Samsung’s glitzy Unpacked 2025 event gave a clear sign that moving forward, phones are entering their agentic era. AI is in the driving seat of mobile experiences, enhancing everything from camera capture to how we get app-based work done.
The headline of the event was, of course, the Galaxy S25 series smartphones. At the summit is the Galaxy S25 Ultra, the true showcase of Samsung’s imaging capabilities and hardware refinements. The entry-point Galaxy S25 also gets a crucial hardware upgrade to speed up generative AI tasks, while the SmartThings ecosystem is eyeing its biggest sensing overhaul yet.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Let’s set the ball rolling with the cream of the Galaxy crop. The Galaxy S25 Ultra embraced rounded corners this time around, and a fresh coat of paint as well. There is also a notable jump in the camera capabilities.
Samsung has upgraded the ultrawide sensor to a 50-megapixel unit, over four times as powerful as its predecessor. You also get a fairly capable 200-megapixel sensor, alongside a 10-megapixel telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom range, and a periscope style long-range snapper with a 50-megapixel resolution and 5x optical zoom range.
The company is also talking a leaf out of Apple’s camera playback for iPhones. The Galaxy S25 Ultra enables support for shooting videos in what Samsung calls Galaxy Log, similar to Apple’s own Log video capture system on the “Pro” iPhones.
The idea is to give users the freedom of recording a flat footage, which they can subsequently grade and color-correct to get the desired tonal effect.
Apple went all-in with a filter-like toning system with the arrival of the iPhone 16 series. Samsung is now pouring its own version into the Galaxy S25 series by adding “analog-style filters” to help users get a film-like aesthetic in their photos and videos.
There is a new Night Video with Audio Eraser that not only allows users to record detailed videos in low-light surroundings but also lets them to minimize noise elements.
Samsung says you can isolate human speech, crowd noise, nature, and wind using the onboard AI algorithms. Notably, this feature is already available on the Google Pixel 9 series smartphones under the Audio Magic Eraser label.
Another cool feature is the ProScaler system, which upscales images for viewing on larger pixel-dense screens with a minimum resolution of QHD+.
Of particular interest to me was the new Virtual Aperture system, which has been integrated into the Expert RAW system where you can get access to pro-grade photo and video capture tools with loads of manual controls.
Over at the front, you will find a 6.9-inch 120Hz OLED panel with Corning Gorilla Glass Armor 2 protection, alongside Corning’s glass-ceramic material with an anti-reflective coat on top.
Notably, despite its size, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is the thinnest, sturdiest, and lightest Galaxy S phone Samsung has made so far. Just like the latest crop of Apple flagships, Samsung is also using Titanium for its top-of-the-line smartphone.
Underneath the glass and metal shell is a 5,000mAh battery that supports 45W wired charging, and allows top-up in wireless mode, as well. Unfortunately, Samsung hasn’t quite embraced the Qi 2 wireless charging standard yet, so that’s a bummer.
Samsung Galaxy S25
Samsung is still loyal to the cause of small-ish phones that don’t stretch out one’s palm. To that end, the entry-point Galaxy S25 still retains a 6.2-inch display, but without skipping on any of the niceties that set its Ultra flagship apart.
It serves a bright SuperAMOLED panel that can vary the refresh rate values dynamically between 1Hz and 120Hz, striking the right balance between viewing fluidity and power efficiency.
The battery capacity remains stagnant at 4,000 mAh, which is really a shame, considering how labels like OnePlus and Honor have embraced the silicon-carbide battery innovation to fit larger batteries in a small package inside their phones.
The most notable change is that Samsung has finally ditched 8GB RAM as a standard, and equipped all Galaxy S25 series phones with 12GB memory. Unfortunately, the storage capacity still starts at a paltry 128GB, so there’s that.
The camera hardware has also been carried forward from its predecessor for another year. Headlining the imaging kit is a 50-megapixel primary camera, sitting alongside a 12-megapixel ultrawide snapper, and a 10-megapixel sensor for zoom capture.
All three phones draw power from the custom Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy SoC, which is claimed to offer some extra processing grunt and AI processing chops.
Samsung has also embedded its own mobile Digital Natural Image engine (mDNIe) on the processor stack to manage the power draw from the display assembly. Moreover, for more efficient heat dissipation, Samsung has equipped the Galaxy S25 series with a larger vapor chamber cooling system.
Galaxy S25 Plus
The mid-tier model, once again, plays it safe. The only key areas where it stands apart from the Galaxy S25 are the larger 6.7-inch QHD+ display, a bigger 4,900mah, and support for 45W wired charging, instead of 25W on the smaller trim.
The camera hardware is identical, but the storage options start at 256GB on this one. Do keep in mind that Samsung doesn’t bundle the charger in the box, so you will have to fork out extra cash for the 45W charger to juice up your Galaxy S25 series phones.
All three phones maintain an IP68 class dust and water resistance, just like their respective predecessors. Samsung says it will offer seven years of yearly Android OS upgrades and a matching spell for security update coverage.
Among the notable AI-first features is a Now Brief system, which keeps users updated and offers suggestions based on information pulled from the local data. Now Brief will also do its job via the dedicated Now Bar, right on the lock screen.
The Circle to Search system is also getting an upgrade, and it can now extract phone numbers, email addresses, and website URLs appearing on the screen.
Samsung says the Galaxy S25 series also opens the doors for “actionable searches with context-aware suggestions.” Essentially, when you look up information using the universal search tool, you will also see action suggestions, an approach Apple and OnePlus have also implemented on their phones.
SmartThings is truly getting smart
Samsung’s SmartThings ecosystem for connected home devices has been out there for a while now. At this year’s Unpacked, Samsung is leveling up the game with HomeAI, a rather ambitious idea that collects a wide range of data from ambient sensors, tracks activity, and turns them into actionable insights and suggestions.
To that end, Samsung aims to use mmWave sensors (among other types of low-power home sensors as well as those embedded in devices) to understand activity patterns. For example, it can detect when users are engaged in workouts, sleeping, and working.
Based on the activity patterns, it can tell users if there is any scope for improvement and how they can better manage their scheduling to get the best out of their at-home lifestyle. For example, it will tell if the posture of your push-ups could use some adjustments and how to plan the best set.
The next avatar of SmartThings will also deploy a real-time monitoring and feedback channel. So, let’s say that you’ve been sitting in the same posture on a chair for a while now. When the system detects it, users will be nudged to take a break and straighten their back.
Using the sensors embedded in its Frame TV set, Smart Things will detect if you just blow-dried your hair. To handle the mess, it will automatically push the robotic vacuum cleaner into clean-up action.
Likewise, when you reach home at the end of the day, the smart home stack will initiate tasks like dimming the lights, turning on the air purifier, and adjusting the room temperature, among others. Generative AI will also lend a hand in creating more immersive in-home map views and natural interactions.
