Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S23: Two generations apart
Intro
The next big Samsung flagship launch is still months away, but there's a steady flow of leaks and rumors fueling our imagination. Many people are waiting for the new Galaxy S25 series in order to upgrade, and judging from the latest polls and research, people tend to change their phone every two years.
With that in mind, a comparison with the two-year old Galaxy S23 makes a lot of sense. Today we're going to do just that: compare the upcoming Galaxy S25 flagship with its granddaddy, the Galaxy S23.
Bear in mind that because the S25 series is still unofficial, a lot of the info here is based on leaks and rumors. This is our preliminary Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S23 comparison.
We might see a brighter screen on the Galaxy S25, but the S23 holds its ground pretty well too. There's no huge reason to upgrade if you focus on the display tech alone. Of course, we need to run our tests on the Galaxy S25 when it lands in our lab, so stay tuned for that.
In terms of biometrics, we expect the same ultrasonic under-display fingerprints as the ones inside the last generation; they work great, so there is no need for a change there.
With that in mind, a comparison with the two-year old Galaxy S23 makes a lot of sense. Today we're going to do just that: compare the upcoming Galaxy S25 flagship with its granddaddy, the Galaxy S23.
Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S23 expected differences:
| Galaxy S25* | Galaxy S23 |
|---|---|
| Smaller, lighter and more compact phone | Similar design but bigger |
| Smaller screen at 6.2 inches | Slightly smaller 6.1-inch screen |
| Triple camera system with new Sony LYTIA sensors | The same triple camera system with main, ultrawide, and telephoto but Samsung sensors |
| Qualcom Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, tuned for Galaxy | Two-generation old Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset |
| Smaller 4,000mAh battery potentially resulting in shorter battery life | Slightly smaller 3,900 mAh battery, same charging speeds |
| Cheaper at $799 starting price | Same price at launch, deals available*preliminary differences |
*preliminary differences
Table of Contents:
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Design and Size
Time freeze
The design expectations for the Galaxy S25 series aren’t exactly blowing us away. From what we’re hearing, Samsung’s not making any big changes and is mostly sticking with small tweaks. So, expect the same flat front and back, rounded corners, and flat sides we’ve seen for the last couple of generations.
The Galaxy S23 features a slightly curved design in comparison, but the camera system looks almost exactly the same. This phone started the trend with separate holes for each camera in the vanilla version, taken from the design of the Galaxy Ultra.
When it comes to materials, we’re looking at the usual glass and aluminum build. No fancy stuff here for the regular and Plus models—only the Galaxy S25 Ultra is rumored to get the special titanium treatment. The older Galaxy S23 features the same smartphone building concept: glass and metal.
Now for some slightly more exciting news: color options. We’ve heard some interesting rumors. Normally, the regular and Plus models share the same colors, but this time there might be one extra color for the Plus model. Check out the expected colors for the Galaxy S25 and the available colors for the Galaxy S23 below!
Galaxy S25 expected colors:
Galaxy S23 available colors:
Inside the retail box, you will most likely find just the phones and a USB-C cable, as this is the latest trend in preserving the Planet.
The Galaxy S23 features a slightly curved design in comparison, but the camera system looks almost exactly the same. This phone started the trend with separate holes for each camera in the vanilla version, taken from the design of the Galaxy Ultra.
When it comes to materials, we’re looking at the usual glass and aluminum build. No fancy stuff here for the regular and Plus models—only the Galaxy S25 Ultra is rumored to get the special titanium treatment. The older Galaxy S23 features the same smartphone building concept: glass and metal.
Now for some slightly more exciting news: color options. We’ve heard some interesting rumors. Normally, the regular and Plus models share the same colors, but this time there might be one extra color for the Plus model. Check out the expected colors for the Galaxy S25 and the available colors for the Galaxy S23 below!
- Moon Night Blue
- Silver Shadow
- Sparkling Blue
- Sparkling Green
Galaxy S23 available colors:
- Green
- Phantom Black
- Cream
- Lavender
Inside the retail box, you will most likely find just the phones and a USB-C cable, as this is the latest trend in preserving the Planet.
Display Differences
We expect the display of the Galaxy S25 to remain largely unchanged from the previous generation, meaning we're talking about the same 6.2-inch 1-120Hz LTPO panel as the last generation.
There are rumors that we might get the amazing anti-reflecting coating we saw on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but nothing is confirmed at the moment. In terms of resolution, we don't expect a bump for the vanilla model, so it will most likely be the same 1080p panel with 416 PPI pixel density.
Now, the Galaxy S23 is a known entity and features an ever-so-slightly smaller 6.1-inch display. The brightness we measured in our display test was almost 1100 nits, which is pretty impressive, as are the color accuracy and minimum brightness.
There are rumors that we might get the amazing anti-reflecting coating we saw on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but nothing is confirmed at the moment. In terms of resolution, we don't expect a bump for the vanilla model, so it will most likely be the same 1080p panel with 416 PPI pixel density.
Now, the Galaxy S23 is a known entity and features an ever-so-slightly smaller 6.1-inch display. The brightness we measured in our display test was almost 1100 nits, which is pretty impressive, as are the color accuracy and minimum brightness.
We might see a brighter screen on the Galaxy S25, but the S23 holds its ground pretty well too. There's no huge reason to upgrade if you focus on the display tech alone. Of course, we need to run our tests on the Galaxy S25 when it lands in our lab, so stay tuned for that.
In terms of biometrics, we expect the same ultrasonic under-display fingerprints as the ones inside the last generation; they work great, so there is no need for a change there.
Performance and Software
Elite silicon versus just Gen 2
Now, the big talking point in the Android community is the recently announced Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. According to early benchmarks, this silicon is on par with the latest Apple A18 Pro chip, which is exciting to say the least.
The Galaxy S25 will feature the aforementioned Snapdragon 8 Elite, tuned "for Galaxy," so we might get an even better performance from Samsung's next flagship.
The Galaxy S23, on the other hand, features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 hardware platform, and while it's not a slouch, the raw performance is much lower than what the Elite model will have in its pocket.
The Galaxy AI situation is another key point here. There's a good chance the Galaxy S25 will receive more of the AI magic thanks to the faster and better optimized for AI chipset. If you're excited by AI and find it useful, the S25 is probably better suited for updates in the long term.
Speaking of updates, the seven-year software support will be present on the S25, and the Galaxy S23, being already two years old, will stop receiving Android updates in late 2026. Which is a downside, the S25 will most likely keep getting Android versions all the way to 2032 (which typed like this looks like science fiction future).
The Galaxy S23, on the other hand, features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 hardware platform, and while it's not a slouch, the raw performance is much lower than what the Elite model will have in its pocket.
The Galaxy AI situation is another key point here. There's a good chance the Galaxy S25 will receive more of the AI magic thanks to the faster and better optimized for AI chipset. If you're excited by AI and find it useful, the S25 is probably better suited for updates in the long term.
Camera
Sony sensors coming onboard?
Camera details are usually kept under wraps before a smartphone launch, and it’s no different with the Galaxy S25 series. Still, some info has leaked out. Word is, there might be an upgrade to Sony LYTIA sensors for the main cameras on the Galaxy S25.
These new Sony sensors come with some pretty cool tech, like dual transistor-pixel stacking, which could improve light capture and keep noise levels low. As for the ultrawide and telephoto cameras, it sounds like they’re sticking with the same setup as last year—for now, anyway.
In terms of flexibility, both the Galaxy S23 and the Galaxy S25 rely on the same camera concept, with one main camera, one ultrawide, and a telephoto. Given how important are post-processing algorithms nowadays in smartphone photography, we don't expect a huge difference in photo quality between these two, despite the two-year gap.
Below you'll find the specs of the camera systems on both the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S23.
Galaxy S25 series expected camera specs:
Galaxy S23 camera setup:
But, of course, we need to snap some comparison samples and put them side-by-side to make an objective judgement.
These new Sony sensors come with some pretty cool tech, like dual transistor-pixel stacking, which could improve light capture and keep noise levels low. As for the ultrawide and telephoto cameras, it sounds like they’re sticking with the same setup as last year—for now, anyway.
In terms of flexibility, both the Galaxy S23 and the Galaxy S25 rely on the same camera concept, with one main camera, one ultrawide, and a telephoto. Given how important are post-processing algorithms nowadays in smartphone photography, we don't expect a huge difference in photo quality between these two, despite the two-year gap.
Galaxy S25 series expected camera specs:
- Main (wide)—50 MP, f/1.8 aperture, 24mm, 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS
- Ultra-wide—12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚, 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video
- 3x telephoto—10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm, 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS
Galaxy S23 camera setup:
- Main (wide)—50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS
- Ultra-wide—12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚, 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video
- 3x telephoto—10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm, 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS
But, of course, we need to snap some comparison samples and put them side-by-side to make an objective judgement.
Battery Life and Charging
Same old, same slow?
The latest leaks aren't very optimistic about the battery of the Galaxy S25. It looks like we’re probably getting the same 4,000 mAh cell as before, which isn’t an improvement over the last model. However, according to industry insiders, Samsung plans to use AI to help optimize and extend the battery life on the S25 series.
We can’t say how well this AI optimization will work until we get to run our own battery tests, but there’s more disappointing news: fast charging.
And leaked certification documents are showing that Samsung is playing it safe again when it comes to charging speeds. According to 3C certification (a Chinese regulatory body), the Galaxy S25 will stick to the same 25W wired charging speed as the Galaxy S23, so don’t expect any improvements there. We’re still in the dark about wireless charging speeds, but there’s a decent chance those won’t change either.
The Galaxy S23 had a 3,900 mAh battery—just 100 mAh smaller—and didn’t have any AI features to boost efficiency. In our tests, it only managed about 5 hours and 49 minutes, ranking 61st among phones tested in the last couple of years, which isn’t exactly impressive.
We can’t say how well this AI optimization will work until we get to run our own battery tests, but there’s more disappointing news: fast charging.
And leaked certification documents are showing that Samsung is playing it safe again when it comes to charging speeds. According to 3C certification (a Chinese regulatory body), the Galaxy S25 will stick to the same 25W wired charging speed as the Galaxy S23, so don’t expect any improvements there. We’re still in the dark about wireless charging speeds, but there’s a decent chance those won’t change either.
The Galaxy S23 had a 3,900 mAh battery—just 100 mAh smaller—and didn’t have any AI features to boost efficiency. In our tests, it only managed about 5 hours and 49 minutes, ranking 61st among phones tested in the last couple of years, which isn’t exactly impressive.
Specs Comparison
Here's a quick comparison table for the number nerds out there. You can check out the full version on PhoneArena.
| Specs | Galaxy S25* | Galaxy S23 |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | - | - |
| Weight | - | - |
| Screen | 6.2-inch Super AMOLED 1-120Hz | 6.2-inch Super AMOLED 10-120Hz |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| RAM, Storage and Price | 8/128GB for $799 | 8/128GB for $799 |
| Cameras | 50MP main, f/1.8 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.2 10MP 3X zoom, f/2.4 12MP front | 50MP main, f/1.8 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.2 10MP 3X zoom, f/2.4 12MP front |
| Battery Size | 4,000 mAh | 3,900 mAh |
| Charging Speeds | 25W wired wireless support | 25W wired wireless support |
*rumored specs
Summary
This one looks pretty easy, at least on paper. There's a good reason to upgrade if you're coming from the Galaxy S23. The new flagship, the Galaxy S25, will not only feature one of the fastest chipsets in the business but also will come with seven years of upgrades and many AI tricks.
Now, the camera system doesn't look like a huge upgrade, and the same goes for the battery and charging, as well as the display. So, if you're looking for a backup phone or you find a great deal, the Galaxy S23 is still a decent phone. We will update this comparison with benchmarks and a final verdict once we finish the review of the Galaxy S25.
Now, the camera system doesn't look like a huge upgrade, and the same goes for the battery and charging, as well as the display. So, if you're looking for a backup phone or you find a great deal, the Galaxy S23 is still a decent phone. We will update this comparison with benchmarks and a final verdict once we finish the review of the Galaxy S25.
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