specifications, price, release date, AI features

Samsung Electronics on Wednesday launched its latest flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S25 series, with a customized chip and enhanced artificial intelligence features.

The launch of the S25 comes after a year in which Samsung’s smartphone shipments came under pressure from Chinese players and Apple.

Samsung’s S25 series comes in three variants: S25, S25+ and S25 Ultra, as has been the case with previous flagship launches.

The starting prices are as follows:

• Galaxy S25: $799
• Galaxy S25+: $999
• Galaxy S25 Ultra: $1,299

Samsung will begin accepting pre-orders for the S25 series on Wednesday and the devices will go on sale on February 7.

Last year, Samsung launched Galaxy AI, its suite of artificial intelligence features. in S24.

With the S25, Samsung introduced additional AI apps with the goal of making the phone more like a digital personal assistant.

Samsung’s latest devices can perform tasks across multiple apps when asked. For example, a user can ask the phone to find the schedule of their favorite soccer team and add it to their calendar. Or a user could ask the AI ​​app to find nearby pet-friendly restaurants to send to a specific contact. All these actions will be carried out by the device in multiple applications.

Samsung said the feature supports third-party apps like Spotify and Goal-owned by WhatsApp, as well as its own and GoogleThe applications of.

The AI ​​app can also change phone settings when requested by a user.

Samsung’s latest features underline how the South Korean tech giant and some of its rivals are competing to create AI in devices rather personal assistants that adapt to a person’s usage habits and preferences.

Last year, Apple started implementing Apple Intelligenceits AI feature set for iPhones.

Device makers see AI as a way to differentiate their hardware from the sea of ​​competitors. Samsung, for example, hopes that the technology will help revive sales of its high-end product.

“At a time when improvements in hardware capabilities and product design are largely incremental, Samsung is doubling down on its AI story. There are some smart improvements included in the Galaxy S25 line, but they are unlikely to be enough to entice consumers to rush to upgrade their phones prematurely,” Ben Wood, head of research at CCS Insight, told CNBC.

“However, this is far from a problem unique to Samsung. Apple faces the same challenges with the iPhone 16 and Apple Intelligence. AI is a boon for someone who needs an upgrade, but not enough to change the situation of consumers who already have a relatively up-to-date phone.

Shipments of Samsung smartphones fell 2.7% year-on-year in the fourth quarter of last year as its market share shrank, according to figures from International Data Corporation. Samsung was the second player by shipment volume after Apple.

Meanwhile, Chinese players XiaomiTranssion and Vivo increased their market share, with aggressively priced devices that feature solid specifications.

CCS Insight’s Wood concluded that the S25 series is “very suitable for the growing number of consumers who have a mobile phone that is three or four years old,” but “people are unlikely to upgrade any sooner.”

To power its latest AI features, Samsung and Qualcomm Worked on a custom processor. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy is exclusive to Samsung and the South Korean giant claims it is the fastest processor ever seen in a Galaxy device.

Fast but power-efficient processors inside smartphones are vital to ensure handling heavy AI workloads without draining the battery.

Samsung also talked about other hardware changes, including an improved camera on the S25 Ultra model and a new design.

The S25 series now has rounded corners instead of the more angular design of its predecessors.