Samsung Galaxy S25

The Samsung Galaxy S25 is Samsung's latest flagship phone, sitting at the top of their lineup with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip doing the heavy lifting. It's the phone you pick if you want a proper flagship without going all-in on the Ultra model – you get the same core processing power as its bigger siblings, just with a more sensible size and a more reasonable asking price. If you're coming from an older Samsung or switching from another brand and want a phone that genuinely feels like an upgrade, this is it.

Performance-wise, the Snapdragon 8 Elite is brutally fast – apps open instantly, gaming is smooth as butter, and multitasking never makes it hiccup. The 6.2-inch display is crisp (120Hz refresh rate keeps scrolling buttery), the camera system takes excellent stills in good light with proper colour accuracy, and the 4,000mAh battery easily gets you through a full day of heavy use, hitting 50% by evening. The phone feels premium in your hand too – it's got Gorilla Glass Armor on the front and an aluminium frame, so it doesn't feel cheap or plasticky.

Against the S25 Ultra, you're saving money but losing some zoom capability (the Ultra has better telephoto lenses) and a slightly larger screen. Compared to iPhones, the S25 gives you more customisation and flexibility with Android, though if you're deep in Apple's ecosystem that matters less. UK buyers should check if their network supports eSIM properly before ordering, and bear in mind that Samsung's UK warranty is solid – genuinely worth knowing before you buy.