Samsung Galaxy S25 Review: Still Worth Buying in 2026?
The Samsung Galaxy S25 launched in February 2025 and has since been succeeded by the Galaxy S26. Here's our full review — and whether it's still worth buying at a lower price in 2026.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 launched on February 7, 2025, and was succeeded by the Galaxy S26 in March 2026. Now available at significantly reduced prices, the S25 represents outstanding value. Here's our full review and whether it's still worth buying now.
Design and Build
The Galaxy S25 features a refined aluminium and glass design with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both front and rear. At 162g and 7.2mm thick it's compact for a flagship. The build quality is excellent with IP68 water resistance. It comes in Icy Blue, Mint, Navy, and Silver Shadow — all understated and professional-looking.
Display
The 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 2600 nits peak brightness is still one of the best screens available. The 120Hz adaptive refresh rate is smooth and the colours are accurate and vivid. Outdoors readability is excellent.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Elite chip — manufactured on a 3nm process — delivers class-leading Android performance. Every task from gaming to photo editing is handled instantly. Even in 2026 this chip remains more than fast enough for everything a smartphone needs to do.
Camera System
The triple camera — 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x telephoto — produces excellent photos across all scenarios. Low-light photography is strong. The 50MP main sensor captures plenty of detail. Galaxy AI features including Photo Assist and Circle to Search are genuinely useful.
Battery Life
The 4000mAh battery delivers a full day of use for most people. The 25W wired charging speed is the S25's biggest weakness — the S26 improved this to 45W. Wireless charging at 15W works for overnight top-ups.
Software — Seven Years of Updates
Samsung committed to seven years of Android OS and security updates for the S25 series, meaning a phone bought today will receive updates until at least 2032. One UI 8.5 based on Android 16 is rolling out now.
Should You Buy the S25 in 2026?
With the Galaxy S26 now available, the S25 has dropped significantly in price — often below $700 USD. At that price it's exceptional value. The main reasons to choose S26 over S25: faster 45W charging, Privacy Display on Ultra, and the newer Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. If those features don't matter to you, the S25 at a discount is one of the best Android deals available. Score: 8.5/10