Samsung’s cheapest new Galaxy S phone proves bigger is NOT always better and will save you hundreds on your next upgrade
SUVs. 65-inch TVs in the living room. King size beds.
Life is full of examples where bigger is supposedly better and the smartphone is another example of this.
Sure, you get a bigger battery and more powerful cameras among other things – but do we really need all that when technology is so good these days?
As The Sun’s resident tech expert and main smartphone reviewer, I recently tested the Galaxy S25 Ultra and it’s one of the best Android devices around right now.
But starting from £1249, it doesn’t comes cheap at all.
Instead, you can save hundreds and get plenty of the same great features in the main Galaxy S25.
Find out why it’s worth a shot below.
PROS AND CONS AT A GLANCE
Pros:
- Lighter and perfect to hold in one hand
- Same performance and features as the Ultra
- Great battery
Cons:
- Camera zoom is not as good
- Some of the AI features are gimmicky
- Not a lot has changed from last year’s S24
Samsung Galaxy S25: Look and feel
The thing I love most about the Galaxy S25 is it is so much lighter at 162g.
That’s a lot less than the S25 Ultra that comes in at 218g (which, by the way, is already a reduction compared to last year’s Ultra model).
But the base S25 is also 9g less than the main iPhone 15.
Then there’s the actual size of the S25.
The display is 6.2-inches measured diagonally fitting beautifully in all hand sizes, so you can easily use it with one hand.
Samsung uses an aluminium frame that helps to keep things light but it feels sturdy all the same.
By comparison, the S25 Ultra has a more premium titanium frame – you would be pressed to tell the difference on the surface but the latter will be more resilient to drops and scratches.
The same goes for the Dynamic AMOLED display, which looks great on the S25 despite being less mighty than the Ultra.
We’re trying the mint model which looks absolutely beautiful.
Here’s the full list of colours for the S25:
- Blueblack
- Coaralred
- Pinkgold
- Navy
- Icyblue
- Silvershadow
- Mint
Samsung Galaxy S25: Performance and software
The Galaxy S25 runs on Samsung‘s own version of Android, One UI.
Whether you’re running One UI on a new phone here or an older Samsung device, it’ll always be a consistent, clean and easy look.
All the S25 devices run on Android 15, One UI 7, which is the very latest version of both, straight out of the box.
One great highlight about Samsung’s Galaxy S devices is that you get a whooping seven years of security and software updates, so if you look after the handset it could last you quite sometime – and therefore save you money on upgrades.
Who offers free updates longest?
The longer you receive updates, the longer you can safely continue using your smartphone - with the latest features thrown in too for free.
Samsung
For the Galaxy S25 series, Samsung said it would provide at least seven generations of OS updates and seven years of security updates.
OnePlus
At the launch of the OnePlus 13, OnePlus committed to at least four years of Android updates and six years of security updates.
Xiaomi
Xiaomi offers four years off Android updates and five years security updates.
Google
For the Pixel 9 series, Google said that devices would receive at least seven years of support.
Meanwhile, the base S25’s chipset is the same as the S25 Ultra too, with the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy that keeps everything running mega smooth and speedy.
That’s a change from last year, when the S24 series confusingly had different chips in some countries, including the UK – now they all have the same.
The end result is no annoying lag as you run multiple apps, even demanding ones like games.
Samsung Galaxy S25: Features
Another area all three versions of the S25 are the same on is features.
And the big focus once again is on AI tools.
Samsung has moved closer to Google this year and its Gemini digital assistant.
The base S25 still has all the same wonderful features, with the added bonus of being more friendly on your pocket and in your hand
I’ve used it to do handy things like identify food in my fridge via the camera on the phone and come up with a decent recipe.
Samsung’s other star new feature is Now Brief, an AI companion that acts as a central hub for everything going on in your day.
This keeps you in check with not only your calendar and weather but learns about your habits so will warn you about things such as traffic.
Samsung Galaxy S25: Battery
Battery is one area where, on paper, the base S25 and S25 Ultra differ.
Put simply, the Ultra is bigger so has a larger battery inside.
With varied use – such as browsing, watching videos, light gaming and messaging – I got a good day’s battery out of the S25, whereas the Ultra marches much stronger into the second day.
However, the reality is most people charge their phone at night so the bigger battery doesn’t really matter.
Comfortably getting you through a day without getting too close to zero does matter, and the base S25 device does just that.
Samsung Galaxy S25: Camera
And that brings us to the final big difference, cameras.
The Ultra has more lens than the other models – but again, for most people, it doesn’t really matter as you still get beautiful shots, as you’ll see from the examples I took below.
They both look just as stunning, only when zooming in from quite a distance will you really notice a difference.
But seriously, how often do you really need to zoom in massively?
Samsung Galaxy S25: Verdict
Final thoughts by Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun
The Samsung Galaxy S25 proves that bigger is not necessarily better.
Sure, the Ultra – and other high-end flagships – tend to have bigger batteries and better camera lenses.
But for most people, those things don’t make a differnce.
The base S25 still has all the same wonderful features, with the added bonus of being more friendly on your pocket and in your hand.
And it’s friendlier on your wallet too, starting at £799 instead of paying £1249 for the Ultra.
Don’t forget, you can save even more money if you trade in an older device too.
Rating: 4.5/5
All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed.
Always do your own research before making any purchase.