The Samsung Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus should be two of the best and most exciting phones of the year — but I barely care about them.

Samsung’s Galaxy S-series is in its software era. Maybe the whole smartphone industry is, too, save for a few phones with hinges (Samsung’s included). But overall, we have exited the hardware-driven innovation cycle and are firmly in the midst of a software-based one.

The Galaxy S25 Plus is a tougher sell given how it shares the same set of Galaxy AI features and cameras found on the cheaper S25 model. It's a powerful, big-screen phone, but it's hampered by a dimmer display and modest battery life improvements over its predecessor.