The top Galaxy handsets tested and reviewed

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is the absolute best Samsung has to offer, as long as you can bear the hefty price tag that accompanies it. It offers a combination of best-in-class display tech, processing power, and camera performance that trumps not only every other Samsung phone but also much of the Android competition.

It’s also the only member of the S25 family that looks any different this year. The S25 Ultra ditches the sharp corners for a more rounded affair, bringing the design in line with the rest of the collection for the first time in a few years. The combination lacks the personality of the S24 Ultra, but we did find it much easier to hold – crucial considering the size of its screen.

At 6.9 inches, 0.1 inches bigger than its predecessor, it’s easily one of the largest panels you’ll find on a smartphone in 2025, Samsung-branded or not. It’s more than just a big panel, though; with Samsung’s dynamic AMOLED 2X technology, 120Hz LTPO tech and support for HDR10+, it’s an absolute treat for watching movies, especially with the screen’s 2600nit max brightness.

It’s also a great canvas for the built-in S Pen stylus that allows you to draw and write on the display with an impressive 2.3ms latency that’s among the fastest in the market. There was a lot of controversy at launch surrounding the lack of Bluetooth in the latest S Pen, and while that means you can’t use air gestures or remote camera shutter features, we’d argue that these are fairly niche uses.

Another feature you won’t find on any other Samsung phone included in this list is a capable zoom camera setup, offering both a 10MP 3x telephoto and a 50MP 5x periscope lens. The capabilities on offer easily beat the competition from Apple and Google. We’re not talking about hitting 100x – these shots still look grainy – but at 30x and below, the results are fantastic.

This year’s flagship also features an upgraded 50MP ultrawide lens, which massively boosts performance in low-light scenarios. Heading it up is the same whopping 200-megapixel main camera from the S24 Ultra, which continues to deliver stunning results both day and night.

Other highlights include top-end performance from a custom Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, all-day battery life from a 5000mAh battery and optimised 45W charging. It also has one of the best long-term promises around, boasting a whopping 7 OS upgrades that’ll take it through to Android 22.

So yes, it’s certainly the most capable of Samsung’s current smartphone collection, but the overall size and premium price tag may put some off. That’s why we recommend a few more options below.

Reviewer: Lewis Painter

Full review: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review

Some might view the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus as the awkward middle child in the new collection, but it still represents a solid middle ground between the entry-level and top-end flagships that’s easy to recommend to most.

While you might not be able to tell the difference between it and the S24 Plus at a glance, the new model is thinner and noticeably lighter than its predecessor. It’s certainly lighter than the S25 Ultra, and easier to wield one-handed as a result.

The phone’s 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED screen is an absolute treat for the eyes; it’s big, bright and vibrant, and makes apps, videos and games look great. It also matches the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s QHD+ resolution in place of the FHD+ resolution of the smaller Galaxy S25 for a pixel-perfect experience.

Like the rest of the collection, the S25 Plus is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy worldwide, with no awkward region-specific chipset split this time around. That means you’re getting quite a boost in performance compared to the S24 Plus, with the S25 Plus benchmarking very well. Real-world testing reflected these results, with a smooth, stutter-free experience when scrolling through apps and gaming.

That chipset powers the same Galaxy AI smarts as the top-end model, and it’ll also receive the same industry-leading seven years of OS upgrades.

It doesn’t quite match the S25 Ultra’s 5000mAh battery, but at 4900mAh, it’s not far off. And, when you consider the difference in screen size, the two perform reasonably similarly. That is to say that it’ll get you through a full day’s use with no issue, but not necessarily a second.

If there’s one key difference between the Galaxy S25 Plus and the S25 Ultra, it’d be the camera offering. While the S25 Ultra packs four lenses, including two zoom lenses and a 200MP primary camera, the S25 Plus retains the same 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, and 10MP 3x telephoto seen for the past few generations.

It’s still a decent setup more than capable of capturing a great shot, but it can’t quite compete with some of the best phones out there like the Ultra can.

Reviewer: Chris Hall

Full review: Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review

There’s a lot of love for the smaller Galaxy S25. It’s not only much cheaper than the top-end Ultra model but it’s easier to hold, especially one-handed, with a pocketable compact design that’s still very much premium. In fact, the Galaxy S25 remains one of few Android smartphones to offer truly premium specs in a smaller chassis.

While the 6.2-inch display is smaller than the 6.7-inch display of the S25 Plus and 6.9-inch display of the S25 Ultra, it boasts the same dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a super smooth LTPO-enabled 120Hz refresh rate, delivering vibrant colours and impressive brightness. It caps out at FHD+ instead of QHD+ like its larger siblings, but that’s much of a muchness on a small panel.

We found it perfectly fine for watching TikToks and YouTube videos, but those who like to watch Netflix or play games on the go may prefer the larger Galaxy S25 Plus.

Battery life isn’t quite as strong as that of the Plus and Ultra models, mainly due to the use of a smaller 4000mAh battery, but our reviewer still had no issues getting through a full day’s use. Make no mistake though; this is a phone you’ll be charging overnight.

In all other respects, the Samsung Galaxy S25 matches the experience offered by the Galaxy S25 Plus, with the same trio of cameras, the same Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, and the same Galaxy AI smarts. It’s just smaller, a little more affordable and starts with 128GB of storage.

Reviewer: Britta O’Boyle

Full review: Samsung Galaxy S25 review

A solid mid-range handset that includes most of the features you’d want from a smartphone, the Galaxy A55 5G may not be Samsung’s flagship model. Still, it is more than capable of everyday use with meaningful upgrades over 2023’s Galaxy A54. 

Improving on the A54’s already-premium design, the A55 is equipped with a glass back and a metal frame that makes it feel a lot like the S25. It is also impressively durable, with an IP67 dust and water resistance rating that promises to keep it protected from accidents and premium Gorilla glass Victus+ screen tech. 

However, the camera setup remains near-identical with a 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide and 5MP macro lenses. Although not as flashy as the S25, the A54’s camera setup is more than capable of producing a decent image in most lighting conditions with largely realistic colours, healthy amounts of detail and plenty of light. 

Inside, you’ll find Samsung’s new Exynos 1480 processor that’s exclusive to the A55, having launched with the phone. It shouldn’t be considered a competitor to flagship phones, but the 4nm chipset can still hold its own in everyday use with a largely lag-free experience. It offers a big boost to performance compared to the A54, though competitors like the Poco X6 Pro do leave it in the dust.

It’s worth noting that, despite a 5000mAh battery that’s larger than most of the S25 collection, this doesn’t mean the Galaxy A55 is a two-day device. Our reviewer found that it’d last a single day without issue, but getting to bed with around 20% of charge left, it’s certainly not a battery warrior.

Still, the Galaxy A55 5 G is one of the best options for those looking for an affordable Samsung smartphone that doesn’t compromise on quality or features.

Reviewer: Andrew Williams

Full review: Samsung Galaxy A55 5G review

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 refines the book-style foldable experience with a sleeker, slimmer design that’s both lighter and more comfortable to hold than its predecessors. The squared-off edges and flat sides complement the Z Fold 6’s modern look, while introducing a slightly larger and broader 6.3-inch cover screen boosts the usability of the external panel.

Unfold the phone and you’ll find a 7.6-inch 120Hz AMOLED panel that’s fantastic for split-screen multitasking, scrolling through TikTok on the big screen and even casual gaming. The crease is still present and accounted for, and even though it’s way less noticeable this time around, it still falls short of what you’ll find from the likes of the OnePlus Open and Honor Magic V3.

Within the Z Fold 6, you’ll find the same custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy as the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It has since been outdone by the Galaxy S25’s Snapdragon 8 Elite, but it remains a rapid performer. It also powers the suite of Galaxy AI tools on the foldable, though the offering is no different from what you’ll find on the S24 collection, with tools like AI Portrait Studio, Magic Doodle, and various photo editing tools all available.

Battery life is also solid, providing decent all-day usage. However, on more demanding days, it can creep uncomfortably close to the 20% mark, so it really depends on what you’re doing.

There’s also a whopping seven years of OS upgrades to look forward to, offering the best long-term support of any book-style foldable around right now, taking the phone all the way to Android 21.

Reviewer: Lewis Painter

Full review: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review

If, instead of a book-style foldable, it’s the clamshell-style that has caught your eye, look no further than the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6. This modern flip phone is cheaper, more compact and just as eye-catching as the larger Z Fold 6, though there’s no telephoto camera on the Flip. 

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 appears very similar to the Z Flip 5 but Samsung has improved the phone’s durability with a stronger and more impact-resistant hinge. The Flip also has a dust resistance rating for the first time with its IP48 certification, while the ‘8’ in that label means it’s about as water resistant as it gets. 

Samsung has stuck with the same handy 3.4-inch cover display found on the Z Flip 5, which is useful but smaller and more limited in its usefulness compared to the 4-inch cover screen found on the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra. You can’t load any app you want on the outer screen as you can on the Razr, but the small display is still handy for replying to messages, skipping music tracks and navigating with Google Maps. It’s also quite customisable with widgets and ideal for capturing selfies and videos hands-free thanks to that sturdy hinge. 

Open up the phone, and the larger 6.7-inch display is bright and crisp for a foldable display, though not quite up to par with the best flat glass panels. 

The Z Flip 6 includes the same cameras as the Z Fold 6 this time around, with the only omission being the telephoto lens. The foldable also packs the same 50-megapixel primary sensor as the Galaxy S25+, which we found to be a strong performer in a variety of situations. 4K/60fps video is vibrant with good handling of light and contrast, though it does feature Samsung’s trademark artificial colouring. 

Finally, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 packs the same custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset as the Z Fold 6 making it a powerful phone with impressive benchmark results. It can run games with high frame rates enabled, but it tends to get hot quite quickly when put under this strain. We encountered no sluggishness, slowdown, or overheating for casual gaming, social media, and everyday use however. 

The battery life can be hit and miss depending on your usage and charging is relatively slow. However, if you’re looking for Samsung’s best clamshell foldable, the Z Flip 6 is it. 

Reviewer: Cam Bunton

Full Review: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6

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