Samsung Galaxy S25 Preview: more AI in a compact powerhouse
We may earn a commission if you make a purchase from the links on this page.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Intro
Samsung's new compact flagship phone is right around the corner – the Galaxy S25 will make its official debut on January 22nd, 2025, but with so many leaks, we can already paint a clear picture of what to expect.
Samsung remains laser-focused on AI, so you will have a few new AI tricks on board, but we are yet to see if those are real game-changers or just hype.
The big news is the Galaxy S25 should get the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset in all markets, while previously Samsung used a slower Exynos chipset outside the US. Rumors also predict a bump to 12GB of RAM, all for AI glory.
And while the camera specs seem to remain the same, tweaks to the algorithm promise better colors in images, and you could get a few iPhone-inspired Pro camera options like Log video and Audio Eraser. Read on for the full scoop.
Table of Contents:
Samsung Galaxy S25 Specs
Let's start with the pure specs and how the differ from the previous model:
| Galaxy S25 | Galaxy S24 |
|---|---|
| Size and Weight 146.94 x 70.46 x 7.25 mm unknown weight | Size and Weight 147 x 70.6 x 7.6mm 168 g |
| Display 6.3-inch | Display 6.2-inch |
| Processor Snapdragon 8 Elite (all markets) | Processor Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (US) Exynos 2400 (RoW) |
| Software One UI 7 Android 15 | Software One UI 6.1 (will be updated to One UI 7) |
| Cameras 50MP main camera 12MP ultra-wide 10MP telephoto (3x optical zoom) 12MP selfie camera | Cameras 50MP main camera 12MP ultra-wide 10MP telephoto (3x optical zoom) 12MP selfie camera |
| Battery Size 4,000 mAh | Battery Size 4,000 mAh |
| Charging Speeds 25W wired Qi2 wireless | Charging Speeds 25W wireless 15W wireless |
| Prices Same as S24 or slightly higher | Prices 128GB for $800 256GB for $860 |
Galaxy S25 Design and Display
The Galaxy S25 is expected to keep the familiar Samsung style with rounded corners, flat sides and three cameras in a vertical line on the back.
Despite a slightly larger, 6.3-inch screen, Samsung has shrunk the bezels and the phone is a tiny bit smaller than the Galaxy S24, and slightly slimmer too.
Those, however, are differences you can see on a specs table, in real life you would hardly notice those tiny changes.
What you can see is the slightly different camera styling, as each lens is now more defined and stands out more.
The rest is all the good old same – aluminum frame, glass back, power and volume keys on the right, and sadly, no "camera control" or "action button". We mention these because Samsung is usually quick to pick up trends from arch-rival Apple, and we would have loved these new hardware buttons, but alas, they are not here.
The Galaxy S25 comes in four colors:
- Navy
- Iceblue
- Silver Shadow
- Mint
It's a bit strange that Samsung is skipping on a classic black model, but we guess the dark blue navy color option is your second best alternative.
Don't expect to find much in the box once you place your order. Samsung typically has the phone, a charging cable and the required user manuals, but nothing else – no case, no charger.
The other big question is whether the screen improves this year.
Rumors say the Galaxy S25 is getting a slightly larger 6.3-inch display, up from 6.2-inch on the S24.
The one feature that we want to see arrive on the S25 is the anti-reflection screen coating that Samsung introduced with last year's Ultra model. Unfortunately, rumors say it is not coming to the Galaxy S25. Too bad as this really made a huge difference to the outdoor visibility of the display. We guess Samsung likes to keep it exclusive to the Ultra model to attract sales towards the flagship.
In terms of biometrics, it's same old again – an ultrasonic fingerprint reader embedded in the screen. We do wish for a 3D face ID technology to arrive one day to a Galaxy phone, but Samsung does not seem to share those wishes.
Galaxy S25 Camera
- Same camera hardware
- AI to help improve image color and brightness
- Log video support, New Audio Eraser feature
You might be disappointed when you look at the camera specs for the Galaxy S25 – it's the same rear triple camera, with the same 50MP main snapper, same 3X telephoto camera and even same ultra-wide.
And we do get your frustrations, but do not just assume that image quality will remain unchanged.
Rumors say AI will enter the camera stage more prominently, improving colors and image brightness in a noticeable way.
It's all vague leaks at the moment, though, so we cannot wait to see the official reveal and hear all the details about this.
Video Quality
There are two cool new video features expected to make their way to the Galaxy S25 series.
First is LOG video recording. This is something the professionals use and that iPhones first implemented a few years back. The benefit of LOG is you get the full dynamic range of the sensor, but it comes with a downside – it looks washed out and needs to be color graded, so this is definitely something for the pros and enthusiasts.
The other more approachable rumored new feature is Audio Eraser. This should help get rid of ambient noise in your recordings. Again, Samsung seems "inspired" by the Audio Mix feature on the iPhone 16 series here, but we cannot blame them for that.
We will also be looking for improvements in the clarity of videos, especially in low light as that has been one sore point in the past.
Galaxy S25 Performance & Benchmarks
- Snapdragon 8 Elite for all markets rumored
- Bump to 12GB RAM for base model
- Sadly, no upgrade in storage – 128GB remains the starting point
The most exciting Galaxy S25 upgrade might be something that customers in the United States take for granted – the latest Snapdragon chip.
In the past few years in the UK and Europe, Samsung has sold its Galaxy flagships with a different chip, a Samsung Exynos one, and it was slower and not as advanced, which irked customers.
This is rumored to change with the Galaxy S25, as all models across the globe are getting the outstanding Snapdragon 8 Elite.
Unfortunately, that might also mean a big increase in price in some markets, but more on that in the final parts of this review.
Switching over to the good news, the base Galaxy S25 model will have 12GB of RAM now, up from a pedestrian 8GB RAM allotment in previous years. Hooray to that.
Base storage will sadly still be 128GB, with an upgrade to 256GB possible (but we really wish 256GB was the default in 2025).
No microSD card storage support, in case you were wondering.
Galaxy S25 Software
The Galaxy S25 series is expected to arrive with the latest One UI 7 interface, which brings a big change to the familiar Samsung UI design.
It's more modern, there is more transparency, icons look better, you have new widgets, it's a whole new world.
You can find more about this in our One UI 7 review.
Of course, a big part of the Galaxy S25 story will be about Galaxy AI.
We know an all-new Bixby is coming that is much smarter, and Samsung is heavily advertizing the new phone for its AI capabilities. We will update you on this as soon as we learn more.
Galaxy S25 Battery
- Same 4,000 mAh battery size
- Still stuck at 25W charging speed (even cheap Galaxy A36 model now rumored to support 45W)
- No MagSafe alternative in sight
While everything so far has been promising, we were sad to see no real changes to the battery size on the Galaxy S25.
Rumors talk about the same 4,000mAh battery capacity, but even stranger is that Samsung is sticking with 25W charging speeds, when even the upcoming Galaxy A36 (a phone half the price) will support 45W charging.
Another feature many users have wished for is MagSafe, or at least some alternative. It's just so convenient to place your phone on a magnetic stand, be it in your car or office. Unfortunately, there seem to be no plans for MagSafe on the Galaxy S25.
Regular wireless charging, however, is to be supported at around 15W speeds, and if you get a case with magnets you can still snap your phone magnetically.
Should you buy it?
If you want the latest and greatest Android flagship in a compact size, you should definitely wait for the official Galaxy S25 reveal!
The price remains unknown, but we expect it to either stay the same at $800 for the base model, or grow to as much as $900. Samsung is typically generous with trade-ins, though, so you are likely to get a nice discount.
Sadly, Galaxy S25 prices outside the US are rumored to rise noticeably.
While the overall compact flagship formula does not change too much with the Galaxy S25, it is expected to bring new AI smarts and a very powerful processor. Let's see if this can carry the Galaxy S25 to the compact phone throne.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: