Walmart Cuts Unlocked Galaxy S25+ to $699.99 Ahead of July 22 Samsung Unpacked

Q: Is buying a discounted last-gen flagship truly smart, or just a compromise on future technology?

Buying the discounted Galaxy S25+ is smart for most people, not a meaningful sacrifice on future tech. At $699.99, and even lower at Amazon for some buyers, the S25+ undercuts its launch price by $300 to $335 and sits roughly $400 below the Galaxy S26+. That matters in a year when smartphone prices are rising and premium devices are getting harder to justify on value alone. The key reason it works is that the S25+ is not obsolete in any important way. Its Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip, 12GB of RAM, QHD+ 120Hz display, Wi‑Fi 7, and triple-camera system still place it firmly in flagship territory. Reviews have continued to rate the S25 series highly for battery life, cameras, and AI features, and the camera hardware remains close to the S26+. The usual argument against last-gen phones is future-proofing, but Samsung’s seven-year update promise changes that. The S25+ should be supported until about 2032, only about a year less than the S26+. That sharply reduces the risk of buying “old” hardware. The compromise is real but limited. The S26+ offers modest gains in speed, charging, battery life, speaker tuning, and some newer software features. Buyers who want the absolute latest AI tools, the longest possible support window, or every incremental hardware improvement may still prefer the newer model. For everyone else, this is the stronger value play: you get most of the flagship experience, long software life, and strong resale potential without paying new-flagship prices.

3 articles · Updated · Tech Times · Jul 20

$699.99 gets buyers the unlocked 256GB Galaxy S25+ at Walmart, down $300 from its $999.99 launch price and $400 below the current Galaxy S26+ starting price.
The discount lands two days before Samsung's July 22 Unpacked event, but that showcase is expected to focus on foldables and watches rather than a new S-series slab phone.
Deal trackers called the offer unusually low: Android Authority's DealHunt rated it 84/100 and said it sat about $125 below the phone's 90-day average price.
The S25+ still carries Samsung's seven-year update pledge, a Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip, and unchanged rear camera hardware versus the S26+, making the newer model's gains mostly software, charging, and modest performance.