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The Galaxy S25 might be Samsung’s newest flagship device, but its additional features haven’t convinced me to give up my Galaxy S23 quite yet.
1Minor Battery Improvements
The Galaxy S25 ships with a 4,000mAh battery and support for 25W wired chargers. WhileSamsung claimsbetter battery efficiency with the new Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, I’m not convinced. My S23 supports the same wired charging speed and has a 3,900mAh battery.
I might have reconsidered if Samsung had packed a larger battery into the same compact form factor. But a 100 mAh increase isn’t nearly as exciting.
I’m also disappointed Samsung hasn’t embraced silicon carbide (SiC) battery technology. This new design allows for larger batteries in the same form factor. Other flagship devices like the OnePlus 13 have seen success with this technology, and I was hoping Samsung would embrace it with the S25.
What Is Qi2 Wireless Charging and How Is It Better Than Qi?
Qi wireless charging has allowed us to charge Android phones wirelessly. We’re now getting Qi2, but what makes it different?
The biggest thing Samsung changed is that the Galaxy S25 is the company’s first Qi2 Ready device, which means it should offer a better connection with wireless chargers. However, even this upgrade feels minimal as the device itself isn’t Qi2 certified. Instead, you’ll need a specific type of case to take advantage of this feature.
A fully Qi2-certified device or another major battery upgrade could have swayed me toward the S25. However, it looks like I’ll be waiting at least another year for that.
2Performance Is Still Great On My Galaxy S23
My Galaxy S23 still feels as fast and smooth as the day I bought it. Samsung shipped the S23 with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and this chip still handles everything I throw at it effortlessly.
Apps open quickly, animations are fluid, and there’s no noticeable slowdown. The S25 may be more powerful on paper, but I doubt I’d notice much difference in real-world usage.
3My S23 Still Has Years of Support Left
The Galaxy S23 has only received one major update so far—upgrading it from Android 13 to Android 14. However, with Samsung committing to five years of updates on its older devices, my S23 still has plenty of life left before I have to retire it.
Sure, the Galaxy S25’s seven years of OS upgrades sound great, but my S23 still has four years of updates to go. That’s more than enough to keep my phone feeling fresh, making an upgrade unnecessary at this moment in time.
4The Camera Upgrades Aren’t Exciting Enough
One of the main reasons I’d want to upgrade from my S23 would be for a camera that takes better photos and videos. However, Samsung seems hesitant to upgrade the cameras on the base Galaxy phones, as it has kept the same cameras for the second year in a row.
This means the Galaxy S25 has the same setup as my S23: a 50MP primary camera, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 10MP 3x telephoto lens. It also has the same 12MP selfie camera and can record up to 8K 30fps videos from the rear sensors.
Samsung promises better image processing on the S25. However, with no actual hardware changes, those promises aren’t enough to make me want to upgrade just yet.
5The Best AI Features Are Coming to the S23
Like many other smartphones right now, Samsung is leaning more toward software features and changes instead of focusing on major hardware upgrades. This includes new Galaxy AI features, most of which will arrive on older devices later this year, including my Galaxy S23.
Sure, I might have to wait a bit longer to take advantage of the new AI features like the Now Bar and enhanced Circle to Search, but so far,One UI 7 looks more exciting than the Galaxy S25.
6The Galaxy S25 Lacks Must-Have Features
The Samsung Galaxy S25 feels more like a refined version of its predecessors rather than an exciting upgrade. It has the same overall design and battery life as Samsung’s older Galaxy devices. Plus, the AI features that should make it stand out are all set to come to older devices through software updates.
This leaves the Galaxy S25 without any must-have features, aside from being Samsung’s first Qi2 Ready device. But that isn’t enough reason to justify upgrading from my S23, which still handles everything I do perfectly well.
With minimal changes over previous generations, there’s nothing truly groundbreaking here. The Galaxy S25 is a great option for those looking for a compact Android flagship. However, if you already own a one- or two-year-old Samsung flagship, the upgrades are not worth it. That’s why I’ll stick with my Galaxy S23 and hope for something truly exciting next year.
