Our Samsung Galaxy Unpacked reside protection could have wrapped up, however we’re nonetheless feeling the thrill of seeing the brand new Samsung Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, S25 Ultra, and all-new S25 Edge revealed unto the world.
The new flagship Galaxy lineup brings with it a handful of upgrades for every of the three fashions, with elevated RAM, new AI instruments, and the blazing-fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset.
One of the upgrades that caught my eye throughout the livestream was the announcement of a brand new storage tier for the baseline S25, which now is available in a 512GB storage possibility along with the prevailing 128GB and 256GB variants – however, for some motive, not within the US.
The 512GB storage tier was beforehand restricted to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus and S24 Ultra. But this small change offers UK and Australia-based prospects much more flexibility relating to discovering the appropriate sizing and storage capability for them.
The S25 Plus measures 6.7 inches diagonally, so getting extra storage beforehand meant selecting up a somewhat massive cellphone. Keen photographers, avid gamers, or long-term customers preferring a smaller Galaxy cellphone now have the choice of carrying round half a terabyte of storage within the type of the 6.2-inch S25.
At £959 / AU$1,599, I truly suppose this excessive capability handset may be very fairly priced. It actually undercuts the 512GB mannequin of the iPhone 16, which is available in at a hefty $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,949. Overall, a really pro-consumer selection – good job, Samsung.
However, a part of me thinks Samsung may have gone a bit additional with this yr’s baseline Galaxy flagship relating to storage. Though it could appear loopy to say to these of us who can bear in mind the times of 16GB being the default, I feel we’re getting near the logical finish of the 128GB default.
With generative AI providing new methods to create various kinds of content material, and cellphone makers persevering with to deal with high-resolution cellular images, customers have extra methods to refill their storage than ever earlier than. This, mixed with the deflation of part costs over time ought to, in my view, spell the top of 128GB flagships sooner somewhat than later.
Though nonetheless sufficient house for mild to medium customers, the baseline S25’s 128GB storage possibility now stands out like a sore thumb within the firm’s lineup. I’d like to have seen Samsung push ahead and break this normal earlier than it turns into noticeably outdated.
Of the ‘huge three’ cellphone makers – Apple, Samsung, and Google – Samsung is particularly famend for becoming its telephones with high-spec parts. The next normal storage would’ve given the S25 an edge over the Pixel 9 and iPhone 16, each of which sport 128GB as normal and each of which received’t be upgraded till a lot later within the yr.
Still, I’m proud of the lineup we’ve received – as talked about, this is without doubt one of the most competitively priced baseline flagships in the marketplace, and if elevating the usual storage tier would incur a worth hike then maybe protecting it regular was the appropriate transfer. And those that pre-order an S25-series cellphone get a storage improve on the home anyway, doubling your storage for no additional price.
Our Samsung Galaxy Unpacked reside weblog is winding down, however for a rundown of the occasions make sure to take a look at our Samsung Galaxy Unpacked recap. And for our preliminary impressions of the brand new Galaxy telephones, make sure to take a look at our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S25 overview, hands-on Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus overview, and hands-on Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra overview.
