Samsung’s Galaxy S series has long been a benchmark for Android flagship smartphones. With the launch of the Galaxy S25, many fans are wondering: how does it truly compare to the S24? Let’s break it down.
Design and Build
- The Galaxy S25 is slightly thinner and lighter than the S24 (7.2mm vs 7.6mm and 162g vs 167g).
- The camera modules on the S25 have a slightly different, darker frame.
- The S25 has fractionally smaller display bezels.
- Both phones have a flat aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back, with IP68 water and dust resistance.
Display
The display remains the same: a 6.2-inch LTPO AMOLED with a 120Hz variable refresh rate, FHD+ resolution (1080 x 2340 pixels), and a peak brightness of 2600 nits.
Performance
- The Galaxy S25 features the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset in all regions, offering a significant performance boost compared to the S24, which had either the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or the Exynos 2400 depending on the region.
- The S25 has a base configuration of 12GB RAM across all storage options, compared to the S24’s base of 8GB RAM (128GB storage variant).
- The S25 uses UFS 4.0 storage for all variants, while the S24 used UFS 3.1 for the 128GB model. This translates to faster data access on the S25.
- Benchmark tests show the S25 outperforming the S24 by a considerable margin in CPU and combined performance.
Cameras
- The rear camera hardware remains the same: 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, and 10MP 3x telephoto.
- However, the S25 boasts improved AI-powered enhancements through its new ProVisual Engine, leading to better low-light photography, videography, portrait images, selfies, and zoomed shots.
Battery
- The battery capacity is the same at 4000mAh.
- The S25 shows a marginal improvement in overall active use scores, likely due to the more power-efficient chipset.
Charging
- Wired charging remains at 25W, with similar charging times for both devices.
Speakers
- The S25’s speakers are tuned slightly better with more prominent bass, although the S24’s speakers were slightly louder in tests.
Software
- The Galaxy S25 launches with Android 15 and One UI 7, while the S24 launched with Android 14 and One UI 6.1.1.
- Both phones will receive up to 7 major Android upgrades.
- The S25 can perform more AI tasks on-device due to its more powerful processor.
- Both phones have a strong focus on AI features, including photo editing, writing assistance, and AI transcriptions.
Price
- The launch price of the Galaxy S25 was similar to the S24 at launch. However, the S24 can now be found at discounted prices.
Here’s a quick summary of what’s new and better on the Samsung Galaxy S25
What’s New
- Thinner and lighter design.
- Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset in all regions.
- Base 12GB RAM.
- UFS 4.0 storage across all variants.
- Slightly different camera module design.
- Android 15 and One UI 7.
What’s Better
- Significantly improved performance.
- Enhanced AI camera features and image processing.
- Marginally better battery life.
- Slightly better-sounding speakers (more bass).
- Potentially longer software support lifecycle (being a newer device).
In conclusion: The Samsung Galaxy S25 offers a notable upgrade in performance and AI capabilities thanks to its new chipset and increased base RAM. While the design and display see minor changes, the camera benefits from improved software. If performance and the latest software are priorities, the S25 is a worthwhile upgrade. However, the Galaxy S24 remains a capable phone and can be a more budget-friendly option now.
