Samsung’s Next-Gen Smartphones: Galaxy S25 and the Power of AI

The starting price for the S25 Ultra remains at $1,299 for the 256GB storage and 12GB RAM configuration.

Samsung’s recent Unpacked event revealed its latest advancements in mobile technology. The event focused on the new Galaxy S25 series and made significant strides in integrating artificial intelligence into the user experience through One UI 7. While the hardware updates were incremental, the software enhancements, particularly in AI, took centre stage.The Galaxy S25 and S25+ Refinements:The core of the Galaxy S lineup, the S25 and S25+, received subtle yet impactful upgrades. The most immediately noticeable changes are the slimmer and lighter designs of both models. Samsung also introduced a fresh palette of colours, including Icyblue, Navy, Mint, Silver Shadow, and exclusive online options like black, Coralred, and Pinkgold. The vibrant Coralred option was a highlight among the more subdued finishes.

Check out our first impression video of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra below

Under the hood, the devices are powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy. This custom-designed chipset promises a substantial performance leap compared to standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 implementations in other Android devices. Samsung claims performance gains of 40% in NPU processing for AI tasks, 37% in CPU performance for general processing, and 30% in GPU performance for graphics rendering, all compared to the previous generation’s Galaxy S24 Ultra. This enhanced processing power is expected to improve not only AI-driven features but also overall system responsiveness and gaming performance, thanks to Vulkan Engine support and improved Ray Tracing capabilities.In terms of core specifications, the S25 and S25+ largely retain the features of their predecessors. This includes the 6.2-inch and 6.7-inch displays, 4,000mAh and 4,900mAh batteries, 120Hz adaptive refresh rates, and the familiar camera setup: a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide lens, a 10MP telephoto lens, and a 12MP front-facing camera.However, software enhancements are set to improve the camera’s performance significantly. Default 10-bit HDR video recording captures a wider range of colours and detail, and the new Galaxy Virtual Aperture feature within the Expert RAW app gives users finer control over depth of field, mimicking the functionality of a DSLR camera. The S25+ and S25 Ultra also benefit from ProScaler, an AI-powered image processing technology that upscales video resolution, similar to Samsung’s TV technology (available when the phone is set to QHD+ resolution).Pricing for the Galaxy S25 and S25+ remains consistent with the previous generation, starting at $799 and $999, respectively.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra: A Premium Evolution:The Galaxy S25 Ultra presents more distinct design changes, most notably the adoption of rounded edges, a departure from the sharper, more angular design of previous Ultra models. This change brings the Ultra more in line with other flagship phone designs. The S25 Ultra is also lighter (218 grams compared to 232 grams) and thinner (8.2mm compared to 8.6mm) than its predecessor. Despite the reduction in size, the device boasts improved durability with Corning Gorilla Armor 2, offering enhanced drop and scratch resistance.The S25 Ultra features a 6.9-inch AMOLED display with the same effective anti-reflection coating as the S24 Ultra. A significant hardware upgrade is the improved 50MP ultrawide camera sensor, a substantial jump from the 12MP sensor in the S24 Ultra, promising more detailed landscape and macro photos. The other cameras (200MP main, 10MP 3x telephoto, 50MP 5x telephoto, and 12MP front-facing) and the 5,000mAh battery remain the same. The embedded S Pen is still present but no longer supports wireless air gestures.The S25 Ultra is offered in Titanium silver blue, Titanium white, Titanium Gray, and Titanium Black, with online-exclusive colours Titanium black, Titanium black, and Titanium Jade green. The starting price remains at $1,299 for the 256GB storage and 12GB RAM configuration.

AI Takes Center Stage in One UI 7 and Galaxy AI:The most significant announcements at Unpacked concerned the integration of AI throughout the software experience. Samsung emphasized its vision of creating a more intuitive and personalized mobile experience powered by AI.Key AI features include:

  • AI Select: Similar in function to Google’s Circle to Search, AI Select allows users to select on-screen elements and receive contextually relevant actions, such as adding dates to the calendar.
  • Enhanced Circle to Search: Updates include improved recognition of contact information (phone numbers, emails) and web links, as well as multimodal search capabilities, including audio recognition.
  • Cross-App Actions: Users can use natural language commands to trigger actions across multiple applications.
  • AI Photo Search: Natural language search within the photo gallery.
  • Settings Search: Natural language search for device settings.
  • Personal Data Engine: A unique on-device large language model that learns from user behaviour to provide tailored experiences and suggestions.
  • Now Brief: A lock screen feature that anticipates user needs and provides relevant information and suggestions based on user routines.
  • Audio Eraser: Enhanced audio editing capabilities within videos, allowing users to isolate and adjust different audio elements.
  • Improved Generative Edit: Enhanced photo editing features, including the ability to remove shadows from images.

The Galaxy S25 Edge and a Glimpse into Mixed Reality:Samsung also teased the Galaxy S25 Edge, a remarkably thin smartphone with a reduced camera setup (only two rear cameras), expected to launch in the first half of the year at a lower price point than the S25 Ultra. Finally, Samsung provided a first look at its mixed-reality headset, developed in collaboration with Google and Qualcomm and running on Android XR. While a launch date remains unconfirmed, the device’s appearance at Unpacked suggests ongoing development.

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