Best Samsung Phone of 2025

Best Samsung Phone of 2025
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Article updated on September 16, 2025 at 3:30 AM PDT Abrar Al-Heeti Senior Technology Reporter
Abrar’s interests include phones, streaming, autonomous vehicles, internet trends, entertainment, pop culture and digital accessibility. In addition to her current role, she’s worked for CNET’s video, culture and news teams. She graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Though Illinois is home, she now loves San Francisco — steep inclines and all.
Expertise Abrar has spent her career at CNET analyzing tech trends while also writing news, reviews and commentaries across mobile, streaming and online culture. Credentials

  • Named a Tech Media Trailblazer by the Consumer Technology Association in 2019, a winner of SPJ NorCal’s Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2022 and has three times been a finalist in the LA Press Club’s National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards.

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Mike Sorrentino Senior Editor

Mike Sorrentino is a Senior Editor for Mobile, covering phones, texting apps and smartwatches — obsessing about how we can make the most of them. Mike also keeps an eye out on the movie and toy industry, and outside of work enjoys biking and pizza making.
Expertise Phones |Texting apps | iOS | Android | Smartwatches | Fitness trackers | Mobile accessories | Gaming phones | Budget phones | Toys | Star Wars | Marvel | Power Rangers | DC | Mobile accessibility | iMessage | WhatsApp | Signal | RCS

What to consider

Cameras

Phone cameras have gotten better over the past five years. Don’t be fooled by how many cameras a phone has; more is not necessarily better.

iOS or Android

If your family and friends are on Apple services like iMessage and FaceTime, stick with an iPhone. If you’ve been deep on Samsung, stay on Android. Know that switching between the two has never been easier.

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Our Picks

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Those who don’t need the stylus, prefer more compact phone and still want a good camera should consider the Galaxy S25 or Galaxy S25 Plus. If you just want the basics, like a spacious screen, 5G and a decent camera, consider the Galaxy S24 FE. Those looking for the flashiest tech around — and who also have deep pockets — should consider the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Z Flip 7 or even the slightly cheaper Z Fold 7 FE

Best Samsung phones in 2025

Get more for less with cheap phones: For a fraction of the cost, you can get a solid phone that does almost everything a pricier flagship phone can do. The Galaxy S24 FE packs a good camera and costs only $650 before discounts or trade-in offers.

Test your phone: It’s worth going to a store and trying out a phone before you shell out hundreds of dollars for it.

Find peace of mind with a case: You spent all this time picking a phone, now protect it from damage with a case.

Be ready for Cyber Monday sales: The holidays usually bring big discounts and sales, even on phones.

Samsung’s $650 Galaxy S24 FE is such a comfort to use that at moments our reviewer, Mike Sorrentino, felt like he was testing a scaled-back version of the $1,000 Galaxy S24 Plus. The S24 FE’s large 6.7-inch 120Hz refresh-rate display made it easy for me to enjoy streaming shows, playing games and taking video calls throughout the day. And it includes nearly every software perk from the more expensive Galaxy S24 line. Read our full review of the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE.

Samsung’s Galaxy A and S families serve different purposes, so which one is right for you will depend on your needs and budget. The Galaxy A lineup is Samsung’s mid-tier and budget line, and it’s the best choice if you’re looking for a phone under $500 without a trade-in deal. These phones typically offer core features like a big screen, large battery and multiple cameras at a cheaper price. 

You also get what you pay for; Samsung’s cheapest phones have very limited storage space and poorer cameras compared with the pricier models, and they sometimes struggle with juggling multiple tasks. More expensive phones like the Galaxy A35 5G provide almost everything most people want in a basic phone, although you’ll still have to compromise a bit on camera quality and general performance. 

The Galaxy S series, on the other hand, is Samsung’s flagship smartphone line. Galaxy S phones usually include the best tech that Samsung has to offer and features you’d expect on any high-end phone, such as a premium design, 5G support, screens with high refresh rates and multiple high-end cameras. The biggest updates that launched with the Galaxy S25 lineup, for example, included the bump to a 200-megapixel main camera on the Ultra and bigger batteries for the smaller models. You’ll have to be willing to pay hundreds of dollars more than you would for a Galaxy A series phone in most cases. 


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