Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: what’s new?

The Samsung Galaxy S25 series is a minor upgrade over its predecessors. Like every year, it consists of three models, Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra. These smartphones are primarily differentiated by size. You still get sharp displays, versatile cameras, and the fantastic One UI 7. If you need a big phone but don’t want to drop $1,300 on it, you should go for the Plus model. But what’s new and should you spend on the Galaxy S25 Plus over the Galaxy S24 Plus? Or, if you already own the S24 Plus, should you spend on an upgrade for the newer model?

If you look at the specs sheet, you might not find many differences when comparing the two Plus models. However, the upgrades this year are more experiential. Here’s what you need to know if you are confused between the Galaxy S25 Plus and the Galaxy S24 Plus.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: specs

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: design and display

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S24 Plus feature a similar design language. You get a triple rear camera setup, flat sides with curved corners, and a flat display on the front. Both of them are comfortable to hold in the hand but the Galaxy S25 Plus is lighter and slightly slimmer than its predecessor. The weight difference is only noticeable when you hold them side by side. As for the looks, the new Navy color stands out for its bright and bold look.

Both the phones feature the same display. You get a 6.7-inch QHD+ display AMOLED display, with support for an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate. It can go down to 1Hz and up to 120Hz, depending on the type of content on the screen. The screen is easily legible in bright sunlight and makes content consumption an enjoyable experience.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: performance and software

The big difference between these two phones is all about performance and software. The Galaxy S25 Plus is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset. It is said to offer better performance than other Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered smartphones like the  OnePlus 13 or Realme GT 7 Pro.

On the other hand, the Galaxy S24 Plus sports the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy SoC, which is a year-old chipset but still capable to deliver flagship performance.

Both phones come equipped with 12GB of RAM and in two storage variants of 256GB and 512GB. While the Galaxy S24 Plus introduced Galaxy AI, the Galaxy S25 Plus takes it a step further with cross-app AI agents and features like AI Select, AI Brief, and more.

The latest device runs One UI 7, while the Galaxy S24 Plus is still on Android 14-based One UI 6.1. It is expected to receive the Android 15 upgrade with new Galaxy AI features soon.

One UI 7 brings a refreshing list of features. For example, you get a Now Bar that’s like Dynamic Island but sits at the bottom of the lock screen. It’s a stack of cards from active apps like Spotify, stopwatch, navigation and more. You can swipe up to switch and interact with these cards.

The Galaxy S25 Plus has a new Audio Eraser feature, which works like iPhone’s Audio Mix when recording videos. It can detect up to six types of sound in a video to select, separate, and tune the sound to your liking. Other AI features include AI Select, Circle to Search and more that arel likely to make your experience better.

While most of the new AI features are expected to come to the Galaxy S24 Plus, the Galaxy S25 Plus will last you a year longer where updates are concerned. If you are going for longevity, the Galaxy S25 Plus might be a better choice.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: cameras

Both Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S24 Plus come equipped with the same set of cameras. Samsung is banking on the new chipset for improved camera performance. It’s unfortunate that we aren’t getting a hardware upgrade in optics but we put the claims to test in our review and there are some improvements, thanks to the upgraded ISP. Both have a 50MP main camera with f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilization (OIS), a 12MP ultrawide-angle sensor with 120-degree field-of-view, a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP front camera for video calls and your selfie needs.

There’s no real difference between these two camera systems, so any improvements Samsung has made are fairly small. It’s nothing to be sad about, though, as the Galaxy S24 Plus’s camera was certainly capable, and nothing to mourn having. Notably, the camera system is the same as the $200 cheaper Galaxy S25, which is a bit of a disappointment if you were hoping to get more for your money. You’ll need to spend $1,300 on the Galaxy S25 Ultra if you want the best cameras on a Samsung phone.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: battery and charging

Like the display and cameras department, Samsung hasn’t upgraded the battery and charging tech on the Galaxy S25 Plus. Both phones pack a 4,900mAh battery with support for 45W wired charging, 15W wireless charging and reverse wireless charging support to top up your accessories when needed. Again, repeating what worked on the S24 Plus is no sin, as that phone was easily a two-day smartphone, and so we’re expecting similar feats from the S25 Plus.

Unlike the Chinese competitors, Samsung is yet to embrace silicon-carbon battery tech — which could’ve allowed the company to add a bigger battery capacity this year. It seems like a missed opportunity but the Snapdragon 8 Elite is a efficient chipset, and we expect it to offer strong battery life for most people.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus 2 vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: availability and price

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus costs the same as the launch price of the Galaxy S24 Plus. It is priced at $1,000 and is up for pre-order now. The phone comes in two variants 12GB RAM + 256GB storage and 12GB RAM + 512GB storage.

The Galaxy S25 Plus is now up for pre-orders. It’ll go on sale starting February 7 and will be available from major retailers, both online and offline.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus 2 vs. Galaxy S24 Plus: verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus is eerily similar to the Galaxy S24 Plus. It features the same camera setup, batter capacity and display tech as before. It’s slimmer and lighter than before, which makes it more ergonomic to use. The most prominent upgrades lie under the hood, including the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset and One UI 7 features.

You shouldn’t upgrade from the Galaxy S24 Plus this year, at least, not until we’ve finished reviewing the S25 Plus anyway. However, if you are coming from an older device, the presence of a new chipset is likely to give you a performance boost and better efficiency. Plus, if you want a $999 phone for recording videos, the Galaxy S25 Plus would be a good choice, thanks to its support for LOG video recording and Audio Eraser features.

While the Galaxy S24 Plus might get the new Galaxy AI features, those two video additions, an extra year of software support, and a more powerful processor would be worth an upgrade if you are on the Galaxy S23 Plus or older device. The Galaxy S25 Plus remains one of the best phones to buy right now.

Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus:

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Buy the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus:

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