The Galaxy S25 Countdown Begins: What to Expect During the Samsung Unpacked Event and How to Watch

New year, new phones. Samsung is ready to unveil its newest lineup of smartphones during its winter Unpacked event. It’s just two days away, and there’s a slew of announcements to look forward to. In particular, we’re looking to see the debut of the Galaxy S25, as well as additional expansions and updates for Galaxy AI. 

Samsung sent out invites for the event in early January, teasing what’s to come. Here’s everything to know about the upcoming keynote presentation, including how to tune in and how to save on your S25 preorder.

How to watch Samsung Unpacked 2025

Samsung Unpacked takes place this week on Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET). It’ll be held in San Jose, but you can also catch a livestream on Samsung.com, Samsung Newsroom and Samsung’s YouTube channel. CNET will also be hosting a live show, during which you can follow along with our experts. 

Samsung typically hosts Unpacked twice a year: once in January or February, during which it unveils the latest Galaxy S lineup, and again in the summer, when it debuts the next version of its foldables. Last year, it hosted its July Unpacked event in Paris, just ahead of the Summer Olympics, and unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6. There was also, not surprisingly, a big focus on Galaxy AI.

What can we expect with the Galaxy S25?

We’re expecting three devices: the baseline Galaxy S25, the S25 Plus and the S25 Ultra. All three devices could have a more rounded design, similar to Google’s Pixel phones, according to leaker Ice Universe.

Korean site Hankyung has also reported that all three Galaxy S25 devices will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processor. There’s also hope that all phones will support Qi2 wireless charging. Additionally, analyst Ross Young has shared a list of rumored colors for the latest Galaxy S lineup, which includes silver, blue, and mint.

The S25 Ultra is rumored to have a 6.9-inch display and a new 50-megapixel ultrawide camera, according to several leaks.

There have been rumors floating around about a slimmer version of the S25, with a tipster flagging an entry for the Galaxy S25 Slim on Geekbench. This coincides with rumors about a thinner version of the iPhone that could drop later this year, but it’s not clear if or when either of these devices could actually become available. If the Galaxy S25 Slim is real, it may be a while before we see it out in the real world. 

And finally, there have been conflicting rumors over whether the S25 series will cost the same as last year’s lineup or get a price hike, so we’ll just have to see what’s in store.

Watch this: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2025: Everything to Expect

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What’s next for Galaxy AI?

One of the key focuses of Samsung’s January Unpacked invite is, not surprisingly, AI. 

The company notes, “The next evolution of Galaxy AI is coming and it’s going to change the way you interact with the world every day. The new Galaxy S series is about to set the bar once again for mobile AI experiences now and into the future.”

Samsung says the next iteration of Galaxy AI will be more natural and intuitive, and that the latest Galaxy S series will again lean into mobile AI advancements. This could include an update to the Bixby virtual assistant, especially in light of Apple supercharging Siri to be more conversational and helpful to users. 

AI has been a key focus for every big phone-maker, from Samsung to Apple to Google, over the last few years. From helping users draft text messages to summarizing emails to simplifying photo editing, these companies have championed mobile AI as a way to make your life easier. So far, the advancements have arrived to lukewarm reception, as a CNET survey in August last year found that a quarter of smartphone owners don’t find AI features helpful. That could change as phone-makers continue to tweak their offerings to better suit what people want, and as consumers become accustomed to the proliferation of AI-backed features across their devices. 

Will there be any other hardware — or surprises?

If there’s one thing about a tech event, it’s that there’s usually some sort of surprise or tease to an upcoming launch. After all, last year’s January Unpacked event is where we got a first look at the Galaxy Ring, which eventually came out in July. It’s possible we could get a peek at the next generation of the device, which could feature upgrades like more accurate sensors and longer battery life. But given how relatively new the ring is, we’d likely have to wait a while before that next version becomes available.

Mixed reality could also make an appearance. Samsung unveiled its Project Moohan headset in December, which the company plans to launch later this year. So it’s possible we could get an update on where things stand there.

How to save on the Galaxy S25

Ahead of this year’s January Unpacked event, Samsung is offering customers a $50 credit toward the latest Galaxy device during preorders. You can also get up to $900 in additional credit for trading in an eligible device, the company says, as well as another $300 instant credit by reserving and preordering. The offer lasts through Jan. 22 and can be found here. 

CNET, as always, will be on the ground covering Unpacked on Wednesday, Jan. 22.