Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus, the mid-tier model of the S25 series, was unveiled on January 22 and released on February 3. Receiving the device just 10 days after launch was unexpectedly fast. While the S25 Plus introduces enhancements with Android 15 and One UI 7, its accessibility experience is more nuanced. As someone focused on accessibility for blind and visually impaired users, I evaluated the device both as a daily driver and through the lens of accessibility.

Trade-In Experience in Turkey

I utilized Samsung’s pre-order trade-in promotion to purchase the S25 Plus through their website. The process involved paying the full price upfront and completing a device evaluation questionnaire addressing power functionality, camera condition, fingerprint sensor accuracy, and cosmetic wear. After receiving my new device, I was instructed via SMS to provide my bank details. Samsung’s partners required shipping my old phone within three business days, with the option to exclude accessories. Following inspection, an SMS offered a final trade-in value, which I accepted. Funds were transferred promptly, with the entire process taking seven days, slightly delayed by a weekend.

What’s in the Box

The Galaxy S25 Plus includes a USB-C cable, a SIM ejector tool, and a user manual. No charger is provided, which remains a disappointing trend for flagship devices.

Design and Build Quality

The Galaxy S25 Plus weighs 190 grams and measures 158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm, making it 0.2 mm thinner and 6 grams lighter than the S24 Plus. Despite being slightly larger, I found single-handed use as comfortable as with the S23, which is a pleasant surprise for a phone of this size. The S25 plus maintains the high standard of materials typical of Samsung’s flagship devices. The front and back are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, providing enhanced durability against drops and scratches. The frame is made of Armor Aluminum 2, adding extra rigidity while keeping the device relatively lightweight. The overall design closely resembles the S24 Plus, featuring flat edges with gently curved corners. I personally opted for the Ice Blue color variant with 256 GB of storage and 12 GB of RAM. Although there is a 512 GB version, its availability in Turkey remains uncertain.

Software and User Interface

Running on Android 15 with Samsung’s One UI 7.0, the Galaxy S25 Plus brings both subtle improvements and noticeable shortcomings. Samsung has separated the notification shade and quick settings for better organization. Swiping down from the left displays notifications with expanded space, while swiping from the right reveals quick settings in a dedicated section. This design reduces clutter and makes navigation more intuitive. If you want to change back to the older layout, open Quick Settings, tap Edit > Panel settings and choose “Together”. In case you wish to switch again to the new layout then, Edit > Panel settings > and choose “Separate”. While the separation of the notification shade and quick settings is a thoughtful design choice, I found accessing the quick settings by swiping from the right side of the screen slightly more difficult than pulling down the notification panel from the left. At times, it took me a few attempts to open the quick settings. To make this process easier, I assigned a custom gesture within the TalkBack settings.

One UI 7 introduces refreshed ringtones and UI sound effects, including a nostalgic classic rotary phone ringtone which is what I enjoy using right now.

Personal Setup Experience

During the setup process, I opted for a selective data transfer rather than a full backup restoration. I moved only essential information such as settings, contacts, call logs, messages, and my home screen layout. I briefly explored the One UI launcher before switching to Nova Launcher for greater customization.

Accessibility and TalkBack Experience

Accessibility on the S25 Plus is a mixed bag. A notable improvement is the availability of Turkish TTS during the initial setup, addressing a common complaint from previous models. In addition to Turkish, my unit included several pre-loaded TTS languages: German, Arabic, Indonesian, French, Hindi, English, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Thai, and Vietnamese. These languages may vary depending on the device’s model number. Daily navigation feels snappier than on the S23, especially when typing with the Samsung Keyboard, where input lag is minimal. Gemini integration allows for image descriptions covering clothing, facial expressions, surroundings, and nearby text. However, encountering unlabeled controls, especially on web pages, can lead to TalkBack restarts. If this occurs repeatedly, TalkBack stops functioning entirely, forcing you to restart the device. Moreover, Samsung TalkBack on the Galaxy S25 Plus does not provide detailed Gemini online descriptions, instead relying on Gemini’s offline model, which generates shorter and less accurate descriptions. To enable Gemini-powered image descriptions, updating the Android AI Core app is required.

Navigating the recent apps screen also presents an issue where swiping with one finger between open apps will not automatically scroll the list. Installing Samsung’s Good Lock app and enabling the Home Up module solves this by changing the Task switcher Style to anything other than the default setting. When the display resolution is set to QHD+, the Advanced Braille Keyboard becomes unusable. Lowering the resolution to FHD+ or HD+ restores functionality. Samsung’s TTS engine remains exclusive to TalkBack, defaulting to Google TTS when using third-party screen readers like Jieshuo or apps like Auto TTS. I installed and configured the Jieshuo screen reader on the device, but for some reason, its performance felt a bit slow. This might be due to an optimization issue.

Biometrics

Biometric features on the S25 Plus have improved significantly. The fingerprint sensor is much faster than on the S23, and the setup process is smooth with clear TalkBack guidance. Face recognition has been enhanced, offering a quick and accurate unlocking experience, even when set up without visual assistance.

Camera Accessibility

Camera usage for blind users remains a work in progress. Face recognition helps with framing shots using both the front and rear cameras. Pressing the shutter button triggers a prompt to “Hold the phone steady,” followed by a two-second delay before capturing. This feature helps reduce blur but requires some patience. Occasionally, screen reader announces, “Photo is being processed,” indicating automatic adjustments for focus or tilt. While these improvements are welcome, they still don’t match the accessibility standards seen on Pixel devices.

Audio Performance

The S25 Plus boasts noticeable audio improvements over the S23. Calls sound clearer and fuller, with minimal distortion even at high volumes in noisy environments. Media playback benefits from wider stereo separation, providing a more immersive listening experience. Users upgrading from the S23 or older devices will appreciate these enhancements, though differences may be less apparent for those coming from the S24 series.

Battery Life and Charging

With its 4900 mAh battery, the Galaxy S25 Plus delivers impressive endurance. My first full charge lasted nearly two days of moderate use, a substantial improvement over the S23’s 4000 mAh battery. The device supports 45W fast charging, although no charger is included in the box. Using a 65W Huawei laptop charger, I achieved a full charge in about an hour. While charging times are quick, it’s disappointing that Samsung doesn’t provide a compatible charger.

AI Features

Audio Eraser

The Galaxy AI suite includes the Audio Eraser feature, which I tested in a noisy environment. After recording a video, I accessed the Audio Eraser tool in the Gallery app. The tool offers two filters—Wind Noise Reduction and Ambient Noise Reduction—with adjustable intensity. Changes can be previewed before saving the edited audio as a separate file. All steps are accessible with TalkBack, making it user-friendly for visually impaired users.

Button Customization and Software Observations

Samsung has replaced Bixby with Gemini as the default function when long-pressing the side button. Users can now assign various shortcuts—including Magnifier, Samsung Notes, Camera, and Flashlight—to the double-press or long-press actions. However, I noticed that the option to hide contacts in the share menu, previously available in advanced settings, is missing. It’s unclear whether this is a deliberate change or an oversight.

Security and Privacy Features

A new addition to the security settings is the Auto Blocker feature, which prevents APK installations from unknown sources when enabled. While aimed at enhancing security, I find it unnecessarily restrictive for users who understand the risks of sideloading. You will also not be able to access developer options with this feature enabled. There is an option to disable this during setup. But if you miss it, you can turn it off by going to Settings > Security and Privacy, tapping Auto Blocker under Additional Security, and turning it off.

Contextual Thoughts

At Accessible Android, we’ve addressed the ongoing issues with Samsung/Google TalkBack separation, especially as new challenges have emerged with One UI 7 and Android 15. The S25 Plus experience echoes these sentiments. If Google’s Pixel lineup were officially available in Turkey, I might have considered switching. During my purchase deliberation, I briefly explored a compelling offer for the Honor Magic 7 Pro but ultimately passed due to insufficient accessibility information regarding Honor and MagicOS.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus offers meaningful hardware improvements, including better battery life, enhanced audio quality, faster biometrics, and select AI-driven features. However, software inconsistencies and lingering accessibility shortcomings prevent it from delivering a fully refined experience. Users upgrading from the S23 will notice significant gains, but those who prioritize accessibility should carefully evaluate the device before making a decision.