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Samsung S24 vs S25: do you need the latest flagship?

You have decided on a compact Samsung flagship, and now there are two that look almost identical: last year's Galaxy S25 and the Galaxy S24 before it. This Samsung S24 vs S25 comparison is for Australian buyers trying to work out whether the newer phone is worth the extra money, especially when you are buying refurbished and the price gap is real cash in your pocket. The quick answer For most people, the Galaxy S24 is the better buy. The two phones share the same 6.2-inch 120Hz screen, the same 4,000mAh battery, the same 25W charging and the same triple camera hardware. The S25's advantages are a much faster Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip (the Australian S24 uses Samsung's Exynos 2400), 12GB of RAM instead of 8GB, slightly better battery endurance and one extra year of software support. If you game heavily or want the longest possible life from your phone, get the S25. Otherwise, the S24 does almost everything the S25 does for about $220 less at Mobile Federation right now. Galaxy S25 vs S24: what is actually different? The chip is the big one This is where the two phones genuinely differ. Every Galaxy S25 uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, while the Galaxy S24 and S24+ sold in Australia use the Exynos 2400, according to Android Authority's breakdown of which countries got which chip. In GSMArena's head-to-head testing, the S25 scored roughly 50% higher in Geekbench 6 and around 60% higher in the 3DMark Wild Life graphics test. In everyday use, scrolling, messaging, maps and photos, you will struggle to feel the gap. In demanding 3D games, you will. RAM: 8GB vs 12GB The S25 comes with 12GB of RAM as standard, up from 8GB on the 256GB S24 models we stock. More RAM means apps stay open in the background longer and gives on-device Galaxy AI features more room to work. It is a future-proofing advantage more than something you notice on day one. Battery and charging: nearly a tie Both phones have a 4,000mAh battery and 25W wired charging, and both take about an hour and a quarter to charge fully. GSMArena found the S25 lasts a little longer overall, mostly in calls and gaming, while web browsing and video playback were close to identical. Do not expect a big jump either way. Same screen, same cameras The display is the same 6.2-inch FHD+ AMOLED with a 1–120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and peak brightness measured almost identically. The camera hardware is unchanged as well: 50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide and 10MP 3x telephoto. GSMArena found the S25 slightly better at 2x zoom and at night, and the S24 slightly better in video, which tells you how close they are. As their reviewer put it, "the S24 delivers about 99% of the user experience the S25 offers". Software, Galaxy AI and how long they will last Samsung promises seven years of major Android upgrades on both phones. The S24 launched in January 2024 on Android 14 and the S25 a year later, so the S25's support simply runs a year longer. Both run Galaxy AI features such as Circle to Search, Live Translate and photo editing tools, and both have years of updates ahead of them. The bigger question for a refurbished phone is the battery, because that is the part that wears. Every phone we sell has at least 80% battery health, and both the S24 and S25 are available with a minimum 90% battery in some grades if you want extra headroom. If you are unsure what the grades mean, our guide to refurbished phone grading explains Good, Excellent and As New. S25 review in a sentence, and the price gap in dollars The S25 is a refinement of the S24, not a reinvention. That makes price the deciding factor. Comparing the same storage and grade at Mobile Federation today, a 256GB Galaxy S24 in Excellent condition is $599, while a 256GB Samsung Galaxy S25 5G (Refurbished) in Excellent is $819. That is a $220 difference for a faster chip, more RAM and an extra year of updates. There is also a third option worth a look. The Samsung Galaxy S24+ 5G (Refurbished) is currently $619 in Excellent, only $20 more than the S24. For that you get a larger 6.7-inch QHD+ screen, 12GB of RAM, a 4,900mAh battery and faster 45W charging. It uses the same Exynos 2400 in Australia, but if you do not need a small phone, it is a lot of phone for the money. Thinking about stepping up instead? Our look at the refurbished Galaxy S24 Ultra covers Samsung's big-screen model with the S Pen, and our iPhone vs Samsung guide helps if you are still deciding between platforms. Which should you buy? Here is the simple version, based on how people actually use their phones: Buy the Galaxy S24 if you mostly message, browse, stream, take photos and use maps. You will get the same screen, the same cameras and the same battery size, and keep the savings. Buy the Galaxy S25 if you play demanding games, edit a lot of video on your phone, or plan to keep it for five years or more. The faster chip, extra RAM and longer update window all pay off over time. Buy the Galaxy S24+ if you like the S24's price but want a bigger, sharper screen and faster charging, and do not mind a larger phone in your pocket. One thing that does not separate them is size. Both are genuinely compact, easy to use one-handed and light enough to forget in a pocket, which is the main reason people choose the standard Galaxy over the Plus or Ultra in the first place. If that is why you are here, either one will suit you. Where Mobile Federation fits We stock both the S24 and the S25, tested, graded and unlocked for every Australian network. Whichever you choose, you are covered by our 24-month warranty on every device, which means a manufacturing fault or hardware failure in the first two years gets repaired, replaced or refunded. It does not cover drops or water damage. You also have 30 days to send it back if it is not the right fit. Stock of the S25 is thinner than the S24 at the moment, so colour and grade choice is more limited. Frequently asked questions Is the Galaxy S25 better than the S24? Yes, but only a little for most people. The S25 has a much faster chip, 12GB of RAM and slightly better battery life. The screen, battery size, charging speed and camera hardware are the same. Does the Galaxy S24 in Australia use Snapdragon or Exynos? The Galaxy S24 and S24+ sold in Australia use Samsung's Exynos 2400. Every Galaxy S25 uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy. Do the S24 and S25 have the same camera? The hardware is the same: a 50MP main camera, 12MP ultra-wide and 10MP 3x telephoto. Results are very close, with small differences from processing. How long will the Galaxy S24 get updates? Samsung promised seven major Android upgrades for the Galaxy S24, which launched in January 2024 on Android 14. The S25 has the same promise from its 2025 launch. How much cheaper is a refurbished S24 than an S25? At Mobile Federation, a 256GB S24 in Excellent condition is $599 and a 256GB S25 in Excellent is $819, a $220 difference, as checked on 19 October 2026. Prices change with stock. Ready to choose? If you want the newer chip and the longest support, see what is in stock on the refurbished Galaxy S25 page, or compare it with the Samsung Galaxy S24 5G (Refurbished).