Galaxy Unpacked 2025 to Be Held in San Jose, USA
'Now Bar' AI Feature Enhances Personalization
Will There Be a Surprise Event... Slim and XR Devices as Possible Candidates
Samsung Electronics will hold ‘Galaxy Unpacked 2025’ at 3 a.m. on the 23rd (10 a.m. on the 22nd local time) in San Jose, USA, and unveil the Galaxy S25 series. This time, the products announced are the second S series with artificial intelligence (AI) features: the standard, Plus, and Ultra versions of the ‘Galaxy S25.’ Last year, Samsung Electronics introduced the world’s first AI phone with the launch of the Galaxy S24 series. The AI features of the upcoming ‘Galaxy S25 series’ are expected to be further enhanced.
According to related industries on the 20th, the new AI feature included in this product is the ‘Now Bar.’ The Now Bar helps users by displaying and allowing immediate access to necessary maps, notifications, translation functions, music, and videos directly on the lock screen without having to unlock the phone and open multiple applications (apps). It is characterized by enhanced convenience based on user experience.
For example, if a user has entered an overseas travel schedule on their phone, the Now Bar function automatically displays on the lock screen when to leave to get to the airport on time, the traffic conditions, and even music that matches the weather at the travel destination. The Now Bar operates within Samsung Electronics’ AI integrated operating system, ‘One UI 7.’
The exterior will also be somewhat different. According to foreign media and IT tipsters, the Galaxy S25 series, including the standard, Plus, and Ultra models, is expected to be released with rounded corners. In the past Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S23 series, the Ultra model, which is the highest specification, featured squared corners.
Regarding the rear cameras, the standard and Plus models will include a 50-megapixel wide-angle lens, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens (optical 3x zoom). The Ultra model will be equipped with a 200-megapixel wide-angle lens, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, a 10-megapixel telephoto lens (optical 3x zoom), and a 50-megapixel telephoto lens (optical 5x zoom). The front camera is the same 12-megapixel for all three models. The battery capacity remains the same as the previous generation. All three models will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip as the application processor (AP).
While predictions suggest that a price increase is inevitable due to rising component costs and exchange rate issues, the price for the 256GB version is expected to remain unchanged, with a slight increase for the 512GB version. The previous Galaxy S24 series’ 256GB retail prices were 1,155,000 KRW for the standard model, 1,353,000 KRW for the Plus, and 1,698,400 KRW for the Ultra. For the 512GB versions, the prices were 1,298,000 KRW, 1,496,000 KRW, and 1,841,400 KRW, respectively.
A ‘surprise event’ at Galaxy Unpacked 2025 is also a point of interest. Candidates for surprise reveals include the ‘Galaxy S25 Slim’ and the immersive extended reality (XR) device ‘Muhan.’ Industry insiders expect Samsung Electronics to release the Galaxy S25 Slim, the first thin version among the S series, in the second quarter. Muhan has been officially announced by Samsung for release next year. At Galaxy Unpacked 2024 held in the first half of last year, the ‘Galaxy Ring’ made a surprise appearance in a teaser video. The Galaxy Ring was officially released in the second half of the same year.
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