Category: Technology

For the second year in a row, the story of Samsung’s new flagship Galaxy phones isn’t about hardware changes. For better or worse, the Galaxy S25 features few material changes from its predecessor, and many of the most substantive enhancements come courtesy of new AI features Samsung has built into One UI.

The highlight of those is something Samsung is calling the Personal Data Engine. Over time, One UI 7 will collect and analyze data about how you use your S25 to personalize the software experience. This customization will be most visible in two new features called Now Brief and Now Bar. The former will generate morning, midday and evening summaries of information that might be relevant to you. For instance, in a morning brief, you might see the day’s weather, a calendar of your upcoming meetings, and news stories that might interest you.

The latter, on the other hand, is a new interface element you can access from both the S25’s lock screen and just below the digital clock when the phone is unlocked. The Now Bar will automatically generate a Rolodex of reminders you can flip through throughout the day. One widget might include directions from Google Maps, while another could feature the 45-minute timer you set earlier in the day. 

It’s all basic stuff, but Samsung is betting these features — and the ones I’m about to detail — will save S25 users time by reducing the amount of jumping between apps they need to do. According to the company, any usage information the Personal Data Engine records is kept secure and private inside the S25’s Knox Vault security enclave.

The Galaxy S25 also includes a series of interconnected features that broadly fall under a concept Samsung is calling AI agents. These agents are powered by multi-modal machine learning models, meaning they can parse images, videos, audio and text. Samsung has deployed these throughout One UI 7, though you’re most likely to encounter them through the Samsung sidebar.

The most interesting of the new agents is called AI Select. It builds on the Smart Select tool previous Galaxy phones featured. When evoked, AI Select will scan the screen and suggest actions based on what it sees. As mentioned, the model powering this feature is multi-modal, so it’s not limited to reading just text. For example, say you bring up AI Select while watching a YouTube video. In that context, the tool will offer to create a GIF for you. Again, the idea here is to simplify an action that previously may have required multiple apps and steps.

At the same time, Samsung has polished existing AI tools to make them better. Most notably, Sketch to Image, now known as Drawing Assist, is more accurate and detailed and includes the option to import existing images.

Separately, the Galaxy S25 series will ship with an improved version of Circle to Search. For the uninitiated, Circle to Search is a way to access Google Search from nearly anywhere on your phone without switching between apps. You activate the feature by long-pressing your phone’s Home button. Circle to Search arrived at the start of last year, with Galaxy S24 and Pixel 8 owners among the first to get access. The latest version of Circle to Search can recognize phone numbers, emails and URLs, allowing you to call, email or visit a website with a single tap. Additionally, Circle to Search now also includes integration with Google’s AI Overviews.

These enhancements aren’t limited to Samsung devices, and Google is in the process of rolling them out to all Android phones.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-ai-becomes-more-personal-and-cohesive-180029521.html?src=rss 

Last year Samsung embraced artificial intelligence with its suite of Galaxy AI features. And while the new S25 Ultra is a bit faster, a little curvier and has a slightly bigger display than before, it’s clear the company’s primary focus was upgrading the software and machine learning capabilities of its top-spec flagship phone. But is that enough?

Design: A curvier titanium frame with a handful of quirks

Similar to its predecessor, the Galaxy S25 Ultra features a titanium frame. However, for 2025, Samsung wanted to buck tradition by making the phone a bit less boxy. So instead of a totally angular chassis, Samsung rounded off its corners. This gives the Ultra a bit more of a familial resemblance to its less expensive siblings (both the S25 and S25+). That said, the Ultra still has flat edges that are a touch sharper than on last year’s phone, so it’s more of a remix than a full revamp.

For its front and back glass, Samsung moved to Corning’s new Gorilla Armor 2, which features a “next-gen” anti-reflective coating that helps eliminate more glare than before. But perhaps the best new hardware upgrade is a larger 6.9-inch QHD+ AMOLED display (up from 6.8 inches) with 15 percent smaller bezels, allowing for more screen space without increasing the phone’s overall dimensions (6.41 x 3.05 x 0.32 inches).

On the flip side, the S25 Ultra’s included S Pen is actually getting a tiny downgrade as Samsung is removing Bluetooth Low Energy support from the stylus. This might seem like a bit of a headscratcher, but Samsung claims only a tiny percentage of owners were using Air Actions (which was the only S Pen feature that required BT LE) and that by getting rid of it, the stylus is more durable than before because there’s no need worry about equipping it with tiny radios. The company also says the only gesture that saw significant use was the one for remotely triggering the phone’s camera, which can be accomplished in a variety of other ways (e.g. holding up your palm or using a Galaxy Watch or Galaxy Ring).

Here’s a quick design comparison between the new Galaxy S25 Ultra (left) and last year’s Galaxy S24 Ultra (right). Notice the smaller bezels and more rounded corners on the S25U.

Another design quirk is that while the S25 family (including the Ultra) supports wireless charging at up to 15 watts, it’s not technically fully Qi2 compliant. Instead, Samsung says the phone is “Qi2 ready” which means it will work with compatible chargers, but because there aren’t any alignment magnets inside of the handset, users will need to rely on aftermarket cases to provide a proper mounting point for magnetic accessories.

The final noteworthy hardware addition is a new 50-megapixel sensor for the ultra-wide camera, which joins the three that return from last year’s phone: 200MP main, 10MP telephoto and 50MP telephoto cameras (with the latter two offering 3x and 5x optical zoom respectively). Samsung says there should be some general photo and image processing improvements thanks to the S25 Ultra’s new chip, such as improved noise reduction and a better spatial-temporal filter that can more accurately tell the difference between moving and stationary objects. But we’re going to wait until we can review the phone to say what these features can really do.

Performance: Snapdragon 8 Elite in every country

Inside, the S25 Ultra is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip along with 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. For buyers outside North America, Samsung says it’s using the same SoC across the globe instead of opting for its own Exynos chips in certain regions as it has in the past. The company claims general CPU performance is up 37 percent year-over-year. Meanwhile, GPU speeds are up 30 percent while the S25 Ultra’s NPU has gotten the biggest boost of around 40 percent. And to help provide improved sustained performance for things like gaming, Samsung claims the S25 Ultra’s vapor chamber is 40 percent larger than before.

In real life, the phone felt expectedly responsive, though it was hard to tell if that was all thanks to the phone’s new chip or if it was due in part to the snappier animations in One UI 7, which will come pre-installed on the Galaxy S25 family. And as before, Samsung is continuing to offer seven years of OS updates and regular security patches.

AI agents and more

Of course, as with so many other recent gadgets, the S25’s main focus is on expanded AI functionality and after introducing its first set of features on the S24 line last year, it feels like Samsung’s goal was to make everything a bit more powerful and easier to use. For example, existing tools like Smart Select have been renamed to AI Select and transformed into what the company is calling AI agents. Generally, this means a single feature will support a wider range of abilities and improved contextual awareness.

Now when you tap the AI Select icon after pulling up Samsung’s side bar, the phone will analyze whatever you’re looking at and provide an assortment of suggestions like taking a screenshot, performing a visual search, summarizing an article or even capturing a video clip and turning it into a GIF. It’s a similar situation for Samsung’s Sketch to Image tool which has been renamed to Drawing Assist, which not only provides more realistic results, it also allows you to add AI-generated art to photos by roughly sketching something with the S Pen or simply using text prompts. Even Google’s Circle to Search feature has gotten a small upgrade as it now supports song identification either by listening to music or someone humming a tune.

Alternatively, in order to surface information in a more timely manner, Samsung has created a Now Brief tool and Now Bar. The Now Brief is designed to provide a customized feed that appears periodically throughout the day (generally in the morning, afternoon and evening) populated by news and events relevant to you. This includes everything from appointments in your calendar to the weather and traffic. Meanwhile, the Now Bar is an offshoot of this functionality that will pop up on your lock screen or in your notifications so you can keep tabs on apps you may already have open or the score for your favorite sports teams. It’s very similar in spirit to Apple’s Live Activities. Samsung says it has also designed the phone to observe your habits and notice patterns so it can provide helpful shortcuts in the future. One example would be if you regularly turn on Bluetooth before getting in your car and then turn it off when you get home, which is a process the phone may be able to handle automatically.

There’s also a new Audio Eraser tool in the camera app which functions a lot like what we’ve seen in recent Pixel phones. It uses AI to identify six different types of noise like wind or speech and then creates a custom EQ allowing you to turn down distracting ambient sounds or boost the volume of whoever is talking.

But, at least for me, the S25 line’s most powerful new AI-based ability is improved natural voice recognition, which allows the phone to perform complex tasks that may involve more than one app at a time. During my brief hands-on time, I asked the phone to add the next Detroit Lions game to my calendar. That might sound like a simple request, but if you break it down, the AI first needs to figure out which game I’m talking about based on a web search, when it’s being played, and then create an appointment inside the Samsung Calendar app. And the AI did add the relevant match to the calendar in the demo S25 Ultra I was using.

Granted, we’ve sort of seen this before, but this implementation feels much more streamlined and cohesive. You can also search for images in the Samsung Gallery app with your voice, while the enhanced natural language recognition applies to generally controlling the device as well. This means you can ask the phone to adjust specific settings like changing screen resolution, which is nice for anyone who doesn’t feel like scrolling through a seemingly endless list of options.

Other features

Lastly, some more niche improvements include support for logarithmic video capture (Galaxy Log) with exclusive look-up-tables. When watching movies or clips, Samsung is also borrowing some tech from its TV division to automatically upscale lower-res content. And for its Wallet app, the company is adding the ability to “Buy now, pay later” even when shopping at brick-and-mortar retailers or wirelessly transferring money to someone else just by tapping two devices together. However, the new Wallet features won’t be available at launch (they’re coming “sometime later”) and they will only be available when using debit cards from Visa and Mastercard.

After my short time with the S25 UItra, I came away with mixed feelings. Samsung’s general approach to AI tools feels much more cohesive and easier to get into. But I still wonder how much value they really add and how much of a benefit they will provide on a day-to-day basis. The slightly curvier chassis makes the S25 Ultra fit in more with the rest of the line’s design, but that feels like a minor change. I appreciate the new anti-reflective coating from Corning’s Gorilla Armor 2 and I’m happy to see a new sensor for the phone’s ultra-wide camera. But even so, I’m left feeling like there are a handful of features Samsung could have given a little more attention to.

How about a bigger battery like the 6,000mAh pack in OnePlus 13 instead of the same 5,000mAh cell we’ve seen for several generations? Or what about something for the S Pen? And then there’s Samsung’s half-baked solution for supporting Qi2, which just seems a bit lazy. Don’t get me wrong, the S25 Ultra still looks like a good phone and I like that Samsung hasn’t bumped up its price for 2025. But at the same time, it seems like the biggest phone maker in the world could be doing more for its most expensive non-folding phone.

Pre-orders for the Galaxy S25 Ultra are live now starting at $1,300 with official sales slated for February 7.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-s25-ultra-hands-on-faster-curvier-and-way-more-ai-ier-180054396.html?src=rss 

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 smartphones launched today, but when it comes to the all-important cameras, the company leaned on AI rather than making any meaningful changes. There is one welcome addition, though. Samsung finally caught up to to rivals like Honor by introducing log video to allow more precise color grading. Other key updates include improved low-light capability on all models, a “virtual aperture” and a much higher resolution ultrawide camera on the high-end Ultra. 

Last year the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s big selling point was the 200MP camera, which made the 12MP ultrawide look weak in comparison. Samsung remedied that with the Galaxy S25 Ultra by more than quadrupling that sensor to 50MP. That also helps Samsung match up better against Google’s Pixel 9 Pro and its 48-megapixel ultrawide camera.  

With that, the Ultra now has a formidable suite of cameras: a 200MP wide, 50MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x telephoto and 50MP 5x tele. However, that makes the more mainstream Galaxy S25 and S25+ look a bit weak in comparison. Those only come with a 50MP wide, 12MP ultrawide and 10MP 3x tele, just like the last two models. All phones have a front 12MP selfie camera with up to 4K 60p video.

Samsung also rectified a weak point we addressed in our reviews on the S24: sub-par low-light performance. With Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip, Samsung says the new cameras can analyze noise more effectively using a new “spatial-temporal filter,” that can detect moving and static objects more precisely. That in turn allows for cleaner video, particularly with moving objects in dim environments. The downside is that applying stronger noise reduction can generate weird artifacts, something we’ll test further in upcoming reviews. 

Other key new camera features are also available across the S25 lineup. The most important one for content creators is Galaxy Log, which finally enables log video to improve dynamic range and allow more accurate color grading. That’s a much-requested feature for Galaxy phones that was only available previously with third-party apps. However, it still falls short of the ability to capture ProRes log video on the latest iPhones.

I tested log on Honor’s Magic smartphone series and it can meaningfully improve video by boosting dynamic range in tricky lighting situations (a backlit subject or sunny day, for instance). The problem is that transforming log into regular footage requires an editing app and some knowledge about things like LUTs — so whether this will catch on with users depends on how Samsung implements it. 

Samsung also enabled 10-bit HDR video capture by default, which allows you to shoot more colorful and detailed images. However, be aware that such content might not display properly on apps and devices that don’t support HDR (other smartphones, PCs, TVs, etc.). 

To treat photos after you take them, Samsung enhanced Portrait Studio with new features like personalized avatars with more true-to-life facial expressions. It also added new analog filters for a more film-like aesthetic for photos and videos. 

There are two other new tricks: Audio Eraser and Virtual Aperture. Though all the cameras have a fixed aperture, the latter simulates having an adjustable one just like mirrorless cameras. However, the feat is accomplished through computational tricks, so it’s likely to look a bit artificial. Audio Eraser, meanwhile, is an AI-powered noise reduction system designed to cut out background sounds in busy environments when shooting video. 

The Galaxy S25 Ultra’s new camera is great if you can afford that $1,300 model, while the improved low-light handling, Galaxy Log and AI should provide nice, but not spectacular, benefits. All told, Samsung didn’t bring as much to the table as the iPhone 16 with its Camera Control button, or the Pixel 9 (Video Boost, Add Me, Auto Frame). For more on how the Galaxy S25’s cameras work in the real world, check out our hands-on tests and stay tuned for full reviews.  

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-samsung-galaxy-s25-lineup-leans-on-ai-to-keep-its-cameras-fresh-181056862.html?src=rss 

Samsung’s first Unpacked event of 2025 delivered the Galaxy S25 series — as expected. Although the phones don’t have dramatically upgraded specs, the company stuffed — you guessed it! — more AI into the devices. This latest batch is more context-sensitive and predictive, and some of it even squeezes more out of the phones’ mildly upgraded hardware.

Galaxy S25 Ultra

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is still the biggest, best and most expensive of the bunch. It has a 6.9-inch display and a more rounded edge for a “comfortable grip.” Samsung says it’s the “slimmest, lightest, and most durable Galaxy Ultra device ever,” rocking a titanium body with Corning’s Gorilla Armor 2 for “advanced drop protection” and scratch resistance.

Unlike the two smaller models, the Ultra’s camera sensors got a spec upgrade: Its ultrawide lens is now 50MP, up from the mere 12MP one in last year’s model.

Like its siblings, the S25 Ultra is powered by a customized version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, which lets the trio of phones process many of their AI experiences on-device. Of course, that’s better for privacy.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra has 12GB of RAM, and it ships in 256GB, 512GB and 1TB storage tiers. It’s still quite the investment, though — starting at $1,300.

Galaxy S25 and S25+

The Galaxy S25 and S25+ saw their RAM upgraded to 12GB (same as the Ultra), up from 8GB in their 2024 predecessors. It combines with the Snapdragon 8 Elite to better handle the phones’ many AI features. (More in a minute.)

The rest of their hardware is remarkably similar to the S24 and S24+. They still have 6.2-inch and 6.7-inch displays, respectively. But Samsung’s new ProScaler AI tool can upscale images in real time to perhaps make up for the unchanged specs. Samsung says it can boost the quality of what you see by 40 percent.

Storage is also unchanged from the S24 series: 128GB or 256GB in the Galaxy S25 and 256GB or 512GB in the Galaxy S25+. Fortunately, pricing is also unchanged. You’ll pay $800 or more for the S25 and $1,000 and up for the S25+.

Galaxy AI

With most hardware upgrades (apart from the Snapdragon chip) coming in soft this generation, Samsung is leaning hard on AI features to make you want to throw down hard-earned cash on the new models. This year, it’s more personalized and context-sensitive, aiming to become more of a context-aware assistant than just a series of one-off tools.

AI plays a central role in the phones’ camera features, with the Qualcomm chip making the phones better at analyzing noise — leading to what Samsung says is better low-lit performance.

Developing…

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/everything-samsung-announced-at-the-galaxy-s25-unpacked-event-183331979.html?src=rss