Samsung Galaxy S25 launch officially set for January 22 at Unpacked — and pre-order reservation deals are live

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Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2025 invitation with January 22 date and ai graphic
(Image credit: Samsung)

In just a little more than two weeks, we'll be able to get our first official look at the new Galaxy S25 phones as well as the latest AI features Samsung is adding to its flagships. But if you don't want to wait until then, you can reserve a spot to preorder any of the Galaxy S25 models.

Samsung announced its Galaxy Unpacked 2025 event will take place on Wednesday, January 22, with a live event happening in San Jose, California. Samsung plans to live stream Unpacked starting at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. GMT. The live stream will be available both on the Samsung website as well as the tech giant's YouTube channel.

The invitation doesn't explicitly mention the Galaxy S25, but it does refer to "the new Galaxy S series." Additionally, the imagery on the invitation does give us a pretty good idea of what Samsung plans to focus on at the event — there's a larger version of the icon Samsung uses to denote Galaxy AI capabilities on its mobile devices.

Galaxy AI figures to be a major focus of Samsung's phones this year, after the company rolled out initial AI capabilities in the 2024 Galaxy S24 launch. Among the rumored additions to the Galaxy S25 is a smarter version of the Bixby personal assistant that makes it more aware of context.

Here's what we know about the January 22 Unpacked event, along with offer Samsung is making to encourage people to reserve their preorder on anything announced at Unpacked.

Samsung Galaxy S25 reserve offer

Starting right now, Samsung is letting people register to pre-order any Galaxy devices announced at its January 22 Unpacked event. If you sign up either at the Samsung website or through the Shop Samsung app, you can get a $50 credit toward a Samsung device once pre-orders start. You'll also be entered in a drawing for a $5,000 Samsung gift card.

Additionally, Samsung is promising a $300 instant credit when you reserve and pre-order a device announced on January 22. And trading in your current device can fetch up to $900 in credit, depending on the device and its condition.

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What we're expecting at Galaxy Unpacked 2025

Samsung Galaxy S25 render

(Image credit: OnLeaks)

Clearly, Galaxy Unpacked 2025 will focus on new Galaxy S25 phones and AI features when the event gets underway January 22. We're expecting to see three models — the standard S25 along with a Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 Ultra. The Ultra should be the premium model in Samsung's lineup, potentially seeing the most substantial camera changes. Rumors point to a higher-resolution ultrawide camera on the Ultra along with an improved telephoto lens with a variable aperture for smoother zooms.

Other Galaxy S25 rumors indicate that all three phones will feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. The new silicon from Qualcomm promises improvements to both performance and power management, and it should be equipped to handle any AI additions Samsung has planned.

Samsung has already indicated that One UI 7, its updated software interface based on Android 15, will debut with the Galaxy S25. The software became available as a beta back in December.

Phones should certainly be the focus later this month, but if past Unpacked events are any indication, the Galaxy S25 won't be the only hardware to make an appearance. Here are some other possibilities.

Galaxy S25 Slim

Samsung is reportedly working on a slimmer version of the Galaxy S25, with an eye toward making the phone as thin as a Galaxy Z Fold when it's opened. That would be around 5.6mm based on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 released last summer.

We're not expecting the Galaxy S25 Slim to ship alongside the rest of the Galaxy S25 lineup, as rumors have that device coming out later in the first half of 2025. Instead, Samsung might use Unpacked as an opportunity to preview the new, thinner model.

Galaxy Ring 2

Samsung Galaxy Rings

(Image credit: Samsung)

Speaking of preview, last January's Unpacked event included a sneak peak of the Galaxy Ring ahead of the smart ring's launch midway through 2024. It's too soon for Samsung to release a follow-up, but given the company's focus on health tracking and the possibility of AI-powered wellness features, a Galaxy Ring 2 preview might be in the cards as well. Rumors are suggesting the Galaxy Ring 2 will be thinner and last longer on a charge, regarding of any new health monitoring capabilities.

Project Moohan headset

Project Moohan headset developed by samsung for Android XR

(Image credit: Samsung)

Samsung ended 2024 by announcing plans to release a mixed-reality headset this year. Code-named Project Moohan — that's "infinity" in Korean — the headset results from a joint effort between Samsung, Qualcomm and Android. It will run on the newly unveiled Android XR platform developed for headsets and smart glasses.

Apart from the code name, platform and 2025 launch window, we don't know a lot about Samsung's headset. It's powered by Snapdragon XR Plus Gen 2 silicon, with support for up to 4.3K resolution in each eye. Announcing Project Moohan, Samsung promised "state-of-the-art displays, Passthrough capabilities and natural multi-modal input."

We're almost certain that the headset figures into Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked plans, though it's unclear if we'll just be treated to a preview with a promise of a future release or a full launch date. We should find out in two weeks time.

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Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.

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