If there was a theme for smartphones in 2024, it was that flagship phones finally gained feature parity across form factors. Google's Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL, as well as Apple's iPhone 16/Pro and iPhone 16 Plus/Pro Max, are a few examples of smartphones that were identical aside from their screen sizes. Whether you wanted a big or small phone, you got the same overall experience.
Now that the Samsung Galaxy S25 series is here, it would be easy to think the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus would be a similar story. Instead, Samsung's first major launch of 2025 breaks the late 2024 trends.
Unfortunately, that isn't the case. There are three Galaxy S25 models available this year: the 6.2-inch Galaxy S25, the 6.7-inch Galaxy S25 Plus, and the 6.9-inch Galaxy S25 Ultra. At first glance, you might mistakenly think the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus are identical outside of their screen sizes, with the Galaxy S25 Ultra serving as a higher-end option.
The reality couldn't be more different. In many ways, the $999 Galaxy S25 Plus shares more in common with the $1,299 Galaxy S25 Ultra than the base $799 Galaxy S25. As such, you should know that you're sacrificing a lot more than screen real estate when you choose the Galaxy S25 over the higher-priced Samsung handsets.
Because the Galaxy S25 does share a lot with the other two Galaxy phones, it's easy to overlook its shortcomings. There's still a Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, 12GB RAM, and the same exact camera system as the bigger Galaxy S25 Plus. But even though the things missing from the Galaxy S25 aren't obvious, they're just as important.
The differences start with the phones' displays, and it's more than just size separating these two devices. Yes, the Galaxy S25 is smaller than the Galaxy S25 Plus. On top of that, the screens have different resolutions, with the Galaxy S25 supporting Full HD+ and the Galaxy S25 Plus supporting Quad HD+. It's true that this may be less noticeable on the Galaxy S25's smaller display, but the larger phone's Quad HD Plus resolution means the Galaxy S25 Plus has double the pixels of the Galaxy S25.
All told the Galaxy S25 Plus should look crisper than the base Galaxy S25. Crucially, the bigger phone supports Samsung's "ProScaler for Quad HD+" technology. It's described as "AI image processing" that helps the Galaxy S25 Plus and Ultra "achieve a 40% improvement in image quality." So, it's clear the Galaxy S25 Plus will have a better display than the Galaxy S25 — not just the bigger one.
The base storage configuration is also lower on the Galaxy S25, as the phone starts with 128GB of storage. For an extra $60, you can upgrade it to 256GB (this is cheaper now, thanks to pre-order deals). However, the Galaxy S25 Plus starts at 256GB. It's a nice perk, considering everything else you get when you make the jump to the middle Galaxy S25 phone.
One of those things is a bigger battery. The Galaxy S25 Plus has a 4,900mAh capacity, whereas the regular Galaxy S25 has a 4,000mAh battery. There are a few things to note here, though. For starters, the bigger Galaxy S25 Plus screen will draw more power, which means the Galaxy S25 Plus may perform similarly to the Galaxy S25 in the real world. But it's just as important to note that the Galaxy S25 Plus is way closer to the Galaxy S25 Ultra's 5,000mAh capacity, meaning it could shape up to be a battery life champion.
If raw capacity isn't enough to sway you, how about charging speeds? The base Galaxy S25 maxes out at 25W speeds over a cable, whereas the Galaxy S25 Plus can charge at up to 45W speeds. For what it's worth, 15W wireless and 4.5W reverse wireless charging speeds are the same across both devices. With that being said, if you're in a pinch, you might wish you had those faster wired charging speeds on the Galaxy S25.
The final advantage the Galaxy S25 Plus has over the base Galaxy S25 is the one I think could end up being the most crucial difference in the long run. The former has an ultra-wideband (UWB) chip, while the latter does not. For the uninitiated, UWB is a nearfield radio communication protocol that is excellent for data transfer and location, helping you find items with pinpoint accuracy. It's the technology that made AirTags so popular.
Well, the official Samsung SmartTag 2 also supports UWB for precision finding, as do select Tile trackers. It's possible that as Google's own Find My Device ecosystem blossoms, more UWB devices will enter the fold. If your new flagship doesn't have UWB, it isn't future-proofed.
Considering that Samsung is touting the Galaxy S25 as potentially lasting seven years with full OS support, these hardware limitations could become a problem — one that you don't learn about until well after the return window has passed.
To sum up, the Galaxy S25 Plus — despite looking like a bigger Galaxy S25 — has a few key advantages over its smaller counterpart. There's the higher-resolution screen, ProScaler AI enhancement tool, higher-capacity battery, larger base storage, faster charging speeds, and UWB chip. Like I said before, the Galaxy S25 Plus may be better viewed as a smaller Galaxy S25 Ultra than a bigger Galaxy S25.
I'm not exactly thrilled to tell you this. I don't want to say you need to pay $999 for the Galaxy S25 Plus instead of $799 for the Galaxy S25. In fact, I think it's commendable that Samsung has kept the base Galaxy S25 thin, compact, and light when the rest of the Android phone market keeps getting bigger.
I wish the Samsung Galaxy S25 had the same internal components and feature set as the larger Galaxy S25 Plus. Then, buyers could choose the one they like most and not feel pressured to size up. Unfortunately, as things currently stand, it feels hard to recommend the base Galaxy S25, considering how much more you get when you pay just $200 more for the Galaxy S25 Plus.
A sneaky winner
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus isn't just a bigger Galaxy S25. It has plenty of additional features and capabilities, like faster charging, AI display upscaling, and faster charging speeds.
