Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S24: should you upgrade?

The Galaxy S25 series has finally arrived, and Samsung has taken a similar approach to previous years. The lineup includes three phones, featuring only a few minor tweaks compared to earlier models. You might be wondering how the Galaxy S25 compares to last year’s Galaxy S24.

Both phones serve as the entry points for their respective generations of smartphones, and with the release of the Galaxy S25, the Galaxy S24 has also seen a slight price reduction. Should you invest in the latest Galaxy S25, or is the one-year-old Galaxy S24 still a good option? If you already own the Galaxy S24, is it worth upgrading? Let’s explore the similarities and differences to find out!

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S24: specs

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S24: design and display

Ostensibly, the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S24 look like the same phone. They follow an identical design language and feature three cameras arranged in a vertical camera array. However, look beyond and you’ll find a few small differences that make a slight difference.

The biggest of these are the weight and thickness. As part of a growing trend to go ever thinner and lighter, the Galaxy S25 is 0.4mm thinner than the Galaxy S24 at 7.2mm and weighs six grams lighter at 168 grams. These are very small differences, but they make a slight difference and mean the Galaxy S25 is a little more comfortable to hold in the hand.

Beyond this, they feature the same 6.2-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display with 120Hz refresh rate, 2600 nits peak brightness, and HDR10+ support. The Galaxy S24 has a slightly lower screen-to-body ratio at 90.9% vs 91.1%, while both feature an always-on display and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection.

Thinner and lighter is better, so the Galaxy S25 wins. But beyond this, there’s virtually no difference between the two.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S24: performance and battery

The primary difference between the two phones lies in their performance and internal specifications. The Galaxy S24 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with 8GB of RAM in the U.S., while international markets receive the Exynos 2400. Both processors utilize the 4nm manufacturing process, but the Galaxy S25 takes it a step further.

Every Galaxy S25 sold worldwide is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, which features a customized version of the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite processor tailored specifically for Galaxy smartphones. Additionally, Samsung has increased the RAM to 12GB, a much-appreciated upgrade, especially given the growing demand for heavy AI applications.

This combination offers robust performance and does not disappoint. As a frequent user, my typical workday involves managing multiple communication platforms, several task management apps, continuous music streaming, local video editing for short clips, and engaging with social media.

Beyond this, both phones feature the same 4,000 mAh battery with 25W wired charging that can charge up to 50% in 30 minutes. There’s also 15W wireless charging — although the Galaxy S25 does support the Qi2 magnetic wireless charging standard if you buy the official magnetic charging case — as well as 4.5W reverse wireless charging.

For the most part, we found that the Galaxy S24 offers average battery life. While there have been no changes on paper, the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor brings improved efficiency. However, don’t expect the phone to last longer between charges; it should last about a day.

There are also slight improvements in the connectivity standards, with Samsung opting for the latest Bluetooth 5.4 standard and Wi-Fi 7. The Galaxy S25 also supports satellite messaging in an emergency, but it’s not as straightforward as it may seem. Neither phone supports the UWB fast transfer protocol that the Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 Ultra do.

There’s very little difference between the two phones, but the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy and an increase in the base RAM make all the difference for AI, longevity, and battery life, so the Galaxy S25 wins again.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S24: cameras

The Galaxy S25 Ultra has a new ultrawide camera, but the Galaxy S25 features the same camera stack as the Galaxy S24. Quite literally, there’s no difference in the hardware, with the only improvements being delivered via the Image Signalling Processor in the new chipset. There are also slight changes to the design of the camera with a new bezel look helping to set them apart from the Galaxy S24, but these are the only cosmetic differences.

This means that regardless of which phone you buy, you get the same 50-megapixel wide camera with f/1.8 aperture, dual pixel phase detection autofocus, and OIS. This is paired with a 12MP ultrawide camera that offers 120° field-of-view, a 1.4µm pixel size, and supports Super Steady Video, but does all of this without OIS. There’s also the same 10MP telephoto lens with f/2.4 aperture and OIS that offers 3x optical zoom.

If you have the Galaxy S24 and want a better camera, the Galaxy S25 won’t deliver, but the Galaxy S25 Ultra might.

There’s no difference in the hardware. This is a tie.

Winner: Tie

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S24: software and updates

The Galaxy S25 runs One UI 7 out of the box, which is based on Android 15, while the Galaxy S24 runs One UI 6 based on Android 14. However, the latter is expected to get the One UI 7 update in the coming weeks, so will ostensibly be running the same software as the latest Galaxy S25. Both phones are offered with a guarantee of seven years of software and security updates, but the Galaxy S25 will receive support for one year longer by launching with the latest Android OS.

One UI 7 comes equipped with a host of new AI features, including a daily morning and evening briefing summarizing the day’s activities, updates to circle to search to include searching by audio, and further improvements to editing and generative AI tools.

These features are all available on the Galaxy S25 out of the box, and while it’s expected that these will be available on the One UI 7 update for the Galaxy S24, it’s unclear whether there will be differences in the overall capabilities of each phone. One possible difference is that most of these features run on-device on the Galaxy S25, but it’s unclear whether the older processor in the Galaxy S24 will force it to rely on the cloud for some of these features (as it does right now).

Winner: Galaxy S25. One additional year of support plus most AI features running on-device means it’s a better overall software experience. In particular, the on-device AI features are much faster than on the Galaxy S24.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S24: price and availability

The Galaxy S24 launched at $800, and the Galaxy S25 launched at the same price, with the same storage options: 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB. However, it’s worth noting that the Galaxy S24 with 128GB of storage features the slower UFS 3.1 storage, while the remaining two models — and all three options on the Galaxy S25 — use the much faster UFS 4.0 storage.

The Galaxy S24 comes in several color choices. The four standard colors — Marble Gray, Onyx Black, Cobalt Violet, and Amber Yellow — are widely available, while the three additional colors — Jade Green, Sapphire Blue, and Sandstone Orange — are exclusively available from Samsung online.

The Galaxy S25 follows the same pattern with four standard colors — Silver Shadow, Icyblue, Navy, and Mint — as well as three Samsung-exclusive colors: Blue-black, Pinkgold, and Coral Red.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S24: which is better?

Comparing the Samsung Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S25 is like comparing two siblings that are one year apart. The Galaxy S24 is slightly older, the Galaxy S25 is slightly newer but ostensibly, these are the same phone with a few different internals. As such, if you have the Galaxy S24, there’s no reason to upgrade to the Galaxy S25.

However, if you are deciding which to buy, the answer comes solely down to price. Yes, the Galaxy S25 has better AI features as it can run them all on-device, and battery life should be slightly better thanks to the newer processor, but if the Galaxy S24 is 20% cheaper, then it’s an easy answer. If both phones are the same price, however, then the Galaxy S25 is the better purchase, especially if you are likely to keep your phone for several years.

Buy the Samsung Galaxy S25:

Buy at Amazon Buy at Walmart

Buy the Samsung Galaxy S24:

Samsung - Galaxy S24 128GB (Unlocked) - Amber Yellow

Buy at Best Buy U.S.