If you bought the Samsung Galaxy S23 when it first came available with a two-year contract, you’ll no doubt be inundated with text messages encouraging you to consider your upgrade options. And if you’ve enjoyed your S23, you may well be wondering what the Samsung Galaxy S25 has in store.
While we’re still a few weeks away from its predicted release, we’ve heard quite a lot about the S25 handset, so we have an idea of what the biggest expected upgrades will be. Here’s what we know so far.
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S23 specs
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Samsung Galaxy S25 (rumored) | Samsung Galaxy S23 |
|---|---|---|
| Display size | 6.36 inches | 6.1 inches |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy |
| Memory | 12GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 1TB | 128GB, 256GB |
| Rear cameras | 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP Telephoto with 3x optical Zoom | 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP Telephoto with 3x optical Zoom and 30x Space Zoom |
| Front camera | 12MP | 12MP |
| Battery size | 4,000 mAh | 3,900 mAh |
| Colors | Navy, Silver Shadow, Icy Blue, Mint. | Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender. |
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S23 price
When it was released in January 2023, the Samsung Galaxy S23 would set you back $799 if you opted for the 128GB model. Nowadays, approaching its second birthday, you can pick up the handset for as little as $420, but these will likely be pre-owned or refurbished.
To Samsung’s credit, that $799 starting price has been maintained for a few years now, but 2025 may be when it finally rises. It’s been reported that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite is set to add to the price of units, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the starting price rose to $899 — but we shall have to wait and see.
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S23 design and display
Recent leaks suggest that the Samsung Galaxy S25 is going to look a lot like the Galaxy S24 — itself not a huge change from the S23.
The big difference, however, is screen size. The Samsung Galaxy S23 has a smallish 6.1-inch OLED screen, and leaks suggest that it’s going to grow to 6.36 inches with the new version.
The S23 has a 120Hz display, as will the new one, and we’re unlikely to see an advance on the Full HD resolution — though it may look a little less sharp when stretched to fill a slightly larger area.
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S23 performance
The biggest difference between the two phones is likely to come in performance and features — themselves a result of the added grunt.
While the Samsung Galaxy S23 used the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset, the S25 will use the Snapdragon 8 Elite. It’s quite a step up: while the S23 achieved average scores of 1,887 and 5,021 in Geekbench 6, our test of the reference chipset reached 3,212 and 10,318. GPU performance is even more stark: where the S23 achieved an average of 87.3fps in the Wild Life Unlimited benchmark, the Elite chipset powering its predecessor reached a massive 150.9fps.
But a new chipset isn’t just about power — it’s about energy efficiency too. It’s highly likely that the Galaxy S25 will comfortably beat the 10 hours and 27 minutes the S23 achieved in our battery tests (especially with an extra 100 mAh of capacity).
Beyond that, the S25 is set to have 4GB more RAM, taking it to 12GB total. This will not only make multitasking performance a bit snappier, but should improve Galaxy AI — a suite of tools that the S23 got a taste of with the One UI 6.1.1 update — no end.
In fact, it’s pretty likely that the extra RAM will give the S25 series some exclusive new AI tricks, possibly with Bixby integration. With a weaker processor and less RAM, the S22 may miss out on these and make do with the Galaxy AI features currently available.
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S23 cameras
Samsung has maintained the same camera array for three generations now, and sadly it looks set to keep it going with the regular S25, once again saving the big photography upgrades for the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
That means we’re looking at a 50MP main camera, supported by a 12MP ultrawide sensor and 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. A year ago, there was also talk of Samsung switching to a Sony sensor on the main camera, but we haven’t heard that resurface in a while.
Of course, camera performance is about more than just raw specs, and it’s possible that the S25 could deliver much better pictures via improved image processing or even some exclusive AI tricks. We’ll have to wait for the phone’s release to find out.
Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Galaxy S23 outlook
From what we’ve heard so far, the Samsung Galaxy S25’s main advantages over the S23 appear to be in terms of raw performance. The Snapdragon 8 Elite should feel incredibly speedy while hopefully offering a longer battery life, and the extra 4GB RAM will help with multitasking and AI tasks as well.
But if your S23 is still feeling powerful enough after two years’ use, it may well prove a tough sell. We’ll have to see if Samsung has enough new AI tricks and surprise extras to make an upgrade seem irresistible when the phone launches in just a few weeks’ time.
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