I've tested every Samsung Galaxy S25 model - and my favorite isn't the Ultra

The "middle child" often gets a bad rap, but the new Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus, which sits right between the smaller S25 and more-capable S25 Ultra, flips the script. Because after just a few days of use, it's quickly become my favorite model of the three.

Also: I replaced my iPhone 16 Pro with the Galaxy S25 Ultra - and there's a clear winner

Part of the reason is less to do with the S25 Plus and more with the larger, squared-shaped Ultra model that I tested first. Even with my larger-than-average hands, I wouldn't exactly call the S25 Ultra's design burdenless; the corners still dig into your palms with extended use, and reaching for certain corners of the screen -- for checkboxes, menu buttons, etc. -- requires a level of finger gymnastics that no other phone prepares you for.

On the other hand, the S25 Plus, with its rounded edges and slimmer profile, is much less jarring -- and the new Navy colorway gives it a charm that not even the Ultra can match. When I first held my S25 Plus review unit yesterday, my first thought was, "If this model already feels this thin, how much thinner is the new Edge?" That's a compliment to both devices.

But there's more to it than fit and finish. After all, if a compact design is what you're after, the standard Galaxy S25 is just as considerable. For $200 more than the S25 and $300 less than the Ultra, the S25 Plus strikes the best balance of form and function.

Also: Best Samsung Galaxy S25 deals: $300 gift cards and free offers at AT&T and Verizon

Some key distinctions make the S25 Plus model a significant step up over the standard S25, from double the base storage (256GB vs. 128GB) to a much larger battery (4,900mAh vs. 4,000mAh) to the QHD+ display (versus FHD). 

The higher-resolution display allows the S25 Plus to support Samsung's new ProScaler feature, which automatically upscales lower-resolution content so that it appears sharper and more crisp. When I compared the S25 Plus with ProScaler to the S25 without it, the latter device lacked a level of clarity.

Then there's the feature parity between the S25 Plus and S25 Ultra -- which, again, costs $300 more. If you went into this comparison blindly, you would expect the Ultra model to have a better processor, camera system, software features, and charging capabilities. Only one of the items on that list is different.

The S25 Plus has the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, suite of Galaxy AI tools, and wired and wireless charging speeds (45W and 15W, respectively) as the S25 Ultra, but it doesn't have the same 200-megapixel-led camera system. And that's okay.

Also: Every Samsung Galaxy S25 model compared: How to decide which phone to buy

The versatility of the S25 Plus' triple camera system, which includes a 10MP telephoto with 3x zoom, is more than enough for most users, including myself. A lot of what makes modern-day smartphone cameras so good has to do with the computational processes that run in background. And there's not much difference between the S25 Plus and S25 Ultra, which is great.

Two exceptions to camera output are if you're very passionate about macro photography, which the S25 Ultra's new 50MP ultrawide lens excels at, and capturing a less-than-optimal shot of the Statue of Liberty from across the borough. For almost every other use case, the S25 Plus will serve you well.

My argument is made easier with Samsung nerfing this year's S Pen functionality, reducing the S25 Ultra's exclusive accessory to a mere touchscreen stylus and nothing more. If you don't see yourself needing the precision inputs of the stylus, then the hardware difference is negligible.

Also: I went hands-on with Samsung's standard Galaxy S25 and didn't envy the Ultra model at all

To be clear, this isn't a knock on the S25 Ultra; that model will almost surely be at the top of our best phones rankings until the end of this year. But it's easy to ignore the S25 Plus when the standard S25 and S25 Ultra cover both ends of the flagship spectrum so well, and you may be wondering if it's better to fork up the extra $300 if you're already spending $1,000 on a new Samsung phone.

But a closer look at how all the specifications fare should suggest that maybe -- just maybe -- being the boring middle child may not always be a bad thing.