Galaxy S25+

Should You Buy the Galaxy S25+?

Here's the thing about the Samsung Galaxy S25+: it's a really good phone, but it's also really expensive.

According to reviewers, this is basically the S25 with a bigger screen and better battery life. That's actually perfect if you're someone who loves a large display and spends your day scrolling through photos, texting, and watching videos with the family. The 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen is absolutely stunning, and the 120Hz refresh rate makes everything feel smooth and responsive. Scrolling through Instagram or your photo library feels buttery smooth.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite processor is the same flagship chip in the regular S25, so performance is excellent. Apps open instantly, multitasking is effortless, and you won't experience any lag even if you're juggling texts, emails, and social media at the same time.

Battery life is where this phone shines compared to the smaller S25. The 4900 mAh battery easily lasts a full day, which is genuinely helpful when you're bouncing between work, kids' activities, and evening plans. You won't be desperately looking for a charger by dinner.

The camera system is solid. The 50MP wide lens captures beautiful everyday moments, and the new AI editing features are surprisingly helpful for quick photo touch-ups. Samsung's new AI features across the phone actually feel practical, not just gimmicky. Photo editing, smart replies, and productivity tools can genuinely save you time.

But here's where I have to be honest: at $999, this phone is expensive. Reviewers note that you're paying flagship prices for a phone that's mostly the same as the cheaper S25, just with a bigger screen and better battery. If your current phone works fine, it's hard to justify spending nearly $1,000. If you're on a budget, the regular S25 is a much smarter choice.

The size might also be too much if you prefer phones you can use one-handed. This is a big device.

So who should buy this? If you love a large screen, your battery anxiety is real, and you're upgrading from an older phone anyway, the S25+ is genuinely great. But if you're happy with your current phone or watching your budget, this is a tough sell at this price.

The Size Tax

Samsung's pricing strategy here is transparent and frustrating. The S25+ costs $999. The S25 costs $799. The difference? Mainly the screen size jumps from 6.2 inches to 6.7 inches. That's a $200 premium for 0.5 inches of additional display real estate.

Let's be clear about what you're actually buying. The Snapdragon 8 Elite is the same chip. The camera system is unchanged. The software is identical. The build quality is equivalent. The only material upgrade is the larger display and a slightly better battery to power it. That's not a value proposition at a thousand dollars, that's a tax on people who prefer bigger phones.

The battery improvement is real and appreciated. The 4900 mAh cell delivers better longevity than the S25's offering, and that matters for all-day usage. But this is the bare minimum you'd expect when adding 0.5 inches of screen. It's not a feature, it's table stakes.

Galaxy AI is genuinely useful. The new features actually work and integrate naturally into the OS. But again, you get all of this on the $799 S25. Samsung's not charging you for AI here, they're charging you for size and brand loyalty.

The display itself is excellent. Dynamic AMOLED 2X at 120Hz is bright, responsive, and color-accurate. But excellent displays are standard at this price point. This isn't a competitive advantage, it's a requirement.

Here's the business reality: Samsung knows that some buyers will always choose the larger model regardless of value. They've priced accordingly. The S25+ isn't a product designed to compete on merit, it's designed to extract premium pricing from a segment that's already committed to the brand.

If you absolutely need the larger screen, the S25+ delivers it competently. The phone works. It's well-built and fast. But you're paying flagship prices for incremental hardware. That's not a good deal, even if the product itself is solid.