Samsung’s latest flagship lineup, the Galaxy S25 series, has arrived with subtle refinements and significant internal upgrades. While visually echoing their predecessors, the S25 and S25 Plus retain their respective $799.99 and $999.99 price points, while the S25 Ultra starts at $1299.99. Pre-orders are open, with an official launch date of February 7th. The series showcases iterative design changes, focusing on enhanced performance and AI integration.
The most striking visual change is the S25 Ultra’s adoption of rounded corners and flat edges, aligning it aesthetically with the S25 and S25 Plus. This design tweak makes the Ultra the slimmest and lightest in the series, albeit marginally. While the S Pen makes a return, it lacks the gesture controls and remote shutter functionality of previous iterations. The standard S25 and S25 Plus retain their familiar form factor, incorporating recycled materials in their aluminum frames. All three models boast enhanced durability, with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protecting the S25 and S25 Plus displays and the S25 Ultra featuring a more robust Corning Gorilla Armor 2 display and a titanium frame. A revamped camera module design, with a thicker, more pronounced border, adds a touch of boldness to the aesthetics. New color options are available across the series, including icy blue and mint green for the S25 and S25 Plus, and titanium hues for the Ultra.
Under the hood, the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset powers all three models, marking a significant performance leap. This new processor boasts a 40 percent speed increase over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and features a dedicated neural processing unit optimized for Samsung’s expanded Galaxy AI experience. This translates to a claimed 37 percent improvement in CPU performance and a 30 percent boost in GPU performance, enhancing gaming capabilities and enabling more sophisticated on-device AI functions like Generative Edit. The storage and RAM configurations remain largely consistent with the S24 series, with all models starting at 12GB of RAM.
Display specifications remain largely unchanged. The S25 features a 6.2-inch Full HD Plus display, the S25 Plus a 6.7-inch Quad HD Plus display, and the S25 Ultra a slightly larger 6.9-inch Quad HD Plus display. All three models maintain a 120Hz variable refresh rate for smooth visuals.
Camera improvements are a mixed bag. The S25 and S25 Plus share the same triple-rear camera setup as their predecessors, while the S25 Ultra boasts a new 50MP ultrawide camera with macro capabilities and an upgraded telephoto lens. All models benefit from software enhancements, including the Audio Eraser feature for selective sound isolation, Virtual Aperture for post-recording depth of field adjustment, new film-inspired filters, and improved ProScaler upscaling on the S25 Plus and Ultra. Video recording capabilities remain largely unchanged, with support for 8K recording at 30fps and 4K recording at up to 60fps (120fps on the Ultra).
Battery capacities mirror the S24 series: 4,000mAh for the S25, 4,900mAh for the S25 Plus, and 5,000mAh for the S25 Ultra. Despite this, Samsung claims these models offer the longest battery life of any Galaxy phone, thanks to hardware and software optimizations. Fast charging via USB-C is standard, and all models are “Qi2 Ready,” allowing for 15W wireless charging speeds when paired with compatible magnetic cases.
The most notable advancements lie in the software realm. The Galaxy S25 series launches with One UI 7, based on Android 15, and features deeper AI integration. The debut of Google Gemini Live as the default assistant, replacing Bixby, marks a significant shift towards multimodal AI. Gemini Live facilitates natural language commands for generative tasks and on-device functions, leveraging images and files to fulfill requests across multiple apps. Other software enhancements include personalized daily summaries via Now Brief, a redesigned AI Select menu, expanded on-device translation support, in-call transcriptions, and more. Many of these software features are expected to trickle down to older Galaxy flagships.
In summary, the Galaxy S25 series represents a refinement of Samsung’s flagship formula. While hardware changes are incremental, the introduction of the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset signifies a notable performance boost. The real story, however, lies in the software enhancements, particularly the integration of Google Gemini Live and expanded Galaxy AI capabilities. These advancements, combined with the familiar design language and robust build quality, position the Galaxy S25 series as a compelling, albeit iterative, update to Samsung’s flagship lineage. The promise of seven years of OS updates further solidifies their long-term value proposition. While the visual changes may be subtle, the under-the-hood improvements and software enhancements promise a more powerful and intelligent mobile experience. Whether these refinements warrant an upgrade from the S24 series remains to be seen, but the S25 lineup undoubtedly pushes the boundaries of mobile innovation.
