If there was a theme for smartphones in 2024, it was that flagship telephones lastly gained characteristic parity throughout type components. Google’s Pixel 9 Professional and Pixel 9 Professional XL, in addition to Apple’s iPhone 16/Professional and iPhone 16 Plus/Professional Max, are just a few examples of smartphones that have been an identical other than their display sizes. Whether or not you needed an enormous or small telephone, you bought the identical total expertise.
Now that the Samsung Galaxy S25 sequence is right here, it could be straightforward to assume the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus could be the same story. As an alternative, Samsung’s first main launch of 2025 breaks the late 2024 tendencies.
Sadly, that is not the case. There are three Galaxy S25 fashions obtainable this yr: the 6.2-inch Galaxy S25, the 6.7-inch Galaxy S25 Plus, and the 6.9-inch Galaxy S25 Extremely. At first look, you may mistakenly assume the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus are an identical exterior of their display sizes, with the Galaxy S25 Extremely serving as a higher-end choice.
The fact could not be extra completely different. In some ways, the $999 Galaxy S25 Plus shares extra in frequent with the $1,299 Galaxy S25 Extremely than the bottom $799 Galaxy S25. As such, it’s best to know that you simply’re sacrificing much more than display actual property once you select the Galaxy S25 over the higher-priced Samsung handsets.
As a result of the Galaxy S25 does share loads with the opposite two Galaxy telephones, it is simple to miss its shortcomings. There’s nonetheless a Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, 12GB RAM, and the identical actual digicam system as the larger Galaxy S25 Plus. However though the issues lacking from the Galaxy S25 aren’t apparent, they’re simply as necessary.
The variations begin with the telephones’ shows, and it is extra than simply dimension separating these two gadgets. Sure, the Galaxy S25 is smaller than the Galaxy S25 Plus. On prime of that, the screens have completely different resolutions, with the Galaxy S25 supporting Full HD+ and the Galaxy S25 Plus supporting Quad HD+. It is true that this can be much less noticeable on the Galaxy S25’s smaller show, however the bigger telephone’s Quad HD Plus decision means the Galaxy S25 Plus has double the pixels of the Galaxy S25.
All informed the Galaxy S25 Plus ought to look crisper than the bottom Galaxy S25. Crucially, the larger telephone helps Samsung’s “ProScaler for Quad HD+” expertise. It is described as “AI picture processing” that helps the Galaxy S25 Plus and Extremely “obtain a 40% enchancment in picture high quality.” So, it is clear the Galaxy S25 Plus can have a greater show than the Galaxy S25 — not simply the larger one.
The bottom storage configuration can be decrease on the Galaxy S25, because the telephone begins with 128GB of storage. For an additional $60, you may improve it to 256GB (that is cheaper now, due to pre-order offers). Nevertheless, the Galaxy S25 Plus begins at 256GB. It is a good perk, contemplating every little thing else you get once you make the leap to the center Galaxy S25 telephone.
A type of issues is a much bigger battery. The Galaxy S25 Plus has a 4,900mAh capability, whereas the common Galaxy S25 has a 4,000mAh battery. There are some things to notice right here, although. For starters, the larger Galaxy S25 Plus display will draw extra energy, which suggests the Galaxy S25 Plus could carry out equally to the Galaxy S25 in the true world. However it’s simply as necessary to notice that the Galaxy S25 Plus is manner nearer to the Galaxy S25 Extremely’s 5,000mAh capability, which means it may form as much as be a battery life champion.
If uncooked capability is not sufficient to sway you, how about charging speeds? The bottom Galaxy S25 maxes out at 25W speeds over a cable, whereas the Galaxy S25 Plus can cost at as much as 45W speeds. For what it is value, 15W wi-fi and 4.5W reverse wi-fi charging speeds are the identical throughout each gadgets. With that being stated, should you’re in a pinch, you may want you had these quicker wired charging speeds on the Galaxy S25.
The ultimate benefit the Galaxy S25 Plus has over the bottom Galaxy S25 is the one I feel may find yourself being essentially the most essential distinction in the long term. The previous has an ultra-wideband (UWB) chip, whereas the latter doesn’t. For the uninitiated, UWB is a nearfield radio communication protocol that’s glorious for information switch and placement, serving to you discover objects with pinpoint accuracy. It is the expertise that made AirTags so standard.
Properly, the official Samsung SmartTag 2 additionally helps UWB for precision discovering, as do choose Tile trackers. It is doable that as Google’s personal Discover My System ecosystem blossoms, extra UWB gadgets will enter the fold. In case your new flagship does not have UWB, it is not future-proofed.
Contemplating that Samsung is touting the Galaxy S25 as probably lasting seven years with full OS assist, these {hardware} limitations may turn into an issue — one which you do not study till nicely after the return window has handed.
To sum up, the Galaxy S25 Plus — regardless of trying like a much bigger Galaxy S25 — has just a few key benefits over its smaller counterpart. There’s the higher-resolution display, ProScaler AI enhancement instrument, higher-capacity battery, bigger base storage, quicker charging speeds, and UWB chip. Like I stated earlier than, the Galaxy S25 Plus could also be higher considered as a smaller Galaxy S25 Extremely than a much bigger Galaxy S25.
I am not precisely thrilled to inform you this. I do not wish to say you want to pay $999 for the Galaxy S25 Plus as an alternative of $799 for the Galaxy S25. In truth, I feel it is commendable that Samsung has saved the bottom Galaxy S25 skinny, compact, and light-weight when the remainder of the Android telephone market retains getting larger.
I want the Samsung Galaxy S25 had the identical inner elements and have set because the bigger Galaxy S25 Plus. Then, consumers may select the one they like most and never really feel pressured to dimension up. Sadly, as issues at the moment stand, it feels onerous to advocate the bottom Galaxy S25, contemplating how far more you get once you pay simply $200 extra for the Galaxy S25 Plus.
A sneaky winner
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus is not only a larger Galaxy S25. It has loads of extra options and capabilities, like quicker charging, AI show upscaling, and quicker charging speeds.