Samsung has officially unveiled its Galaxy S25 line at Galaxy Unpacked in San Jose. Outwardly, very little has changed across the three phones other than a softer look for the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Most of the updates are on the inside and empower these handsets to offer more meaningful AI tools to help make everyday experiences better. Samsung has fully adopted Google Gemini and put Bixby on the bench. Further, new cross-app functionality lets you turn simple voice requests into multi-app actions.
We spent some time with the new trio of phones before their announcement. Read on for our first impressions as we put the phones through their paces for full reviews.
Samsung Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra: Hands On
Design: Attack of the Clones
Externally, you’d be hard-pressed to spot visual differences between the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S25 series. The familiar rounded rectangle shape is back, though all three phones are lighter than their predecessors (more on that in a bit). The sharp corners of the S24 Ultra are gone, replaced with somewhat more rounded corners that are much more comfortable to hold and put in your pocket.
Left to right: Galaxy S25 Ultra, S25+, S25 (Credit: Eric Zeman)
The Galaxy S25 and S25+ rely on Armor Aluminum to strengthen their frames. The S25 Ultra upgrades its frame to titanium and adds the next-generation Corning Gorilla Armor 2 to protect the display. This glass rejects glare and is more resistant to fractures compared with the Gorilla Armor of last year’s phone. Gorilla Glass Victus 2 covers the rear of the Ultra as well as both the front and rear of the S25 and S25+, as it does on the S24. Samsung protects its flagship phones from dust and water, which all share the same IP68 rating. This means they can be submerged in up to about five feet of water for up to 30 minutes.
Galaxy S25 Ultra (Credit: Eric Zeman)
The new models have new colors. The S25 and S25+ are available at retail in Icyblue, Mint, Navy, or Silver Shadow. If you want Blueblack, Coralred, or Pinkgold, you’ll have to order from Samsung directly. The S25 Ultra comes in Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Silverblue, or Titanium Whitesilver. Three more options are available directly from Samsung: Titanium Jadegreen, Titanium Jetblack, and Titanium Pinkgold. All the phones have matte finishes (and are fingerprint magnets).
Galaxy S25 Ultra in Navy (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Samsung hasn’t changed the displays of the two smaller phones. The S25 sticks to a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 2,340-by-1,080-pixel resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a 2,600-nit peak brightness. The S25+ has the same refresh rate and brightness as the S25, though its display is 6.7 inches with a higher 3,120-by-1,440-pixel resolution. The S25 Ultra features a slightly larger 6.9-inch display also at a 3,120-by-1,440-pixel resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate and 2,600-nit peak brightness. The Galaxy S24 Ultra has a smaller 6.8-inch panel.
Get the Best Price on a Galaxy S25
The Galaxy S25 and S25+ feel remarkably similar to the previous generation. Their build quality is excellent, the buttons feel great, the screen is responsive, the bezels are small, and they both feel pleasant to hold. The S25 Ultra’s redesign is a welcome change. The rounded corners don’t dig into your palm like the S24 Ultra and nestle into your hand more securely.
I do have a minor nitpick about the S25 Ultra—the S Pen stylus does not sit completely flush with the rounded frame. The outermost side of the S Pen juts out just slightly from the bottom. For a phone that starts at $1,299.99, I find this irksome. However, if you put it in a case, you may never notice. Otherwise, there’s no question that these phones are well-made, premium devices.
Galaxy S25 Ultra (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Like in previous years, you get three distinctly different-sized devices. The S25 measures 5.78 by 2.78 by 0.28 inches (HWD) and weighs 5.71 ounces, which is 0.01 inches shorter, 0.02 inches thinner, and 0.22 ounces lighter than the S24. The Galaxy S25+ measures 6.24 by 2.98 by 0.29 inches and 6.70 ounces, which is roughly the same size as the S24+ but lighter by 0.25 ounces. As for the S25 Ultra, it is taller than the S24 Ultra but smaller in every other respect at 6.41 by 3.06 by 0.32 inches and 7.69 ounces. Samsung shaved 0.53 ounces from the Ultra’s weight and it makes a huge difference in the hand. It’s no longer quite as heavy a burden to bear.
The port and button layout is the same as before, with a volume toggle on the right edge and a power button below it. The USB-C port, SIM card tray, and speaker are all located on the bottom edge. The Ultra’s S Pen is tucked into a slot in the bottom left corner.
Galaxy S25 (Credit: Eric Zeman)
The camera layout is the same as the previous models but features bolder black rings around the lenses instead of the thin silver rings of the S24 line. The S25 and S25+ include three lenses in a vertical orientation, while the Ultra adds two smaller sensors to the right of the vertical stack. The lenses stick out quite a bit and may get snagged on your pants if you don’t use a case.
Galaxy S25 Ultra with S Pen (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Last, there’s a big change to the Ultra model’s S Pen: It no longer supports Bluetooth LE, meaning it can no longer perform Air Actions. Samsung says that only 1% of S Pen owners used this feature, and of that 1%, most used it as a remote shutter button. Since that feature can still be activated by a hand wave or a compatible smartwatch, Samsung pulled the Bluetooth radio and battery from the S Pen, which it says “reduces one more point of failure.”
Specs: These Phones Got Guts
Every Samsung Galaxy S25 model worldwide is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor. Previous “for Galaxy” variants were overclocked versions of Qualcomm’s standard 8 series chip. This time, Samsung had Qualcomm develop a customized application processor that allows the Galaxy S25 series to perform more on-device AI functions.
Additionally, the S25 series features larger vapor chambers—40% bigger on the Ultra and 15% bigger on the S25 and S25+. These improvements are vital for cooling, which allows for sustained performance. Samsung says the chip delivers a 40% increase in NPU performance, a 37% increase in CPU performance, and a 30% increase in GPU performance compared with the S24.
Left to right: Galaxy S25 Ultra, S25+, S25 (Credit: Eric Zeman)
The base Galaxy S25 now comes with 12GB of RAM, up from 8GB on the S24, while the other two models carry over 12GB from their S24 counterparts. On one hand, this gives the S25 parity with the larger models, but on the other hand, it’s strange that the Ultra does not feature more RAM while competitors like the Asus ROG Phone 9 and the RedMagic 10 Pro have up to 16GB and 24GB, respectively.
The S25’s storage options remain the same as the S24 lineup. The S25 has either 128GB or 256GB, the S25+ has 256GB or 512GB, and the Ultra has 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB. None of the phones offers expandable storage, which is unfortunately par for the course these days.
Galaxy S25 (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Battery sizes and charging capabilities are also carried over from the Galaxy S24 series. The S25 has a 4,000mAh battery, the S25+ has a 4,900mAh battery, and the S25 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery. Despite leaving the capacities unchanged, Samsung claims the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, combined with its own software enhancements, delivers big improvements to battery life across the board.
The S25 charges at a top rate of 25W via wire, while the other two phones support faster 45W charging. All three support 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. Apple, meanwhile, is now offering 25W wireless charging with MagSafe.
The Galaxy S25 and S25+ now match the Ultra with Wi-Fi 7, and all models support 5G (sub-6GHz and mmWave), Bluetooth 5.3, and NFC. Once again, ultra-wideband is available on the S25+ and S25 Ultra, but not the base model.
Cameras: Similar Sensors, New Tricks
Only the Ultra model receives any upgrades to its camera hardware. It still features a 200MP f/1.7 main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS), a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, and a second 10MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom. It now has a 50MP ultra-wide camera, up from the 12MP camera of the S24 Ultra, that supports a high-resolution macro mode. The Ultra is capable of 100x Space Zoom, which combines optical zoom and digital cropping.
Left to right: Galaxy S25 Ultra, S25+, S25 (Credit: Eric Zeman)
The S25 and S25+ carry over the same cameras as last year’s models. You get a 50MP f/1.8 main camera with OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, and a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. Both phones are capable of 30x Space Zoom. Every S25 has the same 12MP front-facing camera.
Rear capture tops out at 8K resolution and 30 frames per second (fps), while the selfie camera reaches up to 4K at 60fps. You can shoot in 4K at 120fps for super-smooth action, and the new ProVisual Engine supports advanced features like Log video capture if you want to apply your own color profiles in post. This puts the S25 somewhat more on par with the iPhone 16 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro.
Galaxy S25+ (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Samsung says it has improved night photography and videography using a Spatial-Temporal Filter (STF) that can search for noise at the individual pixel level of every frame. STF should yield sharper pictures with less noise, even in dark environments. The Gallery app is also smarter. It can now automatically suggest removing multiple background items from your photos, like a group of people and their shadows.
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You can now perform Generative Image Editing completely offline—as long as you download the Large Language Model (LLM) packet. This allows you to remove or resize items in an image or expand the background beyond what was visible in the original picture. Without the LLM download, you’ll need a network connection to perform these generative edits. Samsung says the results will be the same either way.
There is also a virtual aperture feature, similar to dSLRs, that gives you real-time control over depth and brightness.
Software: Improved AI for the Real World
The Galaxy S25 line runs Android 15 with the brand-new One UI 7 atop it. Like the S24, the S25 phones will receive seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates, matching Google’s seven-year commitment to its Pixel phones.
Galaxy AI is the key feature of One UI 7. It includes existing AI tools like Chat Assist, Live Translate, Notes Assist, and Writing Assist, but adds cross-app functionality. For example, you can say to your phone, “Put the next New York Rangers game on my calendar,” and Gemini will find the information online and create the appropriate event in your calendar. Before this advancement, a similar action would require multiple steps. At launch, cross-app functionality will work with Samsung Calendar, Clock, Messages, and Notes. Samsung says support for some Google apps and third-party ones like Spotify and WhatsApp will come later.
Galaxy S25+ (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Google Gemini is now the default assistant across the Galaxy S25 line. Long-pressing the side button invokes it, though you can configure the button to call up Bixby or the power menu. Samsung says the S25 will personalize its AI by creating your own personal LLM, which will be locked down by its security system, Knox. As your phone learns about you and the way you use it, Gemini will recommend routines and other actions.
The new Now Brief home screen widget acts as a proactive dashboard meant to anticipate your needs. It contains information like a summary of your sleep conditions, weather forecasts, reminders, and insights. Some of these functions are duplicated on the lock screen in the Now Bar, which lets you interact with your most-used apps and controls without needing to launch the full apps.
Left to right: Galaxy S25, S25+, S25 Ultra (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Search also gets easier. Circle to Search can now find audio information along with images and text. So, if you want to know what song is playing in a video, Circle to Search can find it. Natural language search is built into the Gallery app and the Settings menu. In the Gallery, you can ask for something like, “Find pictures of wine bottles in France,” and it will show you the results. For Settings, you can say things like, “My eyes hurt looking at the screen,” and it will take you to features meant to reduce eye strain, like the Eye Comfort Shield. In theory, you won’t need to know the exact phrases to find things. Samsung says Gemini supports more natural language interactions and relies less on strict syntax.
Samsung adds an Audio Eraser function to the Gallery app that can assist with your videos. This tool analyzes a video and separates out the types of audio noise (wind, crowd, animals, traffic) so you can choose what is heard and what should be lowered. Audio Eraser works entirely on the device, doesn’t need a network connection, and you can mix the results in real time. This feature works on any video, not just ones recorded with an S25.
Galaxy S25 Release Date and Pre-Orders
Pricing for the Galaxy S25 family remains the same as it was for the Galaxy S24 line. Here’s how it breaks down:
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Galaxy S25 (128GB): $799.99
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Galaxy S25 (256GB): $859.99
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Galaxy S25+ (256GB): $999.99
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Galaxy S25+ (512GB): $1,119.99
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Galaxy S25 Ultra (256GB): $1,299.99
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Galaxy S25 Ultra (512GB): $1,419.99
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Galaxy S25 Ultra (1TB): $1,659.99
Samsung is selling the S25 lineup from its own site as well as via its usual carrier and retail partners—meaning Amazon, AT&T, Best Buy, T-Mobile, and Verizon. The phones are available for pre-order now and reach stores on February 7.
We’re in the process of testing the Galaxy S25 lineup now, so make sure to check back soon for our full reviews. In the meantime, see how the S25 models compare.
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2025: Everything Announced in 10 Minutes
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About Iyaz Akhtar
Mobile Analyst
