At their latest Unpacked event in California today, Samsung has just unveiled the latest additions to their Galaxy line up with the brand new Galaxy S25 series of devices, with three smartphones announced: The Samsung Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+ and the flagship model, the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
December 2024 into January 2025 has been a busy period for phone launches from a number of technology brands so Samsung is up against some stiff competition. Below are the key specs and features for the new Galaxy S25 series.
One of the most notable and worthwhile upgrades to the three new handsets is their new custom Snapdragon processor in the form of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset. Samsung claims this chip offers a 40% performance improvement in NPU, a 37% boost in CPU, and a 30% gain in GPU compared to the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It is designed to enhance both AI capabilities and gaming performance, with features like Vulkan Engine for smoother graphics and improved Ray Tracing.
For the Galaxy S25 and S25+ models in particular, other specifications remain largely unchanged from the previous models, including the 6.2″and 6.7″ displays, 4,000mAh and 4,900mAh batteries, 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate, and the camera setup featuring a 50MP main lens, a 12MP ultrawide, a 10MP telephoto, and a 12MP selfie camera.
While the camera hardware remains the same, software improvements promise to enhance the experience. Default 10-bit HDR recording will capture more detail, while the new Galaxy Virtual Aperture in the Expert RAW app allows better control over depth-of-field, similar to a DSLR. The Galaxy S25+ and S25 Ultra models also feature ProScaler, an AI-driven enhancement for video resolution, which works when the phone is set to QHD+.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra has received several design tweaks, including rounded edges, making it more in line with other flagship phones. It is also slimmer and lighter, weighing 218 grams (down from 232 grams) and measuring 8.2mm in thickness (down from 8.6mm). Despite the reduced size, it is more durable with the new Corning Gorilla Armor 2 for better drop protection and scratch resistance.
The S25 Ultra features a 6.9″ AMOLED display with an anti-reflection coating similar to the S24 Ultra. Its 50MP ultrawide camera sensor is an upgrade from the previous 12MP sensor, offering improved detail in landscape and macro shots.
The other cameras remain the same, with a 200MP main lens, a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, a 50MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom, and a 12MP selfie camera. The 5,000mAh battery capacity and embedded S Pen are retained, though the S Pen no longer supports wireless air gestures.
Unsurprisingly, and something Samsung have been strongly hinting at in the lead up to the launch of these new device but the AI upgrades were a key focus, with Samsung claiming the S25 lineup sets a new standard for AI-driven mobile experiences. AI is integrated throughout the devices, from photo-editing tools to personalised features designed to optimise daily use.
Key AI features include:
- AI Select: Similar to Google’s Circle to Search, it suggests actions based on selections on the screen, such as adding a date to the calendar.
- Circle to Search updates: Enhanced to recognise phone numbers, emails, and URLs, enabling direct actions such as calling or visiting links. It also supports audio search to identify songs.
- Cross-app action: Using natural language, users can prompt the phone to perform tasks across multiple apps, e.g., “Search for the upcoming Warriors game and add to calendar.”
- AI Photo Search: Search your photo library using natural language queries.
- Settings Search: Use natural language to locate specific settings on the device.
- Personal Data Engine: An LLM that learns from your device usage, storing data securely on the phone for tailored experiences, such as the Now Brief feature.
- Now Brief: Suggests actions based on your routines, such as activating driving mode or navigation.
- Audio Eraser: Allows users to adjust audio levels in videos, balancing background noise and foreground sounds.
- Improved Generative Edit: Now capable of removing unwanted elements, including shadows, from photos.
Samsung Galaxy S25 series Pricing & Availability
The Galaxy S25 series will be available for pre-order from today (22nd January) and widely available in operators, retailers and on samsung.com from 7th February 2025.
Galaxy S25 Ultra will be available in Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Whitesilver and Titanium Grey. Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+ will be available in Silver Shadow, Navy, Icyblue and Mint.
Customers who pre-order Galaxy S25, S25+ or S25 Ultra from Samung.com can double their storage too for the same price.
Galaxy S25 Ultra:
- 256GB – €1,469
- 512GB – €1,589
- 1TB – €1,849
Galaxy S25+:
- 256GB – €1,159
- 512GB – €1,269
Galaxy S25:
- 128GB – €919
- 256GB – €969
- 512GB – €1,079
