Samsung launches the Galaxy S25 series as your 'true AI companion'

Comparing the sizes and shapes of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus, and Samsung Galaxy S25
(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Samsung just unveiled its latest S25 lineup that runs on the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, giving it an edge over the other flagship phones on the market.
  • Samsung doubles down on Galaxy AI with the new devices and is said to come packed with the new One UI 7.
  • New multimodal features make a debut — Now Breif, Audio Eraser, upgrades to Google's Gemini, and Circle to Search.
  • The trio is said to get seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates.
  • The S25 series retains its predecessor's price tags, with the S25 Ultra starting at $1299, while the S25 and Plus models cost $799 and $999 respectively.

Samsung just unveiled its new S25 series at Galaxy Unpacked today, and we got a full look at the lineup in all its glory. To start, the series comes as a trio once again, with the top-end S25 Ultra, the middle child S25 Plus, and the standard S25 device.

When it comes to the core, all three devices are powered by a custom version of Qualcomm's customized Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, giving these devices a performance boost (40% in NPU, 37% in CPU, and 30% in GPU) said to fuel the latest AI features within these phones.

“Galaxy S25 series opens the door to an AI-integrated OS that fundamentally shifts how we use technology and how we live our lives,” said TM Roh, president and head of mobile experience business at Samsung.

Additionally, the trio will run One UI 7 based on Android 15, which the company says makes the Galaxy S25 "a true AI companion" that will interpret multimodal information in a seamless, interactive manner. Out of the box, Samsung promises seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates.

All things Galaxy AI

Galaxi AI creates a summary of a YouTube video on a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

AI is really what's driving the new S25 series, with features including the Now Bar on the home screen, which highlights the user's personalized recommendations for entertainment, directions to their next meeting, or even help with communicating in different languages. And Now Brief can provide users with a snapshot of their day.

Next, Samsung will get upgrades to Google’s Circle to Search that will not only interpret images and videos but will also recognize phone numbers, email, and URLs on your screen, letting you call, email, or visit a website with a single tap.

Images will also get a face life with ProScaler, an AI image processing on the Galaxy S25 Ultra and S25 Plus to achieve better image quality to match the QHD+ display resolutions.

Galaxy AI is focusing on bringing more intuitive interactions with the user, and Samsung says it will make tasks seamless. One can find a specific photo in Gallery or adjust the size of display fonts in Settings, by just pressing the side button to activate the upgraded Gemini.

Lastly, the devices also get a new audio Eraser tool that simplifies the removal of disturbing or unnecessary ambient noise in recordings.

Galaxy S25 Ultra

Comparing the physical size and shape of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy S25 Plus, and Galaxy S25

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

The Galaxy S25 Ultra gets a durable titanium build with smooth, rounded edges, unlike its predecessors' squarish ones. It has a 6.9-inch QHD+ dynamic AMOLED  display with a 120 Hz refresh rate protected by the new Corning Gorilla Armor 2, which helps with the phone's drop protection and anti-glare issues.

The device comes with a 5,000 mAh battery, like its predecessor, and is said to reach 65% charge within 30 minutes of charging with a 45W Adapter. The phone is compatible with wireless Qi2 chargers, but Samsung tells us it isn't optimized for Qi2. This means you can charge the S25 Ultra on another Qi2 device.

Looking at the raised camera lenses on the back of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra with the Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 in the background

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

Getting into the camera array, the Ultra showcases wider black camera rims and comes with a new 50MP ultrawide camera sensor— upgraded from the previous 12MP, along with a 200 MP wide camera, another 50 MP Telephoto lens with a 5x zoom, and a 10 MP camera with a 3x zoom. On the front, the device comes with the same 12MP Front Camera .

The Ultra sticks to its IP68 dust and water resistance, making the phone water-resistant to a maximum depth of 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes.

The phone will be available in four colorways: Titanium silver blue, Titanium Whitesilver, Titanium Gray, and Titanium Black. However, people who order via Samsung.com get access to three unique colors, including Titanium Pinkgold, Titanium Jetblack, and Titanium Jadegreen. Samsung is retaining the price of its new phones this year with the Galaxy S25 Ultra starting at at $1,299.99, the same as the S24 Ultra and comes with three storage options 1TB  , 512GB and 256GB respectively.

Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus

The backs of the Samsung Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus on a black ruler mat

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

The Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus get a fairly similar design to their predecessors with more rounded edges, sporting a Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate similar to their predecessors. The S25 Plus has a sleek 6.7-inch QHD screen, while the standard model has a 6.2-inch FHD display.

The batteries remain unchanged, as the Plus model gets a 4,900mAh battery while the standard phone gets a 4,000mAh battery. Like the Galaxy S25 Ultra, they are both compatible with Qi2 charging but don't have built-in MagSafe charging, nor are they optimized for Qi2. For wired charging, they can reach up to 50% charge in around 30 mins with a 25W Adapter.

Samsung says that the external components of Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus have at least one recycled material and its metal frame incorporates recycled armor aluminum as well.

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Samsung Galaxy S25 Series
CategorySamsung Galaxy S25Samsung Galaxy S25 PlusSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Display6.2-inch FHD+Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display, 120 Hz6.7-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display, 120 Hz6.9-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display, 120 Hz
Operating SystemOne UI 7 (Android 15 )One UI 7 (Android 15 )One UI 7 (Android 15 )
Dimensions & Weight70.5 x 146.9 x 7.2mm, 162g75.8 x 158.4 x 7.3mm, 190g77.6 X 162.8 X 8.2mm, 218g
ProcessorSnapdragon 8 EliteSnapdragon 8 EliteSnapdragon 8 Elite
Camera 112MP (ultrawide), f/2.2, FOV 120˚12MP (ultrawide), f/2.2, FOV 120˚50MP (Ultra-Wide) f/1.9, FOV 120˚
Camera 250MP Wide Camera , OIS F1.8, FOV 85˚    50MP Wide Camera, OIS F1.8, FOV 85˚    200MP (wide), OIS, f/1.7, FOV 85˚   
Camera 310MP telephoto, 3x Optical Zoom, f/2.410MP telephoto, 3x Optical Zoom, f/2.410MP telephoto, OIS, f/2.4, 3x Optical Zoom, FOV 36˚   
Camera 4Row 7 - Cell 1 Row 7 - Cell 2 50MP telephoto, OIS, f/3.4, 5x Optical Zoom, FOV 22˚   
Front Camera12MP, f/2.212MP, f/2.212MP, f/2.2
Memory & Storage12+ 256GB; 12 + 128GB12 + 512GB; 12 + 256GB12GB + 1TB; 12 + 512GB; 12 + 256GB
Battery4,000 mAh4,900 mAh5,000mAh
ChargingWired charging compatible with Qi2.0, 25W wired, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShareWired charging compatible with Qi2.0, 45W wired, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShareWired charging compatible with Qi2.0, 45W wired, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, Wireless PowerShare
Network and Connectivity5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 5.45G, LTE, Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 5.45G, LTE, Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 5.4
Water ResistanceIP68IP68IP68

Both devices get a major upgrade with a new 50MP wide camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, and a  10MP Telephoto Camera  that comes with 3x optical zoom. Samsung retains the selfie camera at 12MP for both devices.

The Samsung S25 and S25 Plus will also come with the same durability as the Ultra, sporting IP68 dust and water resistance, skipping out on the more robust IP69 rating we've seen on other flagships like the OnePlus 13.

The Galaxy S25 Plus starts at $999.99 with 256GB and 512GB storage options, while the Galaxy S25 starts at $799.99 with 128GB and 256GB options. Both get four new colorways: Navy, Icyblue, Mint, and Silver Shadow colors, plus exclusive colors like Blueblack, Coralred, and Pinkgold when ordered directly from Samsung.com

Comparing the back of the Samsung Galaxy S25 with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

The company is offering a perk to those who join its New Galaxy Club early upgrade program. Users who enroll for $8.33 per month for Galaxy S25 Ultra and S25 Plus, or $6.20 per month for Galaxy S25, get the chance to upgrade to the latest Galaxy device any time after 12 months. New Galaxy Club members will also get one year of Samsung Care+ (without Theft and Loss) for free.

Nandika Ravi
News Editor

Nandika Ravi is an Editor for Android Central. Based in Toronto, after rocking the news scene as a Multimedia Reporter and Editor at Rogers Sports and Media, she now brings her expertise into the Tech ecosystem. When not breaking tech news, you can catch her sipping coffee at cozy cafes, exploring new trails with her boxer dog, or leveling up in the gaming universe.