Samsung Galaxy S25 Review: Is It Worth Buying?

Samsung shipped the S25 in an unusually wide shape: a compact 6.2-inch base model, a larger Plus, a titanium-framed Edge built around thinness, a 6.9-inch Ultra with a 200MP camera, and a lower-cost FE. That spread means the question "is the Galaxy S25 worth buying" has five different correct answers, and picking the wrong one costs you between $300 and $500.

Three groups get the most out of this generation. First, anyone upgrading from an S21 or S22 or earlier, where the gap in processor, camera and display is large enough to feel like a different device. Second, buyers who want the compact 6.2-inch form factor without giving up current flagship silicon. Third, anyone who needs a large screen with an S Pen built in, because the Ultra is the only phone in the family that has one.

Three groups should look elsewhere. Anyone who bought an S24 last year is being asked to cross a generational gap for very little — the price data makes that unpleasant. Anyone who wants a genuinely small phone is not served; 6.2 inches is compact by flagship standards, not small. And anyone whose priority is battery endurance over screen size should look at the FE, which exists precisely to be the sensible one.

One structural point deserves emphasis, because it is the thing that actually differentiates this generation in the resale market: the S25 base model moved to 128GB of storage on the entry listing while the Plus and Ultra 512GB variants are readily available. Storage, not processor, is now the primary reason the price ladder inside the family is so steep, and it is the number to think about first.

The base S25 is the variant the review has to get right, because it is the one most people will actually buy. The specification in the listings is consistent: an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite (SM8750-Ab), a 6.2-inch display and a 50MP camera. A separate listing for the SM-S931U expands the chipset detail, describing the Snapdragon 8 Elite as built on Qualcomm's 3-nanometre fabrication node with a new Oryon CPU architecture using two performance cores.

Samsung Galaxy S25 128GB SM-S931U1 factory unlocked — $399.99

The is the cheapest credible S25 in the guide at $399.99, described as excellent condition with possibly only very minor cosmetic wear from handling, storage or overstock inventory. It is listed as CDMA and GSM unlocked, which widens carrier compatibility. This is the listing to buy if you want a base S25 and do not care about colour.

• Pros: lowest confirmed S25 price in the guide; factory unlocked across both CDMA and GSM; excellent condition described as near-mint; 128GB with the Snapdragon 8 Elite and 6.2-inch display.
• Cons: colour is a dropdown choice rather than a fixed SKU, so you cannot see exactly which you are buying; no retail box implied.

Samsung Galaxy S25 128GB Navy, B-stock — $414.98

The is $414.98 and gives the most complete hardware description of the base model: octa-core Snapdragon 8 Elite, 6.2-inch display, 50MP camera, 128GB storage, described as unlocked for any network. B-stock is the terminology that means it was returned, overstocked or shop-demoed — a real device with a real discount, and the $15 saving here is honest but modest.

• Pros: cleanest published spec sheet of any base S25 listing here; $414.98 is only $15 over the cheapest; described as unlocked for any network; navy is a colour that hides fingerprints.
• Cons: B-stock means the warranty and packaging story is usually thinner than a retail unit; the price saving is small enough that the risk is not obviously worth it.

Samsung Galaxy S25 SM-S931U1 128GB Navy — $464.98

The at $464.98 comes with the most informative condition description in the roundup: a 14-day retail return, sent back to a centralised returns warehouse, retested for full functionality, still in excellent cosmetic condition, with previous user data removed and sanitised to industry standards. That is a materially better-documented proposition than a generic "excellent" claim.

• Pros: a 14-day return is the least risky category of used phone, because a fault will have surfaced during the original return window; data explicitly sanitised; retested, not merely resold; $464.98 sits below the typical retail-unit price for a carrier-unlocked handset.
• Cons: $65 more than the cheapest S25, and a 14-day return means the device has already been through one owner's month of use.

Samsung Galaxy S25 128GB unlocked, very good — $606.59

The is listed at $606.59 across all colours, and the same listing carries the fullest chipset description in the review: the Snapdragon 8 Elite on a 3-nanometre process with the Oryon CPU architecture. Included here as a price-ceiling reference rather than a recommendation.

• Pros: colour is a choice across all available options; the listing carries the most detailed processor description of any S25 here.
• Cons: at $606.59 this costs more than a 512GB S25+ listed at $517.99, which is the most important fact about it; "very good" is below excellent.

Do not buy this one. The identical 512GB storage in an S25+ listing at $517.99 makes this the clearest example in the review of a price that makes no sense.

The Plus and the Edge are frequently confused, and they are not variations on the same idea. The Plus is a bigger S25. The Edge is a thinner one, and the listing for it is explicit about why: Samsung's slimmest Galaxy S series phone to date, pairing the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy platform with a titanium frame to keep the chassis down.

Samsung Galaxy S25+ 256GB, good condition — $479.99

The is $479.99, described as having moderate signs of use and unlocked for US domestic carriers only, with the seller's warning that it will not work with international carriers. At $479.99 for 256GB this is arguably the best-balanced listing in the entire review.

• Pros: 256GB at $479.99 undercuts the base S25 128GB listing by a wide margin; Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy platform; good condition with the wear honestly described.
• Cons: US domestic carriers only, explicitly; moderate signs of use, so expect light wear; no retail box mentioned.

Samsung Galaxy S25+ 512GB, good condition — $517.99

The at $517.99 is only $38 more than the 256GB version above. That $38 for double the storage is the single best price-per-gigabyte trade anywhere in this review, and it is why storage, not processor, is the right place to focus when comparing S25 configurations.

• Pros: 512GB for $517.99, by far the cheapest storage per dollar in the family; same Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy platform; good condition with wear described.
• Cons: US domestic carrier unlock only; moderate signs of use; $517.99 is more than the base S25 costs for twice the storage.

Samsung Galaxy S25+ 256GB Navy unlocked — $525.86

The at $525.86 carries the longest feature description of the Plus listings, describing it as balancing advanced productivity features with top-tier multimedia performance. It is the tidiest-specified of the three 256GB Plus listings, and the price sits sensibly between the 256GB and 512GB units.

• Pros: colour-specific SKU, so you see exactly what you are buying; large-screen flagship experience described in the listing; mid-range price within the Plus tier.
• Cons: $46 more than the 256GB good-condition listing for the same storage; good rather than excellent condition.

Samsung Galaxy S25+ 512GB Silver Shadow — $893.82

The at $893.82 lists the Plus as running the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy with 12GB of RAM, aimed at demanding multitasking and sustained gaming. It is included as a ceiling marker, because a 512GB Plus at nearly $900 is $376 more than the identical storage tier at $517.99.

• Pros: 12GB of RAM is the highest memory figure in the review; 512GB; a listing that names the RAM explicitly, which most do not.
• Cons: $893.82 is the least defensible price in the guide for a device that exists at $517.99 in the same storage tier; good condition only.

Skip it. Same hardware tier, two thirds of the price elsewhere. This is the listing the rest of the review exists to help you avoid.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge 256GB open box — $438.99

The is $438.99, and the condition is defined properly: 10 out of 10, no signs of use. Open box is a return or display unit that has been checked over and resold, and it is the closest thing to new at a discount. For a phone whose entire selling point is its finish, a 10/10 unit is exactly the right condition to buy.

• Pros: 10/10 condition with no signs of use; the Edge is described as Samsung's slimmest Galaxy S series phone to date, with a titanium frame; 256GB; unlocked across a listed set of US GSM carriers.
• Cons: slimness comes with less internal volume, which is the trade the Edge exists to make; the largest carriers in some regions are excluded from the listed compatibility set.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge 512GB unlocked excellent — $526.86

The is $526.86 and repeats the key hardware claim: the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy platform with a titanium frame keeping the whole chassis thin, described as Samsung's slimmest Galaxy S series to date. Excellent condition with all colours available.

• Pros: excellent condition with colour choice; 512GB; the Edge's titanium-and-thinness proposition at a mid-range price.
• Cons: the $526.86 sits only $9 above the 512GB Plus at $517.99, so you are choosing on form factor and materials rather than on value; a slim phone is a less practical phone.

The Ultra is a different product with a different job, and the listings make that obvious before anything else: a 6.9-inch screen, a 200.0MP camera, 12GB of RAM, a dual SIM slot and 5G. Another listing adds the software and battery claims, listing AI Night Mode, a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, a 5000mAh battery and a built-in S Pen. Those four extras are the reason the Ultra costs what it costs.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 256GB Titanium Black, B-stock — $649.98

The is the cheapest Ultra in the review at $649.98, and the description is thorough: 6.9-inch display, 200.0MP camera, dual SIM, 12GB of RAM, 5G, unlocked for any network. It is the most hardware per dollar in the Ultra tier by a wide margin.

• Pros: lowest confirmed Ultra price; full specification published; 12GB of RAM and a dual SIM slot, neither of which is standard on the base model; $649.98 is $190 below the fully tested unit below.
• Cons: B-stock, so the packaging and warranty story is reduced; a large phone at a large price still carries a large repair risk.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 256GB Titanium Silverblue — $729.98

The is $729.98 and lists the features a buyer actually asks about: AI Night Mode camera, Snapdragon 8 Elite, 5000mAh battery and built-in S Pen. The condition is 14-day retail returns retested for full functionality, in excellent cosmetic condition.

• Pros: the only listing in the review that names the 5000mAh battery and the S Pen, which are the two features that justify the Ultra price; retail-return provenance with retesting; $80 less than the open box Ultra below.
• Cons: $80 more than the B-stock Titanium Black; 256GB is the base Ultra storage.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 256GB Blue, A grade — $697.99

The is $697.99 with the seller defining the condition precisely: A grade with some light scratches and used signs on screen and body. The compatibility list is unusually thorough and equally useful as a warning — a wide set of US GSM carriers, but explicitly no Cricket and no Straight Talk.

• Pros: $48 cheaper than the Silverblue unit; A grade is a defined standard rather than a vague descriptor; 6.9-inch 256GB Ultra configuration confirmed.
• Cons: light scratches and screen use marks are stated, not hidden; Cricket and Straight Talk are excluded, which is a real limitation on a US carrier-locked market.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 256GB fully tested, excellent — $800.00

The is $800.00 and is the most thoroughly documented listing in the review: fully functional with all major functions verified, clean IMEI ready for activation, unlocked for all carriers, battery health in good condition, reset and ready for new owner. It is included to mark the top of the realistic range.

• Pros: every function verified rather than asserted; clean IMEI stated; reset and ready for a new owner; battery health addressed explicitly, which almost no listing does.
• Cons: $800.00 is $150 more than the B-stock Titanium Black for the same 256GB configuration; excellent condition wording is less specific than the retested returns units.

Buy it only if you want the best-documented Ultra available and the extra $150 buys you certainty. For most people the B-stock unit at $649.98 is the same phone for $150 less.

Two comparisons decide most real purchases here: the FE against the base model, and the S25 against a used S24. Both are answerable with the price data.

Samsung Galaxy S25 FE 128GB Black, A grade — $304.99

The is $304.99, the cheapest S25-family device in the review, described with light scratches and used signs on screen and body, unlocked for US domestic carriers only. At under $305 it undercuts the base S25 by $95, which is the entire argument for the FE.

• Pros: lowest price of any S25-family listing in the guide; A grade condition defined rather than vague; 128GB with a 6.7-inch class display in the FE line.
• Cons: light scratches acknowledged; US domestic carriers only; the FE is a cut-down device, so the processor tier is below the base S25.

Samsung Galaxy S25 FE 256GB JetBlack, A grade — $368.99

The is $368.99 and confirms a 6.7-inch display at the 256GB tier. For $64 more than the 128GB FE you get double the storage, which is the same lesson the Plus tier teaches and a better deal than the one it teaches. Compatibility is again a wide set of US GSM carriers with Cricket and Straight Talk excluded.

• Pros: 256GB for $64 more than the 128GB unit; 6.7-inch display confirmed in the listing; A grade condition honestly described.
• Cons: $368.99 is approaching the base S25 128GB at $399.99, so the saving narrows to $31; Cricket and Straight Talk excluded; light scratches acknowledged.

Galaxy S24 5G 256GB unlocked — $303.99

The at $303.99 is the most important listing in the review for anyone who already owns an S24. It is a flagship Samsung with 256GB, unlocked for US domestic carriers, in good condition with moderate signs of use, and it costs $96 less than the base S25 128GB. The generational upgrade costs money and buys you 128GB less storage.

• Pros: 256GB flagship Samsung for $303.99; good condition with wear honestly described; the same Snapdragon 8 generation family as the S25, one step back.
• Cons: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy rather than the 8 Elite; US domestic carriers only; moderate signs of use.

Buy it instead of an S25 if you already own an S23 or later. This is the single best argument in the review against upgrading.

Galaxy S24 256GB Onyx Black refurbished — $407.86

The is $407.86, described as a compact flagship built around Galaxy AI features and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy processor, designed for users who want top-tier performance in a pocketable form. It is $7.87 cheaper than the 128GB S25 while carrying twice the storage.

• Pros: 256GB for $407.86, effectively matching the base S25 128GB price with double the storage; very good refurbished condition; Galaxy AI features present; compact flagship form factor.
• Cons: very good condition means visible wear; refurbished warranty is shorter than retail; one processor generation behind.

Galaxy S24 128GB unlocked, very good — $366.86

The at $366.86 is described as flagship-tier performance in a refined compact form for everyday users, mobile photographers and professionals. At $33 less than the base S25 128GB, it is the closest apples-to-apples comparison in the guide and the hardest upgrade to justify.

• Pros: $366.86 for the same 128GB storage as the $399.99 S25; very good condition described clearly; the compact form factor is explicitly the point of the listing.
• Cons: one generation behind on the processor; very good rather than excellent condition.

Galaxy S24 FE new sealed — $330.00

The is $330.00 in original Samsung retail packaging, 128GB with 8GB of RAM, described as a 6.7-inch display and compatible with AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and most MVNO carriers. A brand-new sealed device for $25 less than the used S25 FE is a genuinely awkward comparison.

• Pros: brand new, factory sealed, never opened, original packaging; 128GB plus 8GB of RAM; the widest carrier compatibility in the review, including CDMA networks.
• Cons: a previous generation; $330.00 is more than the used S25 FE 128GB at $304.99 despite being older.

Yes, for most buyers who are upgrading from anything older than an S23, and no, for almost everyone else. That is the honest verdict, and the price ladder in the listings above is what makes it possible to say.

Buy the Galaxy S25+ 512GB if you want the best value in the family. At $517.99 it is the cheapest storage per dollar anywhere in this review, it runs the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, and it costs $38 more than the 256GB version for twice the capacity. The only real limitation is the US-domestic-only unlock.

Buy the base Galaxy S25 128GB if you want the compact 6.2-inch flagship and want it cheap. The $399.99 factory-unlocked listing is the lowest confirmed price for the model, and the specifications — octa-core Snapdragon 8 Elite, 50MP camera — are genuinely current.

Buy the S25 Ultra 256GB in Titanium Black if you need the 6.9-inch screen, the 200MP camera, the S Pen and 12GB of RAM. At $649.98 B-stock it is $150 below the fully tested unit, and nothing else in the family has an S Pen.

Buy the S25 FE 128GB if $305 is your ceiling. It is the cheapest current-generation Samsung in the review, and the trade is a cut-down processor and 6.7-inch display for the money.

Buy the Galaxy S24 instead if you already own an S23. A 256GB S24 5G at $303.99 and a 128GB S24 at $366.86 both undercut equivalent S25 configurations, and a refurbished 256GB S24 at $407.86 matches the base S25's price with double the storage. The generational upgrade is real but it is not free, and the arithmetic in this review does not support it for an S23 or S24 owner.

Do not buy the or the featured above. Both exist at dramatically lower prices in the same storage tier, and the only reason to pay more is colour or a specific SKU preference.

Two accessories genuinely complete the phone, and both are cheap relative to the handset. The at $22.02 is a carbon lens protector, and on a phone whose Ultra camera is a 200MP sensor the extra glass over it is cheap insurance. The at $35.27 is a privacy-filter protector made from 60% recycled glass with a smudge-free coating, useful if you use the phone in a train or a coffee shop. If you are also replacing the bundled audio, the at $79.99 sit in the same ecosystem, and the at $210.00 is the matching watch for anyone who wants independent GPS rather than phone-assisted tracking.

For the wider context of how this phone compares to the other flagship option, our iPhone 15 versus Samsung Galaxy S24 comparison covers the ecosystem decision that sits underneath all of this — and the price logic there follows the same pattern as the listings above, where the previous generation represents the better value.

Finally, a note on what this review is not. Every price and specification here was read from live eBay listings with prices confirmed on September 30, 2026, and condition grades are the sellers' own. eBay prices change daily and vary considerably by seller, condition and shipping — the gap between the cheapest and most expensive S25 Ultra 256GB listing in this review is over $150 for the same storage. Before you buy, confirm the IMEI is clean, confirm your carrier appears in the compatibility list, and read the condition grade word for word rather than skimming it.