Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2025: Incremental Upgrades for S25 Series, AI-Powered One UI 7, and the Future of Wearables?

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2025: Incremental Upgrades for S25 Series, AI-Powered One UI 7, and the Future of Wearables?In the early hours of January 23rd, 2025 (Beijing time), global smartphone giant Samsung will hold its highly anticipated "Galaxy Unpacked" event, livestreaming its latest products. This event will feature the new Galaxy S series smartphones, an upgraded One UI 7 operating system, and new AI hardware

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2025: Incremental Upgrades for S25 Series, AI-Powered One UI 7, and the Future of Wearables?

In the early hours of January 23rd, 2025 (Beijing time), global smartphone giant Samsung will hold its highly anticipated "Galaxy Unpacked" event, livestreaming its latest products. This event will feature the new Galaxy S series smartphones, an upgraded One UI 7 operating system, and new AI hardware. Lei Technology has been invited to provide live coverage, bringing readers the most cutting-edge tech information. Samsung maintains significantly better secrecy than Apple before product launches; hence, concrete information about this event remains limited. However, Lei Technology has gathered some crucial leaks through various channels, detailed below.

Galaxy S25 Series: Iterative Upgrades, a Steady Approach

The Galaxy S25 series, powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, will undoubtedly capture global attention. There were rumors of an "Slim" version with a screen size similar to the S25+ but a thinner body, potentially becoming a leading slim flagship in 2025. However, the S25 Slim is unlikely to appear at this Unpacked event; the initial lineup will stick to the classic "S25/S25+/S25 Ultra" trio.

Renderings from Android Headlines suggest the S25 series maintains a design consistent with the S24 series. Samsung continues its screen technology leadership; the standard S25 will feature a 6.2-inch FHD+ LTPO OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. However, reports suggest it won't use the M14 OLED substrate found in the iPhone 16 Pro, opting for the previous generation M13. Considering the S24's excellent display and the S25's positioning, this is understandable.

Due to size constraints, the S25's battery capacity is expected to remain at 4000mAh. Positively, Qi2 wireless charging should increase to 25W. The rear camera will likely retain the 50MP wide-angle + 12MP ultrawide + 10MP telephoto combination. In essence, the S25 can be considered an S24 with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

The S25+ mirrors the S25, featuring a 6.7-inch WQHD+ (1440P) 120Hz screen and a 4900mAh battery, also with improved Qi2 wireless charging. The camera setup is expected to be identical to the S25. Beyond the confirmed 12GB RAM, the S25+ is essentially a larger-screened, higher-resolution, and higher-capacity battery version of the S25.

The S25 Ultra, however, differs. Compared to the S24 Ultra, the screen slightly increases to 6.9 inches, while the resolution remains WQHD+. The main camera retains its 20MP wide-angle lens, but the ultrawide upgrades from 12MP to 20MP. The S25 Ultra continues to use a titanium alloy frame, but the overall design changes. It abandons the S24 Ultra's hard, squared-off edges for rounded corners similar to the S25 and S25+, with rounded screen corners, albeit with a smaller radius than the S25 and S25+.

Overall, the S25 series' upgrades are incremental, offering limited appeal to S24 users. Beyond the annual processor upgrade, improvements are minor optimizations, such as addressing Samsung's previous charging shortcomings. However, compared to domestic Chinese smartphones offering 50W+ wireless and 100W+ wired fast charging, the S25 series' fast charging speeds are not outstanding.

Samsung's product release schedule also raises questions. As a flagship phone, the S25 series should feature the latest Snapdragon processor (for China, US, and Korea versions). Previously, the Snapdragon Tech Summit was in December, making a January launch logical. However, since 2023, the summit moved to October, leading to a concentration of new phone releases from Chinese manufacturers between late October and mid-November. Samsungs Unpacked event remains in January, putting the S25 series a quarter behind domestic competitors. While understandable given Samsung's global market focus, with Huawei, OPPO, vivo, and Honor accelerating their overseas expansion, Samsung's flagship phones face increased pressure in international markets.

One UI 7: AI Enhancement for Improved User Experience

One UI 7 will launch alongside the S25 series, described by Samsung as its "first AI-integrated platform." Due to One UI 7 beta testing requirements, hands-on experience was unavailable. However, online videos show significant AI integration. For example, One UI 7 can directly recognize on-screen text, allowing users to open Galaxy AI directly within a bubble to edit or rewrite text, unlike previous Galaxy AI which required a long press and selection. With Samsung's keyboard, a Galaxy AI entry allows for direct AI assistance during typing.

The lock screen introduces a new interactive component, Now Bar, connecting different apps to create a personalized model, integrating key information. To comply with strict overseas privacy regulations, One UI 7 includes the Personal Data Engine, storing user data in an encrypted partition using quantum encryption and physical break technology for ultimate security.

Wearables: Galaxy Ring 2 Takes the Lead, XR Devices on the Horizon?

Samsung's 2025 wearables will also be unveiled, with the Galaxy Ring 2 confirmed. Improvements in both hardware and software are expected, with new sensors and AI enhancing vital sign measurement accuracy. AI is crucial given the limited space and potential sensor interference in a ring. DigiTimes reports suggest a battery life exceeding 7 days.

Beyond the Galaxy Ring 2, DigiTimes mentions Samsung's AI/AR glasses (tentatively called Galaxy Glasses). These might be a technology demonstration rather than a full launch. Reportedly weighing only 50g, they will use a Qualcomm XR chip and Google's Gemini AI. While likely not for the Chinese market, it signifies major players entering the AI glasses market, adding weight to the intense competition.

Furthermore, Samsung's XR headset (codenamed Project Moohan), developed jointly with Google and Qualcomm, aims to compete with Apple's Vision Pro. However, given the Vision Pro's global struggles, Samsung's willingness to take the lead in the high-end XR market remains uncertain.

Conclusion: Samsung's Path Forward

Samsung's smartphone market share has plateaued globally. Since the Galaxy S23, innovation has focused on incremental improvements and performance enhancements, lacking the disruptive innovations of the past. Samsung is therefore more aggressive with non-smartphone products like the smart ring. At CES 2025, Galaxy phones occupied a small portion of Samsung's booth, with a larger focus on TVs, refrigerators, and its AI ecosystem, highlighting its strength in all-scenario AI and AI for All. Let's await the surprises at this Unpacked event. Stay tuned to Lei Technology for expert analysis.