US Deals: Samsung Galaxy S25 series pre-orders start, here are some alternatives too
You can’t have missed all the coverage of the Samsung Galaxy S25 series launch this week. We posted a pricing breakdown a few days ago, but let’s have another look at those prices, what retailers are offering and what alternatives there are.
First off, Samsung.com has the traditional free storage upgrade, getting you to 256GB on the Galaxy S25 and to 512GB on the Galaxy S25+ and S25 Ultra. Additionally, you can trade in an old device to reduce the price and you will be getting Samsung Credit to spend on more stuff. As a reminder, if you pre-reserved a unit, you will have $50 additional credit. And if you didn’t pre-reserve, our links should get you $50 credit anyway.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (pre-order)
12/512GBfree storage upgrade
up to $900 trade-in credit
up to $300 Samsung Credit
Read our review
Samsung Galaxy S25+ (pre-order)
12/512GBfree storage upgrade
up to $700 trade-in credit
up to $100 Samsung Credit
Read our review
Samsung Galaxy S25 (pre-order)
12/256GBfree storage upgrade
up to $500 trade-in credit
up to $50 Samsung Credit
Read our review
Next, let’s look at how retailers like Amazon and Best Buy have structured their deals. No free storage upgrade here, but you do get a gift card from the respective store, which is more flexible than Samsung Credit (which you can only spend on Samsung devices, of course). Note that the Galaxy S25 series is on pre-order, shipping will start on February 7.
Did you check out our hands-on review and our two-part camera shootout between the Galaxy S25 Ultra and S24 Ultra? If not, have a look. Okay then – before making a yes/no decision on the S25 series, you should consider the alternatives.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL will be one of the main rivals of the S25 Ultra. It currently costs less for a unit with 512GB storage – even with Samsung’s free storage upgrade! The Tensor G4 can’t match the performance of the Snapdragon 8 Elite, but the phone has a 48MP ultra-wide camera (countering the one camera upgrade Samsung brought this year), along with a 48MP 113mm periscope and a 50MP main.
On the flip side, the small Google Pixel 9 Pro is actually more expensive than the small Galaxy S25 when looking at 256GB models. The Pixel is a bit larger and what we said about the Tensor chip remains true. However, this phone has the same cameras as the Pro XL and its 48MP 113mm tele module wipes the floor with the 10MP 67mm module on the Galaxy, the same goes for the 48MP ultra-wide vs. 12MP. Even the selfie camera is better at 42MP 17mm ultra-wide vs. 12MP 26mm on the Galaxy.
If you’re willing to lose the tele and selfie camera and the slightly sharper LTPO panel, the vanilla Google Pixel 9 is a bit cheaper than the Galaxy S25 and offers mostly the same features as the 9 Pro.
There’s also Samsung’s own Galaxy S24 FE. It’s quite cheap – costing just $610 for a 256GB phone – but it’s large too with a 6.7” display. It’s not a direct competitor to either the S25 or S25+, but offers maybe 80% of the same experience. The display is a 1080p+ non-LTPO panel and the Exynos 2400e is faster than the Tensor, though not nearly as fast as the Snapdragon. But the rest is similar to identical and without paying a “new flagship” price.
We have to mention Apple, of course. The iPhone 16 Pro Max 512GB is a bit pricier than the Galaxy S25 Ultra – Apple charges two arms and two legs for storage upgrades. The Apple A18 Pro is actually behind in performance on synthetic benchmarks but is far from slow. The phone’s 12MP 120mm telephoto camera lacks the resolution of Samsung’s 50MP 111mm tele, but the 48MP ultra-wide is in place to tackle Samsung’s one camera upgrade this generation.
Like with the Pixels, the small iPhone 16 Pro is priced closer to its larger sibling than it is to the small Galaxy S25. Still, the iPhone has the better telephoto (12MP 120mm vs. 10MP 67mm) and ultra-wide cameras (48MP 13mm vs. 12MP 13mm). Apple added the Camera Control and Action Button this generation. Gimmicks or actually useful? Either way, at least it’s a new feature, unlike the S25, which hasn’t changed significantly since the S22.
You should also consider the Apple iPhone 16 Plus. We know some insist on having a small phone, while others prefer a larger one. The Plus is about the same size as the Galaxy S25+ and it costs about the same too. Note that there is no tele camera of any kind here and that the ultra-wide has only a 12MP sensor.
In the US, the list of flagships not made by the Big 3 is short – but OnePlus is hard to overlook. The OnePlus 13 uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip (with slightly lower clocks) and boasts triple 50MP Hasselblad cameras: 50MP main, 50MP 73mm periscope and 50MP ultra-wide. And it breaks the mold with a large 6,000mAh battery that supports 100W wired and 50W wireless fast charging. None of that 45W charging here!
The OnePlus 13R costs S24 FE money, but brings a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and a 6.78” 1264p+ LTPO display to the table. Its cameras include a 50MP main, 50MP 47mm tele and 8MP ultra-wide. Naturally, it has a large 6,000mAh battery with 80W fast charging (but no wireless). The IP65 rating is on the low side, even for a mid-ranger, but it shouldn’t make too much of a difference in practice.
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Reader comments
- sdkk
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- DarlingYuck
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- Anonymous
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Imagine copying someone else's username to make your point 🤡 who are these people
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