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Samsung's Galaxy S25 smartphones launched today, but when it comes to the all-important cameras, the company leaned on AI rather than making any meaningful changes. There is one welcome addition, though. Samsung finally caught up to to rivals like Honor by introducing log video to allow more precise color grading. Other key updates include improved low-light capability on all models, the new "ProVisual engine," a "virtual aperture" and a much higher resolution ultrawide camera on the high-end Ultra. Last year the Galaxy S24 Ultra's big selling point was the 200MP camera, which made the 12MP ultrawide look weak in comparison. Samsung remedied that with the Galaxy S25 Ultra by more than quadrupling that sensor to 50MP. That also helps Samsung match up better against Google's Pixel 9 Pro and its 48-megapixel ultrawide camera. Mat Smith for Engadget With that, the Ultra now has a formidable suite of cameras: a 200MP wide, 50MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x telephoto and 50MP 5x tele. However, that makes the more mainstream Galaxy S25 and S25+ look a bit weak in comparison. Those only come with a 50MP wide, 12MP ultrawide and 10MP 3x tele, just like the last two models. All phones have a front 12MP selfie camera with up to 4K 60p video. Samsung also rectified a weak point we addressed in our reviews on the S24: sub-par low-light performance. With Qualcomms new Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip, Samsung says the new cameras can analyze noise more effectively using a new "spatial-temporal filter," that can detect moving and static objects more precisely. That in turn allows for cleaner video, particularly with moving objects in dim environments. The downside is that applying stronger noise reduction can generate weird artifacts, something we'll test further in upcoming reviews. In fact, during Samsung's presentation, I couldn't help but notice a strange separation between the moving subject and background. Samsung Other key new camera features are also available across the S25 lineup. The most important one for content creators is Galaxy Log, which finally enables log video to improve dynamic range and allow more accurate color grading. That's a much-requested feature for Galaxy phones that was only available previously with third-party apps. It also records with 10-bits of color like the HDR mode. However, the new feature still falls short of the ability to capture ProRes log video on the latest iPhones. I tested log on Honor's Magic smartphone series and it can meaningfully improve video by boosting dynamic range in tricky lighting situations (a backlit subject or sunny day, for instance). The problem is that transforming log into regular footage requires an editing app and some knowledge about things like LUTs so whether this will catch on with users depends on how Samsung implements it. Samsung also enabled 10-bit HDR video capture by default, which allows you to shoot more colorful and detailed images. However, be aware that such content might not display properly on apps and devices that don't support HDR (other smartphones, PCs, TVs, etc.). Mat Smith for Engadget To treat photos after you take them, Samsung enhanced Portrait Studio with new features like personalized avatars with more true-to-life facial expressions. It also added new analog filters for a more film-like aesthetic for photos and videos. There are two other new tricks: Audio Eraser and Virtual Aperture. Though all the cameras have a fixed aperture, the latter simulates having an adjustable one just like mirrorless cameras. However, the feat is accomplished through computational tricks, so it's likely to look a bit artificial. Audio Eraser, meanwhile, is an AI-powered noise reduction system designed to cut out background sounds in busy environments when shooting video. During the demo, Samsung showed how it could cut different types of noises like wind, waves and nature. The Galaxy S25 Ultra's new camera is great if you can afford that $1,300 model, while the improved low-light handling, Galaxy Log and AI should provide nice, but not spectacular, benefits. All told, Samsung didn't bring as much to the table as the iPhone 16 with its Camera Control button, or the Pixel 9 (Video Boost, Add Me, Auto Frame). For more on how the Galaxy S25's cameras work in the real world, check out our hands-on tests and stay tuned for full reviews. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-samsung-galaxy-s25-lineup-leans-on-ai-to-keep-its-cameras-fresh-181056862.html?src=rss
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Alongside the launch of the Galaxy S25 series today, Samsung also made a slew of software updates that might not have gotten much attention during the keynote. Specifically, two updates are coming to Samsung Wallet that not only sound very similar to existing features on iPhones, but might also be better. The new features are called "Instant Installment," which is the company's take on "buy now pay later," as well as peer-to-peer payments, which it's named "Tap to Transfer." The latter is basically Apple's Tap to Cash, which allows iPhone owners to hold their phones together to send money to each other. Crucially, though, Samsung's method would support work with third-party digital wallets. At a recent briefing with members of the media, Samsung's reps said that Tap to Transfer "is not going to be limited to just Samsung Wallet." Instead of being tied to specific digital wallets, it will be linked to the associated debit card or account, and works via Mastercard and Visa. As for Instant Installment, it's not that Samsung is pivoting to becoming a credit provider and taking on loans. Instead, it facilitates your purchases and turns your payments into what the company's rep said is "the first offline payment plan experience." It's available at brick-and-mortar stores or online, with Visa or Mastercard credit cards. Samsung Wallet just helps you manage the payment plan on your device. Both of these features aren't launching with the Galaxy S25, but Samsung said at the briefing that they would be available "shortly thereafter." A spokesperson I talked to at the event indicated it would be closer to the second quarter of the year, and that the features would be backward compatible and work on older Galaxy phones, too. Details are scarce, though, and with seemingly months to go before launch, things could change. But if Samsung actually makes it possible to tap to transfer cash between friends with different devices and digital wallets, it could truly be a better, more seamless approach than Apple's version right now.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-borrows-from-the-apple-wallet-playbook-with-layaway-and-tap-to-send-for-wallet-181052578.html?src=rss
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Last year Samsung embraced artificial intelligence with its suite of Galaxy AI features. And while the new S25 Ultra is a bit faster, a little curvier and has a slightly bigger display than before, its clear the companys primary focus was upgrading the software and machine learning capabilities of its top-spec flagship phone. But is that enough? Design: A curvier titanium frame with a handful of quirks Similar to its predecessor, the Galaxy S25 Ultra features a titanium frame. However, for 2025, Samsung wanted to buck tradition by making the phone a bit less boxy. So instead of a totally angular chassis, Samsung rounded off its corners. This gives the Ultra a bit more of a familial resemblance to its less expensive siblings (both the S25 and S25+). That said, the Ultra still has flat edges that are a touch sharper than on last years phone, so it's more of a remix than a full revamp. For its front and back glass, Samsung moved to Cornings new Gorilla Armor 2, which features a "next-gen" anti-reflective coating that helps eliminate more glare than before. But perhaps the best new hardware upgrade is a larger 6.9-inch QHD+ AMOLED display (up from 6.8 inches) with 15 percent smaller bezels, allowing for more screen space without increasing the phones overall dimensions (6.41 x 3.05 x 0.32 inches). On the flip side, the S25 Ultras included S Pen is actually getting a tiny downgrade as Samsung is removing Bluetooth Low Energy support from the stylus. This might seem like a bit of a headscratcher, but Samsung claims only a tiny percentage of owners were using Air Actions (which was the only S Pen feature that required BT LE) and that by getting rid of it, the stylus is more durable than before because theres no need worry about equipping it with tiny radios. The company also says the only gesture that saw significant use was the one for remotely triggering the phones camera, which can be accomplished in a variety of other ways (e.g. holding up your palm or using a Galaxy Watch or Galaxy Ring). Here's a quick design comparison between the new Galaxy S25 Ultra (left) and last year's Galaxy S24 Ultra (right). Notice the smaller bezels and more rounded corners on the S25U. Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget Another design quirk is that while the S25 family (including the Ultra) supports wireless charging at up to 15 watts, its not technically fully Qi2 compliant. Instead, Samsung says the phone is Qi2 ready which means it will work with compatible chargers, but because there arent any alignment magnets inside of the handset, users will need to rely on aftermarket cases to provide a proper mounting point for magnetic accessories. The final noteworthy hardware addition is a new 50-megapixel sensor for the ultra-wide camera, which joins the three that return from last years phone: 200MP main, 10MP telephoto and 50MP telephoto cameras (with the latter two offering 3x and 5x optical zoom respectively). Samsung says there should be some general photo and image processing improvements thanks to the S25 Ultras new chip, such as improved noise reduction and a better spatial-temporal filter that can more accurately tell the difference between moving and stationary objects. But were going to wait until we can review the phone to say what these features can really do. Performance: Snapdragon 8 Elite in every country Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget Inside, the S25 Ultra is powered by Qualcomms Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip along with 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. For buyers outside North America, Samsung says its using the same SoC across the globe instead of opting for its own Exynos chips in certain regions as it has in the past. The company claims general CPU performance is up 37 percent year-over-year. Meanwhile, GPU speeds are up 30 percent while the S25 Ultras NPU has gotten the biggest boost of around 40 percent. And to help provide improved sustained performance for things like gaming, Samsung claims the S25 Ultras vapor chamber is 40 percent larger than before. In real life, the phone felt expectedly responsive, though it was hard to tell if that was all thanks to the phones new chip or if it was due in part to the snappier animations in One UI 7, which will come pre-installed on the Galaxy S25 family. And as before, Samsung is continuing to offer seven years of OS updates and regular security patches. AI agents and more Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget Of course, as with so many other recent gadgets, the S25s main focus is on expanded AI functionality and after introducing its first set of features on the S24 line last year, it feels like Samsung's goal was to make everything a bit more powerful and easier to use. For example, existing tools like Smart Select have been renamed to AI Select and transformed into what the company is calling AI agents. Generally, this means a single feature will support a wider range of abilities and improved contextual awareness. Now when you tap the AI Select icon after pulling up Samsung's side bar, the phone will analyze whatever youre looking at and provide an assortment of suggestions ike taking a screenshot, performing a visual search, summarizing an article or even capturing a video clip and turning it into a GIF. Its a similar situation for Samsungs Sketch to Image tool which has been renamed to Drawing Assist, which not only provides more realistic results, it also allows you to add AI-generated art to photos by roughly sketching something with the S Pen or simply using text prompts. Even Googles Circle to Search feature has gotten a small upgrade as it now supports song identification either by listening to music or someone humming a tune. Alternatively, in order to surface information in a more timely manner, Samsung has created a Now Brief tool and Now Bar. The Now Brief is designed to provide a customized feed that appears periodically throughout the day (generally in the morning, afternoon and evening) populated by news and events relevant to you. This includes everything from appointments in your calendar to the weather and traffic. Meanwhile, the Now Bar is an offshoot of this functionality that will pop up on your lock screen or in your notifications so you can keep tabs on apps you may already have open or the score for your favorite sports teams. It's very similar in spirit to Apple's Live Activities. Samsung says it has also designed the phone to observe your habits and notice patterns so it can provide helpful shortcuts in the future. One example would be if you regularly turn on Bluetooth before getting in your car and then turn it off when you get home, which is a process the phone may be able to handle automatically. Theres also a new Audio Eraser tool in the camera app which functions a lot like what weve seen in recent Pixel phones. It uses AI to identify six different types of noise like wind or speech and then creates a custom EQ allowing you to turn down distracting ambient sounds or boost the volume of whoever is talking. Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget But, at least for me, the S25 lines most powerful new AI-based ability is improved natural voice recognition, which allows the phone to perform complex tasks that may involve more than one app at a time. During my brief hands-on time, I asked the phone to add the next Detroit Lions game to my calendar. That might sound like a simple request, but if you break it down, the AI first needs to figure out which game Im talking about based on a web search, when its being played, and then create an appointment inside the Samsung Calendar app. And the AI did add the relevant match to the calendar in the demo S25 Ultra I was using. Granted, weve sort of seen this before, but this implementation feels much more streamlined and cohesive. You can also search for images in the Samsung Gallery app with your voice, while the enhanced natural language recognition applies to generally controlling the device as well. This means you can ask the phone to adjust specific settings like changing screen resolution, which is nice for anyone who doesnt feel like scrolling through a seemingly endless list of options. Other features Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget Lastly, some more niche improvements include support for logarithmic video capture (Galaxy Log) with exclusive look-up-tables. When watching movies or clips, Samsung is also borrowing some tech from its TV division to automatically upscale lower-res content. And for its Wallet app, the company is adding the ability to Buy now, pay later even when shopping at brick-and-mortar retailers or wirelessly transferring money to someone else just by tapping two devices together. However, the new Wallet features wont be available at launch (theyre coming sometime later) and they will only be available when using debit cards from Visa and Mastercard. After my short time with the S25 UItra, I came away with mixed feelings. Samsungs general approach to AI tools feels much more cohesive and easier to get into. But I still wonder how much value they really add and how much of a benefit they will provide on a day-to-day basis. The slightly curvier chassis makes the S25 Ultra fit in more with the rest of the lines design, but that feels like a minor change. I appreciate the new anti-reflective coating from Cornings Gorilla Armor 2 and Im happy to see a new sensor for the phones ultra-wide camera. But even so, Im left feeling like there are a handful of features Samsung could have given a little more attention to. Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget How about a bigger battery like the 6,000mAh pack in OnePlus 13 instead of the same 5,000mAh cell weve seen for several generations? Or what about something for the S Pen? And then theres Samsungs half-baked solution for supporting Qi2, which just seems a bit lazy. Dont get me wrong, the S25 Ultra still looks like a good phone and I like that Samsung hasnt bumped up its price for 2025. But at the same time, it seems like the biggest phone maker in the world could be doing more for its most expensive non-folding phone. Pre-orders for the Galaxy S25 Ultra are live now starting at $1,300 with official sales slated for February 7. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-s25-ultra-hands-on-faster-curvier-and-way-more-ai-ier-180054396.html?src=rss
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