So far only sister publications from one owner have reviewed this phone, which counts as one opinion. It joins the rankings when an independent publication does. Consensus of 2 reviews from 1 independent publisher. Tom's Guide and Android Central (both Future plc) count as one voice. How this is calculated.
Photos belong to the publications credited; each links to the full review.
Key specs
Released
February 2025
Launch price (US)
$1,299
Launch price (UK)
£1,249
Form factor
Standard
OS
Android
Display
6.9″
Main camera
200 MP
Telephoto lens
Yes
Battery
5,000 mAh
Wired charging
45 W
Chipset
Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
Base storage
256 GB
Weight
218 g
Water resistance
IP68
Software updates
7 years
Sold in
US, UK
What the reviewers said
Tom's Guide US
4.5/5Sep 3, 2025
A strong flagship with smarter AI agent features, a brighter display, excellent cameras and long battery life, though Qi2 needs a case and the S Pen lost Bluetooth.
AI agent can perform multi-app actions by voice
Brighter, more colorful display with better color accuracy
Strong Snapdragon 8 Elite performance
Superb camera system
Very long battery life
Now Brief feature underwhelms
No built-in Qi2 magnets; requires a case
S Pen loses Bluetooth remote gestures
Screen scratch resistance slightly worse than S24 Ultra in torture test
One of the most well-rounded Android phones available, with a strong display, cameras and AI, though design is dull and PWM-sensitive users should be cautious.
Arguably the most powerful Android phone available
Verdicts, pros and cons are short summaries in our words of each publisher's review; scores are as the publisher gave them. Specs are taken from the reviews' spec boxes — where they differ, we show the value most of them give; price is the US launch price of the base model. Read the originals for the full picture.
