Samsung has launched the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 Ultra at the Galaxy Unpacked 2025 event at San Jose’s SAP Centre, ushering in a new suite of AI tools and closer ties with Google. The company said it has unified the handsets’ AI functionality, which consolidates AI features previously scattered across individual apps. Introducing AI agents with multimodal capabilities, the Galaxy S25 series is the first step in Samsung’s vision to “change the way users interact with their phone”.
The company said the models will get seven years of full security updates and seven generations of OS updates. The company confirmed prices of the Galaxy S25 series will be in the same range as previous models. Any information users provide the Galaxy S25’s AI features will be kept securely in a Personal Data Engine, which Samsung claims is secured by post-quantum enhanced data security on the device.
Samsung, Google AI integration
Samsung said its One UI 7 OS update ensures seamless integration between Samsung’s and Google’s AI assistants. Previously, users had to separately activate Google AI Gemini or Samsung’s Galaxy AI for different apps. The AI agents, which are currently applied only to basic apps of Samsung and Google, plus Spotify and WhatsApp, will be expanded to various third-party apps in the future. Users will be able to issue commands directly to the app by voice, such as calling a taxi or ordering food.
The new AI Agent features include Now Brief, which analyses user data and usage patterns to proactively offer suggestions. The Now Bar feature displays personalised information such as everyday actions and most-used apps, even on a locked screen. Users can control their entertainment, time their workouts, get directions or communicate in other languages. Samsung said users can also perform actionable searches with context-aware suggestions for next steps. Plus, Galaxy S25 makes it frictionless to switch between apps for quick follow-up actions, like sharing a GIF or saving event details.
The new Writing Assistant summarises text, checks spelling and grammar and transcribes call content. The Real-Time Interpreter feature now supports 20 languages, up from 13. The Circle to Search feature has been enhanced to enable users to search not only for images and text but also audio played on the device.
S25 specs and pricing
Unlike with the S24, all the Galaxy S25 models are outfitted with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, delivering performance improvements of 40 percent, 37 percent and 30 percent to the neural processing unit, central processing unit and graphics processing unit, respectively. It also delivers greater on-device processing power for Galaxy AI and superior camera range and control with Galaxy’s next-gen ProVisual Engine.
The Galaxy S25 comes with either a 6.2-inch FHD or 6.7-inch QHD display for the Plus. A new “ProScaler” system helps what a user is watching or playing better fit the screen, regardless of the source resolution. The 50 MP main, 12 MP ultra-wide and 10 MP 3x telephoto camera on the back of the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus, as well as the 12 MP selfie camera on the front, are the same as the Galaxy S24’s cameras. Samsung has instead added a Next Gen ProVisual Engine to improve results during processing. The Galaxy S25 still starts at USD 799 for the basic 6.2-inch model, or USD 999 for the Galaxy S25 Plus.
Samsung has increased the standard RAM offer from 8 GB to 12 GB for all models, while the starting storage is 128 GB on the Galaxy S25 model, with a 256 GB and 512 GB version costing more. The Galaxy S25 Plus starts at 256 GB, with 512 GB as an option. As with last year’s Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus, the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus use 4,000 mAh and 4,900 mAh batteries respectively.
Ultra features
In addition to all of the features shared across the models, the flagship Galaxy S25 Ultra features a 6.9-inch display, 12 GB of RAM, 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB storage, and an upgraded 50MP ultra-wide camera lens, up from 12MP on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Its glass has also been upgraded to Gorilla Glass Armor 2 on the front, a new scratch-resistant, anti-reflective glass from Corning which the supplier says can withstand drops up to 2.2m on concrete.
The S25 Ultra also has a larger 4,900 mAh battery than the Galaxy S25. To accommodate the slightly larger screen, Samsung has rounded off the corners and flattened the edges, delivering a 15 percent reduction on the bezel. Samsung confirmed the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s entry point is USD 1,299 which is the same as last year.
Samsung pre-orders deals
In the US, Samsung is offering up to USD 500 off Galaxy S25 pre-orders when users trade-in an older phone. Additionally, there’ll get a free USD 50 Samsung credit. Users opting for the Galaxy S25 Plus will get up to USD 700 off when they trade-in an older phone, plus a free USD 100 Samsung credit. Ultra pre-orders will see discounts up to USD 900 plus a USD 300 Samsung credit. In its home market of South Korea, pre-orders will run from 24 January to 3 February, with prices starting from KRW 1.69 million for the Ultra model, KRW 1.35 million for the Plus model and KRW 1.15 million for the S25.
Source: telecompaper.com
