The Samsung Galaxy S25 series has officially launched, marking the next generation of Samsung's flagship smartphones. Unveiled at the Galaxy Unpacked event in San Jose on January 22, 2025, the series includes the Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra. A fourth model, the Galaxy S25 Edge, is expected to be released later in May 2025. The Galaxy S25 series is available for purchase as of February 7, 2025.

Design and Display

The Galaxy S25 Ultra features a refreshed design, moving away from the boxier aesthetic of its predecessor. The corners are now more rounded, aligning it with current design trends. The bezels have been reduced, allowing for a larger 6.9-inch display within a similar footprint to the S24 Ultra. The S25 Ultra's frame is thinner, measuring 8.2mm compared to 8.6mm of the S24 Ultra, and the weight has been reduced from 233g to 218g. The Ultra model also boasts second-generation Gorilla Armor for enhanced durability. The S25 and S25+ also feature thinner frames, measuring 7.2mm and 7.3mm respectively.

The displays are Dynamic AMOLED 2X with a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ support, peaking at 2600 nits of brightness. The S25 features a 6.2-inch FHD+ display, while the S25+ has a 6.7-inch QHD+ panel. The S25 Ultra sports a 6.9-inch QHD+ display.

Performance and Software

The entire Galaxy S25 lineup is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, a 3nm chipset. This customized application processor allows the Galaxy S25 series to perform more on-device AI functions. Samsung has also increased the size of the vapor chambers across the S25 lineup to maintain sustained high performance, with the S25 Ultra's vapor chamber being 40% larger than the S24 Ultra's, and the S25 and S25+ seeing a 15% increase.

All models come with 12GB of RAM as standard. The S25 is available with 128GB or 256GB of storage, the S25+ offers 256GB or 512GB, and the S25 Ultra has options for 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB. Select S25 Ultra models in South Korea and Greater China offer 16GB of RAM.

The Galaxy S25 series launches with Android 15 and Samsung's One UI 7. Samsung is promising 7 years of OS and security updates. The devices also ship with Galaxy AI, Samsung's suite of artificial intelligence features.

Cameras

The Galaxy S25 Ultra features a 200MP primary sensor, a 50MP 5x periscope telephoto lens, a 10MP 3x telephoto lens, and a new 50MP ultrawide lens. The S25 and S25+ maintain the same triple camera setup as their predecessors, with a 50MP primary lens, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and a 10MP 3x optical zoom lens. All models feature a 12MP front-facing camera.

Samsung claims to have made image processing improvements, with more functions handled on the device without cloud support. The new 50MP ultrawide lens on the Ultra model is a significant upgrade from the 12MP sensor on the S24 Ultra.

Battery

Battery sizes remain unchanged from the Galaxy S24 lineup. The S25 Ultra retains its 5,000mAh battery, while the S25+ and S25 include 4,900mAh and 4,000mAh cells, respectively. Samsung claims the improved battery efficiency of the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset has enhanced battery performance. The S25 and S25 Ultra both lasted for 14 hours and 15 minutes in tests, while the S25+ lasted for 14 hours and 40 minutes.

Other Features

• The S25 Ultra includes a built-in S Pen, though it loses Bluetooth functionality.
• The Galaxy S25 Edge is rumored to be Samsung's thinnest flagship yet, measuring under 6mm in thickness, and is expected to launch on May 13, 2025.

Pricing and Availability

The Galaxy S25 Ultra starts at $1,299 for the 256GB model. The Galaxy S25 starts at $799.99, and the Galaxy S25+ starts at $999.99. Pre-order deals included storage upgrades and trade-in offers.