With a potential Galaxy Unpacked on the horizon, Samsung fans have a lot to be excited about. But if you're like and using a different device, the Galaxy S25 rumors that ever haver emerged thus far may not have you pumped up for the new phones. In fact, at this point, I'm really not all that inclined to change devices.
For reference, I have always had an iPhone as my main smartphone. Currently, I am using the iPhone 15 Pro Max. I'm no stranger to Android phones in general or Samsung devices in particular — I've tested the Galaxy Z Fold 5, so it's not like I have no experience using Samsung phones. However, I have a couple of issues with the mainline Samsung phones that just make them unappealing to me.
What is it exactly about Samsung’s next generation of phones that's not enticing me ahead of the S25 launch? It starts with what we're hearing about the hardware.
Hardware change rumors are minimal at best
To me, modern smartphones just don't deliver the hardware upgrades they used to. That's not an issue with Samsung in particular — Apple has had a similar problem with some of its recent models. (There's a reason I'm still on that iPhone 15 Pro Max instead of upgrading to an iPhone 16.)
That isn't to say there are no differences in phones from one year to the next, but the reality is that the majority of changes feel minimal. For instance, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is expected to feature a 200MP camera, but that's the same spec the current Galaxy S24 Ultra offers. And tht phone couldn't beat either the iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max in a 200-photo face-off. So what's to get excited about there?
To be fair, the chips that power phones do see some year-over-year improvements. For instance, several leaks have indicated that each phone in the Galaxy S25 series will come with the new Snapdragon 8 Elite. It's a powerful chip and could overpower the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s A18 Pro Chip. However, the majority of users will never really notice the performance difference in their day-to-day life. I will say that the rumored increased RAM could have some benefits for the S25 series, but there are limits to what more RAM can achieve on a phone.
The point is that, for the most part, using a Galaxy S25 Ultra won't feel that much different than using the S24 Ultra. And the differences between the Galaxy and iPhone models feel pretty marginal as well. If I spend the day with a Galaxy Phone, then the iPhone for another day, I doubt the overall experience would feel all that different.
Galaxy AI could be better, but it is no reason to buy a phone
Instead of hardware upgrades, the main focus of most phone updates these days is taken up by AI features. This makes sense to a degree; smartphone hardware has reached the point where it’s harder to distinguish one phone of another. Ai provides another way for phones to stand out from their rivals.
But I don't think AI features in their current form provide enough reason to swap brands. In part, that's because the current crop of AI features largely do the same thing, in spite of their potential as a differentiating factor for handsets. Look at Apple Intelligence and Galaxy AI — they both offer improved search results and photo enhancement. There are some differences, but you'd likely never notice them in your day-to-day use.
Galaxy AI does have some advantages over Apple Intelligence. Circle to Search is a compelling tool without any direct equivalent on iOS devices. And Samsung's Generative Edits as part of Photo Assist offer more versatility than Apple's rudimentary AI photo tools like Clean Up. But slight edges aren't enough to make me jump over to a Galaxy phone.
The other potential issue is that AI features eventually could be locked behind a paywall. That is a big issue, especially because it could add another subscription service to my life. There are some indications that Apple could include parts of Apple Intelligence as part of their Apple One subscription, which includes Apple Arcade and Apple TV Plus. But we'll have to see what Apple and Samsung do going forward, which seems like reason enough to stand pat to me.
Other Samsung phones are more interesting but too expensive
Even after all that, I am not completely opposed to Samsung's phones. I have been using the Galaxy Z Fold 5, and I love that foldable. So even if the Galaxy S series holds no interest for me, I am tempted by the Galaxy Z Fold 6. And it's worth mention that Samsung also offers some of the best affordable phone options, such as the Galaxy A35 and the recently announced Galaxy A16 5G.
Samsung's biggest strength is that it offers variety — something Apple struggles with. While I am excited about the iPhone SE 4, it doesn't change the fact that all the iPhones feel very much like the same device at this point. When I want a change of pace, I will turn to Samsung. However, for a basic mainstream phone, I see no reason to change over.
To be fair, a lot of what I know about the Galaxy S25 comes from rumor and speculation. If it turns out that Samsung has a few surprises up its sleeve later this month, I could rethink my position on the upcoming phone. So I'll have to wait and see before making a final choice on upgrading or not.
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