Galaxy S25 Extremely Evaluation: Stellar, however extraordinarily boring

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Extremely will seemingly be among the best smartphones of 2025.

It seems to be nice because of its minimized bezels and extra rounded design, feels strong, and snaps wonderful photographs that rival the Pixel 9 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro— it is the entire package deal. Then again, the cellphone is almost equivalent to the Galaxy S24 Extremely and embodies the quickly plateauing high-end smartphone completely.

Any manner you have a look at it, the Galaxy S25 Extremely is a boring handset know-how fans like myself haven’t got many causes to get enthusiastic about. There’s no flashy new feature this year like a questionably helpful devoted digicam 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 loads 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 immediately’s market the place individuals are hanging onto their smartphones for a number of years earlier than upgrading, the Galaxy S25 Extremely is a top-tier package deal.

Really useful

Galaxy S25 Extremely

The very 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 digicam setup.

Professionals & Cons

• Beautiful design
• Snaps nice photographs
• Minimized bezels look nice

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

See Our Course of

How we test and review products at Pocket-lint

We do not do arm-chair analysis. We purchase and take a look at our personal merchandise, and we solely publish purchaser’s guides with merchandise we have really reviewed.

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 12 months’s Samsung Retailer unique colours embody jetblack, jadegreen, and pinkgold.

The S25 Extremely includes 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 leap over the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip (try my very own Geekbench 6 benchmarks beneath). The cellphone’s AMOLED show measures 6.9 inches and has a 3120 x 1440 Pixel decision. Lastly, the gadget additionally includes a 5,000 mAh battery that is equivalent to the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s.

Concerning its cameras, the Galaxy S25 Extremely options the identical array because the S24 Extremely, together with an f/1.7 200-megapixel (broad) most important shooter, an f/2.4 10-megapixel 3x (telephoto), and an f/3.4 50-megapixel 5x (telephoto). New for this 12 months is the ultra-wide digicam being kicked as much as f/1.9 50-megapixel.

Galaxy S25 Extremely construct and design

It is nonetheless a familiar-looking Be aware with one other title

This 12 months, Samsung made minimal modifications to the Galaxy S25 Extremely’s design. In reality, at first look, it is tough to search out any variations between the S24 Extremely and the S25 Extremely. Let’s begin with the again first — the identical rear digicam array returns, and fortunately, there nonetheless is not a large bump below the lenses like with the iPhone 16 Professional and different smartphones, with every lens sitting independently. As an alternative, 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? Not likely, however it’s so minor I do not actually care, and I wager most individuals will really feel the identical manner.

The sides of the Galaxy S25 Extremely are additionally barely extra rounded, giving the cellphone a friendlier, extra iPhone-like look that matches the remainder of the Galaxy S25 sequence and the Galaxy S24 line. It additionally struck me as odd that final 12 months’s Extremely was somewhat extra squared-off than the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+, however now, that is now not the case. I like this new look, however once more, like plenty 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, just like the now-dead Note line. Nonetheless, this 12 months, Samsung has ditched Bluetooth from the stylus, which implies it now not works with “Air Gestures,” together with utilizing the stylus as a distant shutter for snapping photographs. This can be 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 in style, however it would not make it any much less of an odd cost-cutting determination on Samsung’s half.

It is price mentioning that the Galaxy S25 Extremely is just “Qi2 Prepared,” which, in the identical vein as ditching Bluetooth from the S Pen, feels very bizarre. Whereas the cellphone helps the brand new wi-fi charging customary, together with sooner wi-fi charging speeds, you want a Qi2-compatible case. Which means in order for you 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 appears like an adjunct money seize on Samsung’s half, although there are already third-party instances out there (try the dear however strong Casetify case beneath). Can we simply carry Qi2 to each Android gadget already, please?

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

Associated

5 apps I use every day to get free stuff

Did somebody say free? These 5 apps are price their weight in gold, providing freebies and different costless advantages.

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. Because of its almost non-existent bezels, the cellphone’s 3120 x 1440 pixel decision, 6.9-inch AMOLED show seems to be extremely fashionable, particularly sitting beside the Pixel 9 Professional and iPhone 16 Professional, its two key opponents within the US market.

Like in years previous, Samsung’s display prowess is on show right here. This show seems to be completely incredible. Every little thing from its vivid, vibrant colours to its 2,600 nits of peak brightness and even its dynamic 1Hz – 120Hz refresh fee (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 really the very best smartphone show I’ve ever seen.

It is price mentioning that the Galaxy S25 Extremely’s smaller bezels have sometimes prompted me to by chance press the show with my palm after I’m holding it. It would not occur typically, however it may well get annoying, so it is price noting.

Associated

See what Google is ‘thinking’ with new Gemini update

Google is rolling out a lot of updates for Gemini 2.0 and making its new ‘reasoning’ mannequin out there without cost to customers within the Gemini app.

Galaxy S25 Extremely digicam

The brand new ultra-wide digicam is spectacular

I have been fairly outspoken about my dislike for Samsung’s out-there images 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 individuals are — the photographs 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 Types and the Pixel 9 Professional sequence’ extra grounded tackle photographs and movies. I am hoping Samsung ultimately brings a equally intuitive characteristic to the Galaxy sequence that means that you can tweak photographs precisely the way you need earlier than you shoot them.

On the {hardware} entrance, the Galaxy S25 Extremely’s lenses are equivalent 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 digicam can also be again. New for this 12 months is the Galaxy S25 Extremely’s f/1.9 50-megapixel ultra-wide digicam, a step above final 12 months’s f/2.2 12-megapixel shooter. I do not shoot ultra-wide photographs typically, however the photographs 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 images and video type, you will benefit from the Galaxy S25 Extremely’s cameras. Personally, I like Google’s and Apple’s extra grounded tackle smartphone images, however it all will depend on your desire. Any manner you have a look at it, the Galaxy S25 snaps nice photographs and might even get clear photographs when there’s ample movement within the scene, a difficulty I’ve encountered with previous Galaxy S sequence units.

There are additionally a couple of extra pro-focused additions this 12 months, together with Log video help. This characteristic offers you a flat video profile whereas retaining info associated to highlights and shadows, making it simpler to tweak the footage exactly the way you need. This characteristic is aimed extra at filmmakers and creators than the typical consumer, so it is unlikely most Galaxy S25 Extremely customers will reap the benefits of it.

Associated

Samsung officially teases its much-hyped Galaxy S25 Slim edition

After months of hype surrounding a attainable Galaxy S25 Slim mannequin, Samsung has formally teased the S25 Edge.

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 12 months, Samsung’s top-tier smartphone includes a customized model of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip alongside 12GB of RAM. Would I’ve most popular the gadget to supply 16GB of RAM given its “Extremely” moniker? You wager — however total, the S25 Extremely is lots highly effective. Whether or not you are working questionably helpful Galaxy AI options, taking part in high-end video games, or simply watching the world finish on social media, the expertise is silky easy.

For people 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 cellphone name or two, some digicam testing, and scrolling social media, the S25 Extremely’s 5,000 mAh battery holds up like a champ, lasting nicely into the night with 20-30% leftover on most days.

Associated

The Galaxy S25 Ultra’s S Pen features an unexpected downgrade

Samsung has eliminated Bluetooth from the Galaxy S25’s stylus, which implies it now not helps Air Actions.

Galaxy S25 Extremely software program

The brand new Now Temporary disappoints

Look, I get it. AI is a development space for tech giants and is pegged as the subsequent large factor. This trade 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 12 months’s marquee characteristic is the “Now Bar,” which exhibits up on the cellphone’s lockscreen, and the “Now Temporary,” an AI-powered widget that lives on the house display. The idea is that it pulls information out of your cellphone, together with your calendar, e-mail, photographs, and extra, and delivers a snapshot of knowledge 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 Temporary, it solely exhibits me the climate, assumes I am continually touring, and hasn’t even began pulling in information tales I care about. No different info has appeared within the widget, which could be very disappointing. The concept of Now Temporary is spectacular, and I genuinely assume it might be the primary instance of smartphone-powered AI that matches into my life, however in its present state, it feels fairly ineffective. Hopefully, Now Temporary will enhance the extra the cellphone is used. I am additionally curious if this Galaxy S25 series-exclusive characteristic will make its solution to earlier S sequence 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 plenty of this with different Android telephones with simply Gemini and Google, to be clear), it would not all the time 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 gadget. 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 much more dependable to carry out duties like this your self.

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

Associated

Remember when BlackBerry took on the iPad?

Again in 2011, BlackBerry was nonetheless an enormous participant within the cell tech scene — it is a crying disgrace that its PlayBook pill by no means took off.

Do you have to purchase the Galaxy S25 Extremely?

It will depend on what cellphone 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 plenty of telephoto photographs, you could possibly in all probability go for considered one of Samsung’s very succesful Galaxy S25 units, relying in your show measurement desire. This 12 months, the hole between Samsung’s different units and the Extremely is tiny, just like the Pixel 9/9 Professional and the iPhone 16/iPhone 16 Professional.

Whether or not the Galaxy S25 Extremely is actually price it for you’ll depend upon what Samsung gadget you are presently utilizing. These rocking a Galaxy S24 Extremely will not discover a lot right here, and the identical will be stated for Galaxy S23 Extremely house owners to some extent. Nonetheless, if you happen to’re utilizing an earlier Galaxy Extremely cellphone, just like the S20, S21, or S22, you will get loads out of the Galaxy S25 Extremely.

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

Really useful

Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely

This gadget was offered to Pocket-lint by Samsung.