Alright, Samsung fans, buckle up because this year’s Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event was quite the experience. Samsung’s first Unpacked event of 2025 unveiled the highly anticipated Galaxy S25 series. While the new phones may not boast drastically enhanced specs, they feature significantly more AI integration, tailored to be context-sensitive and predictive. This intelligent enhancement maximizes the efficiency of the mildly upgraded hardware.
Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s Samsung Galaxy Unpacked.
Galaxy S25 Ultra

The Galaxy S25 Ultra remains the largest, most advanced, and priciest option in the lineup. It flaunts a 6.9-inch display with more rounded edges for a “comfortable grip.” According to Samsung, it is the “slimmest, lightest, and most durable Galaxy Ultra device ever,” featuring a titanium body and Corning’s Gorilla Armor 2 for superior drop protection and scratch resistance.
Differing from its smaller counterparts, the Ultra’s camera sensors received a notable upgrade: the ultrawide lens now boasts 50MP, an improvement from the previous 12MP. All models in the S25 series, including the Ultra, are powered by a bespoke version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, enabling on-device processing of many AI functions, enhancing privacy.
Continuing the legacy of the Galaxy Note, the S25 Ultra includes an S Pen. However, Samsung has discontinued Air Commands, citing that less than one percent of S Pen users utilized this feature, primarily as a camera shutter. The removal has allowed for a reduction in weight and an increase in the S Pen’s durability.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra offers 12GB of RAM and storage options of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. Despite its advanced features, it remains a significant investment, starting at $1,300.
Galaxy S25 and S25+

The Galaxy S25 and S25+ now boast 12GB of RAM, matching the Ultra model, up from 8GB in their 2024 predecessors. This enhancement, paired with the Snapdragon 8 Elite, optimizes the phones’ extensive AI capabilities.
Despite these changes, the rest of the hardware remains strikingly similar to the S24 and S24+. They still feature 6.2-inch and 6.7-inch displays, respectively. However, Samsung’s innovative ProScaler AI tool can upscale images in real time, potentially compensating for the unchanged specifications. According to Samsung, this tool can enhance visual quality by up to 40 percent.
Storage options remain consistent with the S24 series: 128GB or 256GB for the Galaxy S25 and 256GB or 512GB for the Galaxy S25+. Fortunately, the pricing has also stayed the same. The S25 starts at $800, while the S25+ starts at $1,000.
Galaxy AI

While most hardware upgrades this generation might seem modest (excluding the Snapdragon chip), Samsung is betting big on AI features to entice you to invest in their new models. Samsung’s One UI 7, layered over Android 15, delivers what they’re calling “a new AI-integrated OS.” This innovation focuses on offering a more personalized and context-sensitive AI experience rather than just individual tools.
AI takes center stage in the phones’ camera features, with the Qualcomm chip enhancing noise analysis, which Samsung claims improves performance in low-light conditions. Audio Eraser is another AI tool that separates audio channels, allowing you to remove unwanted sounds like wind or background chatter.
Samsung has grouped its new suite of on-device AI tools under the Personal Data Engine. This collection of multimodal machine learning agents (text, images, video, audio) introduces features like AI Select, an evolution of Samsung’s Smart Select tool. The AI-powered version can scan your screen and suggest context-aware tasks, such as creating a GIF from a YouTube video you’re watching.
The AI-powered Now Bar can be seen as Samsung’s answer to the iPhone’s Dynamic Island. Positioned at the bottom of the lock screen and below the digital clock when unlocked, it generates context-based reminders. Embedded within the Now Bar is the Now Brief feature, which provides morning, midday, and evening summaries of information it deems relevant to you.
The Sketch to Image tool has been rebranded as Drawing Assist, which Samsung claims is now more refined and accurate. It also allows you to import existing images for your prompt. Additionally, the S25 series includes an enhanced version of Google’s Circle to Search, which can now identify phone numbers, emails, and URLs, enabling you to execute their corresponding actions with a single tap by long-pressing the home button.
Samsung Wallet updates
The company has introduced two new payment features: Instant Installment and Tap to Transfer. Instant Installment, as the name implies, is a “buy now, pay later” service that transforms purchases into an offline payment plan experience. This feature is entirely managed on-device and supports Visa and Mastercard purchases.
Contrary to the perception that Samsung is transitioning to becoming a credit provider and taking on loans, the company’s representative clarified that the service is designed to facilitate purchases and convert payments into what is referred to as “the first offline payment plan experience.”
On the other hand, Tap to Transfer serves as a peer-to-peer payment service, comparable to Apple’s Tap to Cash. Users can make payments or receive funds by simply tapping phones with another person. This service is not confined to Samsung Pay and can be used with third-party apps, as it is linked to the associated card or account. It also supports Visa and Mastercard.
Galaxy Watch for Kids
The Galaxy Watch for Kids might sound like a novel gadget, but it’s actually a new configuration option available for the cellular Galaxy Watch 7 and likely future models. Similar to the Apple Watch for Kids, this setup allows parents to configure a child’s watch from their own phone, including the activation of its eSim. Once set up, children can use the smartwatch independently without needing a paired phone.
Parents can also implement controls, such as managing app installations and enabling “do not disturb” during school hours. Location sharing can be turned on or off, and Samsung, in collaboration with Google, is introducing new child-friendly apps and watch faces to make the experience enjoyable.
Surprises Unpacked

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event had two surprises in store this year.
The company teased an Android XR-based headset, showcasing a photo of the device, and concluded the event with a brief clip of the upcoming ultra-slim Galaxy S25 Edge. Both devices remain shrouded in mystery, as the company did not provide any specific details beyond what was displayed on screen. However, Bloomberg reports that it will use many of the same components as the S25 Ultra but cost less, and the phone will launch “in the US and other markets by the middle of the year.”