Skip to main content

The Samsung Galaxy S25 may get a potentially lifesaving car crash safety feature

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra's camera lenses.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Your phone is packed full of features that you’re probably glad to have, but you hope you never need to use. For example, features that help you find a lost phone. Then there are the safety features. Samsung has been behind in terms of crash detection, with Pixel and iPhone taking the lead — but now a new leak suggests the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra could have a car crash detection system.

This isn’t a new feature. Samsung has worked to implement crash detection in previous phones, with both the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 5 featuring sensors, but not the necessary software to power them. Android Authority spotted documentation that indicates the inclusion of a car crash sensor, but that doesn’t mean it will work.

Recommended Videos

Even in phones that have the hardware, the sensors do nothing. The code to turn it on and off has been present in One UI builds dating back to One UI 5.1.1, but there still isn’t a way to activate the feature or implement it in any way.

A person holding the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The inclusion of this sensor doesn’t confirm that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will utilize it, though it is a decent indicator it could be available at launch or shortly thereafter. Development of the feature might not be finished yet, or there could be other considerations that come into play before it goes live. With any luck, the feature will be released soon. The Car Crash Detection feature on the iPhone has already proven itself, and something that could make the road just a little bit safer would be a welcome addition.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is expected to be announced on January 22 at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event, with phones going up for preorder on January 24.

Patrick Hearn
Patrick Hearn writes about smart home technology like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, smart light bulbs, and more. If it's a…
It’s time for Apple, Samsung and Google to solve the eSIM problem
Nano SIM card in SIM card tray from iPhone 14 Pro Max.

When Apple launched the new iPhone 16e on Wednesday, the Apple Store in every region displayed one thing under connectivity: eSIM. There was no mention of a physical SIM, and I had a waking nightmare that Apple had quietly pulled the plug, and every iPhone 16e globally would be sold as an eSIM-only model.

A quick search — and a look at the photos — confirmed that this hadn’t happened, but my reaction kickstarted a thought about eSIMs, their promise (and what we were promised), and the current state of eSIMs globally. I’ve been traveling for the past month, and eSIMs are an absolute mess. The potential was immense, but it goes against carriers’ interests to make it any easier, but there is a solution.

Read more
It’s official: Samsung confirms the existence of the Galaxy A56, A36, and A26
Samsung Galaxy A55 color renders

Rumors have swirled about Samsung's unreleased Galaxy A56, A36, and A26 handsets, but the company has yet to confirm their existence. That changed today when the three devices were listed on the Chilean Samsung service website. The website is aimed at customers who are out of warranty but need repairs, listing the price for different models.

Since none of these handsets are released yet, the price is simply listed as "not available." However, it does give us the model numbers.

Read more
The Galaxy S25 Edge will ditch a glass black for a lighter material
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge cameras

At the Galaxy S25 launch, Samsung also teased -- and confirmed -- its upcoming slim phone. Rumored to be less than 6mm in thickness, the Galaxy S25 Edge is set to be Samsung's thinnest candy bar phone, and potentially pull our attention away from the iPhone 17 Air, which is still at the rumor stage. Ahead of the launch, new details have emerged on how the Galaxy S25 Edge could be lighter, and it has to with Samsung revisiting an older design choice.

The Galaxy S25 Edge is said to ditch glass for its back for the sake of durability. Instead, SamMobile claims to have exclusive information about the material it uses instead. According to the report, Samsung is instead opting for a ceramic material, which will be complemented by an aluminum frame.

Read more