Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. Samsung Galaxy S25+
So, you have your heart set on a shiny new Samsung Galaxy S25 device? There's definitely plenty to love about the Korean giant's new flagship lineup. To be perfectly frank, it is a bit too similar to last year's S24 family, at least for our taste, but that's a whole other discussion. Today, we are looking at the choice between the vanilla Galaxy S25 and the Galaxy S25+.
For many, this will be an obvious choice that simply comes down to size and/or price since the two devices practically share the same hardware. Still, there are a few subtle differences here and there that might be worth pointing out.
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For starters, you can compare the complete specs sheets or directly continue with our editor's assessment in the following text.
Size comparison
Let's be frank: for most prospective buyers, size will be the big determining factor between the two devices. The vanilla S25 is a compact device with a 6.2-inch display and 146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2 mm body, tipping the scale at just 162 grams.
In contrast, you get a pretty sizeable 6.7-inch display with the Galaxy S25+. It measures 158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm and weighs 190 grams, which is also quite reasonable for its size.
For better or worse, unlike Apple, Samsung doesn't offer a compact "Ultra", so to speak. If a small size is what you are after, then you have to make some hardware compromises.
One thing you won't have to realistically sacrifice, however, is build quality and materials. Sure, the Ultra still has somewhat of a leg up on the other two S25 models, but the S25 and S25+ are identical in this department and deliver big. Both phones employ a premium "glass sandwich" construction with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both sides and an Armor aluminum 2 frame.
Both phones also have the same IP68 ingress protection rating, which should allow them to survive for up to 30 minutes in up to 1.5 meters of fresh water.
Display comparison
Last year's S24 generation marked a rather major display upgrade. Both models received LTPO tech for more dynamic refresh rate adjustment and better power efficiency. And the S24+ got its QHD resolution back, which was absent for a few generations.
This year, however, the panels for the S25 generation seem unchanged from last year on both the S25 and S25+. We can't exactly complain about these particular panels since they still hold up very well in the modern smartphone landscape. As mentioned, both are LTPO-based and offer a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate. Also, plenty of brightness and HDR10+ certification.
To be perfectly honest, it is a bummer that Samsung is still sticking to 8-bit color depth displays on both models while most of its competitors have already advanced to 10-bit and even 12-bit color.
The display department is where we find one of the major differences between the S25 and S25+ - size. That one is obvious. But beyond screen real estate, there is also the more subtle difference in resolution. The S25+ comes with a QHD+ display, compared to the S25's FHD+. This also translates to a difference in sharpness, with the S25 peaking at around 416 ppi, compared to 513 ppi on the Plus model. To be perfectly frank, however, the real-world difference is hard to spot unless you really pixel-peep, even in person, side by side.