Samsung Galaxy S25 review

Familiar triple-camera setup on the back

The Samsung Galaxy S25 and S25+ both feature the same camera system as their predecessors ever since the Galaxy S22 lineup. We've got the familiar 50MP main camera joined by a 10MP telephoto camera and a 12MP ultrawide one. The selfie unit is 12MP with autofocus.

• Wide (main): 50MP Samsung ISOCELL (S5K)GN3, 1/1.56", 1.0µm, f/1.8, 24mm, dual pixel AF, OIS; 4320p@30fps, 2160p@60fps
• Telephoto: 10MP Samsung ISOCELL (S5K)3K1, 1/3.94", 1.0µm, f/2.4, 67mm, AF, OIS; 2160p@60fps
• Ultrawide: 12MP Sony IMX564, 1/2.55", 1.4µm, f/2.2, 13mm, fixed focus; 2160p@60fps
• Front camera: 12MP Samsung S5K3LU, 1/3.2", 1.12µm, f/2.2, 26mm, PDAF; 2160p@60fps

Having said that, we don't expect any drastic changes to the overall processing or quality, even with the evolution of ISPs throughout the years. Kudos for sticking with a potent 12MP selfie camera with autofocus, but we still think that the absence of autofocus for the ultrawide camera is far from ideal, to say the least.

Samsung has revamped the camera app with OneUI 7. The mode carousel is now placed under the shutter button instead of above and when you open the extra modes, they no longer hide your viewfinder. Pro mode options have been redesigned to keep the controls out of the way too.

Daylight photo quality

Main camera

The main camera produces clean stills with a good amount of detail, wide dynamic range and punchy, yet not over-the-top colors. The image quality is just like last year.

This also means the photos leave a bit more to be desired in terms of sharpness. They are not very optically sharp and when you shoot inside, they get even softer. We may have praised these photos 2-3 years ago but the industry is moving at a rapid pace.

Contrast is generally good, but sometimes photos can look a bit flat with more challenging lighting conditions, say when you have a backlit scene.

Main camera samples

You can force the main camera to capture in its full 50MP resolution, and the results are interesting. Sure, they are flat and look even softer without the extra processing (look at that mushy grass), but some parts of the image look better (the tiles on the facades).

50MP main camera samples

There are portrait toggles at 1x, 2x and 3x zoom levels, so there is plenty of versatility to play around with.

The Portrait mode shots are quite alright in terms of subject separation and bokeh rendition; however, the definition of the facial features is softer than in the regular photos. The difference is especially prominent with the 3x camera.

Portraits: Normal • Portrait mode

2x crop zoom

The 2x crop zoom photos are more than decent. Sure, you get a bit more grain and stills are generally softer than their 1x counterparts, but Samsung achieved lossless-like quality.

2x crop zoom samples

We observed some focus issues in 2x crop zoom mode, but they were rather minor. Take a look at the first scene in particular.

2x portraits: Normal • Portrait mode

3x telephoto camera

The 3x telephoto photos are fairly decent but definitely not a standout feature of the phone. The zoom photos match the main camera's processing in terms of colors, contrast, color temperature, etc.

Detail is solid, perhaps better than you'd expect, given the 10MP to 12MP upscale action. The grain is there in the shadows if you go looking for it, but it's not getting in the way. Dynamic range and colors are great.

3x telephoto camera samples

3x camera portraits: Normal • Portrait mode

Ultrawide camera

We had high hopes for the ultrawide on the Galaxy S25 because the S24's ultra-wide was actually quite good (the lack of AF aside). However, compared to the S25+ we have for review as well, we were disappointed to see our S25's UW was plagued by some sort of a lens issue (a proper retail unit, mind you). As a result, faraway subjects like the buildings have compromised sharpness. Closer subjects appear to be unaffected as far as we can tell.

We've added a few Galaxy S25+ samples below so you can compare them for yourselves.

Still, the dynamic range is on point, and the overall processing seems to match the main camera's.

Ultrawide camera samples

Galaxy S25+ ultrawide camera samples

Selfies

There's no change in the selfie camera as well, which is a good thing because we liked the selfies by the S24 and we appreciate the autofocus. The subject is always well-exposed, with natural skin tone, excellent colors, wide dynamic range and plenty of detail to go around.

Selfies

Low-light photo quality

Main camera

Just like the vast majority of phones nowadays, the Galaxy S25's default Photo mode will decide for you when the dedicated Night mode is appropriate, given the scene. However, as last year, we found it to be very relaxed. In most cases, the system will prefer the standard Photo mode unless it's very dark.

The regular nighttime photos have a laidback processing and good highlight retention but not very bright shadows. There is plenty of noise too. The color rendition is nice.

Auto Night mode main camera samples

Forcing the Night mode produces much more likable results by clearing up the noise and boosting sharpness and contrast. In certain scenes, you can get dramatically improved results with the Night mode Forced On, so we suggest using it despite the aggressive microcontrast increase.

Forced Night mode main camera samples

2x crop zoom

With the 2x photos, rendition is largely comparable to that of the standard 1x, but expect a slight drop in sharpness and a further increase in noise. Opting for the dedicated Night mode is once again advisable as it boosts colors, clears up the noise and adds micro-contrast.

Auto Night mode 2x crop zoom samples

Interestingly, the camera would often refuse to take 2x Night mode shots even when trying to force it.

Forced Night mode 2x crop zoom samples

3x telephoto camera

The 3x telephoto camera seems to be struggling at night, no matter the mode. The samples are very noisy, with washed-out colors and definitely not the sharpest ones around. The Night mode brings out a bit more detail, fixes the color saturation and brightens up the shadows, but the end result is still far from ideal.

Auto Night mode 3x telephoto samples

We observed the same behavior with the 3x zoom camera where the camera just won't take Night mode stills sometimes.

Forced Night mode 3x telephoto samples

Ultrawide camera

Due to the misaligned focus we already mentioned, the ultrawide camera's low-light photos are a letdown regardless of whether we use the Auto mode or we force the Night mode on.

Again, we've added a few Galaxy S25+ samples below so you can compare them for yourselves. The difference is much more pronounced at night for some reason.

Ultrawide samples: Auto Night mode • Night mode

Galaxy S25+ Night mode ultrawide samples

Video recording

All four cameras on the Galaxy S25 can record video at up to 4K60, with the rear main camera also capable of 8K30 recording. The Pro video mode adds 24fps options for both 4K and 8K. There is no 4K120 option like on the S25 Ultra.

The HDR video recording has been upgraded to 10-bit HDR video (up from 8-bit last year). There is also a new Galaxy Log video mode where you intend to do the color grading of the footage later yourself.

The default video codec is h.265 (HEVC), offering you the choice between prioritizing high quality or reducing file size. Alternatively, you can select the older, less efficient h.264 codec.

Every camera mode includes video stabilization, which you can disable in settings if you prefer another method for maintaining stability and prioritizing field of view.

Another video-related feature in OneUI is the new AI audio eraser in the Gallery, which allows you to adjust the volume of certain type of sounds in your videos after they’ve been taken - you get a choice of speech, music, wind, nature, crowd and noise.

You can check out the playlist below, which includes multiple video samples.

Starting with the 4K clip from the main camera. The footage is clean, sharp, and detailed, with a wide dynamic range, good contrast and punchy colors. It holds up to the flagship standard with ease. The 2x crop zoom video is quite decent too.

The 3x zoom video is very detailed, decently sharp and with a wide dynamic range. We also like the color reproduction and the clean look without noticeable noise.

The ultrawide camera produces very soft videos, especially for 4K due to the same misalignment issue. Again, we've added a Galaxy S25+ ultrawide sample in the playlist above so you can see how much sharper it is - especially at night.

When it comes to the nighttime performance, the main camera can record nice low-light videos, although we've seen slightly sharper clips from competing phones and with wider dynamic range. Notice the clipped highlights. On the other hand, there's plenty of detail in the shadows and the noise isn't too much.

We are surprised by the 3x telephoto camera as well. Sure, it's a bit grainy, but the level of detail and sharpness are both quite impressive for a small telephoto unit like this one.

The ultrawide video, on the other hand, is just abysmal. It's extremely soft, murky, with clipped highlights and lacks detail.

We tested the stabilization with the main camera in 4K mode and are extremely happy with the result. The stabilization is very smooth and probably one of the best around.