We’re about to witness one of the most important launch events of the year: Galaxy Unpacked. Samsung holds multiple events throughout the year, the first one taking place on January 22, 2025. Are you curious about the devices that the company could unveil? Let’s have a look.
How to Watch the Galaxy Unpacked Event on January 22
You can watch the first Galaxy Unpacked event of the year on Samsung’s official YouTube channel. The event will commence on January 22, 2025, at 10 AM PT or 1 PM ET. As the company unveils products at the event, it will also upload several social media posts and press releases.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Series Will Steal the Show
Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24+
In the official invitation for the Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung talks about unveiling the “new Galaxy S series,” which almost certainly refers to the Galaxy S25 series. Over the past few months, the internet has been flooded with leaks and rumors surrounding the S25 series. However, I’ll just give you the gist of it.
Like every year, the Galaxy S25 series should consist of three smartphones: the vanilla Galaxy S25, the Galaxy S25 Plus (with a bigger screen), and the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The most recent leak about the smartphones comes from Android Headlines, which is mostly boring but a bit reassuring at the same time.
The boring bit is that the S25 series will borrow most of its specifications from the S24 series, including the screen size, camera sensors, battery size, and charging speed. It’s just the thickness and the wireless connectivity options that might improve. High-quality renders also suggest that the series will adopt more rounded corners (via Android Headlines).
The reassuring part is that all the phones should feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. For those who are catching up, the Snapdragon 8 Elite series offers a significant CPU and GPU performance boost compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. In addition, the processor will enhance the smartphones’ on-device AI processing abilities.
A New “Slim” Variant May Join the Family
We’ve also heard rumors about a Galaxy S25 Slim being in development. Most recently, folks at SmartPrix have got their hands on the S25 Slim’s renders, claiming that the phone will measure just 6.4mm in thickness. However, another leak from Setsuna Digital (via Weibo) claims that the S25 Slim won’t be available until May.
While releasing a super-thin Galaxy S smartphone will give Samsung the first-mover advantage over Apple’s rumored iPhone 17 Air, the company might be facing certain design-related challenges. Hence, we wouldn’t discard the rumor about the Galaxy S25 Slim’s delay.
In my opinion, the company could showcase the smartphone at the Galaxy Unpacked event, but it might not release it until later this year—either way, I expect at least three smartphones at the Galaxy Unpacked event.
One UI 7.0 And New Galaxy AI Features
In October 2024, Samsung confirmed that the One UI 7 update (based on Android 15) would be included with the new Galaxy S series smartphones. The company then rolled out One UI 7’s beta version for Galaxy S24 users. However, its stable version should debut with the Galaxy S25 series.
One UI 7 should come with a handful of new features, including redesigned app icons, new home screen customization options, a revamped battery indicator, improved dark mode icons, smoother animations, and a redesigned Camera app.
Last but not least, the upcoming software update will offer more “mobile AI experiences,” or, in other words, new Galaxy AI features. “The next evolution of Galaxy AI is coming, and it’s going to change the way you interact with the world every day,” the company writes in its Galaxy Unpacked invitation post.
While there are no particular leaks about any new Galaxy AI features, the Galaxy S25 series will feature deeper AI integration. The technology should also get better at understanding natural language, making it easier for users to interact with it regularly.
Samsung Might Unveil the Galaxy Ring 2
A recent DigiTimes Asia report suggests that the Galaxy Unpacked event might witness the launch of Galaxy Ring 2. Expected upgrades include more accurate measurement for better health tracking, along with new AI-based features.
The Galaxy Ring 2 could also offer better battery life and come in two new sizes, but that is the extent of information on the device. Given that the Korean tech giant released the first-generation Galaxy Ring in July 2024 after teasing it at the January Unpacked event, I believe it could do the same this year.
Will Samsung Tease Its First AR And MR Glasses?
The report also mentions that Samsung’s first AR glasses could debut at the Galaxy Unpacked event. Resembling the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, Samsung’s AR glasses will feature a lightweight frame (rumored to weigh 50 grams) and advanced chips that can facilitate the AI assistant Gemini.
In December 2024, Samsung confirmed via a newsroom post that it is collaborating with Google and Qualcomm to create the Android XR platform, and Samsung’s first mixed-reality headset will feature it. Codenamed “Project Moohan,” the headset will come with “state-of-the-art displays, Passthrough capabilities, and natural multi-modal input” support.
As and when it arrives, the mixed-reality headset will be Samsung’s reply to Apple’s Vision Pro, one of the most advanced (and, not to mention the most expensive) headsets ever. However, the probability of the glasses and headset being teased at the Galaxy Unpacked event is higher than their official release and public availability.
It looks like the January Galaxy Unpacked event will be full of surprises. Samsung has managed to keep details about Galaxy AI, Galaxy Ring 2, smart glasses, and headset under wraps. Hence, whatever teeny-tiny glimpse we get at the event will be enough to make headlines.