There’s something familiar about Samsung’s new Galaxy S25 range. But look closer, and you’ll see a masterclass hidden in the details.

The latest flagship models from Samsung aren’t a parade of numbers and features designed to baffle. They’re more of a subtle balance of thoughtful upgrades to make your life more convenient.

It isn’t about raw power or brute strength this year. Instead, there’s an evolution – rather than a revolution – of what matters most when you pick up your phone. These are the most significant updates to Samsung's S25 flagship phones – the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S25.

Design: it's softer, but far more durable – and with a larger screen

The sharp and angular design language the Galaxy device line-up has become known for is no more. Instead, the S25 lineup sheds the angular edges of its predecessor for a design with curved corners and polished detailing.

It’s lighter, too — weighing in 218 grams with a thinner profile overall — thanks to grade 5 titanium in the frame (a bump from Grade 2 in the predecessor), a material as strong as it is refined.

The subtle redesign extends to the screen, which now stretches across more of the body than before. That extra sliver of display feels expansive, even if the increase is just a fraction.

Protection hasn’t been overlooked, either. The new Gorilla Armor 2 glass is less about surviving scratches and more about brushing off clumsy drops. Because, let’s be real, it’s not if you’ll drop your phone, but when. And when, and when, and when.

Performance: whip-smart but cooled down

The Galaxy S25 works harder than devices that came before it, with a number of integrated AI features designed to make your everyday easier.

Powering it all would typically take more brains than ever before, too. However, the device is designed to stay cool, collected and composed as it runs your life for you courtesy of a custom Snapdragon® 8 Elite Mobile Platform for Galaxy chipset.

That processor is apparently 38% more powerful than the previous model, and it takes fewer sips of your precious battery thanks to smarter energy management on the device.

The greener side hasn’t been forgotten completely – despite all the AI – with a battery half-made of more recycled cobalt than virgin material. Definitely a step in the right direction, even if more needs to be done.

Camera: more for the pros

This is always my favourite feature of Samsung devices. Those cameras are near unbeatable. And they've improved again. Although, it’s more a story of evolution and not revolution.

There is a new 50-megapixel ultrawide sensor, but as with last year's S24, the camera is still a 200-megapixel super-zoomer that can snap better shots in dark lighting. The key changes is that Samsung is giving pros the ability to get right into the details of how they shoot.

There’s a smarter visual engine that pledges 4x greater detail from the same hardware as last year. New LUTs mean that colour reproduction is more true-to-life for the perfectionist photographer. And for filmmakers - both aspiring and professional - there’s also 10-bit HDR+ by default and even LOG recording – should you so desire – for better handling of light and dynamic range in the edit. You can also remove unwanted background noise from videos. Yes, you can delete the screaming kids for your serene beach video.

AI: moving from a robot to a companion

AI has given us all buzzword fatigue at this point. Samsung gets it, and it has gone back to the well to fish out something you might actually use this time around.

The new software and user interface – One UI 7 – means that the phone is less about pushing the boundaries of AI, rather it's engineering assistant-like features that give you what you need without having to ask for it.

It’s about those small, human moments: your 'Now Briefing' feature offering morning updates, contextual suggestions that know when you’ll need an umbrella. Reading small text? You can ask your phone to make it bigger. You can also use natural language searches within your camera roll that let you find “photos from that Italy trip last spring.”

You can also have you phone record a phone call, write up a transcript and then summarise it for you. Say goodbye to manually taking meeting notes.

It's all powered by Google’s Gemini AI, which introduces fluid, cross-app actions — ask it to find a document and add it to your calendar, and it just happens. It’s seamless. It’s intuitive. And for the first time, it feels like your phone truly knows you.

Price: a welcome sameness

The device overall is priced the same as the last model on launch: Starting at $1399 for the base model and $2149 for the Ultra, the S25 range keeps pricing steady, despite the refinements.

It launches in mid-February and is available for pre-order.