It is solely February, however it seems like we have already seen the finest Android telephones of 2025. With the Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely and OnePlus 13, you are two of probably the most full handsets available on the market proper now, with each gadgets that includes the most recent Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, sufficient RAM to energy varied AI instruments, and different key advances that we’ll doubtless see and listen to extra of later this 12 months.
Additionally: I changed my iPhone 16 Professional with the Galaxy S25 Extremely – and there is a clear winner
Even so, the most recent from Samsung and OnePlus aren’t good, and their most notable shortcomings are the explanation why this comparability exists within the first place. That will help you determine which of the 2 gadgets to improve to, you will wish to think about components like software program expertise, battery and charging, and the options that make every one distinctive. I break down the checklist of key shopping for causes beneath.
Specs
|
Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely |
OnePlus 13 |
|
|
Show |
6.9-inch QHD LTPO AMOLED with 120Hz |
6.82-inch QHD LTPO OLED with 120Hz |
|
Processor |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| RAM/Storage | 12GB RAM with 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 16GB with 256GB, 512GB |
| Battery | 5,000mAh with 45W wired and 15W wi-fi charging | 6,000mAh with 80W wired and 50W wi-fi charging |
| Digital camera | 200MP essential, 50MP ultrawide, 50MP telephoto (5x), 10MP telephoto (3x), 12MP selfie | 50MP essential, 50MP ultrawide, 50MP telephoto (3x), 32MP selfie |
| Sturdiness | IP68 with Corning Gorilla Armor 2 | IP69 with Crystal Defend super-ceramic glass |
| Weight | 218 grams | 210 – 213 grams (relying on coloration) |
| Worth | Beginning at $1,299 | Beginning at $899 |
You should purchase the Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely if…
1. You need the extra succesful digicam system
Whereas the S25 Extremely does not essentially push the envelope this 12 months with its upgraded digicam system, it is nonetheless one in all, if not probably the most versatile choices available on the market. You are getting a 200-megapixel large lens that pulls in additional element than most telephones, the identical 50MP and 10MP telephoto lenses from final 12 months’s S24 Extremely, and a brand new 50MP ultrawide that, from our testing, can seize crisp and sharp-looking panorama and macro photographs. (With close-up photographs, you simply need to be further affected person because the cellphone adjusts its focus.)
Additionally: 4 helpful Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely options that energy customers will drool over
The bigger digicam enhancements with the S25 Extremely come within the type of software program, from computing photograph particulars to enhancing topics with generative AI instruments. For instance, there is a new Audio Eraser function that allows you to alter the amount of assorted sound profiles in movies (each newly and beforehand recorded ones). The flexibility to seize footage in Galaxy Log mode additionally implies that creatives and video professionals have higher management of lighting, distinction ranges, and general colours when enhancing.
2. You need the most effective of AI experiences proper now
In case you advised me years in the past that Google Pixel customers are contemplating switching to Samsung due to software program, I’d’ve thought you had been loopy. However right here we’re, with the S25 Extremely taking the lead this 12 months in AI capabilities and updates, and Google helps so as to add gas to the tank. The latest Galaxy telephones function a swath of AI options, however the standout for me is cross-app integrations with Gemini.
By linking companies from Samsung, Google, and different third-party purposes, customers can now ask Gemini to satisfy a sequence of duties with a single command. For instance, you’ll be able to long-press the facility button — which could be configured to activate Gemini as an alternative of Bixby now — and ask the assistant to seek for a neighborhood Mexican restaurant that is pet-friendly and ship the tackle to a contact. Such a function is presently unique to the Samsung Galaxy S25 sequence and Google Pixel 9 sequence.
3. The Samsung-exclusive advantages entice you
Shopping for a flagship Samsung cellphone entitles you to a number of advantages, together with a longer-than-average software program replace coverage — with the S25 Extremely supporting as much as seven years of OS and safety patches, wider entry to restore companies and elements, and extra choices for circumstances, display screen protectors, and different third-party equipment.
Additionally: I’ve used each Samsung Galaxy S25 mannequin – and the one I like most is not the Extremely
With the Galaxy S Extremely mannequin specifically, there’s the good thing about having a built-in S Pen stylus, which provides you precision inputs for notetaking, sketching, and different inventive duties. Simply know that this 12 months’s S Pen not has a chargeable battery and, subsequently, loses the flexibility to regulate the cellphone wirelessly.
You should purchase the OnePlus 13 if…
1. You need the most effective cellphone for the cash
Flagship telephones can value a fairly penny, so if bang on your buck is what you are after, the OnePlus 13, which begins at $799 if you commerce in any cellphone in any situation to OnePlus, is a much better deal than the $1,299 Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely. In methods, you are getting extra and higher specs on the OnePlus than the Samsung, though the previous prices $500 much less. For instance, whereas the OnePlus 13 encompasses a non-overclocked variant of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, exams have proven that the distinction in efficiency is negligible.
Assessment: OnePlus 13: This flagship prices a whole bunch lower than S25 Extremely – however wins in key methods
On the time of writing, the OnePlus 13 additionally comes with a free storage improve, which nets you a 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage configuration for a similar worth as the bottom tier. That is in comparison with the S25 Extremely, which begins at 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage (in the event you reap the benefits of Samsung’s free improve provide).
2. You’d moderately not have to take a seat by the outlet
One of many key causes to purchase a OnePlus cellphone is its quick charging speeds. This 12 months’s mannequin options the identical 80W wired charging and 50W wi-fi charging as its predecessor, however even then, these numbers outpace what Samsung is providing with the S25 Extremely. With 80W wired charging (by way of the SuperVooc charger included within the field), the OnePlus 13 can cost from 0% to 100% in lower than 40 minutes. To place issues into perspective, even the 50W wi-fi charging is quicker than the S25 Extremely’s wired charging, which caps out at 45W.
Additionally: The perfect Android telephones to purchase in 2025
The OnePlus 13 additionally encompasses a bigger 6,000mAh silicon-based battery, in comparison with the S25 Extremely’s 5,000mAh lithium-ion battery. Selecting this materials over the normal lithium-ion permits the cellphone maker to embed a denser battery capability with out including bulk. From our exams, there is a noticeable distinction in battery life that favors the OnePlus.
3. Water harm traumatizes you
To guard the tech inside, the OnePlus 13 is without doubt one of the first telephones within the US market to function an IP69 ranking. In comparison with the IP68 ranking usually discovered on flagship telephones just like the S25 Extremely, the upper water resistance permits the OnePlus 13 to face up to high-pressure, high-temperature water jets and steam cleansing. So, in the event you occur to depart the handset in your pants as they’re within the washer, or the gadget slips by way of your fingers and falls right into a pot of boiling water or soup, it ought to be capable of nonetheless perform correctly after a wipe.
Options to think about
