We’ve got our first big clue about the Galaxy S25’s arrival

By Patrick Hearn Published November 14, 2024

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in Titanium Gray in hand. — Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

The Samsung Galaxy S25 has had a tentative early 2025 launch date for months now, but we might finally have an actual date to look forward to. Samsung will hold its next Galaxy Unpacked event on January 23, according to FNNews, a South Korean website, with the Galaxy S25 series as the star of the show. It’s the most precise date we have seen yet for the speculated Galaxy S25 announcement.

Take this news with some skepticism, though, as Samsung has not confirmed any dates for its Unpacked event yet. The report also states San Francisco is “a strong candidate” for the city to host the event. The last Galaxy Unpacked event was held in Paris in July.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE laying face-down outside. — Joe Maring / Digital Trends

A solid January 23 launch date would be welcome after previous estimates only placed the potential launch anywhere between January and March 2025. The Galaxy S24 was released on January 17, 2024, while the Galaxy S23 and S22 had early February announcements during their respective release years.

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Interestingly, the report also mentions a new S25 device referred to as the Galaxy S25 Slim. It’s supposedly practically guaranteed, with numerous sources saying it’s nearing completion, so Samsung should be in a position to have it finished in time for the January event. The model is said to have the same specs as a normal Galaxy S25, but with a thinner form factor.

Samsung is aiming to capitalize on the recent success of the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy AI. The S24 remained on Counterpoint Research’s top 10 smartphone sell-through list even over the past three months — a rare feat, considering that’s when the new iPhones released — and several midrange Samsung models also claimed a spot on the list.

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