Galaxy S25 vs. S24 – is the new chipset worth the upgrade?
Samsung has launched its new high-end smartphone, the Galaxy S25. But how much better than the previous generation is it really? I pitted the S24 and 25 against each other.
Hardly any changes were made in Samsung’s new S25 flagship. Compared to the Galaxy S24, the main differences are a new chipset and more RAM – as well as dwindling reasons to buy the new model.
Last year, my colleague Lorenz Keller could barely tell the difference between the S24 and S23. Even so, he still recommended going for the more recent Galaxy S24, emphasising the newly introduced seven-year update policy, among other things. One year later, users have another 6 years of guaranteed updates for the Galaxy S24. That’s great! But does that mean there are now even fewer reasons to upgrade to the latest model?
Design and display: almost indistinguishable
Looking at the 6.2-inch Galaxy S25 and S24, I’m not sure Samsung has changed anything at all. Indeed, at 14.7 × 7.1 × 0.7 centimetres and 163 grammes, the Samsung Galaxy S25 is practically identical to the S24, weighing just four grammes less. Only the camera looks a bit different; the rings around the three lenses are a bit wider on the S25.
Source: Michelle Brändle
The display has the same high resolution of 1080 × 2340 pixels and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. Both smartphones have a refresh rate of 120 hertz. Samsung typically likes to increase the brightness a bit with each new generation, but not this time. The Samsung Galaxy S24 achieves up to 814 lux in my measurement, as does the Galaxy S25. This suggests that Samsung has likely stuck with the same display.
Hardware: is the more powerful chip worth it?
The Exynos 2400 in the S24 is a powerful chipset that can keep up with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. With the new Galaxy S25, Samsung is properly adding onto this with the Snapdragon 8 Elite. With 12 instead of 8 gigabytes of RAM, it delivers significantly better performance. There are few other differences to be found in the specifications.
So, is the chipset a game changer? In Geekbench 6 benchmarks, it looks like it is. With 3,188 points, the Galaxy S25 is already over 1,000 points ahead of the S24 in single-core tests and is even more clearly ahead of the S24 in the multi-core. The Galaxy S23 with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 lags far behind both the S25 and S24. The new Galaxy S25 also wins in terms of graphics performance with 18,132 points (Geekbench 6, OpenCL) compared to the S24’s 13,124 points.
In everyday life, i.e. with regular app use, I didn’t notice much of the increased performance. Whether I use individual apps or have several open at the same time, the two smartphones handle it quickly and efficiently.
The AI features, on the other hand, require quite a bit of power. The Galaxy S24 and S25 can’t be directly compared, as Samsung hasn’t yet made the latest features available on older devices. It’s unclear if it will at all. In any case, last year Samsung added the AI features around six weeks later, and they also worked reliably.
The new chipset also has a noticeable impact on the battery. The Snapdragon 8 Elite isn’t only more powerful, but also more efficient. Although the Galaxy S25 has the same battery as its predecessor, it lasts significantly longer. The PCMark test results reveal an extra three hours of juice on the S25. This can make a big difference in everyday life.
Cameras: hard to beat
On paper, the Samsung Galaxy S25’s lenses are unchanged compared to the S24. Nevertheless, how the software processes the data can make all the difference. Samsung promises better processing for night shots, for example.
Overall, the quality of both models is almost identical. I didn’t notice much of a difference in night shots either, just that the software mixes in more yellow in the Galaxy S25. On the S24, the telephoto lens in particular delivers unnaturally bright colours.
Main camera: more warmth with the Galaxy S25
The main camera (50 MP, f/1.8) delivers good results in daylight on both models. In night mode, I notice the S25’s strong yellow hue. I don’t like it at all; it doesn’t improve the photos in any way.
Photos taken at dawn look a little different. The cloudy, dull sky looks a little friendlier with a touch of yellow on the Galaxy S25.
Telephoto camera: more natural colours
This is where things get interesting: there are differences in the telephoto camera (10 MP, f/2.4) with 3x optical zoom (it offers up to 30x, though the image quality is unusable then). I see significant differences in colour when zooming in. The old Galaxy S24 has a much more unnatural colour rendering than the S25, it’s much louder. Apart from the colouring, no further differences are noticeable.
Front camera: warmer tone
The front camera (12 MP, f/2.2) is also different in terms of the yellow balance. Day and night shots showed no difference in sharpness and detail, yet they appear warmer on the Galaxy S25. Too warm, for my taste. And there’s an option to make selfies even warmer.
Source: Michelle Brändle
Software: 6 years of updates for the S24 is enough
In terms of software, the AI features are the main novelty. Whether these are a unique selling point for the Galaxy S25 remains to be seen. Last year, they were added to older models six weeks later.
Source: Michelle Brändle
The update period for software and security remain a generous 7 years for the Galaxy S25. With the Galaxy S24, you have another 6 years of guaranteed updates. That’s a lot.
My colleague Jan Johannsen tested out the Galaxy S25’s new AI features. Mind you, these features aren’t make-it-or-break-it for me, and the S24 also has some, including the interpreter and image editing functions.
In a nutshell
The Galaxy S25 can be enjoyed for longer
The differences between the Samsung Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S25 are minimal. Both offer the usual Samsung quality in terms of the display and camera. When it comes to photos, the software makes all the difference. If you prefer warmer pictures, you’ll be happier with the Galaxy S25.
The more powerful chipset in the Galaxy S25 makes little difference in everyday use, but it is relevant considering AI features and future software adaptations. It turns out to be the biggest upgrade, as it has an impact on battery life: the S25 offers about 3 extra hours of juice. Less charging also extends the battery’s service life.
The Galaxy S24 also benefits from long-term support (7 years), meaning another 6 years are guaranteed starting now.
So, it all comes down to your budget. You can currently get the Galaxy S25 with 128 GB of memory for 720 francs or 739 euros. The Galaxy S24 with the same memory costs just 533 francs or 569 euros.
Don’t care about AI features and want to save a ton of money? Then I recommend the Samsung Galaxy S24. You’ll still enjoy it for a long time to come.
Pro
- 7 years of updates
- Powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite
- 16-hour battery life
Contra
- Disturbing yellow tint in some photos
- Hardly any differences to the predecessor
Header image: Michelle Brändle
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In my world, Super Mario chases Stormtroopers with a unicorn and Harley Quinn mixes cocktails for Eddie and Peter at the beach bar. Wherever I can live out my creativity, my fingers tingle. Or maybe it's because nothing flows through my veins but chocolate, glitter and coffee.
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