Samsung announced its new flagship device – the Galaxy S25 Ultra at an event in San Jose. Last year, Samsung showcased the Galaxy AI capabilities and focused on them in the Galaxy S24 models (and later added them to older devices as well), and in 2025, it improves these capabilities, along with hardware specifications tailored more for AI tasks.
The Now Brief is a new way to receive personalized insights on the Galaxy S25 Ultra's lock screen. Samsung says this is information that anticipates the user's needs throughout the day. For example, in the morning, you'll get a summary of your sleep (based on the company's smart watch/ring), weather forecast, calendar reminders, and suggestions for routine actions based on personal habits (navigation to work or listening to music on Spotify). In the evening, there will be a summary of the day's events, pictures taken, and reminders for expiring coupons and upcoming flight tickets.
With AI, you can request settings in natural language (not in Hebrew), such as adjusting it to the user's vision level or searching for pictures in the gallery from the last trip to New York.
One thing Samsung is really proud of is the ability to ask the device to perform various tasks automatically across multiple apps. For example, you can ask Google's AI assistant – Gemini (which is activated by long-pressing the physical button on the side of the screen) to search for information on a new smartphone and send it via WhatsApp to a friend. Another example, you can open Gemini with the camera and look at a concert ticket. Gemini will understand where this ticket is for and will add the event details to the calendar.
In the S24 models, Samsung introduced the generative photo editing feature, which allowed users to remove people or objects they didn’t want in the picture, with the software also filling in the missing spots with other details. Samsung says this feature, which worked great, has been further improved. Instead of users manually identifying the people they want removed, it is now done automatically. The portrait studio, which could turn pictures of people into paintings in various styles, has also been improved for more realistic results focusing on precise, natural tones and real facial expressions. These processes happen on the device itself, not in the cloud.
The Ultra interface is Samsung's One UI 7, which includes seven generations of operating system upgrades and an additional seven years of security updates. This smartphone is expected to last many years with the user, unless they decide to upgrade it.
Eli Lavi, CEO of "Sany Communications," the official distributor and marketer of Samsung Mobile devices in Israel, said: "We are excited and proud to officially announce the new generation of Samsung Galaxy devices – Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and Galaxy S25 Ultra – and the Samsung Galaxy Ring. As every year, we are preparing to meet the high demand from our customers in Israel, so they can pre-order the new smartphones and the revolutionary ring through Samsung's website, Samsung stores, and authorized resellers, and enjoy especially attractive and significant offers."
AI-Optimized Hardware
Samsung integrates Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite processor in the S25 Ultra, specially adapted for Galaxy models, offering a 40% improvement in AI-related capabilities through the NPU (the part responsible for AI calculations, alongside the GPU and the processor itself). The RAM is 12 GB, with storage options of 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB. The battery still comes with a 5000 mAh capacity, and wired charging is still at 45W. Of course, the Ultra still comes with the stylus and its storage compartment in the device body.
The screen slightly increased from 6.8 inches to 6.9 inches, featuring Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology, offering very rich colors and a variable refresh rate of 1 to 120 Hz.
The Ultra comes with a titanium body, which is more durable than the aluminum commonly used in smartphones. The screen features Gorilla Armor 2 glass by Corning, which, according to Samsung, offers 29% better durability compared to the S24 Ultra. The device's weight decreased from 232g to 218g, and the frame is thinner and more refined. The device is available in Silver-Blue, White-Silver, Gray, and Black.
Wide-Angle Lens Improvement
There are no drastic changes in the Ultra's camera array, which remains excellent. It features a 4-sensor array, with the wide-angle sensor upgraded from 12 MP in the previous generation to 50 MP, and the aperture improved from F2.2 to F1.9. Additionally, the laser autofocus sensor has been improved.
The main sensor is 200 MP, the telephoto sensor is 50 MP with 5x zoom, and the second telephoto sensor is 10 MP with 3x zoom. According to Samsung, the lenses are exceptionally transparent, thanks to Corning's DX Coating, which reduces blur and reflections.
Regarding camera software, Samsung notes that macro shots are more detailed, with better performance under different lighting conditions. For comparison, this means four times the detail compared to the previous generation.
Smartphone manufacturers are focusing more and more on night photography, as there is more room for improvement. The Ultra model addresses this with the new ProVisual engine, which aims to reduce noise by analyzing frames in real time and processing data at the pixel level. Additionally, there are more details in the images.
Prices
The Ultra is starting pre-sales today and will be available in stores on February 7th. Early buyers will get double the storage capacity and the option to purchase a charger and magnetic transparent case for NIS 100. The Ultra is priced at NIS 5,150 for the 256 GB version, NIS 5,600 for the 512 GB version, and NIS 6,600 for the 1 TB version.
Partner network has announced that buyers through them will also receive free home delivery and trade-in benefits for old Samsung devices. Pelephone offers a 5-year warranty, trade-in discounts on old devices, and free home delivery. Cellcom also offers free home delivery and trade-in options.
The Electrical Warehouses chain offers benefits to buyers of the device, including up to 24 months of interest-free installments, discounted accessories packages, extended warranty (including screen breakage) for an additional two years for NIS 169 (instead of NIS 499), and trade-in options. The products will also be delivered free of charge to the customer’s home.
Sany also offers pre-order options starting from January 22, 2025, via www.samsungmobile.co.il and Samsung stores, even before they arrive in stores, along with significant benefits for pre-orders. The new products will arrive in stores in Israel on February 6, 2025.
Ahead of the launch, Sany offers attractive benefits: buyers of the Samsung Galaxy S25 series devices will receive double the storage capacity (X2) for free, along with a special offer for a transparent magnetic case and charger for only 99 NIS.
Pre-order Prices: Galaxy S25 will be sold from NIS 3,249, Galaxy S25 Plus from NIS 3,949, and Galaxy S25 Ultra from NIS 5,149. Samsung Galaxy Ring will be sold in Samsung stores for NIS 1,499.
The rings come in 3 colors – Gold, Silver, and Black, and 5 different sizes for each color. Samsung stores will provide size measurement stations for the proper ring fit.