Samsung Galaxy S25 Series, Improved Performance, A New 50MP Ultrawide Camera For The Ultra, And Deeper AI Integration

Samsung has officially announced its latest flagship smartphones—the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy S25 Plus, and Galaxy S25. All models feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor combined with 12GB of RAM, and storage options vary according to each model, from 128GB only for the S25 up to 1TB only for the Ultra version.
Besides Qualcomm’s most powerful new chipset, Samsung’s flagship series includes only a few hardware upgrades and subtle design refinements.

For this year’s S series edition, Samsung focused heavily on artificial intelligence (AI) integration and new software features designed to deliver intuitive and context-aware user experiences.

Design Refinements

Samsung has refined the design of the Galaxy S25 Series, focusing on both aesthetics and functionality.

Rounded Edges and Slimmer Bezels: The Ultra model now features slightly rounded edges for improved ergonomics. Bezels have been reduced by 15%, allowing for a larger 6.9-inch display while maintaining the same device footprint.

Corning Gorilla Glass Armor 2 on the Ultra’s front: The new glass offers improved scratch resistance and anti-reflective properties over the Gorilla Glass Armor found in the Galaxy S24 Ultra. In addition to enhanced durability, it offers better visibility in various lighting conditions.

Weight Reduction: The Ultra model is 15 grams lighter than its predecessor, offering better balance without compromising durability.

Display

The S25 Ultra Dynamic AMOLED 2X gets a slightly larger display than its predecessor, with the same QHD+ resolution with a 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate.

Improved Performance

The Snapdragon 8 Elite, developed in collaboration with Qualcomm, powers the Galaxy S25 Series. This new processor enhances performance across the board.

Processing Capabilities: The 3nm processor delivers a 40% increase in Neural Processing Unit (NPU) performance, a 37% boost in CPU efficiency, and a 30% improvement in GPU capabilities over the previous generation. These enhancements allow the device to handle demanding tasks, including gaming and AI computations, more efficiently.

Advanced Cooling System: A new cooling system features a 40% larger vapor chamber in the S25 Ultra and 15% larger one in the S25 Plus and S25 than the previous generation.

A new tailored Thermal Interface Material (TIM) further improves heat dissipation, enhancing battery life and device longevity. Those improvements ensure sustained performance during intensive use, such as extended gaming sessions.

Battery

The S25 Ultra features an unsurprising 5000 mAh; the S25 Plus gets a 4900 mah capacity, and the S25 is 4000 mAh.

Camera Upgrades

The camera system of the S25 Ultra features a new 50MP ultra-wide lens, complementing the 50MP 5X telephoto, the 10 MP 3X zoom, and the 200MP main camera that are similar to the ones found in the S24 Ultra. All lenses offer Optical Image Stabilization (OIS).
This upgrade enhances clarity for wide-angle and macro photography, capturing impressive detail photos taken as close as 2 cm from the subject.

Macro photography captures fine detail thanks to the 50MP Ultrawide camera

The S25 Plus and S25 have a triple rear shooter with a 50MP primary sensor (OIS), a 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 10MP 3x optical zoom (OIS), the same configuration as the S24 Plus and S24.

Low-Light Photography: New technologies such as double-analysis noise removal and spatial-temporal filtering address common issues in low-light photography. These systems reduce noise at the pixel level and enhance clarity for moving objects, resulting in sharper night photos and videos.

Professional Features: The addition of Galaxy Log and virtual aperture settings in the Pro Video and Expert RAW photo mode allows more control for advanced users. LOG (logarithmic) video is a format that stores more image information in the highlights and the shadows, offering better color editing options.

Virtual aperture in ExpertRAW mode

Generative editing features have been improved for greater accuracy and faster processing, making on-device photo and video editing more efficient.

Improved Audio Features For Video Editing: The new audio eraser tool allows users to isolate or adjust specific sound elements in videos, such as removing background noise while preserving voice clarity.

A New AI-Integrated Operating System

Thanks to Samsung has significantly expanded its AI capabilities with the Galaxy S25, making the devices more intuitive and user-friendly. While the Galaxy S24 introduced Galaxy AI as Samsung’s first global AI platform, the S25 builds on this foundation by embedding AI more deeply into the One UI 7 operating system and user interface.

AI Agents: The S25 Series includes multiple AI agents designed to streamline various tasks. These agents can handle a wide range of functions using natural language input. For example, users can summarize long texts, convert videos into GIFs, and identify audio or visual content with minimal effort. The integration allows for cross-application commands, such as scheduling events in a calendar and sharing them with contacts in one step.

Personal Data Engine: A key new feature is the personal data engine, which learns user behavior, preferences, and routines. This system helps automate repetitive tasks, such as adjusting device settings for better sleep or suggesting contextual routines based on usage patterns.

Contextual Smart Features: Improved search capabilities allow users to locate photos, settings, or information using conversational queries. For instance, users can say, “Show me wedding photos from Pittsburgh,” or “Help me adjust text size,” and the device will respond accordingly. This makes navigating the phone’s features faster and more intuitive.

One UI 7.0 and Software Features

The Galaxy S25 Series debuts One UI 7.0, a redesigned user interface that integrates AI features seamlessly.

Now Brief and Now Bar: These widgets provide real-time updates tailored to user habits, including weather forecasts, calendar events, and news. The interface adjusts throughout the day to offer relevant information at a glance.

Enhanced AI Capabilities: The AI platform can now execute complex, multi-step tasks. For example, users can ask the device to find the next basketball game, add it to the calendar, and notify a contact—all in one command.

SmartThings Integration: The SmartThings ecosystem has been enhanced to provide better control over connected devices. Features like automated routines and contextual suggestions improve the overall user experience.

Sustainability and Security

Samsung has incorporated sustainable practices into the Galaxy S25 Series while enhancing device security.

Circular Battery Supply Chain: Samsung uses recycled materials in its devices and recycles rare elements from old batteries. This initiative reduces waste and supports sustainability goals.

Knox Vault 2: Security has been improved with end-to-end encryption and post-quantum cryptography. This ensures user data is protected against current and future security threats.

Pricing and Availability

Pre-orders for the series begin today, with general availability starting February 7.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra comes in Titanium Silverblue, Titanium WhiteSilver, Titanium Gray Titanium Black starts at $1299 for the 512GB model. Online colors exclusives are TitaniumPinkGold, Titanium Jetblack and Titanium Jadegreen.

The Galaxy S25 Plus and S25 offer four flavors Navy, Icyblue, Mint, and Silver Shadow. The S25 Plus starts at $999.99 for the 256GB model and the S25 is priced at $799.99 for the 128GB model. Online color exclusives are Blueblack, Coralred, and Pinkgold.

Filed in Cellphones. Read more about Android, Qualcomm and Snapdragon 8 Elite.