Samsung Galaxy S25 release date rumors — here’s when we expect the big launch

Next to the release of a new iPhone, the Samsung Galaxy S25 release date is arguably one of the biggest in the smartphone release calendar. Even if you’re not interested in buying Samsung’s next flagship, you’ll probably be interested in seeing what’s on offer and how it compares to the other best Android phones.

Moreso than previous generations, the Samsung Galaxy S25 may draw extra interest, not just because of Samsung's ongoing efforts with Galaxy AI, but also thanks to the fact the entire lineup is expected to run on a Samsung-exclusive version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. Considering early benchmarking scores show the chip will offer an incredible performance boost, we can’t wait to see what the overclocked “for Galaxy” variant can accomplish.

On top of that, the Galaxy S25 series is expected to adopt an iPhone-inspired design, with curved edges instead of harsh right angles, and possibly even satellite connectivity so you can stay in touch with your contacts (or emergency services) regardless of whether you have cell service or not.

The Galaxy S25 likely won’t be arriving until the early part of 2025. And while we don’t have a guaranteed release date yet, there are a few factors we can utilize to guess when the phone will be on sale and in the hands of Galaxy users. So we can make a pretty good guess.

Here’s our best guess as to when the Samsung Galaxy S25 release date will be. That way you can decide whether you want to upgrade your existing phone now, or if you can hold out for a little longer to pick up something brand new.

Samsung Galaxy S25 release date: When does Samsung release new phones?

Samsung is a creature of habit, and while some of the specific dates have changed over the years, it still manages to release its flagship phones on a pretty consistent schedule. The first Galaxy Unpacked of the year happens either at the end of January or early-to-mid February, and this focuses on the new Galaxy S series phones.

Meanwhile a second Galaxy Unpacked usually takes place in late summer, though the specific dates and windows tend to bounce around a lot more from year to year. These were previously reserved for new Galaxy Note phablets, but have since been co-opted by the Samsung Galaxy Z series of foldables. In this case, though, we’re more focussed on the first Galaxy Unpacked of the year.

If we look at Samsung’s Galaxy S release date schedule going back the last five generations, things are a little bit inconsistent. But we can get an idea of what Samsung likes to do from this data, and try to figure out the launch date from there.

The first thing to note is that Samsung typically takes just over two weeks between the Galaxy Unpacked launch event and the official release day — preferring to release those phones on a Friday. There are some discrepancies to that trend: The Galaxy S20 took almost a month to be released, though it still stuck with the Friday release day.

The good news is that Samsung rarely, if ever, separates the release of the core Galaxy S range. The cheaper Fan Edition phones typically arrive much later, but we should still see the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 Ultra land on the same day. The rumored Galaxy S25 Slim might be a different story, but we’ll have to wait and see how that plays out.

Samsung Galaxy S25 release date: What the rumors say

With the Galaxy S24 we heard a bunch of rumors claiming that Samsung would be launching the phone early, in an attempt to steal some attention away from iPhone 15. Aside from Galaxy Unpacked happening in mid-January, which had already happened with Galaxy S21, there wasn’t anything particularly unusual about the S24’s release.

So far Samsung hasn’t confirmed when Galaxy Unpacked 2025 will be happening, but reports out of South Korea claim the event is scheduled to take place on January 23. That lands right in the middle of the last few launch windows, and while not particularly early in the year it’s not like we have to wait very long to see the Galaxy S25 in person. Assuming those reports are accurate, of course.

Samsung Galaxy S25 release date: What we think

We’re inclined to believe that the January 23 date is accurate. Not just because it matches up with Unpacked events of the past, but also because it gives an ample amount of breathing room between Unpacked and CES 2025, which ends on January 10.

In the past Samsung has used big tech shows as a launchpad for new smartphones, but the last time this happened was the launch of the Galaxy S9 in 2018 — which took place at MWC in Barcelona. Since then, Samsung has used Unpacked events for launching new hardware, likely to avoid having to share the spotlight with other companies and products.

January 23 is far enough away from CES and MWC that Samsung can more or less claim the spotlight for itself. If this date ends up being the correct one then the Galaxy S25 release date will likely follow around 2 weeks later — on February 6 of 7. Which day it is will likely depend on whether Samsung wants to adopt a 2 week launch-to-release timeline going forwards, or if it wants to shift back to releasing new Galaxy flagships on Fridays.

Honestly, it could easily be either of those days, but it’s not like the single day’s difference will matter too much. It still gives people plenty of time to pre-order the Galaxy S25 after Unpacked and take advantage of any pre-order bonuses that Samsung and phone carriers may be offering.

Samsung Galaxy S25 release date: Outlook

Until we hear otherwise, it seems pretty likely that Galaxy Unpacked is scheduled to take place on January 23. While that is a guess, it definitely fits with what Samsung has done the past few years — and that means the Galaxy S25 should be arriving two weeks later.

Things could still change, especially if Samsung either reschedules or announces a totally different date for Galaxy Unpacked. But for the time being, we expect that the Galaxy S25 should be in your hands on either February 6 or February 7.

More from Tom's Guide

• Samsung Galaxy S25 benchmarks just leaked — Snapdragon 8 Elite's performance has me worried
• Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim — everything we know so far
• Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: Which flagship will win?