Samsung officially announced the new Galaxy S25 line of phones at its Galaxy Unpacked 2025 event.
While many comparisons will be made between the Samsung Galaxy S25 and its predecessor, the Galaxy S24, Mashable knows that a good portion of people actually upgrade to a new smartphone every two years.
This means that for those Samsung Galaxy users, the real comparison is between the new Galaxy S25 and their current model, the two-year-old Samsung Galaxy S23. Let’s take a look at both.
Galaxy S25 vs S23: AI, chipset are the main factors
Let’s be upfront: for casual smartphone users, the upgrades between phone models are becoming less obvious.
However, for those looking to take full advantage of all the new AI features, this is where the difference between the S25 and S23 will really shine.
The Galaxy S25 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, which is said to be more powerful than even Apple’s A18 Pro chip that powers the iPhone 16 Pro line of smartphones. The Snapdrop 8 Elite chip is also said to be nearly 50 percent more powerful than the previous Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. The 2-year-old Galaxy S23 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip released before it, so it’s a massive upgrade.
Samsung’s new AI features and the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip were built to work perfectly together. So, if you are planning to use them, this smartphone upgrade is for you.
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Galaxy S25 vs S23: Everything else
The difference in processing power is obviously a major factor. But looking at everything else, the upgrades seem pretty standard from what you’ll see year after year without any big leaps in technology or must-have new features.
When it comes to memory, the base model of the Galaxy S25 comes with 12GB of RAM compared to just 8GB for the S23, so it could be one of the next big draws to upgrade to the latest Galaxy phone.
In terms of design, the Galaxy S25 and S23 look pretty similar with no really big changes apart from a slight bump in screen size. The Galaxy S25 has a slightly larger display at 6.2 inches compared to the S23’s 6.1-inch display.
The biggest overall design differences between the two Samsung Galaxy phones are likely to be the color options you choose when you upgrade. The Samsung S25 comes in Navy, Icyblue, Mint, Silver Shadow, Blueblack, Coralred and Pinkgold colors. The Samsung S23 only has four color options to choose from.
If you use your Galaxy phone to take a lot of photos and videos, then unfortunately there’s not much here for you in terms of an upgrade. The Samsung Galaxy S25 has the same three cameras: Wide, ultrawide and telephoto.
As for the battery, there aren’t many improvements on paper. The Galaxy S25 has a 4000 mAH battery compared to the S23’s 3900 mAH battery. However, there are some additional factors here that can make a difference. For one, if your two-year-old Galaxy S23 might not hold a charge like it used to when it was brand new, it might make sense to upgrade. But also, on top of that, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip is reported to be much more power efficient, which should translate to less battery strain resulting in longer battery life.
Galaxy S25 vs S23: Should you upgrade?
So should you upgrade from the Galaxy S23 to the Galaxy S25? The answer to the big question really depends on your needs.
If you are completely satisfied with your Galaxy S23, then there is probably nothing new here in the Galaxy S25 for you. However, if you feel your Galaxy S23 is slow and can’t keep up with your usage or you’re sure you’ll be using AI features regularly, then upgrading to the Galaxy S25 makes perfect sense.
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