Ultimate power tool for writers and life on the go

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I recently spent time with Samsung Galaxy’s newest addition to the S series – the S25 – and I have a simple verdict: it’s a beast of a device and you should buy it you are a journalist, writer or publisher who is constantly pressed for time.

While it does not look too different from its predecessor, the Galaxy S24, it packs ease, smart features, speed and reliability that made my life and work easier.

Samsung Galaxy S25: Unparalleled battery life

Let’s start with the battery life, by far the most impressive offering of the Samsung Galaxy S25. I fully charged the phone at 17:00 on 11 June and by 16:30 on 13 June, it still had 13% left.

That’s nearly two full days of regular use – scrolling social media, instant messaging, taking pictures, checking emails and using WordPress – all without needing a charger. It’s perfect for people always on the move (and a klutz like me who loses power banks and always forgets to pack a charger).

The speed and responsiveness is just as impressive. Apps open quickly. Switching between apps or opening web links from another app is quick and seamless. I gave it a Herculean test by using the WordPress app – usually heavy and temperamental on Android devices – but it passed with flying colours, which means I didn’t have to swear at it.

Circle to Search

One of the coolest features is the Circle to Search. Although not new to the Galaxy S series, it is a wonder to use on the S25. You just draw a circle around an element on your screen – be it an object, image or text, and the phone instantly (and I mean instantly) searches for it. It’s quick, smart and surprisingly accurate.

To give you an example, I took a picture of a CNN guest’s face on my TV, long pressed the home button to bring up Circle to Search, encircled the woman’s face and boom – I had her name (Pam Bondi), designation and credentials in my hand. All of this in less than 10 seconds.

Speech-to-text, transcriptions, camera

The speech-to-text feature has improved significantly in terms of accuracy. I first used it with the Samsung Galaxy S21+ and the results were poor. However, with the S25, it is a vastly improved experience.

I recorded quotes by Floyd Shivambu, former uMkhonto weSizwe Party secretary-general, during his exit press conference in June, and it picked up his “revolutionary English” with incredible accuracy. This is very useful if you’re not adept at speedily taking notes.

When it comes to photos and videos, the S25 does the job.

Granted, I wasn’t outside taking pictures of beautiful sunsets, but where it came in really handy was when I wanted to shoot pictures or footage from a TV screen, which usually ends in blurry mess. With the S25, my images were crisp and clear, with colours popping and motion handled well. See below

If you live life on the move, the Samsung Galaxy S25 is for you

The Samsung Galaxy S25 is a reliable, powerful smartphone that handles everything, from AI features to heavy apps, like a champ. It’s fast, smart and keeps going without needing a charge every few hours. For South Africans looking for a solid premium phone that won’t let you down, the S25 is well worth it.

Processor	CPU Speed	CPU Type
	4.47GHz, 3.5GHz	Octa-Core
Display	Size (Main Display)	Resolution (Main Display)
	156.4mm	2340 x 1080 (FHD+)
	Technology (Main Display)	Colour Depth (Main Display)
	Dynamic AMOLED 2X	16M
	Max Refresh Rate (Main Display)
	120 Hz
Camera	Rear Camera – Resolution (Multiple)	Rear Camera – F Number (Multiple)
	50.0 MP + 10.0 MP + 12.0 MP	F1.8 , F2.4 , F2.2
	Main Camera – Auto Focus	Rear Camera – OIS
	Yes	Yes
	Rear Camera – Zoom	Front Camera – Resolution
	Optical Zoom 3x, Optical quality Zoom 2x (Enabled by Adaptive Pixel sensor) , Digital Zoom up to 30x	12.0 MP
	Front Camera – F Number	Front Camera – Auto Focus
	F2.2	Yes
	Main Camera – Flash	Video Recording Resolution
	Yes	UHD 8K (7680 x 4320) @30fps
	Slow Motion
	240fps @FHD, 120fps @FHD, 120fps @UHD
Storage/Memory	Memory (GB)	Storage (GB)
	12	256
	Available Storage (GB)
	223.5
Network/Bearer	Number of SIM	SIM size
	Dual-SIM	Nano-SIM (4FF), Embedded-SIM
	SIM Slot Type	Infra
	SIM 1 + SIM 2 / SIM 1 + eSIM / Dual eSIM	2G GSM, 3G WCDMA, 4G LTE FDD, 4G LTE TDD, 5G Sub6 FDD, 5G Sub6 TDD
Connectivity	USB Interface	USB Version
	USB Type-C	USB 3.2 Gen 1
	Location Technology	Earjack
	GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS	USB Type-C
	MHL	Wi-Fi
	No	802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be 2.4GHz+5GHz+6GHz, EHT320, MIMO, 4096-QAM
	Wi-Fi Direct	Bluetooth Version
	Yes	Bluetooth v5.4
	NFC	PC Sync
	Yes	Smart Switch (PC version)
OS	Android
Sensors	Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor
Physical specification	Dimension (HxWxD, mm)	Weight (g)
	146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2	162
Battery	Video Playback Time (Hours)	Battery Capacity (mAh, Typical)
	Up to 29	4000
	Removable
	No
Audio and Video	Stereo Support	Video Playing Format
	Yes	MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM
	Video Playing Resolution	Audio Playing Format
	UHD 8K (7680 x 4320) @60fps	MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DFF, DSF, APE
Services and Applications	Gear Support	Samsung DeX Support
	Galaxy Ring, Galaxy Buds3 Pro, Galaxy Buds2 Pro, Galaxy Buds Pro, Galaxy Buds Live, Galaxy Buds+, Galaxy Buds3, Galaxy Buds2, Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Buds FE, Galaxy Fit3, Galaxy Fit2, Galaxy Fit e, Galaxy Fit, Galaxy Watch FE, Galaxy Watch Ultra, Galaxy Watch7, Galaxy Watch6, Galaxy Watch5, Galaxy Watch4, Galaxy Watch3, Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Watch Active2, Galaxy Watch Active	Yes
	Bluetooth® Hearing Aid Support	SmartThings Support
	Android Audio Streaming for Hearing Aid(ASHA)	Yes
	Mobile TV
	No
Price	R19,999.01