Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: How much better is the new one?

With a bit of distance, it's quite easy to mistake the new Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus for its predecessor, the Galaxy S24 Plus. That's because most of Samsung's improvements this time around come in the way of a speedy Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset and new AI features. So, if you have a Galaxy S24 Plus, is it time to upgrade?

While the Galaxy S25 Plus might be plenty appealing to people with older Android phones, the truth is that it might not be the best fit for people that have a Galaxy S24 Plus already. But if you're in the market for a new phone, should you choose the discounted Galaxy S24 Plus or the brand-new Galaxy S25 Plus?

After reviewing the Galaxy S25 Plus, that's what this comparison will help you find out.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: Design

The Galaxy S25 Plus features the same triple camera setup seen in previous Galaxy models but with a style inspired by the Galaxy Z Fold 6. You'll find thin bezels around the outer perimeter of the rounded corner design and an LED flash to the right. This DSLR-inspired look represents a slight design tweak for the Galaxy S25 Plus. We're talking about those black rings surrounding the lenses, while the rest of the back panel remains simple.

The Galaxy S25 Plus's IP rating is the same IP68 rating as the previous model. The S25 Plus shares the design of the other two new models, with flat sides all around and an entirely flat front and back glass with rounded corners. It's also slightly smaller, with dimensions of 158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3mm and a 190-gram weight.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus has an Armor Aluminum 2 frame with tough drop and scratch resistance. Samsung also added Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The S24 Plus measures 158.5 x 75.9 x 7.7mm and has a glass back with a matte finish. The weight of the S24 Plus is 196 or 197 grams, making the Galaxy S25 Plus noticeably lighter.

The Galaxy S24 Plus comes in Onyx Black, Marble Gray, Cobalt Violet, and Amber Yellow, with exclusive colors including Jade Green, Sapphire Blue, and Sandstone Orange. The new model is available in Icyblue, Navy, Mint, and Silver Shadow, plus Samsung online exclusive colorways.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: Display

Both the new Galaxy S25 Plus and old Galaxy S24 Plus have the same 6.7-inch display with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate and a QHD+ resolution. The Galaxy S24 also has a 19.5:9 ratio and 513ppi density, giving it a sharp resolution. The Galaxy S24 Plus has excellent colors, and the phone also supports HDR10 Plus. The new model support ProScaler for QHD+, which uses AI to improve quality.

The Super HDR preview is visible in the viewfinder and gallery. Samsung also added a peak brightness of 2,600 to the Galaxy S24, and the Galaxy S25 will match or beat that.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: Hardware

The S25 Plus ships with a 4,900mAh battery. While the charging speed is unchanged, you'll still be able to charge at up to 45W with a cable. Unfortunately, there's MagSafe support here — only Qi2 support that requires a separate magnetic case to fully unlock.

Samsung stuck with the same cameras for another generation, meaning that the Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S24 Plus are both headlined by a 50MP main sensor. There's also a 12MP ultrawide and a 10MP, 3x optical zoom telephoto lens. You can record 8K videos with stereo sound and HDR10, which enhances the colors, brightness, and contrast of your phone's display.

Samsung also improved the S25 Plus connectivity options with NFC, GNSS, 5G connectivity, Bluetooth 5.4, and Wi-Fi 7.

The new Galaxy S25 Plus' biggest improvement is in its Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor. It's based on Qualcomm's laptop chips and is paired with 12GB of memory. By comparison, the Galaxy S24 Plus has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and 12GB of RAM. Storage options include 256GB and 512GB, and UFS 4.0 is also included.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: Software

The Galaxy S25 Plus launches with One UI 7, including a fresh design focusing on simplicity, new elements that bring positive feelings, and a unique One UI vibe. Samsung keeps adding goodies, such as improved motion dynamics and a new blur system.

With One UI 7, users get new visuals, such as updated widgets and icons, smoother animations, and a split Quick Settings and Notification Pane. The update also brings a flashy animation when charging your phone and useful gestures for adjusting brightness. Notifications also have a dedicated panel and a handy gesture for turning on Dark Mode.

If you use the camera app often, you'll notice a massive redesign for one-handed use, focusing on zoom options and easier access to modes. You'll get seven years of OS upgrades with both models, so longevity should be excellent.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus comes with One UI 6 out of the box but can be upgraded to One UI 7 when the update becomes available. Unfortunately, it has been delayed multiple times, and we don't know when the Galaxy S24 Plus will get the boost — or whether all features will be supported across models.

It has Galaxy AI, where you can use fun and helpful tools such as Circle to Search, Real-time translation, transcribing conversations into text with speaker labels, Chat Assist, Note Assist, AI Photo Editor, and more. All models in the S24 series get seven years of updates.

You can check out more of what to expect from the Galaxy S25's software by checking out our impressions of the One UI 7 beta.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: Should you upgrade?

The Galaxy S25 Plus got the much-anticipated Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, undoubtedly making the newer model a more tempting option than the older Galaxy S24 Plus. However, both phones are still very capable in 2025. If you have a Galaxy S24 Plus, it's safe to say you don't need to upgrade. With that being said, new buyers will love the speed of the Galaxy S25 Plus and its new AI features.