Best Samsung Phone 2025: The Ultimate Galaxy Smartphones
We put Samsung’s recent output to the test to find the perfect phone for you
Picking out which Samsung phone is best is no simple task. The South Korean tech giant has been one of the biggest handset manufacturers in the world over the past decade or so, largely because it churns out so many of the best phones on the market.
Unlike its chief rival, Apple, Samsung has tried to dominate the market with its series of Galaxy phone models by releasing models that span a healthy price range, from the dirt-cheap Galaxy A15 to the extra-large Galaxy S24 Ultra. Here at Expert Reviews, we’ve put more than 70 of Samsung’s phones to the test over the years and they’ve rarely let us down.
Of course, which Samsung phone you choose will depend on a variety of reasons. Budget is likely to be the largest factor in making this decision, but you’ll also want to weigh up other important aspects, such as screen size, display quality, battery life, and cameras.
We run through our top picks of Samsung phones below, preceded by a brief explanation of how we test each phone that comes through our doors.
Best Samsung phones: At a glance
| Best flagship | Samsug Galaxy S24 Ultra | $1,299 | Check price at Amazon |
| Best value | Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | $315 | Check price at Amazon |
| Best value foldable | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 | $1,000 | Check price at Amazon |
How we test Samsung phones
As with all the smartphones we review, we start by downloading the Geekbench and GFXBench apps from the Google Play Store. Testing the CPU and GPU, respectively, these apps produce a set of scores that we can use to compare the phone to other Samsung models and its similarly priced competitors. For the display, we use a colorimeter and DisplayCal software to measure how accurately colors are reproduced, as well as results for the contrast ratio and maximum brightness.
For our battery test, that same DisplayCal software is used to set the brightness to 170cd/m2, in order to maintain consistency across devices . We then engage flight mode and run our standard looping video, noting the timestamp when the phone died. Finally, we examine the cameras, taking a range of shots with all the lenses, including interiors, landscapes, low-light, and portraits. We’ll also shoot some rapid panning video to judge the efficacy of the stabilization. For an in-depth methodology, read our full How we test phones article.
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The best Samsung Phones you can buy in 2025
1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Best Samsung flagship
Price when reviewed: $1,299 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… superb cameras and outstanding battery life
- Not so great for… large and expensive
With the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Samsung really pulled it out of the bag. Our Expert Reviews Product of the Year awards saw it win Best Phone Battery Life of the Year and Premium Smartphone of the Year, as well as a Highly Commended award for Best Phone Camera.
kicked off 2024 with a bang. Externally, not a lot had changed from the Galaxy S23 Ultra – aside from a new titanium body – but, internally, the move to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset seriously improved performance, and we found battery life was significantly longer as well.
If you’re in the market for a new flagship smartphone, we simply can’t think of anything better. Certainly, Samsung’s latest all-singing and all-dancing smartphone saw a major upgrade in the photography department, with several new AI camera tricks. But what impressed us the most was the S24 Ultra’s zoom capabilities. With a pair of 3x and 5x telephoto lenses, as well as a primary 200-megapixel sensor capable of capturing every detail with tonally perfect colors, pictures looked absolutely incredible in our tests, no matter the lighting conditions.
The sublime 6.8in 120Hz screen also returns – perfect for doodling on with the bundled S Pen. Sure, there are far cheaper handsets you can get your hands on in 2025, but if you’re after the very best that Android (not just Samsung) has to offer, then we think this is definitely it. And, with the S25 Ultra just around the corner, prices are sure to come down.
Key specs – Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3; Screen: 6.8in, 3,120 x 1,440; Camera: 200MP, 50MP (5x zoom), 10MP (3x zoom), 12MP (ultrawide); Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB; Operating system: Android 14
2. Samsung Galaxy A55 5G: Best value Samsung phone
Price when reviewed: $316 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… impressive performance and decent battery life
- Not so great for… stagnant cameras and chunky design
If flagship phones are outside your price bracket, you’ll find better value for money in Samsung’s mid-range offering, and our pick of these is the Galaxy A55 5G. The new chipset performed well in our testing, keeping up with the best performers at this price point, and we were pleased with the battery life too – though it couldn’t quite match the A54 for stamina.
The cameras may not have changed much since the previous generation but our test images still came out well, with the night camera particularly impressing us. The design is a little on the chunky side, and the phone is noticeably heavy, but these issues are minor compared with all the positives. Throw in a big, bright display and the promise of four years’ software support, and the Samsung Galaxy A55 5G is terrific value.
Key specs – Processor: Samsung Cortex A7; Screen: 6.6in, 2,340 x 1,080; Camera: 50MP, 12MP (wide), 5MP (macro); Storage: 128GB, 256GB; Operating system: Android 14
3. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Best foldable Samsung phone
Price when reviewed: $1,800 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… lovely folding design and useful software features
- Not so great for… the most expensive phone Samsung makes
Samsung’s high-end foldable is the best we’ve ever seen and possibly the most expensive smartphone you can buy at the moment. With all the kinks ironed out, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the culmination of all the previous improvements, bundling huge changes to the software with increased performance and stamina into a hard-wearing design with an IPX8 water resistance rating.
Using one of the most powerful Android chipsets, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 – which showed one of the biggest gen-on-gen gaming performance improvements in a number of years in our tests – the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is well worth the price if you’re lucky enough to afford it. So, whether you’re using the 6.2in cover display for one-handed scrolling and quick tasks, or unfolding the massive 7.6in screen inside, if you’re after a phone that inspires oohs and aahs from your friends – and you’ve got a lot of cash burning a hole in your pocket – then this is the handset to get.
Key specs – Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2; Screen: 7.6in, 2,1768 x 1,812 (inner), 6.2in, 2,316 x 904 (cover); Camera: 50MP, 10MP (3x zoom), 12MP (wide); Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB; Operating system: Android 13
4. Samsung Galaxy A35 5G: Best cheap Samsung phone
Price when reviewed: $280 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… superb main camera and decent battery life
- Not so great for… mediocre performance and chunky design
Overall, we prefer the Galaxy A55 5G, above, as the ultimate mid-range Samsung phone but the A35 5G is a terrific silver medallist. We were impressed by the quality of the main camera, which produced detailed and colorful images in good lighting conditions – it didn’t fare as well after dark, but few in this price range do, so that’s not exactly a dealbreaker. And battery life is well above average for a phone this cheap, lasting for 24hrs 27mins in our looping video test.
Unfortunately, the performance is less impressive, with the older Exynos 1380 CPU only delivering middling results in our benchmarks. The design is also a bit chunky and the secondary cameras are unremarkable. Still, if your limited budget can’t stretch to the A55 5G, there’s a lot to like about the A35 5G.
Key specs – Processor: Samsung Exynos 1380; Screen: 6.6in, 2,340 x 1,080; Camera: 50MP, 8MP (wide), 5MP (macro); Storage: 128GB, 256GB; Operating system: Android 14
5. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5: Best value foldable
Price when reviewed: $1,000 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… refined design and improved performance
- Not so great for… still quite expensive, and cameras merely okay
Alongside the Fold, above, the Z Flip 5 is another tremendous folding flagship from Samsung. However, with some of the same high-level features – including IPX8-rated waterproofing, a surprisingly sturdy gapless design, and a 120Hz refresh screen – the Z Flip 5 is much better value since it costs a heck of a lot less.
Plus, with the flip-friendly changes they’ve made – like increasing the size of the cover display – as well as upgraded performance and a handful of UI improvements, the Z Flip 5 is pretty much as good as it gets for a fraction of the price, especially if you pick up a refurbished handset.
Key specs – Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2; Screen: 6.7in, 2,640 x 1,080 (cover: 3.4in, 748 x 720); Camera: 12MP and 12MP (wide); Storage: 256GB, 512GB; Operating system: Android 13
6. Samsung Galaxy S23 5G (Renewed): A refurbished bargain
Price when reviewed: $386 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… specs still very competitive and now very cheap
- Not so great for… limited future software support
Take it from us: flagship Samsung phones needn’t cost the earth. If you’re in the market for a top-end handset but the rising prices are putting you off, then the Galaxy S23 is still a great pick. It remains one of the fastest smartphones we’ve tested, the display is top-notch, and the triple cameras can hold their own even against more recent releases.
The downside of getting an older model is that you’re likely to get fewer software updates. The S23 was promised four years of OS upgrades and five years of security patches when it first launched, so that means it will only be getting updates until 2027. Still, if you’re happy to take that trade-off for a dramatic reduction in price – and you don’t mind picking up a refurbished model – we highly recommend considering the Galaxy S23.
Key specs – Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2; Screen: 6.1in, 2,340 x 1,080; Camera: 50MP, 10MP (telephoto), 12MP (wide); Storage: 128GB, 256GB; Operating system: Android 13
