Galaxy S25 Review: A Fresh Take on Smartphone Design Influenced by Apple and Google

Samsung is set to unveil the Galaxy S25 series, including the S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra, on February 7, 2025, in France. Key features include Wi-Fi 7, the innovative Now Bar for streamlined information access, and advanced AI functionalities like Cross App Actions. Users can interact with their devices through natural language commands and enjoy tools for video editing and daily agenda summaries. Pricing remains stable with enticing pre-order offers, though significant hardware upgrades are limited.

If you found the Samsung Galaxy S24 appealing, get ready to be even more impressed by the upcoming Galaxy S25, set to launch in France on February 7, 2025.

Key Features of the Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra

As we step into 2025, Samsung continues its tradition of offering three premium smartphones. The standard models will maintain their screen sizes of 6.2 inches and 6.7 inches, while the Ultra model will see a slight increase to 6.9 inches, aligning it more closely with the larger iPhone models. While many features echo those of the previous year, a significant upgrade is the inclusion of Wi-Fi 7 across the entire lineup. However, users should note that wireless charging still does not support Qi2, necessitating a case for magnetic charging compatibility with the S25.

Innovative Software Features: Samsung’s New Vision

In 2025, Samsung is positioning itself to win the smartphone race through software enhancements. The company is rolling out the One UI 7 update for older models, which introduces refreshed icons, a revamped notification center, and various innovative features. Naturally, the Galaxy S25 will come with One UI 7 pre-installed, showcasing Samsung’s latest advancements.

One standout feature is the Now Bar, designed to be central to the user experience. This feature resembles Apple’s Dynamic Island, providing crucial information at the bottom of the screen in a compact widget that expands upon touch. Whether it’s Google Maps navigation, music playback, or sports scores, the Now Bar anticipates and presents the information you need, streamlining your daily tasks.

Amid the rise of AI technology, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 introduces several exclusive artificial intelligence features. The Galaxy AI suite gets a significant boost with innovative functionalities, including a “super assistant” that operates seamlessly within the operating system. This feature allows users to control multiple applications with a single command, a groundbreaking capability in the Android ecosystem. Dubbed Cross App Actions, this functionality promises to transform how we interact with our devices.

Integrating with Google’s Gemini voice assistant, users can issue complex requests, such as selecting photos and sharing them via WhatsApp, all in one go. This capability will be rolled out in France on February 7, with plans for broader deployment to other high-end Android smartphones in the future.

Additionally, the Galaxy S25’s AI can summarize videos by analyzing their content, exemplifying the dawn of a new era in mobile AI technology.

Samsung’s commitment to AI extends further, leveraging the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip for local processing tasks. Users can generate images using prompts or drawings, akin to Apple’s Image Playgrounds, directly through the Samsung keyboard. Furthermore, a text composer feature integrates into all applications, enabling easy text generation across platforms.

Another exciting addition is the capability to perform natural language searches in settings, allowing users to adjust phone settings via simple phrases. For instance, saying “I want to lower the brightness and activate the always-on display” will prompt the device to execute those commands.

Samsung is also debuting an application called Now Brief, which provides a tailored summary of your daily agenda each morning. The Surround to Search feature enhances app integration, and the company introduces a tool for automatically editing videos using AI, producing clips from selected photos and videos effortlessly.

On the photography front, while significant updates are sparse, the Galaxy S25 adopts the Best Pose feature from Google Pixels, enhancing group selfies by selecting the best expressions from multiple shots.

Pricing for the Samsung Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra

With a strong focus on software advancements, Samsung appears to be targeting users of competing brands or those with older models, rather than current Galaxy S24 owners, who will likely receive similar updates. The refined design of the S25 Ultra is expected to attract attention, although the limited hardware changes may not compel an upgrade for everyone.

The silver lining is that the pricing remains steady, with a pre-order offer that includes double storage at no additional cost. Mark your calendars for the official release on February 7!

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