We previously did a brief Samsung Galaxy S25 (base) first impression. Not going to lie, it retained a lot of features from the Samsung Galaxy S24—lots of emphasis on AI development. So, there's not a lot of obvious changes. Not to mention, it's quite high-priced at RM3,999 albeit holds a lot of high-end processing power.
But hey, if you like your phones very new, or you are in serious need of an upgrade from a 4 year old phone, you should consider the Galaxy S25. This is the most compact and value-friendly Galaxy S25 phone for everyone.
After spending a couple of weeks, here's what we think about it.
Editor
Jodee Tan chevron_right
Table of Contents
Samsung Galaxy S25 Specifications
- Display: 6.2 inches, Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak), 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, octa-core
- RAM: 12GB
- Storage: 256GB / 512GB
- Rear Cameras: Triple camera setup (50mp wide, 12mp ultrawide, 10mp telephoto).
- Front Camera: 12MP.
- Battery: 4,000mAh with 25W wired and 15 W wireless charging.
- Operating System: Android 15, up to 7 major Android upgrades, One UI 7
- Dimensions: 146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2 mm
- Weight: 162g
Design - It's Small Enough For One-Hand Operation
There are many people who still desire a simple and lightweight smartphone that doesn't feel heavy or big. Luckily, the basic aesthetics of the Galaxy S25 offers exactly those.
Although smaller than many other flagships, the Galaxy S25 has a respectable 6.2-inch size screen that feels sufficient for most mobile tasks including gaming and video-watching. Measuring in 146.9mm x 70.5mm x 7.2mm (HxWxD), the Galaxy S25 feels solid and high-end.
Not only that, the Galaxy S25 features a lightweight aluminium chassis and Corning Gorilla Glass for enhanced durability without compromising the look of the phone.
Available in seven colours, the sleek design mirrors that of its predecessor, the Galaxy S24, but it introduces subtle refinements, like a new camera ring design with thinner profiles and a slight lip for added protection.
Moreover, the Galaxy S25 is waterproof with its IP68 rating. While not recommended to be taken underwater, the phone will be able to last splashes and a drop into the pool if it happens.
Performance
Like the entire series, the Galaxy S25 gets to enjoy the power of Snapdragon 8 Elite, Qualcomm’s latest chipset, which promises significant improvements in performance and thermal efficiency.
Might we add that, the Snapdragon 8 Elite here is optimised for Galaxy. With that, the Galaxy S25 actually gets better 37% boost in CPU, 30% for GPU and 40% for NPU compared to phones with the older Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
That means, a more seamless operation of the phone in your everyday-tasks.
Moreover, paired with 12GB of RAM and a minimum storage of 256GB, the base model is enough for day-to-day multitasking, gaming, and productivity tasks without any hiccups.
Battery
On the battery front, Samsung sticks with its tried-and-true approach, maintaining the 4,000mAh battery and 25W fast charging seen in previous models. A quip here; 25W wired charging is actually slower than most competition, but you can still enjoy extended usage and sufficient speed charging times.
Galaxy AI & OS
Having worked closely with Google to bring the best of Gemini, enhanced with Galaxy AI, the Galaxy S25 also gets a boost in AI features.
One of the latest features is the Now Bar which helps you declutter notifications and news and stories to focus on for the day. Having said that, we unfortunately didn't see much benefit since all it did was select specific app notifications to highlight. The Now bar does rely on longer user experience since it harnesses information on user habits, so regular long-term users may experience better benefits than us.
Besides that, the Galaxy S25 also comes with a promise of over 7 years of software support including major and security updates.
Camera
Although the Samsung Galaxy S25’s camera system is still the same as its predecessor Galaxy S24, the biggest upgrade that the Galaxy S25 gets is its Snapdragon processor which affects not just the efficiency use of the phone overall but also enhanced Galaxy AI on photography too.
As mentioned in our first impression, there's a 50MP primary sensor and a 12MP selfie camera, as well as several AI-based image processing for clearer, more vibrant shots, and AI-powered enhancements that gives videos a touch of cinematic experience.
All-in-all, the Galaxy S25 base does offer clear and natural photos without much hiccups. They do well in low-light photography especially for a phone within their range.
Who's This For?
Priced from RM3,999, the Samsung Galaxy S25 plays it safe with features and a design that most users already love. But you might be asking, what's the difference between the Galaxy S25 and S24? We will acknowledge the upgrades of the Galaxy S25 from the Galaxy S24 is minimal. Except for the nice chipset and RAM upgrade, there's not a lot of differences.
Therefore, the Galaxy S25 base is great for users with really old devices (perhaps Galaxy S22 or older). Even if you have other smartphones or the Galaxy A series, you might like the upgrade to the Galaxy S25 for its extended software support. Otherwise, individuals using very recent S-series models may find the upgrades less substantial.
Pros:
- Sufficient camera results
- Long software and operating system support
- Elegant and timeless design
Cons:
- Boring upgrade for Samsung devices not older than 3 years
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