What to anticipate at Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Unpacked occasion

Samsung’s huge Galaxy S25 launch is correct across the nook. The first Galaxy Unpacked event of 2025 is confirmed for January 22 at 1PM ET in San Jose, CA, the place Samsung’s “Subsequent Large Factor” (to borrow a 14-year-old marketing slogan) might be revealed. What precisely might be on faucet? Effectively, aside from just a few positive bets and a few possible leaks, solely these sworn to a blood oath underneath an NDA know for sure. However listed here are the almost definitely merchandise and options we’ll see.

Galaxy S25, S25+ and S25 Extremely

Very like Apple reveals its newest iPhones at its first fall event, Samsung sometimes launches its mainline Galaxy S flagships at its first Unpacked shindig of the year. You possibly can wager the farm that there will be Galaxy S25 telephones at this occasion. And given Samsung’s current development of launching three tiers of flagships — standard, Plus and Ultra — you possibly can wager we’ll see that once more. (Samsung may technically change the model names, however the three-layered lineup is virtually assured.) There’s even an FCC certification (first spotted by 91Mobiles) to dispel any doubts.

The diploma of certainty falls sharply as soon as we dig into the telephones’ options. A refined redesign with rounded corners, flatter edges and thinner bezels seems possible primarily based on a leaked video posted to Reddit and images from respected tipster Ice Universe. However this isn’t anticipated to be the technology the place Samsung’s hiring of a former Mercedes-Benz designer will result in drastic aesthetic adjustments.

A minimum of within the US, the telephone is virtually assured to make use of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, which the chip-maker revealed in October. (Qualcomm even listed Samsung among the many corporations launching gadgets with that processor “within the coming weeks.”) Like nearly each flagship processor as of late, the Snapdragon 8 Elite is constructed for on-device generative AI, which aligns with Samsung’s Galaxy AI blitz in current fashions.

We don’t know whether or not the corporate will cut up its S25 processors between Snapdragon (US and different markets) and Exynos (in every single place else), however Ice Universe has claimed it will likely be all Snapdragon this technology. That will be an excellent factor, given what’s usually a evident efficiency and battery life disparity favoring Qualcomm.

The telephone will run Samsung’s One UI 7 on prime of Android 15. We all know this as a result of Samsung stated in October that its consumer expertise (primarily based on Android 15) will launch on the next Galaxy S flagships. It’s already accessible in beta for Galaxy S24 phones.

Samsung is rumored to stay with last-generation OLED shows (made with M13 natural supplies) as a substitute of the brighter and extra environment friendly M14 OLED panels used within the iPhone 16 Pro and Google Pixel 9. Logic suggests Samsung would need its greatest selfmade display screen in its greatest telephones — particularly when its rivals are already utilizing it. However it may stick to the cheaper panels to maintain the invoice of supplies down. Maybe it calculated that higher shows don’t make for higher generative AI (the obsession of almost each tech firm proper now), whereas the most recent Qualcomm chip does.

Talking of AI, anticipate Samsung to dedicate a maybe agonizingly lengthy portion of the occasion to generative AI options. The hit-or-miss DigiTimes reported final month that the Galaxy S25 collection will embody “an AI Agent that gives customized clothes recommendations and transport data.” What that may appear like in observe is anybody’s guess, however I’m undecided I wish to know.

On the digicam entrance, Ice Universe claims (through Android Headlines) it’s “confirmed” that solely the ultra-wide sensor will see an improve within the Galaxy S25 Extremely — to 50MP from 12MP in final 12 months’s mannequin. The leaker says the S25 Extremely will stick to a 200MP fundamental sensor, 10MP 3x zoom and 50MP 5x zoom.

Samsung will add the Qi2 wireless charging standard to its new flagships — and that comes straight from the horse’s (aka, the Wi-fi Energy Consortium’s) mouth. Nevertheless, leaker chunvn8888 (aka “yawn”) says Samsung’s telephones gained’t have built-in magnets for Qi2’s native MagSafe in everything but name charging. As a substitute, the leaker says Samsung will promote a first-party case with a Qi2 magnetic ring to allow that. (Gotta transfer these equipment, child!)

Rumors have buzzed about an alleged Galaxy S25 Slim with a — you guessed it — slimmer design becoming a member of the trio sooner or later this 12 months. That’s one thing Apple is also rumored to be working on. Nevertheless, given the FCC certifications solely seem to cowl the acquainted trio of flagships, that telephone (if it’s within the pipeline in any respect) might not arrive till later within the 12 months.

Galaxy Ring 2, Samsung XR and AR glasses

DigiTimes reported in December that Samsung would exhibit (or perhaps simply tease) the Galaxy Ring 2 and augmented actuality (AR) glasses throughout its January Unpacked occasion.

The Taiwanese publication says the Galaxy Ring 2 will add two extra sizes to the 9 from the original model, which solely launched in July. The second-gen wearable well being tracker is alleged so as to add new AI options (shock!) and up to date sensors for extra correct measurements. The Galaxy Ring 2 can also be rumored to last more than the present mannequin’s most of seven days.

DigiTimes additionally claims Samsung’s AR glasses — which the corporate has confirmed it’s working on — will appear like common prescription glasses and weigh round 50g. It says the futuristic glasses would use Google’s Gemini AI, which aligns with what we already find out about Samsung’s partnership with Google and Qualcomm on Android XR. However given the shortage of provide chain rumors surrounding the glasses, it’s possible that any point out on the occasion would quantity to little greater than a teaser, a la its grand reveal of… a stinkin’ render for the first Galaxy Ring at Unpacked 2024.

We additionally know Samsung is co-developing an Android XR (prolonged actuality) headset — codenamed Undertaking Moohan — alongside Google and Qualcomm. The “light-weight” and “ergonomically designed” headset can have a “state-of-the-art show,” passthrough video and pure multi-modal enter. Google’s renderings present a wearable paying homage to Apple’s $3,500 Vision Pro.

Since Google solely just lately started providing a developer equipment and API for the platform, any glimpse of it at Unpacked wouldn’t possible embody an imminent launch or deep dive into its {hardware}.

Engadget can have full protection of Samsung’s first Unpacked occasion of 2025. Extra to come back on January 22!