Samsung has, at long last, taken to the stage to unveil its latest series of smartphones at its Galaxy Unpacked event in San Jose, California, showing off the successor to 2024’s best Android phone – the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and announcing how it has gone hard on artificial intelligence (aren’t they all?).
The tech giant has launched three new handsets: the S25, S25 Plus and S25 Ultra. While Galaxy AI might be hogging the spotlight, we shouldn’t overlook how plainly excellent the devices are. From our early testing, we’ve been impressed with the camera improvements and the timeless and durable design.
During the rest of the Unpacked event, we’re keeping an eye out for a surprise announcement in the form of Samsung’s XR glasses, as well as an all-new S25 Slim, which could launch in the summer.
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked time: How to watch in the UK
The event is available to watch live on Samsung’s YouTube channel, it all kicked off at 6pm GMT.
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked – live
- Samsung Galaxy Unpacked time: How to watch the keynote in the UK
- When can you pre-order the S25 and S25 Ultra?
- How much will the S25 Ultra cost in the UK?
- Retail photos of S25 phones leak hours before Unpacked
That’s a wrap, for sure this time
19:22 , Steve HogartyThat’s all from the liveblog this evening. To recap, you can check out our exclusive hands-on previews of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, S25 Plus and S25 at the links below.
Thanks for joining us!
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra hands-on review
Samsung Galaxy S25 hands-on: First impressions of AI features and more
S25 lightshow
19:18 , Steve HogartyFearne Cotton has personally (I presume) just illuminated the London Eye with the new Samsung Galaxy S25.
It’s a spectacular event, which we’ve all been lucky enough to view from afar via live videolink from Samsung’s King’s Cross showroom.
Hold the phone
19:13 , Steve HogartyWait a sec, Samsung brand ambassador Fearne Cotton just teleported to the London Eye for our showstopper of a lightshow!
That’s a wrap
19:09 , Steve HogartyThat’s all from Samsung Unpacked! The Samsung Galaxy S25, S25 Plus and S25 Ultra launch 7 February, with pre-orders available from today.
Prices remain the same as in 2024: the base Galaxy S25 starts at £799 for the 128GB model, the Galaxy S25 Plus starts at £999 for the 256GB model, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra starts at £1,249 for the 256GB model.
Sustainability
19:06 , Steve HogartySamsung has announced its latest sustainability plans with a circular battery supply chain, using a minimum of 50 per cent recycled cobalt from old Galaxy devices. The Galaxy S25 series promises seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates, ensuring long-term usability.
Bixby isn’t dead!
19:02 , Steve HogartyWe’ve just got our first real mention of Bixby, Samsung’s also-ran virtual assistant. Bixby’s been relegated lately to make room for Galaxy AI, which is powered by Google.
Bixby lives on in the smart home, and takes advantage of Matter compatibility to enable “AI-driven homes”.
Long live Bixby!
Now dogs can use the Galaxy S25
18:59 , Steve HogartyYour pets can now get involved in Samsung Health.
You can keep and share vet records (in the US only) to ensure your furry friends get the best care possible.
Samsung Health
18:56 , Steve HogartyWe’re on to health now. Samsung Health is getting an upgrade for 2025, incorporating AI to give you a holistic overview of your health.
A new “antioxident index” lets you track antioxidents and ensure you’re eating right. Great news for anyone tracking their macros.
Good news! No S25 price hike
18:55 , Steve HogartyThe Samsung Galaxy S25, S25 Plusand S25 Ultra launch 7 February, with pre-orders available from today.
Prices remain the same as in 2024: the base Galaxy S25 starts at £799 for the 128GB model, the Galaxy S25 Plus starts at £999 for the 256GB model, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra starts at £1,249 for the 256GB model.
Save on the Galaxy S25
18:50 , Steve HogartyWondering how to get your hands on the Galaxy S25 series for less? Here’s how you can grab the new phone and bag a free pair of Galaxy Buds as a bonus.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 has just been announced – here’s how to save
S25 AI features announced
18:44 , Steve HogartySamsung has placed artificial intelligence front and centre again with this year’s Galaxy S-series phones.
Leaning on Google’s Gemini AI, blended with Samsung’s own tech, the phones promise to anticipate your needs and be your personal concierge from dawn til dusk.
Each morning the Galaxy S25 will deliver insights via the new Now Brief menu, giving you a report on your sleep quality, the weather forecast, schedule reminders and personalised routine suggestions, based on your habits.
An evening brief will offer a photo summary of your day, reminders of upcoming appointments, and even notices about your expiring coupons.
Virtual DSLR
18:43 , Steve Hogarty“Virtual DSLR” mode lets you set an “aperture” for your photos, and uses deep-learning from film photography to produce accurate depth of field and bokeh effects based on your settings.
It should make the Galaxy S25 capable of professional-style photography, using AI trickery to emulate the look of a big, expensive camera.
Next-gen ProVisual engine
18:41 , Steve HogartySamsung is revealing the “next-gen” ProVisual engine, the image processing layer that makes your photos look their absolute best.
The Galaxy S25 series uses “advanced AI learning” to detect subjects and lighting, adjusting skin tones to appear more natural and true to life.
Here’s the new S25 series in action
18:37 , Steve HogartyWant to see the new Galaxy S25 series in action? I’ve got you covered, so long as your definition of “in action” is limited to me picking up the phones and turning them around for a bit.
S25 Ultra specs
18:34 , Steve HogartyA 40 per cent improvement seems to have been the target for Samsung engineers this year.
A bigger thermal vapour chamber – up 40 per cent in the Galaxy S25 Ultra – should deliver noticeable improvements to frame rates and heat dissipation when gaming, while Samsung says that raytracing performance on the Galaxy S25 Ultra is up, you guessed it: 40 per cent.
Snapdragon 8 Elite is coming to Galaxy
18:32 , Steve HogartyOkay, the AI stuff is out of the way. We’re into the hardware now.
Samsung says it’s using the new Snapdragon 8 Elite chip in all three phones, which Samsung says delivers a 40 per cent boost to the Galaxy S25’s AI capabilities, as well as increased performance across the board.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra boasts a larger display
18:32 , Steve HogartyThe Galaxy S25 Ultra is 15g lighter than last year’s phone – its bezels are 15 per cent slimmer than last year’s model. It’s also a smidge larger at 6.9in, but the phone itself isn’t much bigger thankfully.
It still has a titanium frame, which again houses the S-Pen stylus.
As for the base S25 and S25+? They feature 6.2in and 6.7in displays respectively and don’t get titanium frames – just aluminium.
Samsung promised us a lightshow
18:30 , Steve HogartyLast year’s Samsung Unpacked concluded with an impressive drone display. This year it’s promising something even more spectacular.
We’re so excited we can barely focus on the phones.
Hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy S25
18:24 , Steve HogartyI’ve already spent time testing out the new Samsung Galaxy S25 phone ahead of today’s announcement, you can find my initial thoughts in my first-impressions piece here.
TL;DR? The AI stuff is all very interesting, but let’s not forget how basically brilliant these little phones are.
Samsung Galaxy S25 hands-on: First impressions of AI features and more
Circle to Search gets AI responses
18:22 , Steve HogartySamsung’s going deep on the new AI capabilities of the new S25 series, highlighting the cross-app functionalities of Galaxy AI.
Circle to Search, a Google feature, now gives AI-generated responses to any objects you circle on screen, letting you search for events and products you spy on your display.
Everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
18:16 , Steve HogartyWe’ve had a chance to play around with the Galaxy S25 Ultra ahead of the announcement, here are our first impressions of the top-of-the-line new flagship.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a more modern design
18:15 , Steve HogartyAs predicted, it’s the Galaxy S25 Ultra that gets the biggest design refresh in 2025. The tech giant has ditched its sharp corners in favour of rounded edges.
The result? A much more modern-looking smartphone that is obviously going to be easier to hold.
Back at Unpacked, and Samsung is detailing how “the new frontier of AI with Google” forms the foundation of all three new phones.
Samsung has unveiled the S25, S25+ and S25 Ultra
18:04 , Steve HogartySamsung Galaxy Unpacked has begun, and while the tech giant is taking us through everything on stage, it’s already dropped all the details on the S25 line-up on its website. Let’s start with the S25 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked is starting soon...
17:51 , Alex LeeGet the popcorn – the trailers are starting. Something’s happening! Samsung is now showing off the AI smarts on the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy Watch, indicating that, yes, this Unpacked is definitely going to be all about AI.
How to watch Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2025
17:30 , Alex LeeWhile I’ll be here covering every single announcement, you can also watch the keynote for yourself by clicking the play button on the video below.
Samsung will be streaming the whole presentation live from California on its YouTube channel. It’s not set to start until 6pm GMT, but the pre-event screen has already started, with some fun jazzy music to set the mood.
Galaxy Unpacked begins soon
17:15 , Alex LeeIt’s almost time for Galaxy Unpacked! In 45 minutes, Samsung will finally take the cloak off the latest S25 handsets, and I’ll be bringing you all the latest details as they drop. Stay tuned and get settled in!
Samsung Galaxy ring 2 could launch soon
16:45 , Alex LeeWhile we aren’t likely to hear much about the next iteration of the Samsung Galaxy ring, one rumour from DigiTimes claims that it could be teased at Galaxy Unpacked later tonight, and then released sometime in the summer. Right now, rumours are thin on the ground, but it could launch with two extra sizes and longer battery life, as well as integrate even more AI smarts.
More Samsung Galaxy AI rumours
16:25 , Alex Lee
While Apple is busy partnering with OpenAI and ChatGPT, Samsung appears to be partnering with Google and its Gemini AI model.
The latest rumour suggests that a year’s subscription of Gemini Advanced will come with every purchase of a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra phone – a nice perk if you want even more complex Gemini features. Those who buy an S25+ will get six months of Gemini Advanced, while anyone who purchases an S25 phone could get a three-month trial.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra deals have started dropping
16:08 , Alex LeeAnd with the launch of the S25 Ultra on our doorstep, deals on the S24 Ultra are starting to drop.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Was £1,249, now £899, Laptopsdirect.co.uk
You can currently save £350 on the Galaxy S24 Ultra – a huge phone with a giant display that’s ideal for getting work done. The S-Pen stylus slides out of a compartment in the frame and lets you stay productive with note-taking, while Galaxy AI features mean you can instantly transcribe meetings with dozens of speakers into neatly formatted minutes.
What’s the Samsung XR headset all about?
15:34 , Alex LeeThe Samsung XR headset looks like Samsung’s answer to the Apple Vision Pro. The headset is expected to blend augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) into one device.
While details are still a bit scarce, leaks suggest Samsung is working closely with Qualcomm and Google to develop the headset, but I’m hoping it won’t be as eye-wateringly expensive as the Vision Pro.
Will we see any new Galaxy wearables?
14:52 , Alex LeeUnlikely. Samsung usually saves all of its wearables for its summer Galaxy Unpacked event in July and August. So if you’re hoping for a new smartwatch or earbuds, you’ll have to wait until then.
I’m not expecting to see any folding phones at this event either. Samsung also saves those for its summer Unpacked event.
Could the S25 have a MagSafe-like feature?
14:33 , Alex LeeNow, this is the battery rumour I’m most curious about. The S25 line-up could boast a MagSafe-like feature.
On 9 December, a leaker on X claimed all three S25 models will support Qi2 wireless charging. For those not in the know, Qi2 uses magnets to perfectly align accessories, allowing for faster 15W wireless charging speeds.
But then, on 11 December, a Finnish publication leaked info from a carrier about the S25’s official accessories. One of the listed items was a case with a magnet, suggesting customers might need to buy the case to use Qi2 wireless charging. If true, it sounds like Samsung isn’t building Qi2 directly into the phones but is relying on a separate case to make the magnetic charging tech work.
It’s not exactly MagSafe, but at least we’ll have the option.
What about the S25's battery?
14:23 , Alex LeeIn terms of battery life, the S25 Ultra will reportedly feature the same 5,000mAh battery that Samsung has used since the S22.
That’s not a huge issue, given the S24 Ultra lasts such a long time and charges in a snap.
When can you pre-order the S25 and S25 Ultra?
Tuesday 21 January 2025 20:30 , Alex LeeWe won’t know for certain until tomorrow, but the latest rumours suggest that the handsets will be available to pre-order starting from Friday 24 January. Insiders predict that the handsets will then be released and available on store shelves on 7 February.
If you pre-register your interest on the Samsung website, you’ll be able to claim £50 off the new handset when it is released. A nice perk for any loyal Galaxy fans and those who may be tempted away from their iPhone.
What has Samsung said so far?
Tuesday 21 January 2025 19:30 , Alex LeeWhile Samsung hasn’t said anything substantial about the event, it has suggested that AI will play a big part in whatever it’s unveiling. In the invitation, Samsung says: “Get ready for AI that is more natural and intuitive. The next evolution of Galaxy AI is coming and it’s going to change the way you interact with the world every day. The new Galaxy S series is about to set the bar once again for mobile AI experiences now and into the future.”
Samsung says it will be sharing “a new chapter in mobile AI” and “premium Galaxy innovations that bring seamless convenience into every moment of your life”. We’re hoping that’s the case – we’ve seen lots of AI features gone wrong in recent months. Just look at Apple’s notification summaries on the iPhone.
All the Samsung Galaxy S25 rumours
Tuesday 21 January 2025 19:00 , Alex LeeI’ve been researching and tracking all of the Samsung Galaxy S25 rumours for some time, covering everything from how much it’ll cost to what the design and display may be like.
As far as I can glean, the latest handset doesn’t look like a huge upgrade on paper. It could feature a curvier design, MagSafe-style charging and a more powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, but the 5,000mAh battery is suspected to be staying the same, and most of the changes feel more like refinements than breakthroughs. The Ultra’s camera updates could be nice, but we’ll still need to wait to see what Samsung has in store for One UI 7.1.
For the entire breakdown of my predictions, read the full piece now:
The Samsung Galaxy S25 launches tomorrow – here’s what to expect
How to watch Samsung Galaxy Unpacked
Tuesday 21 January 2025 18:30 , Alex LeeSamsung Galaxy Unpacked will be streamed live on Samsung’s YouTube channel, beginning at 6pm GMT. We’ll be here with all the highlights, but you can also watch it by clicking the play button below.
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked kicks off tomorrow evening
Tuesday 21 January 2025 17:54 , Alex LeeHello!
The Samsung Galaxy S25, S25+ and S25 Ultra are just a few hours away from being unveiled. Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event is kicking off soon, and we’ll be here to bring you every update as it happens. The event takes place tomorrow (22 January) at 6pm GMT, and from the video invitation, it looks like it’s going to be an AI-heavy affair.
From the biggest leaks and rumours to the latest news, we’ll be following the action live right on this page.
