Samsung has officially launched the Galaxy S25 series, introducing a range of features aimed at advancing smartphone technology. With the debut of One UI 7 and hardware designed for AI integration, this latest lineup aims to enhance usability while maintaining a focus on privacy and sustainability. Here’s what we learned from Samsung’s 2025 Unpacked Event.
One UI 7: A New AI-Driven Interface
Unsurprisingly, Artificial Intelligence (AI) made up a massive portion of Samsung’s launch event. And, so to did Samsung’s own operating system skin, One UI 7. While Apple has gone the route of Chat-GPT, fairly understandably, Android-based Samsung is going the route of Google Gemini, with this platform taking front an centre of the Unpacked event.
Phones have become incredibly boring in recent years, with sales slowing dramatically for long timetable toppers Apple and Samsung. People are keeping their phones longer than ever too. But AI is proving to be the one feature people want and it conveniently needs newer hardware to run.
“Now Updates” will bring the smarts of what AI can do in the background to the fore. For example, checking your calendar and knowing when to notify to to leave for an event. This isn’t a new idea, but the hope is that AI can make it more reliable.
But it’s also far from being limited to Samsung. But I’m hopeful that Samsung integrating AI into ONE UI 7 means the best of Android, Samsung and AI come together to make incredible user experience.
Design and Sustainability
The Samsung Galaxy S25 series may not introduce a groundbreaking new design, but it refines the familiar with meaningful improvements. In an era where most smartphones are iterations of their predecessors, the S25 Ultra stands out by becoming more compact, lighter, and slimmer than before. Despite this, it manages to keep the screen size to at 6.9 inches, offering users a more immersive viewing experience while maintaining improved portability and grip. Subtle design tweaks, such as thinner bezels and a rounded frame, enhance usability without overhauling the established Galaxy aesthetic.
Samsung has also made notable advancements in sustainability with this release. The S25 series reflects the company’s growing commitment to a circular parts economy, incorporating recycled materials such as cobalt, plastics, aluminium, and glass into its construction. Even the packaging has been redesigned to use 100% recycled paper, marking a shift toward environmentally conscious manufacturing and distribution. These efforts demonstrate Samsung’s attempt to balance technological innovation with ecological responsibility.
Another key highlight is Samsung’s promise of seven years of OS and security updates, far surpassing the industry standard. This commitment ensures the S25 series remains secure and functional for an extended period, reducing electronic waste by prolonging the lifecycle of each device. Combined with its durable materials and refined design, the Galaxy S25 series is built not only to perform but also to last—both in the hands of users and in its impact on the environment.
Camera
As you would expect from an annual phone release, there is an upgraded camera system. But really it’s the usual stuff. Better night photography and some hardware bumps.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra brings a 200MP main sensor paired with 50MP ultra-wide and telephoto lenses. For video makers, enhanced video features 10-bit HDR and AI noise reduction for audio.
For the more technical photographers, Samsung’s introduces a virtual aperture control and advanced editing options.
For the average smartphone purchaser who just takes a few photos on the weekend or of kids at key moments in their lives, it would appear that any of the Galaxy S25 Series will do the job. So I wouldn’t be diving straight in for the Ultra model!
Processing and Gaming
Samsung’s Galaxy S25 series debuts with its most powerful chipset yet, developed in collaboration with Qualcomm. The chipset is designed to deliver significant advancements in mobile AI, that enable more efficient on-device AI processing. This translates into faster, more intuitive user experiences, where tasks like photo searches or real-time recommendations are handled directly on the device, without relying on external servers. The improved architecture also supports seamless multitasking and better energy efficiency, key factors in modern smartphone usage.
Beyond performance, the new chipset significantly enhances the Galaxy S25’s camera capabilities. With features like a spatial temporal filter, the device excels in low-light conditions, producing sharper images and smoother video recordings. These upgrades, paired with Samsung’s advanced camera hardware, aim to set a new benchmark for mobile photography, particularly in challenging environments.
Gamers will also notice substantial improvements, thanks to enhanced ray tracing and optimizations with the Vulcan engine. These updates ensure more realistic visuals and smoother gameplay, even in graphics-intensive titles. The chipset’s improved thermal management system, including a larger vapour chamber and custom thermal interface materials, helps maintain peak performance during extended gaming sessions, keeping the device cool under pressure. This blend of power, efficiency, and versatility highlights the Galaxy S25 series as a strong contender for performance-driven users.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy S25 series introduces Samsung’s most AI-focused smartphone to date with some incremental hardware improvements. I’m intrigued to get my hands on the device and see just how life-changing the AI-tools are in day to day life. Apple is obviously falling behind in Europe with this, leaving the door wide open for genuinely helpful AI-tools.
I don’t expect anything massively exciting elsewhere from smartphones these days. But AI-advancement could improve quality of digital life dramatically.
