Samsung Galaxy Unpacked has been and gone, and we’re busy working through the newly confirmed details about the Samsung Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra as we wait for all three new phones to hit shelves on February 7.
Though we’re getting a decently refreshed S25 Ultra and an entirely new model in the S25 Edge, our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S25 review found that the baseline S25 has received a comparatively smaller update this year than either of its larger siblings.
However, as important as it is to celebrate innovation, I also think it’s worth taking a step back before casting judgment over the new vanilla Galaxy S25, and appreciating that the S25 offers a lot of value for its $799 / £799 / AU$1,399 price tag, even if it is broadly similar to last year’s Samsung Galaxy S24. Indeed, when it comes to one specific camera feature, the S25 is still the only phone of its kind.
The S25 is still the only globally available current-gen flagship of its price to come with an optical telephoto zoom lens, and, personally, I think that’s worth raving about. Optical zoom gives users so much more capability and versatility when it comes to taking snaps and videos, offering more consistent quality and enabling the accompanying digital zoom to reach out further.
An optical zoom camera is one of those tech features that you don’t know you need until you have it, like a 120Hz display or an under-display fingerprint scanner. While those other two features have found their way to dozens of models at all kinds of price points, telephoto cameras are still typically relegated to only the most premium units.
The S25 has three cameras, but its two main rivals – the iPhone 16 and Google Pixel 9 – both opt for a two-camera system comprising a main and ultra-wide camera. Apple and Google fans need to step up to the pricier iPhone 16 Pro ($999 / £999 / AU$1,799) or Google Pixel 9 Pro ($999 / £999 / AU$1,699) to get their hands on a telephoto zoom.
I’ve been using telephoto-equipped phones for close to six years now, and would go so far as to call optical zoom an essential feature (depending, of course, on your budget). The extended reach is great for concerts and wildlife photography, while the narrower field of view and longer focal distance of telephoto cameras makes them ideal for portraits.
In the examples below, I effectively took the same photo with the S25’s 3x telephoto camera and the iPhone 15 at 3x digital zoom. Feel free to draw your own conclusions and let me know in the comments section, but if you ask me, the S25 wins thanks to its richer detail and bolder lighting.
iPhone 15 camera samples: 3x digital zoom
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Samsung Galaxy S25 camera samples: 3x optical zoom
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I previously voiced my distaste for ultra-wide cameras, but my appreciation of the S25’s camera system is more than just the flip side of this long-standing annoyance. As well as giving users more options for photography, the continued inclusion of the 3x camera symbolizes what I see as Samsung’s genuine commitment to equipping users with higher-quality hardware. In fact, the S25 overall is probably the most technically advanced phone in its price bracket, sporting a massive 12GB of RAM and the class-leading Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, as well as its well-furnished camera system.
So, can we hope to see Apple and Google catch up any time soon? I’m not so sure. The baseline iPhone generally inherits features from the Pro models one, two, or three years after they debut, but telephoto cameras have remained the preserve of the very best iPhones since the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max. It’s the same story for Google’s Pixel phones, with telephoto cameras still exclusive to the XL, Pro, and Pro XL models. It seems like Samsung’s lead is pretty safe, then.
It’s worth mentioning here that there are cheaper telephoto-equipped phones available from phone makers like Xiaomi, Oppo, and even Samsung itself (see the Galaxy S24 FE), but these aren’t globally available and don’t match the S25 in hardware power.
Additionally, you can currently pick up last year’s telephoto-sporting OnePlus 12 for $799 / £799, though with the OnePlus 13 now out in the wild, this isn’t part of the same generation as the S25.
Samsung’s baseline flagship, then, remains one-of-a-kind.
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