Samsung recently introduced its new flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra, during the first Unpacked event of 2025. These devices closely resemble their predecessors, with most improvements coming from software enhancements. The Galaxy S25 and S25+ maintain a nearly identical design to the previous models, while the S25 Ultra features slightly rounded corners, making it more comfortable to hold. The phones have matte glass backs and metal frames, with the Ultra model incorporating titanium, while the base models use aluminum.
The main focus of these new devices is on Artificial Intelligence (AI), which aims to transform how users interact with their smartphones. Samsung has integrated Google’s AI assistant, Gemini, with its own Galaxy AI, enabling it to handle complex requests across various apps. For instance, users can ask the assistant to find the best restaurant nearby and send a message to a contact for a meeting, which is then added to the calendar. Samsung envisions a future where users rely less on individual apps and more on AI to fulfill their requests.
Currently, this cross-app AI functionality works primarily with Google and Samsung apps, along with a few others like Spotify and Uber. However, Samsung allows other developers to connect their apps to its AI interfaces.
The existing features of Galaxy AI, such as image editing tools, text and speech translation, and note-taking, remain unchanged. New additions include the Audio Eraser for removing unwanted noises from videos, and the Now Brief and Now Bar, which present information from various sources in a summarized format. The Now Bar appears as a small strip on the lock screen, while the Now Brief is available as a widget or app. The AI can also process YouTube videos with a single click, providing summaries and additional information. Users can enable or disable individual Galaxy AI features, and they can even restrict the AI’s cloud access, limiting it to local functions only.
Despite these advancements, Samsung has retained some older features, including the Bixby assistant, which can still be activated in the photo gallery to analyze images and provide information. It’s unclear why the new AI isn’t used in this context.
Samsung guarantees seven years of Android and security updates for its new devices, ensuring they remain current until early 2032 with Android 22.
On the hardware front, there are few changes. The devices are slightly lighter, with the same battery capacities of 4000, 4900, and 5000 mAh. The screens also remain unchanged on paper: 6.2 inches with 2340 × 1080 pixels for the S25, 6.7 inches for the S25+, and 6.9 inches with 3120 × 1440 pixels for the S25 Ultra. To use the full resolution, users must manually adjust the settings, as both larger models default to a reduced pixel count. The Ultra model’s display is protected by Gorilla Glass Armor 2, which reduces reflections more effectively than other smartphone displays.
The camera systems have seen minimal updates. The S25 Ultra’s 200-megapixel main camera, 50-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and two telephoto lenses with 10x and 50x zoom now include a macro mode with a two-centimeter focusing distance. The S25 and S25+ have the same cameras as their predecessors, featuring a 50-megapixel main camera, 10-megapixel telephoto lens, and 50-megapixel ultra-wide lens.
The most significant hardware upgrade is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, offering improved performance for computing, graphics, and AI tasks. To manage heat, Samsung increased the vapor chamber size by 40% for the Ultra model and 15% for the smaller models. All three devices now have 12GB of RAM. This is an upgrade for the Galaxy S25, which previously had 8GB in the base model, while the S24 Ultra’s top version had 16GB, a configuration Samsung has now discontinued.
The S Pen in the Galaxy S25 Ultra remains, but Samsung has removed the Bluetooth-LE module, making it a passive stylus. This decision was based on market research indicating low usage of Bluetooth features like remote camera shutter and gesture controls.
The pricing for the three Galaxy smartphones remains consistent with their predecessors. The Galaxy S25 starts at 899 euros for the 128GB version, with a 959-euro option for double the storage. A new 512GB model costs 1079 euros. The Galaxy S25+ starts at 1149 euros for 256GB, with a 512GB version priced at 1269 euros. The Galaxy S25 Ultra starts at 1449 euros for 256GB, with double the storage costing 1569 euros. Samsung also offers a 1TB version exclusively in its online store for 1809 euros.
In addition to the expected S25 models, Samsung announced a fourth device, the Galaxy S25 Slim, a particularly thin variant. However, no technical details, pricing, or release date have been revealed yet. The Slim was displayed behind glass at the Unpacked event in San José and was not available for hands-on experience in Germany.