The UGREEN Nexode 12,000mAh 100W Power Bank is designed for charging all manner of devices, from smartphones to laptops, thanks to its powerful 100W output. Despite its capabilities, it’s surprisingly light; I’ve tested other, less capable power banks that weigh more. It’s also quite narrow, but very thick too, meaning it won’t be one to carry around in your pocket. This is justifiable, though, given it’s designed for charging big ticket items.
The UGREEN Nexode 12,000mAh 100W Power Bank looks smart with its dark grey finish, the signature colorway of Ugreen’s Nexode series. Unfortunately, this premium look belies its actual build quality: the chassis is a little too flimsy for my liking, even audibly creaking when I pressed its sides. Suffice to say it wouldn’t be my first choice of power bank for taking on more rugged excursions.
One of the standout features of the UGREEN Nexode 12,000mAh 100W Power Bank is its display. This provides useful information in a large format, making it clear to see. The percentage figures adopt a dot-matrix format, which may divide some users, but I didn’t have an issue with this. However, clarity is somewhat compromised by its matt finish, which is rather hazy in certain viewing angles and lighting conditions.
It has one USB-C port and one USB-A port, which is a little disappointing for a power bank with this much power on offer; there are many, less powerful power banks on the market with greater port selections.
The UGREEN Nexode 12,000mAh 100W Power Bank managed to charge a Lenovo IdeaPad 4G 14 inch laptop from 50% to 100% in about 90 minutes, which is a decent performance. It also stayed cool throughout, which again is also impressive. However, it depleted the bank’s battery from 100% to 12% in the process, which disappointingly means you’ll only get a single charge out of it for large devices.
Thankfully, the UGREEN Nexode 12,000mAh 100W Power Bank only takes about the same amount of time to fully replenish, thanks to its 65W input via the same USB-C port.
The USB-A port provides 22.5W of power, and charging from this and the USB-C port at the same time is possible, although this drops the output of both to just 10W. The UGREEN Nexode 12,000mAh 100W Power Bank also features trickle charging, used for devices with low current draws, such as wireless earbuds and smartwatches. This can be easily toggled by holding the power button.
With a price of $49.99 / £49.99 (about AU$80), the UGREEN Nexode 12,000mAh 100W Power Bank sits admirably close in the market to less powerful rivals. Its 100W power output is useful if you need to charge larger items – but you’ll only be able to charge them once. It really needs a capacity higher than 12,000mAh to make it practical for charging large devices on the go, and more ports wouldn’t go amiss either.
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UGREEN Nexode 12000mAh 100W Power Bank review: price & specs
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Should I buy the UGREEN Nexode 12000mAh 100W Power Bank?
Buy it if…
You want to charge big devices Laptop charging is possible with the Nexode, and it can top them up with relative speed.
You want something simple Simply plug in your device and away you go. The readout is simple to understand, and activating trickle charging is easy as well.
Don't buy it if…
You want the best build quality Although it’s pleasingly light, it isn’t as solidly built as some of its rivals, such as those from Anker.
You want to charge multiple times Yes, you can charge power-hungry devices with that high output, but the relatively low capacity means you’ll only be able to do so once.
UGREEN Nexode 12000mAh 100W Power Bank review: also consider
Anker Prime 27,650mAh Power Bank (250W) If it’s power you need, then this Anker Prime model is for you. We think it’s the best power bank for power users, thanks to its massive 250W output and 27,650mAh capacity. However, it’s large and heavy compared to other power banks, and expensive too, so this is only for those who’ll need days of charging available to them.
For some reason, Chinese phone maker Xiaomi doesn’t make as much of a song-and-dance about devices from its budget sub-brand Poco as it does about those from its other budget sub-brand, Redmi. However, the Poco X7 Pro is a great example of why it should.
Released at the start of 2025 alongside a non-Pro sibling (and some Redmi phones), the Poco X7 Pro has a price that firmly puts it in the cheap phone category, costing less than half the price of a new iPhone. However, it offers enough useful features that you might consider putting down your Apple mobile or Samsung Galaxy S device for this budget blower. The Poco X7 Pro does a great job at pretending to be a premium handset in all departments except the price.
Like many other Pocophone handsets, the X7 Pro is designed with power in mind — it has the same amount of processing power as many 2024 flagships, as well as oodles of RAM and loads of storage space. In my experience, gaming was just as quick and smooth here as on some of the best Android phones.
The display is fantastic-looking too, squeezing extra pixels compared to most Android phones and offering more nits (the measurement of brightness). It’s bright and colorful enough to make iPhone users green (and you’ll be able to tell which shade of green too!).
You can rely on cheap phones to offer huge batteries but again, Poco has gone above and beyond with the X7 Pro, packing in a 6,000mAh battery. That’s one of the biggest power packs you’ll find on a phone that’s not designed for building sites or wilderness survival, and it’ll make sure the average user can text for days on end without needing a recharge.
The version of the Poco X7 Pro I tested also had a faux leather textured cladding which just adds points to the premium tally, however not all versions of the phone are like this. The green and black versions are just plastic.
Not everything is sunshine and rainbows here and, as usual, Poco drops the ball — or, more likely, opts not to carry it in the first place — in the camera department. Photos aren’t awful but they often look denatured and there aren’t many features you can use to super-charge your photography.
Plus, as phone fans will have been able to guess from the word ‘Xiaomi’ in the headline, the phone’s user interface is chock-full of bloatware when you boot it up.
These are little annoyances but I still feel comfortable recommending the Poco X7 Pro as one of the best budget mobiles you can buy right now.
Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro review: price and availability
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Starts at $299 / £309 (roughly AU$480)
Several variants on offer depending on region
Only costs a little more than Poco X7
The Poco X7 Pro was announced alongside its non-Pro sibling right at the beginning of January 2025, and went on sale immediately afterwards.
There are a few versions of the Poco X7 Pro. The cheapest has 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and costs $299 / £309 (roughly AU$480). If you want more RAM, the 12GB/256GB model sells for $239 (around £320 / AU$450). The more powerful version that I tested goes for $369 / £349 (around AU$600) and in the US there’s also an Iron Man Edition of the powerful one for $30 more.
As you can tell from the prices I’ve shared, different options are available in different regions. It's rare to see a Xiaomi phone in the US but the company lists itself on Amazon in the States.
I tested the Poco X7 Pro for a week without knowing the price, and was very surprised at how little it cost when I finally found out. It’s a great-value phone which gives buyers on a budget a really solid option.
For context, the Poco X7 costs $314 / £249 for its cheapest option, and it has a few spec downgrades across the board including a weaker processor and a smaller battery. It’s still pretty good value for money, though.
Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro review: specs
Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro review: design
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Three color options
Mid-sized phone that'll be big for some users
IP68 protection
Depending on which version of the Poco X7 Pro you pick up, you might deem it a generic-looking Android phone, or one that looks oddly like a race car.
The phone comes in black or green versions – which clad the mobile in a plastic frame – or, as you can see from the review images, a more unique yellow-and-black one. This version, which uses silicone polymer to create a textured faux leather feel, reminds me of racing-themed mobiles like the Realme GT, and it certainly is a distinctive look. It also feels more premium, and a touch more grip-able in the hand. If you think it’s a bit too ‘extra’, though, you should probably opt for the standard models.
These variants have the almost same dimensions: they’re 160.75 x 75.24 x 8.29 (add 0.14mm to that latter version for the yellow option) and weigh 195g (add 3g for yellow). A difference of under a millimeter, and only 3 grams, is a pretty negligible size and weight difference.
The phone has flat edges, so I could stand mine upright without a support, but they’re not as comfortable to hold in the hand as a curved-edge mobile. The power button and volume rocker are on the right edge while the USB-C port is on the bottom edge.
If you’ve got big hands, you’ll be alright with the Poco X7 Pro, but people with smaller ones should know that you probably won’t be able to reach the volume rocker — I couldn’t and I have pretty average-length digits.
All versions of the phone have IP68 certification, protecting you from submersion in water (for a limited time) and dust ingress. The Poco X7 Pro felt pretty hardy to me.
Design score: 3.5 / 5
Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro review: display
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6.67 inches, 1220 x 2712resolution
High max brightness and 120Hz refresh
Well-protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 7i
The Poco X7 Pro’s display clocks in at 6.67 inches, which is basically the average size for a Xiaomi mobile — it’s nice and big without being too unwieldy.
That’s one of the only areas in which the Poco phone aims for ‘average’, though, because many other of its display specs exceed others at its price tag.
You get a few more pixels than on most of its FHD rivals with a 1220 x 2712 resolution, and the maximum brightness reaches up to 3200 nits (that’s in lab conditions, at least, but from my testing, it got really bright).
That latter spec, combined with the use of an AMOLED panel, means that you can get some pretty vibrant colors out of the Poco X7 Pro.
Two other important specs are the 120Hz refresh rate — this feature is par for the course on most Android phones — and the use of Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, which probably explains how the X7 Pro survived so many drops during my testing.
Display score: 4 / 5
Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro review: software
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Android 15 with Xiaomi's HyperOS 2 over the top
Three years of OS updates and four of security updates
Bloatware-riddled software
When you boot up the Poco X7 Pro, you’ll find it running Android 15 with Xiaomi’s HyperOS running over the top. The company has promised three years of updates for the phone, and an extra one of security updates.
A common gripe I have with Xiaomi software is that it comes chock-full of pre-installed third-party apps. These include a huge number of ‘normal’ ones like calculators, compasses and a calendar but for me there were also six games, a Poco app and nine third-party apps including some that I studiously avoid.
If, like me, you’re never going to use AliExpress or WPS Office (or whatever the pre-installed apps are in your region), then you’ll have to start with an app-deletion blitz when you first start using your phone.
Beyond that, HyperOS functions much the same as other Android user interfaces, in that you’re given lots of customization freedom. You can choose the font, always-on display, how icons look, how notifications appear, whether new apps get added to an app drawer or straight to your homepage, and more.
A few AI features are new here; the Notes app can translate, proofread, or summarize your notes; Recorder can create transcriptions; and videos can get AI subtitles. However, these aren’t available in all regions and none were enabled on my test phone.
Software score: 3.5 / 5
Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro review: cameras
(Image credit: Future)
50MP main and 8MP ultra-wide cameras, 20MP for selfies
Photos look a little dull
Some AI features coming to the phone after release
Camera capabilities have never been the focal point of Poco devices and that stays true here. The phone packs 50MP f/1.5 main and 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide cameras on the back as well as a 20MP f/2.2 selfie camera on the front, and both are totally fit for purpose without being wildly impressive.
Pictures taken on the main camera are clear and bright but lack a bit of flair and color, leading to lifeless shots. It’s apparent in some pictures more than others but greenery lost some zest.
The phone is really quick to try and edit your pictures afterwards though. By default, all are taken in Live Photo mode, in case you press the shutter button at the wrong time and want to see a frame just before or after you pressed. The gallery also employs very obvious processing when you zoom into a photo, noticeably changing its color profile, which sometimes results in worse pictures.
(Image credit: Future)
A warning to buyers: the rear camera is exactly where you rest your fingers when you’re holding the phone landscape to take a photo. Remember to move your fingers out of the way — about half the snaps I took during my main photo session have my finger poking into the frame.
Jump over to the ultra-wide camera and you’re getting pictures that don’t look great. They’re desaturated and lose lots of detail in darker areas, leading to a lifeless photo.
Video recording goes up to 4K and 60fps and there’s also Director mode, which lets you adjust things like the white balance, ISO, and aperture for video recording. Not all budget phones have this so it’s a nice addition, although I wouldn’t recommend the X7 Pro for prospective Oscar-winners.
‘Fine’ is also an accurate description of pictures taken on the front-facing camera. Generally, selfies were clear and bright, although again the colors weren’t always sparkling. Portrait mode sometimes had trouble working out where my hair began and ended but it was good at applying correct depth to objects in the mid- and background.
Other than the ones already mentioned, the Poco X7 Pro ticks off the usual camera modes: document scanning, night photography, high-res to shoot at 50MP instead of using pixel binning, slow motion filming, and Pro mode.
Some of the headline camera features of the Poco X7 Pro are AI-based ones: AI Erase Pro works like Magic Eraser to delete unwanted elements of photos, while AI Image Expansion reframes and expands snaps to change their composition. At the time of testing, though, these aren’t available on the phone — Xiaomi says they’ll arrive around March 2025 — so I didn’t test them.
Camera score: 3 / 5
Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro camera samples
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Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro: performance and audio
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Packs a Dimensity 8400 Ultra chipset
Really powerful for gaming
Stereo audio but no 3.5mm jack
The Poco X7 Pro is powered by the Dimensity 8400 Ultra, a top-end chipset from Mediatek. It’s paired with RAM and storage that depends on whichever variant you picked up: 8/256GB or 16/512GB.
I had the latter and the phone was fast – it didn’t feel much different to use than a flagship which would cost you $/£1,000 more. Gaming was quick and easy, with the phone handling online titles and intensive single-player ones better than any other mobile I’ve tested at the price. It was seriously impressive.
Moreover, when I was using the mobile intensively, I never suffered any stuttering, and the phone didn’t overheat at all either. If you’re a mobile gamer, I’m going to have to give this device two thumbs up.
In a Geekbench 6 multi-core test, the average score was in the 6,100s, which cements this as a really solid performance phone. It puts it in league with 2024’s top-end phones, and possibly 2025’s too.
For audio, there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack, so if you like wired music you’ll have to get an adaptor for the USB-C jack, and if not rely on the BlueTooth 5.4. There are also stereo speakers and these are fine for unfussy gamers but audiophiles won’t be rocked out of their socks.
Performance score: 4.5 / 5
Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro review: battery life
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Huge 6,000mAh battery
Lasts for about two days of use
90W fast charging
Phone batteries are constantly creeping up in size, as the Poco X7 Pro reminded me: it has a 6,000mAh power pack, which is bigger than that of the standard Poco X7 or the Poco X6 Pro. In fact, it’s rare to see mobiles with power packs quite this big.
People with battery anxiety, then, will find the X7 Pro a breath of fresh air — it can keep your phone ticking through intensive gaming blasts or long days out.
From my testing, the phone waltzed through a day of use and marched steadily into the second day before needing a recharge. And I used it pretty intensively too — if you don’t pick up your mobile much during the day, I can see it lasting through two full days of use.
On the topic of charging, it’s 90W, which is nice and fast. There’s no wireless or reverse charging, but with speeds like that, I can forgive it.
Poco predicts that this will see your X7 Pro go from empty to full in just over 40 minutes — in my testing period I usually powered the phone from about 10-20% to full and it took about half an hour. It’s a nice fast speed that ensures you can keep the X7 Pro going with brief charging windows, instead of having to tether your mobile to the wall for ages.
Battery score: 4 / 5
Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro review: value
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For certain kinds of users, the Poco X7 Pro offers incredible value for money. It’s relatively cheap but has an impressively fast chipset and great-looking screen.
If you’re into your entertainment, be it gaming or streaming TV shows on the go, you’ll be getting a steal with the X7 Pro.
The Poco still makes a great value proposition for other kinds of users, and it’ll go toe-to-toe with much more expensive rivals, though if you want a camera phone, it won’t cut the mustard.
Value score: 4.5 / 5
Should you buy the Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro?
Buy it if...
You're a mobile gamer Offering blazing-fast performance, the Poco X7 Pro is a great get for mobile gamers, even ones who aren't budget-conscious.
You're on a limited budget If you don't want to spend too much on your new phone, the Poco X7 Pro offers great value for money.
You need a long-lasting phone A 6,000mAh battery is huge, so if you want a smartphone that'll easily last through long use periods, this Poco is a sure bet.
Don't buy it if...
You're a photographer It's many things, but the Poco X7 Pro isn't a camera phone. Don't buy it if you want to take amazing photographs.
You're cynical about AI features Lots of the Poco's main features are AI-related, like its camera or Notes tools. If you're not a fan of generative AI features (an understandable stance), you won't like being bombarded with said features here.
Poco X7 Pro review: Also consider
If you want to know what else is out there at this price, beyond the Poco X7 Pro, here are some other phones you should consider:
Poco X7 Naturally, the first phone to compare the Pro to is its non-Pro alternative. It's not as powerful and its battery is smaller but the display is the same, and the cameras basically are too (with the addition of a 2MP macro one). We haven't reviewed the Poco X7 yet, mind.
Moto G85 This similarly-priced phone may not be as powerful as the Poco, but on paper, it makes up for it with a chic design and clean software. We were impressed with this phone's predecessor in our Motorola Moto G84 review.
Samsung Galaxy A35 Costing the same as the higher-end Poco X7 Pros, this mobile gets you into Samsung's product range with its camera skills and extra apps. Read our full Samsung Galaxy A35 review
How I tested the Poco X7 Pro
Review test period = 2 weeks
Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
I tested the Poco X7 Pro for just over two weeks for this review.
To test it, I put it through the paces of my normal phone: I texted, streamed music and TV, took photos, navigated my way around the city, and woke up from its alarms. Significantly, I also played lots of games on it.
As well as real-world use, the phone saw me perform some more 'scientific' tests including performance benchmarking and charging speed tests.
I've been testing smartphones for TechRadar for six years now, and in that time have tested plenty of low-budget mobiles including loads of Poco and Xiaomi devices.
The Galaxy S25 Plus is much better than good enough. For a few hundred more than the Galaxy S25 you’re getting a major upgrade over that phone – much bigger than the step up from the Plus to the Galaxy S25 Ultra. If you’re looking for a larger-screen Android phone and you like the smell of what Samsung is cooking, the Galaxy S25 Plus is easy to recommend. It does everything well, and you won’t be wasting your time and money on features you don’t need.
Don’t call the Galaxy S25 Plus a Goldilocks phone. It isn’t just a slightly bigger Galaxy S25, or a slightly cheaper Galaxy S25 Ultra. The screen size is actually in the middle, fractionally smaller than the Ultra display, but it feels like a much larger phone compared to the Galaxy S25’s more pocket-friendly size.
The Galaxy S25 Plus’s secret weapon is its display. It packs the same number of pixels as the larger S25 Ultra, but more densely into a 6.7-inch panel, instead of the 6.9 inches of the Ultra. That means it’s technically Samsung’s sharpest phone screen, with a higher pixel density than the more expensive flagship, even if you might not notice the difference in day-to-day use.
Galaxy S25 on the left, Galaxy S25 Plus on the right (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
What else do you get with the Galaxy S25 Plus, besides the best display? The Plus charges a bit faster, up to 45W, than the Galaxy S25, which charges at up to 25W. Of course it has a larger battery inside as well, which translates to longer battery life. In our battery tests, the S25 Plus actually beat the S25 Ultra by 10 minutes – a nice win considering it has a slightly smaller battery cell.
Another fun advantage the Galaxy S25 Plus has over the Ultra is the choice of colors. Samsung sent me the S25 Plus in blue, and it's the nicest-looking blue phone I’ve ever seen. It’s a deep, rich hue that changes as it refracts light. I’m almost relieved that I didn’t get a case with it, because I love showing off this phone.
During my review period, the Galaxy S25 Plus was a joy to use, and I found myself using the larger Plus much more often than the smaller Galaxy S25. I loved having more screen real estate, especially when it came to shooting photos.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
I wish I had more to say about Galaxy AI, but in the two weeks I spent with the phone, it didn’t do very much. I was expecting more suggestions and recommendations, if not a complete AI takeover like we’re seeing with Apple Intelligence. Instead, during my time with the Galaxy S25 Plus, Galaxy AI was… quiet?
I didn’t mind. The Galaxy S25 Plus is solid, really pleasing in almost every way – and I wonder if more AI would have made my experience worse, rather than better.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: Price and availability
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Available for $999 / £999 / AU$1,699 with 256GB of storage
Better display than Galaxy S25, cameras a step down from S25 Ultra
While Apple charges $100 / £100 / AU$200 for its ‘Plus’ iPhone 16 over the smaller model, Samsung asks for more when you upgrade to Plus, and it gives you more. The Galaxy S25 Plus isn’t just a larger version of the Galaxy S25; it’s a step up in terms of the display, and it has better battery life with faster charging. Frankly, that puts the Galaxy S25 Ultra in a precarious position, priced as it is above the $1,000 / £1,000 threshold.
What the Galaxy S25 Plus lacks, compared to the flagship Ultra, is the best cameras Samsung offers. The Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus have the same cameras as last year’s Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus, and frankly these cameras look suspiciously similar to the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus. If you want Samsung’s best cameras, and one of the best camera phones you can buy, you’ll need to pay an exorbitant $300 / £250 / AU$450 premium, although you do also get the S Pen.
The Galaxy S25 Plus comes in the brighter, more vibrant colors that you’ll also find on the Galaxy S25, not the made-for-business hues of the Galaxy S25 Ultra. My review sample is, to my mind, the best color, the striking Navy Blue; you also get the Plus in Icyblue, Mint, and Silver Shadow, along with some exclusive colors that Samsung is saving for its own web store.
At this price tier the competition is especially fierce. You can forgo the basic iPhone 16 and get the titanium iPhone 16 Pro. You can get a Google Pixel 9 Pro for around the same price, but the Pixel phone often drops closer to the Galaxy S25’s price level, so it can look a bargain next to the Samsung. The OnePlus 13 is cheaper than the Galaxy S25 Plus, and OnePlus has a perpetual trade-in deal in the US that keeps the final price even lower.
I’m just saying, this phone is a good choice, but it would be even easier to recommend if it had some new, amazing cameras.
Value score: 4 / 5
Samsung Galaxy S25 series: $900 instant trade-in credit and up to $300 credit at Samsung Looking for an unlocked device? This right here is your best option by far. The official Samsung Store is offering an excellent trade-in rebate of up to $900 and $300 of store credit on the house for both carrier and unlocked devices today. The trade-in here is superb and the $300 credit is also a significant bonus that can be used to pick up any number of cheap accessories at the Samsung Store. Overall, a superb opening deal and one that's even better than I anticipated.View Deal
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: Specs
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The Galaxy S25 Plus gives you more than just a bigger display and battery, compared to the Galaxy S25. The display is much bigger, a full half-inch diagonally, which makes the phone seem a whole larger category of device. It’s also a better display, with more pixels per inch, making it seem just a touch sharper than the Galaxy S25 – as mentioned, it’s technically more sharp than even the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
You also get a bigger battery in the Galaxy S25 Plus than in the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and Samsung also increases the charging speed to 45W versus the Galaxy S25’s 25W charging. In our testing, that translated to about 10% more battery every 15 minutes of charging, a nice little boost.
The Galaxy S25 Plus starts with 256GB of storage, which is twice what most of the world will find on the base model Galaxy S25. Every Galaxy S25 model, including the Plus and Ultra, comes with 12GB of RAM inside.
Samsung offers enough of a spec bump with the Galaxy S25 Plus to justify its price jump over the Galaxy S25, but I wonder if it could have made better choices. At this price range, Apple, Google, and OnePlus give you the best cameras those phone makers offer. With Samsung, you still need to spend more to get the best cameras, and then you’ll end up with the Ultra, which might be more phone than you need, and more money than you’d like to spend.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: Design
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Much bigger than the Galaxy S25, not much smaller than the Ultra
Half the buttons of an iPhone 16
Samsung has stagnated when it comes to its phone design, and the Galaxy S25 Plus looks just like the Galaxy S25, as well as the Galaxy S24 and S23. That’s not the worst thing – the Galaxy S25 Plus feels like a polished, well-built, premium smartphone – but it also feels like a missed opportunity.
Maybe Samsung doesn’t need a full redesign, but can’t we at least have one more button? When the iPhone 16 got the Camera Control and an Action button I predicted that Samsung would eventually catch up; but the Galaxy S25 was already too far along, I suppose, for Samsung to add more hardware to keep parity with Apple’s base model iPhone.
The Galaxy S25 Plus just needs… something. The side button can now activate Google Gemini, in addition to Bixby, but I kind of like using that button for Bixby, to turn on the flashlight or turn on my Wi-Fi hotspot. I don’t need a Gemini button; I want my hardware buttons to control the hardware.
I’d love to see Samsung nail the camera button, because Apple left me wanting something softer, with more travel. Or maybe a temperature sensor, like the Pixel 9 Pro. Or maybe an infrared emitter to control my home gear, like the OnePlus 13. See, the Galaxy S25 Plus needs something, because the competition is offering more and more for the same price, or less.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Also, the overall design hews too close to the iPhone… again. If you’d never seen a smartphone and I handed you a Galaxy S25 Plus and an iPhone 16 Plus, you’d think they were made by the same people. That’s a backhanded compliment, but Google, OnePlus, and even Motorola have shown us that there is room for originality in phone materials and design – not every handset has to be hazy glass and metal slabs with rounded corners, and cameras in the upper-left corner.
Design score: 3 / 5
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: Display
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Higher resolution than the Galaxy S25, not just bigger
Fingerprint scanner didn’t work consistently
The Galaxy S25 Plus has a fantastic display, and it might be Samsung’s best, on paper at least. Instead of blowing up the Galaxy S25 display, with its lower resolution, Samsung shrank the Galaxy S25 Ultra display a bit, so both phones pack the same pixels. Because the S25 Plus is a bit smaller, it packs those pixels more tightly, resulting in a display that’s technically sharper. I couldn’t see a difference from the Ultra, but the step up from the smaller Galaxy S25 is noticeable, and significant.
The Galaxy S25 Plus is especially bright, which helps when you need to use the phone outdoors. This phone is great for taking photos, because the viewfinder is easy to see in any situation, and I preferred shooting with the larger S25 Plus versus the Galaxy S25 because the larger display made it easier to see my subjects.
The Galaxy S25 Plus, like the S25 Ultra, gets Samsung’s new ProScaler technology, which the phone maker says it’s borrowed from the Samsung TV group. This tech is supposed to upscale the resolution on any video content you watch on the Galaxy S25 Plus. It won’t change the frame rate, so you won’t get the weird motion effect you see on some TVs; it just improves the resolution.
In practice, I didn’t notice much difference between regular HD video quality on this phone and the smaller Galaxy S25. If I paused a video, I could see less blurriness on the Plus, but it wasn’t noticeable while the video was playing.
Like the Galaxy S25, the Galaxy S25 Plus has a fingerprint scanner that gave me some trouble. About once a day it failed to open for my fingerprint, and I had to use my password instead. I’ve seen much more reliable scanning from competitors, especially the OnePlus 13.
Display score: 5 / 5
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: Software
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Samsung One UI is colorful but more polished than ever
Galaxy AI isn’t overbearing, at least not yet
I usually complain about Samsung phone software – I find the settings and the sheer number of features and options to be confusing and excessive. In this case, I’m going to let things slide. The Galaxy S25 Plus has the latest One UI 7 version of Android 15 from Samsung, and it looks good. It’s colorful and original, and it still offers plenty of customization, but now the phone does more of the work for you, thanks to improved AI.
For instance, every time I opened the Widgets menu to add a new widget to my home screen, the Galaxy S25 Plus had new suggestions for me – and they weren’t bad! I found some useful widgets this way, even though I’m not sure what criteria the AI uses to decide what I’d like. The Galaxy S25 Plus also did a fine job with other suggestions, like suggesting replies to text messages, or suggesting edits in the photo Gallery app.
Somehow Samsung has struck the best balance between powerful AI and obtrusive AI of any phone maker. Galaxy AI appears in the form of suggestions, not demands. You can almost ignore the AI features entirely, or just have all of the AI results computed on your phone, instead of in the cloud. This is a nicely measured approach to mobile AI, and Samsung is doing it best.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
I also appreciate the improvements to Samsung’s own Bixby AI. Bixby is better than ever at finding and controlling features on your phone. We’re still not at the finish line – I think Bixby could become even more helpful if it could explain things better. Still, for finding features and taking actions on the phone, Bixby is the best AI, better than Siri or Gemini, for sure.
Sadly, Bixby has been cut off from most of the Galaxy S25 Plus. At startup, your phone encourages you to make Gemini your side-button companion, relegating Bixby to the settings menu or its own Bixby app. I worry that most people won’t find my friend Bixby, which makes me sad, because Bixby has finally gotten smart enough to be interesting.
It’s still early days for all of this mobile AI stuff, and even new phones like the Galaxy S25 Plus will have years to improve, with Samsung promising seven full Android OS updates. As my phone collects more data about me and learns to do more itself, and once Samsung figures out how to integrate Gemini and Bixby properly, I think Samsung could have the best mobile AI device around.
For now, the AI just doesn’t do much, and I’m fine with that – it doesn’t do too much. I wish it did everything Samsung promised at launch, like turning off my TV when I fall asleep or suggesting better lighting for bed time. We’ll get there. For now, I’m just enjoying the suggestions.
Software score: 3 / 5
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: Cameras
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Solid cameras that work well in a variety of situations
Great pro settings, though some require extra downloads
The Galaxy S25 Plus takes great photos, and I especially like Samsung’s Camera app for all of its shooting modes, though it can get a bit confusing, in classic Samsung style. If you like shooting bright blue skies, crispy croissants, and colorful crowds, the Galaxy S25 Plus is the right camera for you, because Samsung excels at photos that are meant for sharing.
You won’t get the most accurate colors or the most detail, but the Galaxy S25 Plus is very reliable, and I knew it could capture low-light photos and get me the details I wanted, or close-up macro photos to catch that bug before it skittered away. It feels versatile, and there’s no situation it can’t handle.
There are, perhaps, a couple too many shooting modes. There’s a Pro mode, as well as Pro Video, and you can get even more Pro and become an Expert Raw user. Expert Raw is a separate app, though you access it through the Camera, and it gives you features like astrophotography and even more photo controls.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
If you shoot mostly video, the Galaxy S25 Plus now supports Log file recording, which gives you much more control over your color profile at the editing stage. The maximum video resolution is 8K at 30fps, which is higher-resolution than any monitor I own.
I’m skeptical about AI photo editing, but the Galaxy AI tools have become truly impressive. For fun, I decided to cut my exes out of old photographs, and the Galaxy S25 Plus gave me perfect selfie shots in romantic locations – nobody else included. It even managed to create proper folds in my pullover, or add landscape to fill in the blanks. Only the closest scrutiny would cause a viewer to suspect the photo was altered by AI, were it not for the ‘AI-generated content’ logo that appears at the bottom after you make such changes.
Camera score: 4 / 5
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: Camera samples
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Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: Performance
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Top-ranking performance from the Snapdragon 8 Elite
Where does all that power go? It’s hard to tell
The Galaxy S25 Plus is one of the best-performing phones I’ve ever tested, matched only by the other two Galaxy S25 devices. That’s thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset inside, a bespoke version of Qualcomm’s Elite mobile platform that has been just slightly overclocked for Samsung, and while it’s enough for Samsung to claim bragging rights, this processor was already plenty fast.
In fact, I’m not sure why I need all that power? Last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 could already run all of the best Android mobile games at the top performance settings. What’s above the top? Samsung hasn’t done much visually to take advantage of the improved performance, though I suspect that the Galaxy AI features, especially the AI features that will eventually come to this phone, will take up much of the processor’s clock time.
For now, you can choose to run most of the Galaxy AI computations on the phone instead of sending that work to the cloud, if you’re especially security conscious or worried about the impact on the environment.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
You can also run DeX, Samsung’s desktop environment, though DeX is looking more and more mobile these days, more like a big iPad than a Chromebook. If you want to get some work done on a bigger screen, and with a bigger keyboard, and a mouse even, you can plug all of those into the USB port on the Galaxy S25 Plus (or connect wirelessly), and you suddenly have a mini desktop computer. It’s pretty sweet for the right circumstance, like answering work emails or checking out photos on a big screen.
I still wonder if it’s time for the Galaxy series to step up to a more advanced experience. I’d love to see more desktop-level apps, like a real Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom, since the Snapdragon seems to have that kind of power. I haven’t seen huge improvements in Android apps for a while, besides some choice games, which the Galaxy S25 Plus can handle easily, with all the ray tracing and pixel pushing required.
Performance score: 5 / 5
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: Battery
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Best battery life of the Galaxy S25 family
Faster charging than the Galaxy S25
Battery life on the Galaxy S25 Plus is remarkable. The phone easily lasted through a full day in my time using it for work and play alike, and probably could have made it through two days with more conservative usage – but I take a lot of photos.
Our Future Labs testing agrees. In our battery rundown test, the Galaxy S25 Plus is our new Samsung battery champ, beating even the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which is odd considering that the Ultra has a slightly larger battery. The S25 Plus lasted 18 hours and 45 minutes, while the Ultra lasted 18 hours and 35 minutes. Both of those are stellar results. The smaller Galaxy S25 was also admirable, but it lasted less than 16 hours in our testing; so if you want the best battery from a Samsung Galaxy, get the Galaxy S25 Plus.
That said, the OnePlus 13 lasted 19 hours and 45 minutes in the same battery rundown test, making it our outright battery champ, but all of these phones will easily get you through an active day of use.
The Galaxy S25 Plus charges faster than the other Galaxy phones as well. With a 45W charger, you can charge the S25 Plus to 70% in 30 minutes, and my phone was fully charged within 50 minutes. That’s faster than the iPhone 16 or the Galaxy S25, which both max out at a slower 25W charging speed. Once again, however, the OnePlus 13 steps out ahead with incredibly fast 80W charging (with a 100W charger on the way).
It’s strange that Samsung hasn’t improved its charging speed, whether that’s for USB-C or wireless charging. Phones from many Chinese brands can charge much faster, but I guess that since Apple and Google aren’t competing with faster charging, Samsung hasn’t stepped up. Hopefully we’ll see this improve with in the next generation.
Battery score: 4 / 5
Buy it if...
You want a Galaxy S25, only bigger and better You might spend more to get a larger screen and more battery life, but the Galaxy S25 Plus also gives you faster charging and a sharper display.
You have hope for the future Galaxy AI doesn’t do much right now, but there are seven years of Android updates ahead for this phone. It can only get better, right?
You’re all-in on Galaxy gear If you have a Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Book, or Galaxy Buds, the Galaxy ecosystem is growing, and Galaxy devices work better together.
Don't buy it if...
You want the best cameras Unlike Apple and Google, Samsung makes you pay more if you want the best cameras. Only the Ultra has the best cameras Samsung makes, sorry Plus.
You’re buying a house, or you like to draw The Galaxy S25 Ultra has the S Pen, which is useful if you sign a lot of digital documents, or you want professional-strength drawing capabilities.
You want something fresh and new The Galaxy S family has been stagnant for a while, so if you don’t need a new phone right away, maybe wait until Samsung has some new ideas.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: Also consider
OnePlus 13 For less than the Galaxy S25 Plus you can have much better battery life, better ultra-wide and zoom cameras, and a more durable phone in the OnePlus 13.
Galaxy S25 Ultra Let’s be honest, cameras are the most important feature, and the Galaxy S25 Plus just doesn’t have them. If you want the best cameras, you need the Ultra.
Benchmark testing is for comparison, not scoring purposes
I received the Galaxy S25 Plus almost two weeks before this review was published. I tested the phone extensively, alongside the Galaxy S25, using the same work and personal apps and accounts on each.
I used the Galaxy S25 Plus for taking photos, communicating with work colleagues using messages and Slack, and conducting video conference calls. I played games, and edited photos from my Google Photos library.
I connected the Galaxy S25 Plus to a Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, supplied by Samsung. I wore the Galaxy Watch to sleep, and let the Galaxy S25 Plus listen to me as I slept. I also connected an Xbox wireless controller to play games. I connected the S25 Plus to my car for Android Auto and multimedia. I connected the phone to my Steelseries USB-C keyboard, my MX Master mouse, and my Dell monitor for DeX capabilities.
I used Smart Things on the Galaxy S25 Plus to control my home thermostat, lights, security, and television. I used Gemini as my primary side-button AI, but I also used Bixby extensively.
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The Samsung Galaxy S25 is polished, powerful, and predictable. Everything about the Galaxy S family has gotten a bit better over the years – the sleek design that is totally not an iPhone lookalike; the One UI 7 interface that looks much nicer even as it grows more complex; the bright and colorful display that draws you into every web page and photo. It’s all great, but it’s not very exciting.
The Galaxy S25’s performance is top-notch: this is the fastest phone you can buy at the time of its release, other than the more expensive Galaxy S25 Ultra. Unlike Apple, which hobbles its base model iPhone 16 with a slower processor, Samsung has ensured that the Galaxy S25 starts on the same platform as its larger brethren, with an identical Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset inside. There’s nothing this phone can’t handle.
That might be an empty compliment, because the Galaxy S25 just doesn’t do very much more than you’d expect a flagship phone in 2025 to do… not yet. At launch, Samsung bragged on and on about Galaxy AI, and all the ways this phone would get to know you. Maybe it will, someday, but none of that is here just yet.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
In fact, throughout the phone, the AI takes steps backwards. The Now Brief feature that Samsung wants us to use multiple times a day? It offers the weather, and news stories I really don’t want to read – at least Google Discover knows the stories I like. Even the health advice wasn’t helpful – get more sleep? Thanks, I’ll get right on that.
I used to be able to use AI to turn on the flashlight or activate my personal hotspot. Now I have to wrestle between competing AIs. Samsung said users won’t need to know whether they’re using Bixby or Google’s Gemini, so seamless will the combined AI experience be. In my time with the phone, however, that was not at all true. Many of the features I used to enjoy with Bixby are now hidden, because Gemini takes over the side button when you set up the phone, and Gemini cannot do half of what Bixby can do.
Bixby continues to improve, and it comes closer to fulfilling its promise of a voice interface. I can now ask Bixby to “help me charge my Galaxy Buds using my phone” and it will open the correct Settings menu for wireless power sharing. Sadly, Bixby itself is hard to find, relegated to the Search bar in the Settings app.
I can always put Bixby back on the side button, but then I’d lose Google Gemini features, such as they are. It’s easier now to talk to Gemini, and Google’s Search is more ready than ever to identify whatever you see or hear, whether that’s live in person or on the phone screen. Beyond that, it can, um… I’m not sure, exactly.
Samsung told me that Galaxy AI would do things like turn off the TV when I fall asleep, or identify the best thermostat setting to help me fall asleep. Yes, Samsung appears to be obsessed with sleep across its Galaxy range.
So where, exactly, is the AI? I’m using a Galaxy S25, and a Galaxy Watch Ultra, and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. I’m watching my Samsung Smart TV, and controlling everything, including my lights and thermostat, through Smart Things. So, where is it? Where are the suggestions? Where is the intelligence?
If Samsung is being cautious and not overextending Galaxy AI for now, then I appreciate the sensitivity and I will be patient. I don’t need AI-generated fake news headlines, or inaccurate summaries of my messages. When Samsung’s Galaxy AI summarized my phone calls or my Notes, it was very accurate, with no glaring errors. There’s no AI help for Notifications yet, sadly.
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I will continue to feed my Galaxy S25 my personal data to keep in the Samsung Knox-secured Personal Data Engine, and hopefully its Galaxy AI will chew that up and spit out features that are tailored to my personality and habits. I can be patient, because, AI features aside, the Galaxy S25 is a satisfying phone.
The cameras on the Galaxy S25 are great, even if they didn’t get an exciting upgrade with more megapixels or longer zoom. Samsung’s One UI 7 software is the most heavily customizable version of Android you’ll find – you can change everything down to the number of rounded corners on your squircle-shaped widgets, or you can leave everything unchanged, and enjoy the colorful, smooth feel of One UI 7.
Here’s the thing. The Galaxy S25 is a great phone, but there are competitors that are finally catching up to Samsung. You can get a OnePlus 13 for the same price (with OnePlus’s trade-in offer), and that phone has better battery life and nicer cameras. The Google Pixel 9 Pro just got a fabulous new look; it’s more expensive, but I’ve seen that price drop to the Galaxy S25’s level for Black Friday, and its price will surely drop again.
If you need a phone, the Galaxy S25 is an excellent choice that will keep you satisfied for years. If you’re looking to upgrade from a Galaxy S24, you may want to wait a bit longer, because the Galaxy S25 offers only subtle improvements, and I’m hoping that Samsung freshens up the Galaxy S lineup with something more exciting next year.
Samsung Galaxy S25 review: Price and availability
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Available for $799 / £799 / AU $1,399 with 128GB of storage (256GB in Australia)
All the colors are kinda blue, including Icyblue, Navy, and Mint (and Silver)
The Samsung Galaxy S25 starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399, which is not only the same price as the Apple iPhone 16 and Google Pixel 9 (the Pixel 9 is very slightly cheaper in Australia), but also the same price as last year’s Galaxy S24 at launch. It’s a big deal that Samsung didn’t raise the price, because I’ve heard strong rumors that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset inside is more expensive than previous Snapdragon platforms. It’s worth the premium.
The Galaxy S25 starts with a paltry 128GB of storage in the US and UK, but Australia skips that low-end model and starts at 256GB. Also, for some reason US customers can’t buy a Galaxy S25 with 512GB of storage, although it’s not really an issue, as 256GB is probably the sweet spot. Every Galaxy S25 comes with 12GB of RAM inside.
You can find the Galaxy S25 in a few shades of blue and also silver, and Samsung is keeping a few colors exclusive to its own online web store, like a snazzy pinkish Coralred color. My review sample is Silver Shadow, and it’s a nicer-than-average shade of light grey, with real depth to the finish on the back glass.
An important note here is that Samsung fans often say nobody pays full price for a Samsung phone. You can look for sales throughout the year, especially in the form of a trade-in discount if you give Samsung your old phone. The Galaxy S25 is worth the list price, but keep an eye out for deals, and we will do the same.
Value score: 4 / 5
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Samsung Galaxy S25 review: Specs
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The standout spec in the Samsung Galaxy S25 is the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset. It seems that Qualcomm has overclocked the two primary Oryon cores by 0.15GHz – and if that doesn’t sound like much, know that those cores run at a mind-melting 4.47GHz at peak, and it's hard to imagine squeezing any more speed out of these chips.
That gives Samsung the benchmark crown for many of our Future Labs benchmark tests, whether you’re comparing the Galaxy S25 to the iPhone 16 Pro or any other Android phone. The Galaxy S25 isn’t the spec champ in most other ways, but it has enough power for bragging rights.
You can find phones with screens that refresh faster than 120Hz, like the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro. You can get a phone like the OnePlus 13 with 16GB of RAM, not to mention much faster charging speeds; Samsung is still stuck in the slow lane when it comes to charging.
Finally, the camera specs haven’t improved, and that’s disappointing. It doesn’t seem like any of the three main camera sensors have gotten larger, which is the most clear sign that image quality will improve. Samsung’s camera software, with its AI help and Snapdragon image processing pipeline, is better than ever, but I’d still like to see Samsung focus its camera sights on a phone that isn’t its Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S25 review: Design
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Smaller than an iPhone 16, with a larger display
Still looks like last year’s Galaxy S (and the year before’s, and…)
The Galaxy S25 has a 6.2-inch display, but the phone is smaller in every way, and even lighter, than the Apple iPhone 16 with its 6.1-inch display. The greatest trick Samsung ever pulled was fitting a larger display into a smaller phone – but we saw that trick in 2023 with the Galaxy S23, and it’s still the same trick.
Sadly, Samsung hasn’t changed the Galaxy S design significantly since the Galaxy S23, when it introduced the porthole-style cameras. The new phones look so much like the older models, even the dimensions are unchanged. The Galaxy S25 matches the Galaxy S23 in height, width, and depth to within a millimeter.
Why does that matter? Because I expect a phone design should improve or the phone should drop in price, and the Galaxy S hasn’t improved. Why are we paying the same amount for a phone that hasn’t changed since 2023? Except for the main processor and RAM, these phones are identical.
It’s a good design, it gets the job done, which is getting out of the way of Samsung’s fantastic phone display. The bezel is even smaller this year, though we’re talking fractions of millimeters, not a noticeable improvement. There is still a bezel; it’s just very small.
Frankly, if you’d never seen a smartphone before, you’d have a hard time telling a Samsung Galaxy S from an iPhone. The two have come full circle to resemble each other again. The camera lenses are arranged differently, but otherwise, these phones are glass slabs with rounded corners. The only real difference is where Samsung and Apple stick the buttons.
Design score: 4 / 5
Samsung Galaxy S25 review: Display
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Excellent, bright AMOLED screen with full-color always-on display
Fingerprint scanner is still glitchy
The Galaxy S25 has a fantastic display. It’s bright, colorful, and extra smooth when you’re scrolling through your apps or web pages. There’s very little distance between the glass and the screen, so it feels like elements are floating just beneath the surface.
Samsung displays also excel in bright light, and the Galaxy S25 was easy to use for taking photos on a bright, sunny day with heaps of dazzling, white snow on the ground. The extra brightness really kicks in when the sun is out, and it makes a big difference.
The S25 doesn’t get the ProScaler technology that’s designed to make videos look better, with a higher resolution, but I didn’t see much difference between videos on this phone and the Galaxy S25 Plus, which, along with the S25 Ultra, has the Samsung TV tech. In terms of color, smoothness and brightness, the two are identical.
I think the fingerprint scanner under the display needs improvement. After using the OnePlus 13 for a few months I’ve been spoiled by the reliability of that phone’s scanner. The Galaxy S25 often made me re-present my fingerprint two or three times, and then resort to using my password because it couldn’t recognize my finger.
Display score: 4 / 5
Samsung Galaxy S25 review: Software
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One UI 7 is the best-looking One UI in a long time
Still far too complicated, though Bixby helps
I expected to write a few hundred words about Galaxy AI on the Galaxy S25, but, um, where is it? The usual stuff is here, including the photo-editing tools, and the writing assistance, and the transcription for phone calls and voice memos. The phone does a nice job of making suggestions for apps, settings, and even widgets, when you open the widgets menu. It takes a light touch, offering suggestions but not being too pushy.
I was expecting more pushy. I was hoping for more pushy. Samsung sent me a Galaxy Watch Ultra to go along with the Galaxy S25, and I’ve been feeding my phone, via its Personal Data Engine, all of my health data for days. The most I’ve gotten is a critique on my sleep habits. I was expecting much more.
At Galaxy Unpacked, Samsung said the Galaxy S25 would use the Galaxy Watch to learn when I fall asleep, and then check Smart Things to understand how the temperature and lighting in my home affected my sleep patterns. I have all of those things set up, including my lights, thermostat, and Samsung TV on Smart Things. And… nothing happens.
I’ve asked Samsung, and they’ll get back to me with more instructions on how to set this all up, but that’s my big problem with Galaxy AI so far. It doesn’t happen, and I might need to do more to set it up.
Take Google Gemini, which now lives on the Side Button of my Galaxy S25. So long, Bixby, right? Nope, Bixby is still there, but you have to find it. If you use the Search feature in the Settings menu, you’re using Bixby. You could have kept Bixby on the side button, but the setup process pushes you to use Gemini instead.
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That’s too bad, because Bixby is better for the Galaxy S25. Bixby can do things, and I don’t just mean setting timers and checking the weather. Bixby understands the Settings menu better than the Samsung Help Hotline. You can ask Bixby a question using natural language and it will find the settings you need. Say “Bixby, I want to use my phone to charge my Galaxy Buds” and Bixby opens up the Battery menu to Wireless Power Sharing.
You can say “turn on the flashlight” and Bixby can do that, but Gemini can’t. I wish that Bixby were in charge of the phone, including Gemini. Gemini can have a conversation, but Bixby can get things done. Let Bixby talk to Gemini for me.
Samsung said this wouldn’t be confusing, and that users wouldn’t need to know whether they were using Bixby or Gemini or some future AI feature. That’s not exactly true. If you ask the wrong AI to do something, it will act confused and ignore you. That doesn’t make me want to keep using the AI.
Elsewhere, I hate to say that Samsung is falling back into its old ways of software bloat with the Galaxy S25. The amount of extra, unnecessary software is mind-boggling. From Samsung, you get the Samsung Members app (which should just be a website), Shop Samsung to buy Samsung gear, and the Galaxy Store for apps, almost all of which are available on Google’s Play Store as well.
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You also get the Samsung Smart Things app, even if you don’t have any Smart Things equipment, and the Galaxy Wearable app, even if you don’t have any Galaxy wearables. But wait, there’s more. There’s Samsung News, Samsung Global Goals (?!), and an app just for Tips about your phone.
Then there are two photo gallery apps, one from Google and one from Samsung. Also two Calendar apps, two web browser apps, oh, and Microsoft gets to stick four apps on your phone as well, just for good measure. Hope you enjoy LinkedIn.
All told, there are 46 apps already installed on your phone before you turn it on for the first time; the final one of these, YouTube, dangles alone an unsightly second page for apps. It’s too much. It’s time for the junk to disappear; it’s time for the duplicate apps to end.
I will freely admit that Samsung Internet Browser is faster than Google Chrome, but it doesn’t benefit users to have two web browsers on a brand-new phone, it just confuses me.
Software score: 3 / 5
Samsung Galaxy S25 review: Cameras
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Reliable cameras with great camera modes
Not the best quality, but still impressive
The Galaxy S25 has an impressive array of cameras that take excellent photos, especially if you love to share your photos for some dramatic effect. The cameras tend to saturate colors deeply and give images a warmer tone, which makes subjects like food, sunrises, and faces look more dramatic and inviting. It’s not exactly accurate, but who cares!
These aren’t the best cameras around, not even in this price range. The OnePlus 13 really impressed me with its image quality, and side-by-side shots taken against the Galaxy S25 show the Galaxy can’t match OnePlus for dynamic range, low-light exposure, and accurate color.
I still like the Galaxy Camera app for its versatility. You get the normal shooting modes for slow motion or portrait shots, in addition to a dedicated Night mode. There’s also a great Food mode that is my go-to for showing off anything I cook.
In classic Samsung fashion, there’s a Pro mode, or you can download an extra app for Expert Raw mode, which gives you even more advanced features like simulated aperture and astrophotography.
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A photo of me in front of a helicopter with some random people in the background (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Photo edited using AI (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
I’m not the biggest fan of AI photo editing, but occasionally even I would like to remove a random passerby from my tourist photos. The Galaxy S25 is so good at this that it can even remove a person’s shadow with accuracy. If someone is standing on a wood floor, the generative AI will perfectly match the wood planks when it makes the shadow disappear.
Camera score: 4 / 5
Samsung Galaxy S25 review: Camera samples
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Samsung Galaxy S25 review: Performance
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Snapdragon delivers on its performance promise
Too bad there aren’t more cool features to take advantage of it
What do you do with the fastest smartphone in the world? That’s the question Samsung needs to answer, because while the Galaxy S25 wins on many performance and benchmark tests, it’s not clear what the phone can do with all of that power.
To be fair, Samsung lets you choose to limit Galaxy AI so that all computations are handled on the device, and not in the cloud. It’s unclear if that saves a lot of energy, but it certainly shows Samsung’s confidence in the power of the Galaxy S25. OnePlus is still offloading almost all of its AI tasks to cloud computers, even though its OnePlus 13 has the same Snapdragon 8 Elite processor as the Galaxy S25.
Well, not exactly the same processor, as Qualcomm overclocks the chipset just a smidgen so that Samsung can add a ‘for Galaxy’ label. That makes it the de facto performance winner, though again I wish Samsung were putting all of that power to better use.
Don’t get me wrong, everything is very smooth. The interface is buttery slick, and all of my games and apps ran at top performance on the S25. I have no complaints - I was just hoping for a bit more. While One UI 7 looks nicer than ever, I was hoping for maybe something a bit flashier to take advantage of that powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite.
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Where’s my rippling screen when I tickle Bixby, the way my iPhone ripples when Siri wakes up? How about cool animations, or even a fancy screensaver? There’s a generative AI wallpaper that will change the weather in any photo to match your local weather, but it just adds snowflakes on top; it doesn’t let snow accumulate, which would have been cool.
It’s too bad that all of that Snapdragon power is going to AI features, because I would have liked to have seen some real advances in the interface this generation to match the leap in performance. Samsung has a winner – the Galaxy S25 is unequivocally faster than the iPhone 16. Now, let’s see what it can do with all that power, besides standing atop the winner’s podium.
Performance score: 5 / 5
Samsung Galaxy S25 review: Battery
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Best battery life of any phone this size
The Galaxy S25 Plus and Ultra have faster charging
The Samsung Galaxy S25 has excellent battery life, better than competing phones of this size. In my testing, the Galaxy S25 lasted a full day every single day I used it, even if I took a lot of photos or played graphically intense games with a Bluetooth joystick connected.
Our Future Labs tests say the same. The Galaxy S25 lasted longer than the similarly-sized iPhone 16 and Google Pixel 9. The iPhone 16 lasted less than 12 and a half hours in our battery rundown test, while the Galaxy S25 made it to nearly 16 hours.
You can find better battery life on a phone, but you’d have to buy a much bigger phone. For phones this size, the Galaxy S25 has the best battery life I’ve seen, likely thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which has gone hand in hand with impressive battery longevity in every phone I’ve tried, like the OnePlus 13 and the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro.
For charging, the Galaxy S25 is capable, but its speed is average. It charges at 25W, the same as the iPhone. It charged to 50% in 30 minutes, and was fully charged within an hour, but I’ve seen much faster charging on phones like the OnePlus 13.
The Galaxy S25 has wireless charging as well as reverse wireless charging, so you can power up your Galaxy Buds 3 Pro case by laying it atop your phone battery – and Bixby can help you find the feature if you get stuck.
Battery score: 4 / 5
Buy it if...
You need a really good new phone If you’re looking for a phone this size, or this price, the Galaxy S25 should be one of the top options on your list. It’s a great all-around pick with few faults.
You can get one for free, or almost free Samsung phones tend to come with great deals from your carrier, if you’re willing to sign a long-term contract. Not every phone this good is so easy to buy.
You want a great phone to mix work and personal use The Galaxy S25 is great for work, thanks to DeX desktop software and strong multi-tasking, but it’s also great at keeping work separate from your fun time.
Don't buy it if...
You want the best cameras and can spend a bit more You may not find better cameras at this price, but for just a bit more (or if they’re on sale), the OnePlus 13 and Pixel 9 Pro have the Galaxy beat.
You wish it were a whole lot thinner The Galaxy S25 Edge is coming, and it will probably cost more than the Galaxy S25, but who knows? If it’s thin and similarly priced, it could be worth the wait.
You want a whole lotta AI, for whatever reason I don’t judge – if you want an overwhelming amount of AI controlling your phone, you might try an iPhone or Pixel instead.
Samsung Galaxy S25 review: Also consider
Apple iPhone 16 The iPhone 16 doesn’t have the same great battery life, and its cameras lack zoom, but it has iOS and all of the powerful Apple Intelligence features you won’t find on other phones.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Sometimes the Pixel 9 Pro goes on sale and drops to the same price as the Galaxy S25 – keep your eyes peeled for Pro cameras, and a bargain.
Benchmark testing is for comparison, not scoring purposes
I tested the Samsung Galaxy S25 extensively, alongside the Galaxy S25 Plus, for almost two weeks, using the same work and personal apps and accounts on each.
I used the Galaxy S25 for taking photos, communicating with work colleagues using messages and Slack, and conducting video conference calls. I played games, and edited photos from my Google Photos library.
I connected the Galaxy S25 to a Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, supplied by Samsung. I wore the Galaxy Watch to bed, and let the Galaxy S25 monitor me as I slept. I connected an Xbox wireless controller to play games. I connected the Galaxy S25 to my car for Android Auto and multimedia. I connected the phone to my Steelseries USB-C keyboard, my MX Master mouse, and my Dell monitor for DeX capabilities.
I used Smart Things on the Galaxy S25 to control my home thermostat, lights, security, and television. I used Gemini as my primary side button AI, but also used Bixby extensively.
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Goodbye, all those Note vestiges, and hello to new, or at least more consistent, design language. The all-new Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra finally looks like a part of the Galaxy S Family, sharing the same flat band wrapping around its body.
For this latest flagship, Samsung has recast the Galaxy S25 Ultra in the image of its siblings while maintaining that Ultra flair with premium materials, the largest screen, and, yes, the integrated S Pen.
Like the rest of the line, the S25 Ultra now features Qualcomm’s best mobile CPU, the 3-nanometer Snapdragon Gen 8 Elite for Galaxy, which promises to be faster and more efficient than anything the Galaxy S line has run before. Samsung told us this is actually a custom version of the processor, but didn’t go into detail.
While we’ve not yet had the time to benchmark the new phone – we’ll be doing that for our full review – the company did note that the NPU could be 40% faster, the CPU is, as they measure it, 37% faster than the last Ultra, and the GPU is, they promise, 30% faster. Even ray tracing gets a boost with Samsung’s benchmarks finding it 40% better than the S24 Ultra’s Ray Tracing capabilities. Put another way, this might be a very good gaming smartphone.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra hands-on review: Price and availability
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra was unveiled at Galaxy Unpacked on January 22. It's available to pre-order now in a choice of four colors: Titanium Silver Blue, Titanium White Silver, Titanium Gray, and Titanium Black.
The phone ships in either 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage configurations, and every variant comes with 12GB RAM.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra will begin shipping on February 7 for the following prices:
Samsung Galaxy S25 series: $900 instant trade-in credit and up to $300 credit at Samsung Looking for an unlocked device? This right here is your best option by far. The official Samsung Store is offering an excellent trade-in rebate of up to $900 and $300 of store credit on the house for both carrier and unlocked devices today. The trade-in here is superb and the $300 credit is also a significant bonus that can be used to pick up any number of cheap accessories at the Samsung Store. Overall, a superb opening deal and one that's even better than I anticipated.View Deal
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra hands-on review: Specs
Here's a look at the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra's key specs:
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra hands-on review: design and display
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra looks and feels good, and while some might prefer the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s more rounded styling, the S25 Ultra is 15% lighter and, as a result, feels better in the hand. It’s also still rated IPX68 for water and dust resistance.
Samsung has mostly chosen to leave the screen technology as it is. Covered in more scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass Armor 2 (the previous model had the first generation of Armor glass), the display still has a sharp and pleasing QHD+ resolution, but it’s slightly larger than the S24 Ultra's at 6.9 inches instead of 6.8 inches diagonally. Samsung did this not by making the phone larger, but by shrinking the bezel by 15%.
It’s still an adaptive refresh screen, moving smoothly from 1Hz to 120Hz on an as-needed basis. New to the screen technology is ProScaler, which actually comes from Samsung's TV line and upscales lower-resolution content. This is a hardware update that will not filter down to previous models.
(Image credit: Future / Jake Krol)
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra hands-on review: cameras
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
While the camera array has been redesigned, and the three rear lenses now almost float above the phone body, two of the three cameras are unchanged from the S24 Ultra: the 50MP 5x zoom and the 200MP wide main camera. New to the trio is the 50MP ultra-wide. Shooting macro images in 12MP binned format, I could already see the quality difference and was especially impressed with the level of close-up detail I could capture. The front-facing portrait camera is unchanged from the S24 Ultra. It's still 12MP, and in my brief hands-on time it did an excellent job of capturing portrait-mode photos.
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
I’m a bit disappointed that Samsung didn’t bring back its optical 10x zoom from the S23 Ultra, but the 10x zoom that crops in on the higher pixel count zoom will probably satisfy most people.
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Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: battery and performance
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Battery size is unchanged from the S24 Ultra, but Samsung says we should expect better battery life from the Galaxy S25 Ultra thanks to the Snapdragon Gen 8 Elite’s 3-nanometer process and the new 40% larger vapor chamber that Samsung has paired with a Thermal Interface Covering (TIM). The TIM sits right on top of the CPU, and the vapor chamber is on top of that to deliver more efficient heat dissipation, which can extend better battery life. Speaking of the battery, Samsung says the phone is “Qi2 compatible”, but that support is not built into the phone; in other words, the phone will work with an external accessory that supports the updated wireless charging system.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: software
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Perhaps the biggest upgrade over the S24 Ultra is the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra’s impressive AI capabilities. This is more than just a Galaxy AI upgrade; Samsung has infused AI throughout the system, and given it broader capabilities that span across Samsung and Google apps. The company is calling it Cross Action Apps.
Smart select is, well, smarter now, with the ability to recognize on-screen elements and then make suggestions about what you might want to do, AI-wise, with the image. For instance, it could suggest a straight generative edit or making a GIF.
Circle to Search is now aurally capable, with the ability to identify sounds in a video. It's also adept at naming that tune. I pressed the home button, tapped the new music note icon, and began humming Hot to Go by Chappell Roan. The AI got it right, bringing up the music video from YouTube in Google search. It did similarly well with my terrible hum of Fly Me to the Moon. The recognition isn't instant; you have to know more than a few bars, and the software will prompt you to "keep going" as necessary.
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AI-assisted search is now more agnostic. I long-pressed the home button and asked natural language questions about travel and buying a new vacuum. In each instance, the system used Google Gemini to tap into YouTube and Samsung Notes. It found what I was looking for on Google’s service, dug into videos to find the details that mattered to me, made summaries, and saved them in Samsung Notes.
(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)
These Gemini Live and Bixby enhancements can access all native Samsung and Google apps. Plus, Samsung plans to release the APK so that other third-party companies can become part of the Galaxy AI ecosystem. At launch, it'll feature built-in Spotify and WhatsApp support.
Samsung has also enhanced many of its generative image tools. I took a photo, and drew a marquee to select and remove all the background people in the shot with a single tap. I could tap another icon to quickly see the original photo. The Galaxy S25 Ultra did a good job, even neatly removing shadows.
Other photography features have also been given a generative-AI sheen. Portraits can now instantly be turned into excellent pencil sketches, and the ones I generated looked as good as any sketch portrait that might appear in The Wall Street Journal. Seeing the quality made me a little sad for the soon-to-be-unemployed sketch artists around the world – although I felt a little better when I took another portrait, but in less dramatic light, and the sketch looked nothing like my subject.
There's also a powerful new AI audio cleanup tool called Audio Eraser, which I used to remove distracting background noises from an interview – I could do it on the fly in the video playback, and tone the background noises down or up to my taste. When I fully removed the background noises, though, the main audio sounded a bit artificial. This is similar to the Audio Mix tools Apple introduced with the iPhone 16 Pro, but with fewer audio presets, and I can’t say for certain yet if it has more limited capabilities until I get to spend more time with it.
Sketch to image, which I used to entertaining effect on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 last summer, is now multi-modal, which means you can start with a photo, draw on that, and have the generative AI do its image magic. You can also use text prompts to adjust the image, although I didn't get to try this feature in my brief hands-on time.
Even Samsung's photo library app, Gallery, has been given a brain transplant, and now lets you search by voice. I asked it to show me pictures of "wine" and quickly got a gallery of photos of wine bottles.
One UI overhaul
One UI 7, a three-year-long project for Samsung, has had a complete makeover. I generally like One UI because it’s long been one of the least overbearing Android overlays, and based on my brief look at it, I think One UI 7 continues this trend.
There’s also a new Now Brief widget, which uses on-system AI to learn about you and give you morning and evening briefs that can help you manage your days and nights. There’s health-related info, upcoming schedules, your energy score, sleep quality, weather, reminders, and more. The connections to some of Samsung’s other devices, like the Galaxy Ring are impressive – if you own all the latest Samsung gear, the S25 Ultra could be an even more worthwhile upgrade.
(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)
What’s interesting here is how Samsung is managing this private data locally, using something called the Personal Data Engine. Through this the phone sends your data to an onboard core that can use AI to understand and act as AI agents on your behalf. None of your data, which is protected by Samsung's Knox security, is shared with the cloud or with apps. It’s the kind of insight Apple has been promising us with Apple Intelligence but has so far failed to deliver.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra hands-on review: S Pen
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
The S Pen is still there, but Samsung has removed Bluetooth LE support because, it told us, no one was using it. Its main function was to enable you to use the pen as a remote control for shooting photos or controlling presentations. I doubt I will miss it. Otherwise, the S Pen’s operation is unchanged – I drew with it a bit on the S25 Ultra and was impressed with the responsiveness.
Finally, the good news is that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra costs the same as its predecessor, starting at $1,299 for 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage (you can go up to 1GB). That’s still a hefty price, but you should expect some early promotions to lower the pocket pain, and trade-in deals are typically excellent.
Adding yet another premium option to the burgeoning smartphone stabilizer market, the Hohem iSteady M7 is Hohem's latest top-of-the-range gimbal. It’s built to carry almost any smartphone – including heavier or larger models that other gimbals can’t effectively stabilize – and comes with a wide range of features to justify its high price and (compared to some) bulkier proportions.
Hohem supplies the iSteady M7 with a detachable mini tripod (which screws into the standard tripod mounting point at the base of the gimbal handle), a detachable AI tracking module/fill light, and two USB charging cables: one USB-C to USB-C and one USB-C to USB-A. There’s no AC adapter included, so you’ll have to connect this cable to something else to recharge the battery. All of the above fits snugly into a hard-shell zip-up carry case, which also has a net-covered space in the lid to store extras such as manuals or additional cables.
The stabilizer folds flat for storage, with three locks keeping the gimbal arm firmly in place. When it’s time for use, these locks have to be manually disengaged so that the arm can move freely, and the arm also needs some simple manual balancing once the phone has been mounted. For mounting, the phone is placed inside a firm spring-loaded grip, which can be rotated 90º to switch the phone between landscape (16:9) and portrait (9:16) orientation.
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The grip and gimbal motor are powerful enough to accommodate smartphones up to 500g in weight, and 12.5mm in thickness. That impressed me, given that the last flagship gimbal I reviewed, the Zhiyun Smooth 5S AI, can only manage phones up to 300g and 10mm. If you own one of the larger smartphone models (including folding phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6) or like to have a chunky case or lens accessory fitted to your handset, this extra capacity could make all the difference.
Hohem has designed and built the iSteady M7 very well. The gimbal felt comfortable in my hand, and I found all the major controls – from the front trigger to the customizable zoom/focus/tilt/pan wheel on the left – to be thoughtfully located and easy to access. There’s even a built-in extension rod, which allowed me to add an extra 20cm of distance to the gimbal arm and achieve some otherwise impossible shooting angles.
For my money, though, the best design touch (and one feature that no other stabilizer offers, to my knowledge) is the 1.4-inch touchscreen panel on the handle. Not only does this enable access to a range of settings via swipes and taps, which meant I didn’t need to use the Hohem Joy companion app to delve into some of the stabilizer’s deeper functions, but it also unclips from the handle to work as a remote control unit. This meant I was able to set the iSteady M7 up on a flat surface using its tripod, then use the remote to control gimbal movements and more from a distance of up to about 10m.
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It doesn’t stop there. The iSteady M7, like the Zhiyun Smooth 5S AI, comes with a small removable module for AI-assisted subject tracking. This mounts securely onto the gimbal arm (facing either front- or backwards) and, via a tiny camera, enables tracking of human subjects no matter which camera app you’re using on your phone. Some stabilizers will only track when using the manufacturer’s app, but this module meant I could use the native iPhone app, Blackmagic Cam, TikTok, or any other app I preferred. The Hohem Joy app itself is fine, although thanks to some poorly translated text and odd design choices, I would rather use other apps with which I’m more familiar. There’s room for improvement there, then.
The module also sports a really useful LED fill light (which can be customized for brightness and color) but perhaps more impressive is the way it combines really well with the remote unit. Not only was I able to preview the tracking camera’s POV via the remote screen, but I could also double-tap on the screen to track other objects. It’s far beyond what you get with the Zhiyun gimbal’s AI tracking.
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As for the 3-axis gimbal stabilization itself, I have absolutely no complaints. The usual modes – Pan Follow, Pan Tilt Follow, and POV – are supplemented by a full custom mode that allowed me to tailor movement speeds to my needs, and the ability of the gimbal to rotate through 360º on the pan axis gave me a lot of freedom to get creative with camera movement. The settings menu also features an ultra-wide-angle mode, which moves the gimbal arm out of the way of the camera during ultra-wide shots.
With a solid battery life of up to 12 hours with the gimbal largely static or eight hours with AI tracking enabled, you may want to pack a power bank for long weekend shoots, but I’m quite happy with the capacity. A USB-C socket on the gimbal arm even allows you to charge your phone’s battery while it’s mounted – just another example of the sort of thoughtful design touches that make the Hohem iSteady M7 arguably the best phone gimbal on the market right now.
Hohem iSteady M7 review: price and availability
The Hohem iSteady M7 is available now, and priced at around $299 / £269 / A$459. That puts it among the priciest of smartphone stabilizers out there, but given its spec level, I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing – particularly if you own a heavier handset that cheaper stabilizers aren't able to accommodate.
Hohem iSteady M7: specs
Hohem iSteady M7 review: Also consider
Insta360 Flow Pro Insta360’s compact foldable gimbal feels like the pick of the current mobile stabilizer bunch – at least where portability is concerned. With excellent battery life, and the ability to subject track when using third-party iPhone apps (or the native iPhone camera), it’s an impressive all-rounder that’ll fit into a large pocket when not in use.
Zhiyun Smooth 5S AI With similar AI-driven app-agnostic tracking skills, Zhiyun’s flagship stabilizer is perhaps the Hohem iSteady M7’s main rival. It falls behind on several features, however, with no removable touchscreen remote and a much lighter maximum phone capacity – which is probably why it’s now substantially cheaper than the M7.
You own a heavy, bulky smartphone With its 500g weight capacity and ability to grip devices as thick as 12.5mm, this is the go-to stabilizer for anyone owning a large and heavy smartphone. Most rivals don’t come close to its payload limits.
You want a highly flexible gimbal Thanks to app-agnostic tracking, the built-in extension rod, the touchscreen remote control and its fully customizable pan, tilt and follow settings, the iSteady M7 is probably the most versatile smartphone stabilizer on the market.
Don't buy it if...
You need a compact, portable stabilizer There are lots of smartphone stabilizers that fold down small enough to fit into a small bag or even a coat pocket. This is not one of them. While it’s not especially large or heavy, you’ll need at least a small backpack or similar to carry the iSteady M7.
You’re on a tight budget You can pick up effective, well-equipped stabilizers for half the asking price of the iSteady M7, so check if you need all of its features and payload capacity before shelling out your hard-earned cash.
How I tested the Hohem iSteady M7
One week of use
Tested with an iPhone 13
Used for B-roll and vlogs
I used the Hohem iSteady M7 in and around my home for a week, using it to record footage both handheld and with it sat on the ground or a desktop using its tripod. I tested it with my Apple iPhone 13 and several camera apps, including the native iPhone camera app and Hohem Joy, and used the phone’s front and rear cameras to record b-roll and vlog videos.
The Anker Zolo 20,000mAh 30W power bank has plenty of power and capacity – it's capable of charging larger devices like tablets and some laptops.
It certainly stands out in appearance, thanks to its thick size and vibrant colorways, although there is a black variant if you want something less ostentatious.
The Zolo feels as sturdy as some of the best power banks, yet it’s not as heavy as you might expect given its size. The plastic chassis feels smooth and the shiny panel on top is a nice touch. However, the translucent, ribbed border surrounding it is less so, and seems a little pointless; perhaps it offers extra grip when holding the bank, but I don’t think I’d miss it if it wasn’t there.
For a power bank of this size, it’s a shame it only has two ports (one USB-C and one USB-A), as there’s plenty of real estate for more. And while there is a small readout displaying the battery level – nicely disguised within that central panel – it seems like a missed opportunity to incorporate a bigger screen with more information to display, given all that space.
However, what is very useful is the 6-inch hardwired USB-C cable. This is made from a thick, braided cloth that feels durable, and Anker claims it will survive over 10,000 bends in its lifetime.
The slot that houses the jack end of this cable also feels very secure, yet it’s not hard to unplug the jack when needed. There also appears to be a good deal of internal strain relief on the hardwired end, so I feel reasonably confident it won’t come loose from its connection.
The cable provides 30W of charging power, meaning it can handle larger devices, such as some tablets, handheld gaming consoles, and laptops. It managed to charge my Google Pixel 7a from half to full in just over an hour, with the Zolo’s battery depleting to 86%, meaning you should get quite a few charges out of it.
(Image credit: Future)
The USB-A port, on the other hand, provides a maximum of 22.5W of power. This charged my Pixel 7a from half to full in about an hour and a half and depleted the bank’s battery to 87%, so it’s another solid effort.
There’s also a trickle charging mode for this port, which lets you safely charge low-powered devices such as smartwatches and earbuds. You can activate this easily by pressing the power button on the side twice. Pressing the power button another two times deactivates the mode.
Another useful feature of the Anker Zolo is the Smart Charging Reminder, which means the battery readout flashes when it falls to 5%, alerting you to the need to charge it back up.
Charging the Anker Zolo itself took over four hours from 20% to full. This isn’t a particularly impressive performance, but given its capacity, it’s understandable. You can use the built-in cable or the USB-C port for charging the bank.
Considering its price, large capacity, high power output, and integrated cable, the Anker Zolo represents good value. However, I wish it had more ports to take advantage of its large size and more display information.
If you need more connectivity options, and even more power, the Juovi J2621 is a better alternative, thanks to its 45W output and four USB ports. What’s more, it’s cheaper than the Zolo. If features are a priority for you, then the Anker MagGo (10K) is a good choice, thanks to its detailed display and wireless charging capability. It’s more expensive than the Zolo, though.
Anker Zolo review: price & specs
(Image credit: Future)
Should I buy the Anker Zolo?
Buy it if…
You want plenty of juice The 20,000mAh capacity is enough for multiple charges of smaller devices.
You want a built-in cable With that integrated USB-C cable, you don’t have to worry about remembering to bring your own, as it can be used to charge the bank itself as well as your devices.
Don't buy it if…
You want wireless charging Unlike some power banks, the Anker Zolo has no wireless charging capability, but that’s not much of a surprise given the price.
You want a thin power bank It might not be that heavy for a power bank this size, but the Zolo is certainly thick, so you can’t easily slide it into your pocket.
Anker Zolo review: Also consider
Juovi J2621 20000mAh 45W If you still want plenty of capacity yet even more power and ports, the J2621 could be for you. It has two USB-A and two USB-C ports, with the latter providing 45W of power. We weren’t blown away by the charging performance or the build quality, but since it’s slightly cheaper than the Anker Zolo yet has a better spec, it represents good value.View Deal
The Ugreen Uno 10,000mAh 30W power bank offers multiple ways to keep your devices running, with a friendly face designed to inject some fun into the gloomy world of charging.
The cutesy robot design is fairly minimal, so much so that you’ll likely only notice it upon closer inspection; there’s no feet or handle as there is with other products in the Uno range.
It's relatively compact for a 10,000mAh power bank, although it's still quite thick and the screen bulges out slightly, as does the power button on the side; the Uno isn’t a perfectly planed rectangle like some of the best power banks, such as the Ugreen 10,000mAh Magnetic Wireless Power Bank or the Anker 621 Magnetic Battery (MagGo).
The overall build quality is good, although it feels a little flimsy in places, with presses able to warp the plastic chassis, so this isn’t a power bank I would feel comfortable taking on more rugged excursions. The screen is nice and thick, though, and seems quite resistant to scratches (at least minor ones). However, the materials used are light, making the Uno easy to carry around with all day without issue.
The faces on the display aren’t just for show; they’re also indicators for the charging status. A smiling face indicates the Uno is currently charging your device, while two love hearts signal that charging is complete. There’s also a sad face to notify you when the bank’s battery is low.
It’s a shame, though, that the charging faces only display intermittently rather than continuously, meaning that sometimes you’ll have to press the power button to see what the status is. The battery percentage of the Uno also isn’t displayed unless the power button is pressed, which would’ve been another useful addition, and one that some Anker power banks feature, for instance.
The faces do change depending on how much battery is left in the Uno, but they’re too subtle to be easily read, and there’s only a few increments available: one for less than 20%, one for 21-79%, and another for 80-99%.
What is very useful, though, is the hardwired USB-C cable, which folds away neatly into its own recess on the back. It’s flat and appears quite durable, although it's quite short, so only useful if your device or charger is close by.
When it comes to charging performance, the Uno has a 30W power output and supports two-way fast charging (three-way charging is also possible, but without the added speed boost). During my tests, it managed to charge my Google Pixel 7a from 50% to 100% in just over an hour via the USB-C port, depleting the bank’s battery from 100% to 77% in the process, so you should be able to get about four charges out of it. Charging the bank itself from 25% to full via the USB-C port took about 90 minutes, which is an impressive performance.
There’s also a trickle charging feature, designed to protect smaller devices, such as earphones and smartwatches, by providing a low-level, continuous current. It can be activated simply by holding the power button for three seconds.
As large capacity, multi-port power banks go, the Uno offers good value for money, especially considering its 30W power, which is on the higher-end of the spectrum for a compact power bank.
(Image credit: Future)
Ugreen Uno 10,000mAh 30W power bank review: price & specs
(Image credit: Future)
Should I buy the Ugreen Uno 10,000mAh 30W power bank?
Buy it if…
You want powerful charging With a 30W power output, the Uno can charge your devices quickly.
You want versatility The Uno’s three-way charging capability means you can charge multiple devices at once, and the hardwired USB-C cable adds even more convenience.
Don't buy it if…
You want detailed info Despite the fun faces, a more in-depth interface would’ve been useful, showing aspects such as the Uno’s battery percentage and estimated times, like some rivals include.
You want the toughest power bank The chassis won’t inspire much confidence if you’re taking it on wild adventures, but it should hold up for casual travel.
Ugreen Uno 10,000mAh 30W power bank review: also consider
Iniu B61 power bank The Iniu B61 power bank closely matches the Uno for price, although it can be found for a lot less. It has three ports like the Uno, albeit two of them are USB-A and there’s only one USB-C. Although it has the same 10,000mAh capacity, it has less total power (22.5W) and there’s no inbuilt cable. It’s also doesn’t feature trickle charging, but it's lighter and feels better built, so it could be the smarter choice depending on your requirements.View Deal
The Juovi J2621 is a 45W power bank with a large 20,000mAh capacity and four ports for versatile, long-lasting charging performance. It’s a hefty brick for sure, but thankfully it’s not as heavy as it looks. This means it would be easy enough to carry around in a back, but not slim enough for pocketing.
Overall, its design is fairly anonymous, although the two-tone colorway adds some interest. There’s no clutter to ruin its minimalist credentials, as there’s only one button for the power, but ultimately, the J2621 won’t win any awards for style.
The build quality isn’t on a par with some of the best power banks, as there’s some flex in the chassis when pressed, and the front and back panels have prominent joins that feel sharp in the hand.
However, one very smart-looking feature is the display. It’s imperceptible when inactive, since there’s no glass screen; instead, it shines through the chassis when on. This also means there’s no delicate glass to scratch or crack, which is reassuring.
The USB-C ports provide up to 45W of power. Charging a Google Pixel 7a from half to full took just over an hour, which amounts to an average performance. Thanks to its large 20,000mAh capacity, though, the J2621’s battery only depleted by 16%, which means you should be able to get about six charges out of it.
On the other hand, the USB-A ports only reach a maximum of 30W each. Charging a Pixel 7a via this method was inevitably slower, taking closer to two hours, with the J2621 depleting by 17%.
There’s also a trickle charging mode, designed for low-current devices such as earbuds and smartwatches. It can be activated easily by pressing the power button twice, with an indicator appearing on the display.
The J2621 itself took just over an hour to charge itself from 70% to full, which isn’t bad considering its large capacity.
Ultimately, if you need a large capacity and port selection, then the J2621 is a worthy choice. It undercuts some other power banks, including those from Anker, and although it’s not as well engineered as its rivals, or as portable, it still makes for a versatile power bank.
(Image credit: Future)
Juovi J2621 20000mAh 45W Power Bank review: price & specs
(Image credit: Future)
Should I buy the Juovi J2621 20000mAh 45W Power Bank?
Buy it if…
You have multiple devices With two USB-C ports and two USB-A ports, the J2621 is great if you have lots of devices to charge at once.
You need the power and space With a 45W maximum output, the J2621 is capable of charging larger devices, such as handheld consoles and tablets. It also has enough juice to offer multiple charges.
Don't buy it if…
You want something ultra-portable Although it’s light, the J2621 is thick and long, so it’s not ideal if you want to slip it into your pocket.
You want the best build Although the screenless display is a nice touch, the rest of the chassis doesn’t feel like the toughest.
Juovi J2621 20000mAh 45W Power Bank: also consider
Iniu B61 10000mAh power bank If you want charging power and versatility in a portable package, the Iniu B61 is a great choice. It offers three charging ports and has a light, slender form that makes it easy to carry in your pocket. It also features a large display, although it’s a little overkill considering the dearth of information it presents. It’s also a shame there’s only one USB-C port. But while the J2621 is slightly cheaper, the B61 is still great value for money.
The Anker 621 Magnetic Battery is one of the simpler wireless power banks that Anker makes. It offers a 5,000mAh capacity and up to 12W of total power output. It also features a MagSafe charging pad for the iPhone 12 series and beyond, which offers up to 7.5W of charging power, as well as a USB-C port for wired charging.
The MagSafe area is slightly padded with a PU leatherette that feels durable. It showed no signs of wear during our tests, as some other soft-touch charging pads have.
The Anker 621 MagGo has a simple, clean look with soft edges. The two-tone pale blue color scheme also adds an element of vibrancy missing from many other of the best power banks, and other variants are available, including white, green, and purple. This makes the 621 a good match for the stylish designs of the best iPhones.
The only interface is a charging and battery life indicator, represented by small LED dots that are easy to comprehend. There are four dots indicating the battery life of the 621, and a singular dot that flashes to indicate charging activity.
One of the standout aspects of the Anker 621 is its form: it’s impressively thin and light, making it great to travel with and it’s much easier to use your iPhone while it's attached, compared to other, heavier MagSafe power banks.
However, the price you pay for this portability is the reduced capacity, as the Anker 621 is only rated at 5,000mAh. During our tests, it managed to charge an iPhone 13 Pro in about two hours, reducing the power bank’s battery indicator to two LED dots, indicating a battery level between 25%-50%.
When using the USB-C port for wired charging, the 621 charged a Pixel 7a from half to full in just over an hour, again losing between 50-75% of battery life in the process. Charging the bank itself took about 2 hours and 40 minutes, which is a reasonable speed for a bank of this size.
If you’re looking for a power bank that lets you easily use and charge your iPhone at the same time, then the 621 could be ideal, given how thin and light it is. The vibrant colorways also make it an accessory you’d be happy to flaunt alongside your device.
(Image credit: Future)
Anker 621 Magnetic Battery (MagGo) review: Price & specs
(Image credit: Future)
Should I buy the Anker 621 Magnetic Battery (MagGo)?
Buy it if…
You want to make a fashion statement The vibrant, two-tone color schemes of the 621, along with its sleek design, means it can match your iPhone for style.
You want to pocket your power bank The thin and light construction of the 621 means it slips into your pocket effortlessly. It’s also much easier to use your iPhone with it attached compared to other MagSafe power banks.
Don't buy it if…
You want a large capacity At 5,000mAh, the 621 is on the lower end of the capacity spectrum, which means you’ll get slightly fewer charges out of it. It still performs with admirable speed, though.
You want a hard charging surface Although we didn’t experience any wear and tear with the PU faux leather MagSafe pad, you might want to avoid the 621 if you want something ultra-durable.
Anker 621 Magnetic Battery (MagGo) review: Also consider
Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K) Imagine this product, but with twice the capacity and faster charging, plus a display for exact charge level, and a little kickstand too. If you like that thought, then you probably want the Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K) instead – though it's more expensive and heavier, naturally.View Deal
