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Some Samsung Galaxy S25 pre-orders are arriving early

By Aleksandar Anastasov

Published: Jan 29, 2025, 9:48 AM

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Blue phone in the center with blurred out background of greenery.

Samsung fans who pre-ordered the Galaxy S25 series might be in for a pleasant surprise—some orders are shipping ahead of schedule. While the official release date remains February 7th, reports indicate that customers in the US, UK, and Middle East have already received shipping notifications, with estimated delivery dates as early as January 30th.

Early shipments and pre-order perks

Customers who ordered early have spotted shipping notifications from UPS and other couriers, confirming that their Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra units are in transit. Samsung has a history of delivering pre-orders before the official launch, so this isn’t entirely surprising.

$399 ⁹⁹

$1419 ⁹⁹

$1020 off (72%)

Get the mighty Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra for up to $1,020 off at the Samsung Store! Eligible device trade-ins help you save up to $900. Moreover, you get $120 off the 512GB variant, landing it at the price of the base storage model.

Buy at Samsung

$319 ⁹⁹

$1119 ⁹⁹

$800 off (71%)

Trade in your old phone to save up to $700 on the exciting Galaxy S25 Plus. Samsung also gives you a $100 instant discount on the 512GB variant, giving you a total of up to $800 off the high-class Galaxy AI phone.

Buy at Samsung

$309 ⁹⁹

$859 ⁹⁹

$550 off (64%)

Trade in your old phone to save up to $500 on the Galaxy S25. You can get an instant $50 discount if you pick the 256GB variant.

Buy at Samsung

For those who haven’t pre-ordered yet, Samsung is still accepting orders, with some of its best trade-in deals and pre-order perks still available. These include:

Up to $1,250 off with eligible trade-ins
Free storage upgrades
Samsung Credits for accessories like cases and earbuds

Galaxy S25 Ultra is leading pre-orders despite controversies

Despite modest hardware upgrades, early pre-order numbers indicate strong demand for the Galaxy S25 series, particularly the Ultra variant. In South Korea, the Galaxy S25 Ultra reportedly accounts for nearly 60-70% of total pre-orders, vastly outpacing the base and Plus models.

Interestingly, this high demand comes despite a controversial downgrade—Samsung has removed Bluetooth connectivity from the S Pen, stripping away some of its signature features. This has led to backlash from hardcore Galaxy fans, with some launching a petition demanding that Samsung restore the Bluetooth S Pen on the Galaxy S26 Ultra next year.

Will S25 Ultra have the best camera system of 2025?

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra builds on the success of its predecessor, earning the highest camera score we’ve tested so far at 158 points—outpacing the Galaxy S24 Ultra, iPhone 16 Pro Max, and Pixel 9 Pro XL (although not by much).

Here’s how it stacks up in our Camera Score ranking:

Photo

Video

Phone	Camera Score	Photo Score	Main (wide)	Ultra Wide	Selfie	Zoom
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra	158	165	87	23	27	28
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra	156	162	83	24	28	28
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max	154	158	82	24	28	25
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL	151	159	84	23	26	27

Phone	Camera Score	Video Score	Main (wide)	Ultra Wide	Selfie	Zoom
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra	158	150	75	21	28	26
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra	156	151	77	21	28	24
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max	154	150	76	23	27	24
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL	151	142	76	20	25	21

Find out more details about photo and video scores for all phones we have tested on our PhoneArena Camera Score page

The S25 Ultra's lead is rather marginal though, and we have a whole year ahead of us, so there's plenty of chance for upcoming flagships to do even better as far as camera performance.

Check out our Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review.

So should you pre-order a Galaxy S25 series?

If you can overlook the missing Bluetooth S Pen, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra in particular is shaping up to be one of the most well-rounded flagship smartphones of 2025. The camera performance is top-tier, battery life is solid, and AI integration could make daily tasks easier.

Also, the S25 Ultra is probably the smoothest-feeling Galaxy phone we have ever tested so far—that overclocked Snapdragon 8 Elite must be doing OneUI wonders. So, if you have used Galaxy phones before and love the user experience they offer, this year's flagships from Samsung won't disappoint. That said, they won't wow you with anything either, so you might want to hold off and see what the competition has to offer this year.

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Aleksandar is a tech enthusiast with a broad range of interests, from smartphones to space exploration. His curiosity extends to hands-on DIY experiments with his gadgets, and he enjoys switching between different brands to experience the latest innovations. Prior to joining PhoneArena, Aleksandar worked on the Google Art Project, digitizing valuable artworks and gaining diverse perspectives on technology. When he's not immersed in tech, Aleksandar is an outdoorsman who enjoys mountain hikes, wildlife photography, and nature conservation. His interests also extend to martial arts, running, and snowboarding, reflecting his dynamic approach to life and technology.