The world of smartphones has shifted focus from competing over larger screens or better cameras to delivering the ultimate user experience. In recent years, enhanced software—especially the integration of AI—has been at the forefront of this evolution, making artificial intelligence a part of everyday life. Tasks like searching, translating, creating, and editing have become more seamless, putting powerful tools right at your fingertips. Samsung has taken the lead in this field, particularly in integrating AI into its smartphones. With the launch of the Galaxy S24 series, Samsung introduced its innovative Galaxy AI ecosystem. At the Galaxy Unpacked 2025 event, the trend continues with the unveiling of the Galaxy S25 series, which includes the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and the flagship Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Meet the Galaxy S25 Series: Models and Specifications
Before we get into the various aspects of the new lineup of Samsung Galaxy S25 smartphones, here’s a quick glimpse of its specifications:
| Galaxy S25 | Galaxy S25 Plus | Galaxy S25 Ultra | |
| Display | 6.2″ AMOLED 2x, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | 6.7″, AMOLED 2X, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | 6.9″ AMOLED 2X, Gorilla Armor |
| Resolution | 2,340×1,080px | 1,440×3,120px | 1440 x 3120px |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| CPU | Snapdragon 8 Elite | Snapdragon 8 Elite | Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| RAM | 12GB | 12GB | 12GB, 16GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB | 256GB, 512GB | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Rear Cameras | 50MP Main + 12MP Ultrawide + 10MP telephoto w/3x zoom | 50MP Main + 12MP Ultrawide + 10MP telephoto w/3x zoom | 200MP Main + 50MP Ultrawide + 50MP periscope telephoto w/5x zoom + 10MP telephoto w/3x zoom |
| Battery | 4,000mAh | 4,900mAh | 5,000mAh |
| Dimensions | 70.5×146.9×7.2mm | 75.8×158.4×7.3mm | 77.6×162.8×8.2mm |
| Weight | 162g | 190g | 218g |
| OS | Android 15, with 7 major Android upgrades, One UI 7 | Android 15, with 7 major Android upgrades, One UI 7 | Android 15, with 7 major Android upgrades, One UI 7 |
Next-Level Performance with Snapdragon 8 Elite
Samsung’s drive towards its fully integrated Galaxy AI experience is built around the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC. Each of the devices features the latest Snapdragon chip, the Qualcomm SM8750-AB Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm), which includes an Octa-core CPU: x2 4.47GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L and x6 3.53GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix M.
The new Snapdragon 8 Elite is both more powerful and efficient, ready to complete all the tasks you throw at it while easily able to last the whole day on a single charge. The chips sees a performance boost of 40% in NPU, 37% in CPU and 30% in GPU. Additionally, the CPU and GPU improve efficiency over the previous Qualcomm chipset, consuming 40% less power.
Android 15 and One UI 7: Smarter and More Intuitive
Samsung has also delivered the latest Android 15 OS, which will support up to 7 major Android upgrades in the future to keep users up to date with all the latest features and AI experiences. Samsung’s One UI 7 is built atop the Android 15 framework to deliver its Galaxy AI and open a magical world of features at your fingertips.
In addition, Samsung has fully integrated Google’s Gemini AI. With its multimodal capabilities, the Galaxy S25 series is enabled to interpret text, speech, images and videos for interactions that feel natural. Upgrades to Google’s Circle to Search make searching your phone screen more helpful, fast and contextual. Gemini AI is also integrated into Samsung apps, including Calendar, Notes and more.
Galaxy S25 Ultra: The Ultimate Powerhouse
While the entire S25 range will deliver excellent performance, the Ultra will bring next-level gaming performance with RAM options up to 16GB and paired with the Adreno 830 GPU. With its Vulkan Engine and improved Ray Tracing, the S25 series enhances your mobile gaming experience with smoother and more realistic results.
The Ultra will also offer best-in-class camera capabilities with a 200MP primary camera, a 50MP 5x telephoto lens, a new 50MP ultrawide camera, and a second 12MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. Take breathtaking images with excellent clarity and colour depth.
Stunning Design and Colours
The new Samsung Galaxy S25 series will be available in colours including Navy, Silver Shadow, Icyblue and Mint. The Galaxy S25 Ultra will be available in Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Whitesilver and Titanium Gray.
Pricing and Availability
Pricing of the devices will start from:
- Galaxy S25 Ultra – R34,999 (1TB), R31,999 (512GB) and R29,999 (256GB)
- Galaxy S25+ – R23,499 (256GB)
- Galaxy S25 – R19,999 (256GB)
Pre-orders start today, 22 January, with the first round of deliveries set to arrive from 7 February 2025. The devices will also be available in-store and online from 13 February 2025.
