Galaxy S25 Plus - In Use

[dk001]

Just received my S25 Plus. Came 9 days early.

I am going to cover this as a general user. I normally use a 15 ProMax for work and a S24 Ultra as my main. I have other phones including the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro Fold.

Please ask questions and I will do my best to answer them.

Initial impressions.
Thin and light. Night and day difference in hand compared to my main devices.
Was an ease for me to set up as I copied the data from my S24U. Carrier is Mint Mobile via SIM. I did leave it with OneUI 7.0 instead of my normal Nova. OneUI 7 has some new features and settings that I will need to set to get things where I like.
After setup, this device has been a breeze to use. The animations are more iPhone like so I did activate the Developer Options and cut animations back to 0.5x.
It is fast, fluid, and I have not encountered any initial bugs so far.
I am using RCS via Messages and the Proton Suite for my email/calendar/cloud/vpn/password manager. Working like I expected. Nice change for OneUI 7, the app drawer can be set to vertical.
I prebought a Pitaka case (I really like Pitaka and Thinborne). Fits perfectly and feels really good in hand.
SO far both FaceID and FingerprintID have worked very well.

Other than setup, I haven’t really had time to play with this. Setting up financials, games, other apps has been seamless. Everything has worked so far.
Will be checking Android Auto over the next couple of days. BT in my Chevy Colorado is problem free. Unfortunately the Colorado (2021) Android Auto is wired. My Edge ST is wireless so I’ll can test both, wired and wireless.

More to come. 😎

 

[edubfromktown]

The 25+ looks awesome.

I decided to get Jet Black S25 Ultra (for the extra lenses, wide angle improvements, anti-reflective display coating and a few other minor things) which arrived yesterday. Really impressed with the overall feel and performance (compared to S24+).

Finally, Blue Mail works again! Totally missed AMOLED dark mode.

I use Google Advanced Protection Program (hardware tokens and extra security) and for some reason when setting up my last couple of phones the app would loop back to setup mail whenever I tried to authenticate to gmail.

A few Goodlock extras are missing for now until they are updated for A15.

A few other apps needed auth from my old phone (should have updated apps first) and a couiple had to be uninstalled and reinstalled.

 

[dk001]

The 25+ looks awesome.

I decided to get Jet Black S25 Ultra (for the extra lenses, wide angle improvements, anti-reflective display coating and a few other minor things) which arrived yesterday. Really impressed with the overall feel and performance (compared to S24+).

Finally, Blue Mail works again! Totally missed AMOLED dark mode.

I use Google Advanced Protection Program (hardware tokens and extra security) and for some reason when setting up my last couple of phones the app would loop back to setup mail whenever I tried to authenticate to gmail.

A few Goodlock extras are missing for now until they are updated for A15.

A few other apps needed auth from my old phone (should have updated apps first) and a couiple had to be uninstalled and reinstalled.

I have been using Proton Mail and FairEmail - FairEmail handles all my GMail stuff. Great built in security levels.

 

[dk001]

Been doing some initial photos comparing the 25+ to my iPhone 15 ProMax.
See below.
The S25+ is the photo on the left. For some reason my 15PM likes to moderately yellow lower light photos.

 

[majkom]

Im blind orobably but to me right one (S25) looks bit yellowish, not the left one (iP)

 

[Expos of 1969]

Im blind orobably but to me right one (S25) looks bit yellowish, not the left one (iP)

I agree with you.

 

[dk001]

Im blind orobably but to me right one (S25) looks bit yellowish, not the left one (iP)

@Expos of 1969

Thanks for pointing that out. Apparently the order loaded and the order saved may mix… 😮

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Been doing some initial photos comparing the 25+ to my iPhone 15 ProMax.
See below.
The S25+ is the photo on the left. For some reason my 15PM likes to moderately yellow lower light photos.

How good is the smooth zooming feature when shooting video?

 

[dk001]

How good is the smooth zooming feature when shooting video?

I’ll try that out today and let you know…. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[dk001]

How good is the smooth zooming feature when shooting video?

Did some playing around with smooth zooming on video shooting. Used my shiba’s as targets. 😁

It works. But ….

The function is touchy - you need a light, slow, touch for the control. It is a slider and when you change, if you are too fast, the zoom lags.

I suspect over time I will get better at using it. Especially as updates roll out. For first time use, and the smoothness of the action (you can’t tell when it changes lenses, if it does) I have to say … nice.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Did some playing around with smooth zooming on video shooting. Used my shiba’s as targets. 😁

It works. But ….

The function is touchy - you need a light, slow, touch for the control. It is a slider and when you change, if you are too fast, the zoom lags.

I suspect over time I will get better at using it. Especially as updates roll out. For first time use, and the smoothness of the action (you can’t tell when it changes lenses, if it does) I have to say … nice.

Thanks.

 

[dk001]

Used this over the weekend pretty much exclusively. Played some games, did some reading, photography, played with video, Android Auto (Edge ST 22 - Sync 4). a short hike (3 miles), some online shopping, news via X, Discord, and hooked my Galaxy Ultra watch to it.

So far this device has been very very good. Smooth with no signal loss (WiFi 6 and 5G (Mint Mobile)). Calls have been clear (including Teams video calls).

All apps worked as expected. No real issues and the device never got hot. Gaming after a while it did get a bit warm. Normal IMO.

Photos were great. Not quite as good as the Pixel 9 Pro, but close. From a suggestion (thx @LIVEFRMNYC ) I tried out smooth zooming for video and that shows a lot of potential - learning curve.

Battery has been good but the battery needs time to learn my usage habits.

Just started playing with the Galaxy AI. I’ll cover more on that in a future post.

For now, I am very pleased with the S25 Plus.

 

[Ctrlos]

I'd be interested to know why this year anyone would buy the Ultra model over the Plus. Now they've nerfed the S-pen it looks like all you're losing is an extra 2x on the zoom lens.

 

[aggie99]

I'd be interested to know why this year anyone would buy the Ultra model over the Plus. Now they've nerfed the S-pen it looks like all you're losing is an extra 2x on the zoom lens.

S-pen, larger display, 200 mp main camera, 50 and 10 mp telephoto, 50 mp ultra wide vs 12 mp, titanium frame, a little better battery life, better zoom capabilities as you mentioned. S25+ is a great offering but there is definitely reason to choose the Ultra for many people.

 

[Ctrlos]

S-pen, larger display, 200 mp main camera, 50 and 10 mp telephoto, 50 mp ultra wide vs 12 mp, titanium frame, a little better battery life, better zoom capabilities as you mentioned. S25+ is a great offering but there is definitely reason to choose the Ultra for many people.

Since they ditched the handy Bluetooth features does the S-pen still seem like a selling point? I always thought it a little undercooked, Samsung never willing to bankroll a port of Procreate or anything.

Much like the iPhone I suppose its whatever the consumer is looking for. Curiously I never see many Ultra's knocking around compared to Pixel, Honor or Sony models in the UK. In fact I've probably seen more Fold devices.

 

[Fille84]

The anti reflective screen! People always seems to forget that, but it's a huge deal in my opinion. When I first used S24U it literally ruined glossy screens for me, just looks dated in comparison.

 

[dk001]

Since they ditched the handy Bluetooth features does the S-pen still seem like a selling point? I always thought it a little undercooked, Samsung never willing to bankroll a port of Procreate or anything.

Much like the iPhone I suppose its whatever the consumer is looking for. Curiously I never see many Ultra's knocking around compared to Pixel, Honor or Sony models in the UK. In fact I've probably seen more Fold devices.

Have an S24 Ultra (long term test unit).
Things I miss on the Plus:
Anti reflective coating - I ordered a matte screen protector for the Plus
Circle to search and text select was easier / more accurate with the SPen
BT photo trigger with the SPen but I have my Galaxy watch that can do the same.
Lockscreen notes.

It served a number of items for me but I decided to give the Plus a try. A bit smaller, thinner and definitely lighter.
So far I am liking it though at times I do find myself pressing for the SPen 😂

 

[dk001]

Call Recording, Transcription, and Translation

Had a call with a peer in SA (Portuguese) and asked if it would be okay to do a small recording where he spoke in his native tongue.

Worked like a charm.
Recorded. gave me a transcription, and translated to English. Gave me a summary too. Pretty cool.
Unlike the iPhone, there is no warning when you start the recording.

btw - you need to download the language pack in phone settings > phone assist for the translation to work.

 

[aggie99]

Since they ditched the handy Bluetooth features does the S-pen still seem like a selling point? I always thought it a little undercooked, Samsung never willing to bankroll a port of Procreate or anything.

Much like the iPhone I suppose its whatever the consumer is looking for. Curiously I never see many Ultra's knocking around compared to Pixel, Honor or Sony models in the UK. In fact I've probably seen more Fold devices.

It's still a selling point for me as I use it alot to sign PDFs, mark up construction drawings, fine tune edits, highlight items on screen shots, etc. I moreso do this on my ZF6 and honestly the Ultra series would be just fine for an overwhelming majority of users without the pen. Here in the US the Ultra is the most seen device other than the iPhone, at least for me. To my delight, I do notice more Pixels lately and an occasional foldable. I wish we had the option to choose some of the devices from Xiaomi, Vivo, etc but I don't think that will ever be an option here 😐

 

[Ctrlos]

It's still a selling point for me as I use it alot to sign PDFs, mark up construction drawings, fine tune edits, highlight items on screen shots, etc. I moreso do this on my ZF6 and honestly the Ultra series would be just fine for an overwhelming majority of users without the pen. Here in the US the Ultra is the most seen device other than the iPhone, at least for me. To my delight, I do notice more Pixels lately and an occasional foldable. I wish we had the option to choose some of the devices from Xiaomi, Vivo, etc but I don't think that will ever be an option here 😐

I could see how the ZF6 would be useful in that scenario I've used a few of the other foldables but without that pen as a key interaction, they mostly come off as bigger phones rather than small tablets. This said the Honor Magic 3 is something to behold, being as thick as a regular phone when folded shut.

The ZF6 also has Dex mode which if I were a road warrior I'd be using all the time. I used my old S23 all the time on hotel TVs as a retro console.

 

[dk001]

Been a little while and about time for an update.

Been using my S25 Plus as my main for most of the month now. iPhone 15 ProMax for work, Pixel 9 Pro Fold for odds and ends, and the S25P as my personal. Using a Pitaka case and recently put a MagGlass Matte Screen Protector on it. This device is running great.

Screen protector had a minimal effect on using fingerprints to unlock. I redid the fingerprints and it has been working like normal.

Have run into a few minor bugs from OneUI 7 but nothing that affects my normal everyday use. Biggest issue is via Android Auto (Edge ST - Sync 4) where if I am listening to music via YouTube Music, it will sporadically drop the volume and then pick it back up. Seeing the same via BT in my Chevy Colorado. Both are wireless connections.

Battery use is crazy good. During a normal day I am seeing 40% plus left by day end. Better than any other device I currently have. Charging is simple and easy. I use either a 100w cable, 50w wireless charger (it’s a OnePlus charging stand) or the mat charger in my Edge. The alert that OneUI 7 is learning my battery use / charging habits has disappeared.

Camera and video has been really good. Getting better at live zooming on video. Photos I would put slightly less than ones taken from the Pixel 9 Pro (no more testing as I gifted the Pixel) and on par or better than the iPhone 15PM.

No real issue from apps - everything I use and have tried has worked. Enjoying the live translation. I interact with quite a few work folks from different countries. For those that do not speak good American English, this is a crazy good tool.

Playing around with Gemini. When I drop back to my iPhone for work, it is amazing how crappy Siri is.

More to come. For now, I am enjoying this device.

 

[dk001]

Been doing a good bit of plying with cameras; both photos and video.

Photos - the built in focus needs a bit of work. If you are looking to take a framed photo - framed by objects in the photo - the focus will shift to the frame instead of the point of focus. Overall it isn’t the best device I have for photos however it does a more than decent job. Call it in the top 20% of my devices.

Video - not bad at all and I have come to really like the live zoom feature while you are recording. You can see a little blip when it shifts lens. As the software gets a couple of updates it will just get better.