Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S24: New chip promises an exciting upgrade
Intro
Slowly but surely, we are nearing the end of the year, and that means the next Galaxy flagship phone lineup is coming. More specifically, we expect Samsung to announce the Galaxy S25 on January 22.
Samsung has consistently delivered one of the best compact phones on the market in the last few years, with last year's edition being the Galaxy S24. So, what is the company brewing for us with the Galaxy S25?
For one, we are looking at potentially one of the more monumental jumps in processor performance and capability. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is what's expected to power the S25 in the U.S. next year, and leaks have hinted it is one impressive piece of silicon.
There are also some rumors saying that we could see a new image sensor for the main camera, with Samsung dropping its ISOCELL sensors for Sony's new LYTIA ones.
On the more superficial level, we expect visual changes after word came out that Samsung's design chief was tasked with a refreshed look for the flagships in 2025.
The best news out of all, however, is that the starting price will remain the same at $799. At least that's what has been said so far.
Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S24 differences:
| Galaxy S25 | Galaxy S24 |
|---|---|
| One of the most impressive Qualcomm chips, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 | Capable Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, but with much lower performance in multi-core CPU and 3D graphics |
| Faster storage | Universal Flash Storage 3.1 with 128 GB or version 4.0 with 256 GB |
| Similar in size and weight | 5.79 x 2.78 x 0.30 in, 5.89 oz |
| Slightly larger display at 6.3 inches, possibly higher brightness | 6.2-inch display, 1345 nits measured brightness |
| Thinner bezels and a refreshed design | Bezels are slightly thicker |
| Possibly a new main camera with better color-reproduction and light sensitivity | 50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS |
Table of Contents:
Read more:
- Galaxy S25 Plus vs Galaxy S24 Plus: Main differences to expect
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Galaxy S25 Plus: The bigger, the better?
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: A friendly but heated rivalry
- Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S25 Plus: Expectations
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Galaxy S24 Ultra: do we need a refresh?
Design and Size
Design chief has been tasked to come up with a 'fresh' look
Samsung shook things up a bit with the release of the Galaxy S24, giving it a more boxy shape with flat sides. The reflective glossy surface of the frame was also left in the past, with the S24 adopting a more machined-metal look.
But besides the tweaks to the frame, there was little else to distinguish the S24 from its predecessors. According to a tipster named Revegnus, Samsung's design chief has been tasked with giving the Galaxy S25 lineup a 'fresh' look. So, we have reason to believe that the Galaxy S25 will come with even more visual changes.
When it comes to size, however, we don't expect the S25 will be much different. Samsung has consistently made its base flagship very compact by today's standards, and we quite like that. In a world of large phones, we need an option like the S24 and the upcoming S25 to offer a flagship experience in a more compact form factor.
Samsung will likely stick to the same materials for the manufacturing process of the S25, meaning an aluminum frame and a glass back panel. We also expect to see the same level of dust and water resistance with an IP68 certification.
If you are hoping to see a Galaxy S25 with a titanium frame then you will probably be disappointed. It is almost certain that titanium will remain an Ultra-exclusive feature for the near future.
Colors-wise, we still don't have any word about the ones the S25 will come in. But if we were to judge by the S24 hue variants, we can at least assume that buyers will be able to choose from 4 basic ones and 3 exclusive ones.
Here's a refresher of the Galaxy S24 colors:
- Amber Yellow
- Marble Gray
- Onyx Black
- Cobalt Violet
- Jade Green (exclusive)
- Sapphire Blue (exclusive)
- Sandstone Orange (exclusive)
Display Differences
Rumors suggest that the Galaxy S25 will feature a slightly larger 6.3-inch display compared to the S24's 6.2 inches. Samsung is likely to achieve this by further reducing the bezels, maintaining the overall phone size, as hinted by leaked renders.
Other than that, there hasn't been any word about further display-related upgrades. If no other information pops up, we can expect the same 1-120Hz display refresh rate and FHD+ resolution.
A couple of areas where Samsung might introduce further improvement is with the screen brightness and the display durability. We measured the S24 and got a maximum of 1345 nits brightness, which is excellent by our standards, but any further increase would be welcome.
We would also love to see the same Gorilla Glass Armor from the Ultra model trickle down to the standard flagship, but that is highly unlikely.
Performance and Software
We could be in for a massive performance jump
A new year, a new Snapdragon flagship processor for the Galaxy flagship phones. The S25 is said to come with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, which will be built on TSMC’s advanced 3nm process.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset is said to be a powerhouse, featuring two high-performance cores clocked at 4.0GHz for demanding tasks like gaming and video editing. These cores will be complemented by six energy-efficient cores clocked at 2.8GHz for everyday tasks and battery-saving.
To handle graphics-intensive applications, the chipset will boast a powerful Adreno 830 GPU. Qualcomm's Spectra ISP will ensure top-notch image processing and photography capabilities. Additionally, the FastConnect 7900 modem will provide blazing-fast Wi-Fi 7 connectivity and Bluetooth 5.4 support for seamless wireless connections.
All of this is to say that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is expected to be a big jump from the Gen 3 inside the S24 on all fronts: performance, features, power efficiency.
The Galaxy S25 is also said to come with much faster storage, which should affect the phone's overall performance as well. Faster storage means that the phone can write and read information more quickly, resulting less waiting time when carrying out tasks.
We fully expect the software support window to remain the same as with the S24, meaning seven years of major Android updates and security patches. Given the one-year gap between the two, that means the S24 will be supported until 2031 and the S25 until 2032.
Camera
Possibly a new main sensor
It is still very early to have any idea what cameras the Galaxy S25 will have, so for now we expect it will come with the same triple-camera setup that the S24 has. That includes a 50 MP main, 12 MP ultra-wide, and 10 MP 3x telephoto.
There is a rumor stating that Samsung may opt for Sony's new LYTIA camera sensors instead of its own ISOCELL sensors for the main camera. These innovative sensors feature dual-stacked technology for enhanced light capture and color accuracy.
Qualcomm's Spectra ISP should also help with the image quality, so even if none of the camera hardware changes, there is a chance we will see improvements to the camera system and camera app.
Battery Life and Charging
Nothing new for now
There haven't been any news that we will see larger battery capacity than the 4,000 mAh on the Galaxy S24. Even Samsung adds a larger battery, the difference will likely be tiny. That said, the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is said to be much more power efficient, so we do expect better battery life.
As for charging, there has also been no word on that front. The Galaxy S24 comes with 25W of wired and 15W of wireless charging speeds, and that is what we will expect from the S25 until any credible related news appears claiming otherwise.
Of course, you can expect reverse wireless charging, as the S24 already comes with that feature.
Specs Comparison
Keep in mind that all of the Galaxy S25 specs you see below in the table are based on speculation and rumors. Anything can change with time, especially when there are still months until the expected announcement date.
So, for now, these are the expected Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S24 specs:
| Galaxy S25 | Galaxy S24 | |
|---|---|---|
| Size, weight | 147 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm, 168 g | 147 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm, 168 g |
| Screen | 6.3" OLED 120Hz refresh rate | 6.2" LTPO AMOLED 2X 120Hz refresh rate |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 3nm | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (USA/Canada/China) 3nm |
| RAM, Storage | 8/128GB 8/256GB LPDDR5X | 8/128GB 8/256GB LPDDR5X |
| Cameras | 50 MP main 12 MP ultra 10 MP 3X zoom 12 MP front | 50 MP main 12 MP ultra 10 MP 3X zoom 12 MP front |
| Battery | 4,000 mAh | 4000 mAh |
| Charging | USB-C 25W wired 15W wireless 4.5W reverse-wireless | USB-C 25W wired 15W wireless 4.5W reverse-wireless |
There is still nothing that would immediately sparg intrigue when comparing these spec sheets. The only exciting part is the new chipset, but more power is only exciting when it is utilized well, and we still don't know what new features it will enable for the S25.
Summary
We don't have enough information about the Galaxy S25 to make any strong assumptions about how it would compare to the Galaxy S24 just yet. But even with the few leaks and rumors we can already tell that it will be a few steps ahead in terms of performance.
Is Samsung preparing its 2025 flagship for some mind-blowing features? Will it use all that new power to expand the camera capabilities, showcase amazing 3D games, add new and impressive AI functionality, or all of the above? We sure hope so.
But apart from the performance, right now there is little to go on. The Galaxy S24 is a solid phone, and arguably the best compact phone you can purchase right now. We are at a point where manufacturers need to be more creative than ever to sell their new flagship phones, as older generations are already more than capable for your average consumer.
Thankfully, whatever the Galaxy S25 turns out to be, for now it seems it will come at the same starting price of $799, which is a calming thought given the frequent price hikes throughout the last few years.
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