6 great alternatives to the Samsung Galaxy S25 that can save you money

Samsung's new S25 range has hardware that is incredibly similar to last year – for the second year running, almost every upgrade is in the software instead, mostly powered by what's becoming a familiar topic of AI technology. With claims of adaptable shooting modes, generative photo abilities, and a better Gemini voice assistance, the features are world leading.

But even with some retailers already offering £100 off the new series, there is a drawback to buying one. Our tests have revealed a concerning issue with the face unlock – we were able to fool the S25 series with a printed photo. 

It's a disappointing misstep for pricey phones that excel in so many other ways – and Samsung has only guaranteed that the new AI features will be free for S25 owners until the end of 2025. When you compare the S25 series to cheaper alternatives at the top end of the market, there's plenty to weigh up before you take the plunge.

See how Samsung fares amongst the best smartphones.

Samsung Galaxy S25 - a tremendous phone with limited upgrades

The Samsung Galaxy S25 might be the base model in the flagship series, but it doesn't scrimp on quality. It gets the latest AI features, some of which are improvements or an expansion on what we've seen before, such as claims of more seamless voice assistant (known as Gemini), as well as new, fun camera abilities. Its 6.2-inch screen has a high 2,340 x 1,080 pixel-resolution and can get incredibly bright, and the titanium frame gives the phone a deluxe feel. Samsung claims that the new Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, a departure from the previous Exynos 2400 processor, 'produces a performance boost of 40% in NPU, 37% in CPU and 30% in GPU’.

But upgrades from last year's Galaxy S24 are very minor, and the S24 series is going to get some of the latest AI features through a software update. The high-end and versatile cameras lenses are exactly the same.

Like the S24, it is also guaranteed seven years of software and security updates. This is a fantastic perk and gives anyone who buys its a long-term investment rather than being trapped in a traditional two to three year upgrade cycle.

Find out its battery life, processing speeds and more in our full Samsung Galaxy S25 review. It's available at the below retailers, some of which (like Currys) are offering £100 off at checkout, or you can compare contract deals.

Make big savings on a Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 launched for £799, but is seeing great discounts now the S25 is out. Plus, some retailers offer extras to tempt you to purchase, such as 12 months access to Disney+.

The S24 was already released with Galaxy AI features and will get at least some of the newest ones via software updates. It has a first-rate screen and exciting camera specs. It's guaranteed almost six more years of security and software support.

Find out everything this phone has to offer you in our Samsung Galaxy S24 review. It's available at a discounted price at the retailers below, or on contract deals.

Or a Google Pixel 9

Google's latest flagship phone is arguably just as high-end as Samsung's in some important ways. It has a unique look with a dual-camera system that spans the entire rear width of the phone, and the camera software is supported by advanced AI features. This includes being able to remove objects from the background of your images.

It has Google's latest Tensor G4 chipset with 12GB of Ram, which is another leading processor, and the 6.3-inch screen is full of depth and bright content that moves seamlessly thanks to its high content-refresh rate. Like the Samsung Galaxy S24 range, it was guaranteed seven years of security updates when it launched in October last year.

While there aren't many discounts on the Pixel 9 at the time of writing, keep an eye on it, as prices on Google's phones can drop considerably. In the meantime check out our Google Pixel 9 review.

If you're happy with pink, you can get it at a discount today from retailers below, or compare contract deals. 

We've rounded up the best mobile phone deals for this month so you don't have to.

Samsung Galaxy S25+ - the supersized flagship

The Samsung Galaxy S25+ is the big-screen version of the S25, with a 6.7-inch display, a higher 3,120 x 1,440 resolution to match, and a larger 4,900mAh battery to power it. You'll either love or hate having a bigger screen, but if you are a heavy smartphone user, want to use it for gaming, or watch a lot of videos, it's worth considering. Otherwise, it's identical to the Galaxy S25 with the latest Galaxy AI features, chipset and cameras.

Find out how the S25+ compares to the S25 and S25+ in our Samsung Galaxy S25+ review. You can compare contract deals or it's available Sim-free from the retailers below.

Or consider a Samsung Galaxy S24+ before it's discontinued

The predecessor is very similar to this year's S25+, and it'll get the new AI features through a software update. This makes its discounted price particularly appealing.

Samsung has stopped selling it directly, but it's still available at a number of retailers below.

For the full results of this smartphone, read our Samsung Galaxy S24+ review. You can buy it Sim-free below where it is still available or compare the best contract deals.

Or a Nothing Phone (2)

If you're after an Android phone with a big display, you can spend less. The Nothing Phone (2) is the most premium phone released by the a British brand that's only be around for a couple of years. It has a striking look showing some of the internal components paired with an array of LEDs that light up when you're getting a call or notification. It has a 6.7-inch screen, a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip and a high-resolution dual rear camera.

For the Which? verdict on this phone, check out our Nothing Phone (2) review or Buy it below.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra - expect to pay a lot for the best

Like in previous years, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is where we find Samsung's greatest cameras. On the back of the phone are four high-resolution lenses: a 200Mp main wide lens, two telephoto lenses, and upgraded 50Mp ultrawide lens to expand the field of view you can capture in shots. By implementing upgraded AI technology in the cameras, Samsung claims to have upgraded its object-recognition system and the colouring of skin tones.

It has a large 6.9-inch AMOLED screen and a stylus known as the S Pen you can use to navigate it and take notes, which is stored in the phone itself. The design isn't too different from the S24 Ultra, but it has curved edges rather than a rectangular design, and the screen is 0.1 inches bigger. It has the same new AI features as in the other phones in the Galaxy S25 series.

Find out if this phone's performance is really five stars in our Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review. You can buy it below or on the best contract deals.

Or consider the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Samsung may have discontinued last year's Ultra, but it's still available at a number of retailers and they're discounting it. It is still one of the top phones money can buy and won't feel anything like old technology in your hand.

Find out exactly what you're buying in our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review. You can buy it sim-free below or compare contract offers.

Or consider the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

If you want one of the best phones on the market, the S25 Ultra's main rival is Apple's iPhone 16 Pro Max. It also has a titanium design as well as a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display and Apple's most-advanced A18 Pro chipset. This chipset is capable to run the latest Apple Intelligence - Apple's AI features to rival that from Samsung Galaxy. On the back are three lenses: a 48Mp wide lens, a 12Mp periscope telephoto lens, and 48Mp ultrawide lens.

See what our experts thought of this expensive, but popular phone in the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max review. It's available to buy below or compare the best contract deals.

Find out more about how we test mobile phones or head over to our mobile phone reviews to find the perfect phone for you at the right price.

The unlikely security flaw affecting modern smartphones

In 2023, we revealed that over 40% of phones we tested had face recognition security that could be easily fooled and successfully unlocked by a 2D printed photograph. These included popular handsets from Samsung, Motorola, Xiaomi and others. Unfortunately the issue isn't going away and we were surprised that the same issue affects two phones in the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, and all phones in the S25 series. 

Fortunately, Samsung offers a clear warning during the face recognition set up that tells users the system can be fooled with a photograph. But to avoid this vulnerability, we recommend you don't enable the feature and use the fingerprint sensor or a password/PIN instead. Long PINS are generally more secure (six characters), and if you can set up a password, use a mixture of different characters so it's harder to guess. We recommend setting up protections on your apps that contain sensitive information too – this could involve logging out when you're not using them, or setting up passwords or fingerprint locks.

We approached Samsung for comment on our findings about face recognition on the Samsung Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ in 2024. It said: 'We provide various levels of biometric authentication, with the highest level of authentication from the fingerprint reader. In addition, we provide users with multiple options to unlock their smartphones through both biometric security methods, and convenient options such as swipe or facial recognition. Further information about facial recognition can be found via the settings on Samsung Galaxy smartphones.'

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