxy S25 models, the Galaxy S25 Ultra uses the same 5000mAh battery. However, because it doesn’t adopt silicon-carbon battery technology—which can provide higher energy density in the same physical space—it falls short compared to the OnePlus 13.
OnePlus managed to pack a 6000mAh battery into a phone that isn’t significantly thicker, making Samsung’s lack of innovation in this area even more disappointing.
With newer Android devices offering brighter displays, faster charging speeds, and more—often at the same price or even less—the S25 series feels like a slightly refined version of the S24. Samsung has simply added a few extra software features to create a sense of difference, but in reality, the upgrades seem minimal at best.
3It Doesn’t Offer the Full Qi2 Experience
When the S24 series launched last year, the only thing I felt was missing was proper support forQi2 wireless charging. Now, with the S25 series, Samsung has added 15W wireless charging, which aligns with the Qi2 standard—but there’s a catch.
The phones themselves don’t have built-in magnets. Instead, to use compatible accessories that attach magnetically to the back of the phone, you’ll need to buy a special case with built-in magnets. Because of this limitation, the S25 series is labeled “Qi2 ready” rather than “Qi2 certified.”
While I appreciate the faster charging speeds, the lack of built-in magnets diminishes the true benefits of Qi2. For those of us who prefer using our phones without a case, it feels like an unnecessary compromise.
4The S Pen Is a Downgrade
There are plenty ofclever ways to use the S Pen. However, with the Galaxy S25 Ultra, some of its most useful features have been removed. The side button on the S Pen can no longer be used as a remote camera shutter to take photos, which was a handy feature for many users.
Additionally, the Air Actions feature—which allows you to perform gestures in the air with the S Pen—has been completely eliminated. Since the S Pen is one of the key features that sets the Ultra series apart from other phones, I’m not sure if cutting corners here was the right decision.
Although I was expecting more from Samsung this year,several new Galaxy AI features are worth exploring. To read more about them, check outour impressions post about the S25 series.
