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Mr. Trump had claimed the A.I. announcement as an early trophy, taking credit for the companies’ decision to spend up to $500 billion building data centers.

The NFL is sticking to its guns about how its team members use social media — namely, by keeping teams off of X competitor Bluesky.

This tidbit comes courtesy of the sports media site Awful Announcing, which caught an exchange on Patriots Unfiltered. In response to a fan suggestion that the team expand its social media footprint to Bluesky, Patriots VP of content Fred Kirsch revealed that "right now we’re not allowed to."

SEE ALSO: Reddit sports mods, users calling for a ban on X links in posts

Kirsch explained that while the Patriots had briefly tested the waters on Bluesky, "the league asked us to take it down because it’s not an approved social media platform for the NFL yet," he said.

Bluesky, now boasting over 28 million users, has emerged as a leading alternative to X in the wake of Elon Musk’s and Mark Zuckerberg’s apparent shifts toward far-right politics. Sports teams are increasingly exploring life beyond X, with Bundesliga clubs like FC St. Pauli taking the leap as early as November, following the U.S. presidential election.

More recently, several major sports-focused subreddits have floated the idea of banning X links entirely, even though much of their content relies heavily on posts from the platform. At the same time, prominent sports journalists and media personalities have started building active presences on Bluesky, making X’s role as a go-to hub for sports fans feel increasingly redundant.

As for the NFL's presence on Bluesky? It’s basically nonexistent. The league maintains active partnerships with Meta and X, and despite the wave of sports fans and media personalities migrating to Bluesky, the NFL has yet to follow suit. The decision seems to stem less from ideological alignment with Musk or Zuckerberg and more from the league's business interests and active brand partnerships with both platforms.

An NFL spokesperson did not immediately respond to our request for comment.

That said, a handful of NFL teams appear to have a foothold on Bluesky — kind of. The Detroit Lions (53.8k followers at the time of publication), New York Giants (13.5k), Minnesota Vikings (22.7k), and Philadelphia Eagles (50.6k) all have accounts that look legitimate. But based on Patriots VP Fred Kirsch’s recent comments, these accounts are likely fan-run, as they’re unverified and unofficial.

Samsung spent the bulk of its Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event this year talking about its brand-new AI features. In fact, it took about 30 minutes into the presentation to get to the new S25 line of smartphones before the company once again pivoted to the new AI features packed into the phone.

However, no matter how hard Samsung tried, the thing everyone is buzzing about from Unpacked isn't AI but a surprise Samsung tucked away at the very end of the event: the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.

We don't know much about the new ultra-slim smartphone from Samsung officially. Samsung only showed a short teaser video that provided zero information about the Galaxy S25 Edge.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2025 live blog: Galaxy S25 series, AI tools, and more

However, rumors have been spreading about a super slim smartphone from Samsung. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is rumored to be only 6.4mm thick. That's really thin. It would be the thinnest Galaxy smartphone so far.

It's unclear if there are any differences between the S25 Edge and the other S25 models' capabilities that can be attributed to the S25 Edge's thinness. Being that it is part of the S25 series, we assume it'll be able to handle all the AI capabilities that the rest of the line was built for.

SEE ALSO: Samsung briefly teased XR headset 'Project Moohan' at Galaxy Unpacked

While the newly announced Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra models are all open for pre-order starting today and have a Feb. 7 release, the S25 Edge has no such launch date slated. The word is that Samsung is aiming for a release later this year for the S25 Edge, possibly in May 2025.

The only thing we can confirm from Samsung directly is what they showed in that short teaser video at the end of Unpacked. And the message we got from that is that the S25 Edge is indeed svelte.

On his first day in office, President Donald Trump issued executive orders that transgender rights activists described as "hateful."

Invoking biological definitions of sex that are contested, one order effectively argues that "trans-ness is not real," and directs federal agencies to change their policies accordingly, said Chase Strangio, co-director of the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Project, in a media briefing Tuesday.

He noted that the State Department, which issues passports, had already removed existing directions for how to update one's sex designation on a passport. During the Biden administration, the department began issuing passports with an X gender marker, and did not require applicants to submit medical certification to change their gender marker on the document. (A Trump administration spokesperson told The Washington Blade that current passports with an X marker would not be invalidated.)

SEE ALSO: All LGBTQ pages already deleted from White House website

Strangio said other real world implications of the order would become clear once federal agencies enacted new policies. Advocates are concerned that the order could be fear-reaching, and potentially devastating, affecting access to health care, protection from discrimination, and safety in school environments, among other things.

Additionally, Trump rescinded two executive orders, both signed by President Biden, that lifted the ban on transgender service members, and attempted to address discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex individuals.

"We see these executive orders for what they are—an attempt by hateful extremists to make it impossible for us to participate in public life," Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, executive director of Advocates for Trans Equality, said in a statement.

Heng-Lehtinen said that many of Trump's executive orders cannot go into effect immediately, and that the organization would closely monitor their implementation.

"We will use every resource at our disposal, from Capitol Hill to the courts, to hold the line against these attacks," Heng-Lehtinen said.

The ACLU and Lambda Legal also plan to mount legal challenges to Trump administration policies that implement the orders.

For transgender people worried about what happens next, Advocates for Trans Equality and GLAAD shared with Mashable a list of resources they can consult:

Legal Guides

• Trans Legal Survival Guide, published by Advocates for Trans Equality. This 17-page report provides guidance on how to conduct a "legal checkup" for readers. Though it is not legal advice, it offers tips on planning for health care decisions, updating legal identification and documentation, and finding legal help.

• Protecting Your LGBTQ+ Marriage and Family, published by COLAGE, Family Equality, GLAD Law, Movement Advancement Project, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, this resource guide provides information about existing legal protections for LGBTQ+ families.

• Keeping LGBTQ Families Safe: Recommendations and Best Practices, published by GLAAD. These "commonsense" tips are aimed at helping LGBTQ families and people can ensure that their "identities, families, and wishes are legally clear and respected."

Crisis Lines

• Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860

• National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988

• Trevor Project: 866-488-7386

• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

PREORDER BONUS ALERT: As of Jan. 22, shoppers who preorder an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S25 series smartphone from Amazon or Best Buy (starting at $799.99) will receive a free gift card worth $50 to $200, depending on the model.

Quick links: Amazon Samsung Galaxy S25 (128GB) $799.99 + free $100 Amazon gift card Pre-Order Here Amazon Samsung Galaxy S25+ (256GB) $999.99 + free $100 Amazon gift card Pre-Order Here Amazon Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (256GB) $1,299.99 + free $200 Amazon gift card Pre-Order Here Best Buy Samsung Galaxy S25 (128GB) $799.99 + free $50 Best Buy gift card and 1-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership Pre-Order Here Best Buy Samsung Galaxy S25+ (256GB) $999.99 + free $100 Best Buy gift card and 1-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership Pre-Order Here Best Buy Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (256GB) $1,299.99 + free $200 Best Buy gift card and 1-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership Pre-Order Here

Almost as soon as Samsung announced them during its Galaxy Unpacked livestream, the new Galaxy S25 series smartphones went up for preorder on Wednesday (Jan. 22). Several major phone carriers are giving them away for cheap or free, provided you trade in an older phone and/or sign up for a new line first. But for shoppers who prefer an unlocked device with no strings attached, two retailers are offering hefty preorder bonuses in the form of free gift cards.

Reserve an unlocked Galaxy S25, S25+, or S25 Ultra through Amazon or Best Buy ahead of the series' formal launch on Feb. 7, and you'll receive a gift card worth up to $200 that you can put toward a future purchase there. (A phone case, perhaps: Best Buy has select Galaxy S25 cases on sale for half off.) Best Buy's offer further includes a free one-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership worth $19.99, for those who want to give mobile gaming a shot.

SEE ALSO: Every Samsung Galaxy Unpacked announcement, including S25 phones

If you're planning on buying the 1TB configuration of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, though, reserve it directly through Samsung's website instead: It was randomly on sale for $240 off there at the time of writing.

Starting at $799.99, $999.99, and $1,299.99, respectively, the Galaxy S25, S25+, or S25 Ultra are priced the same as their Galaxy S24 series counterparts from early 2024. That's not the only thing they have in common with their predecessors: Their storage configurations, batteries, displays, and camera setups are mostly identical, save for a couple small tweaks in the higher-end S25+ and S25 Ultra variants. (Both have new "ProScaler" display technology for a bump in image quality, for example, while the latter has a new 50MP ultrawide camera sensor and a Corning Gorilla Armor 2 screen.)

Anyone coming from a Galaxy S24 phone (or even a Galaxy S23 model) is mainly getting more RAM, a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor that's probably faster, and a slew of new agentic AI software features. That's our initial take on the Galaxy S25 series, at least — keep an eye out for Mashable's forthcoming reviews of all three phones.

The 6.2-inch Galaxy S25 and the 6.7-inch Galaxy S25+ both come in navy, mint, icy blue, and silver shadow finishes, while the 6.9-inch Galaxy Ultra is available in titanium black, titanium blue, titanium gray, and titanium silver.

The utility, Santee Cooper, is trying to sell two nuclear reactors that it abandoned in 2017 as tech companies seek new sources of electricity for data centers.

A boycott of links to Mr. Musk’s social media platform spread on Reddit this week, after he made a gesture that some likened to a Nazi salute. Others worried about censorship.

A massive winter storm is blanketing large swaths of the Southern U.S. in snow and ice, leaving millions eager to track its path and prepare for what’s ahead. With warnings stretching across multiple states, from Florida to Texas, keeping tabs on the storm’s movement has become essential.

SEE ALSO: Florida snow looks otherworldly. See the wildest photos on social media from the winter storm How to see online if more snow is heading your way

Tools like the National Weather Service’s interactive snow maps and Windy.com’s real-time rain and snow tracking feature make it easy to see if more snow is in the forecast.

These platforms offer essential information, from snowfall predictions to wind patterns, helping residents stay informed and ready.

The National Weather Service offers detailed storm data, including state-specific warnings and localized snowfall totals, through its website and mobile app. Meanwhile, Windy.com provides an intuitive weather map that overlays rain, snow, and wind conditions for a comprehensive view of the storm’s impact.

In the first 28 hours of Trump's second term, the president rescinded the climate conscious Green New Deal, shut down the vital CBP One app used by undocumented migrants, accidentally declared that all Americans are female, and removed all LGBTQ-related content and pages from the White House website.

Representatives and advocates have pointed out another major casualty in Trump's executive-order driven, DOGE-led streamlining: The Office of Gun Violence Prevention.

The inter-agency office's website — which now displays a 404 error — was quietly pulled on Jan. 21, shortly after the new president finished signing a long list of executive orders repealing Biden administration declarations. The office was established by Biden in 2023, under the landmark Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and overseen by former Vice President Kamala Harris.

SEE ALSO: The Stargate Project: Trump and OpenAI announce $500 billion AI venture

"We fought for years to make this office a reality and lives were saved because of it," wrote Democratic Florida congressman (and resident Gen Z member) Maxwell Frost. "Stay tuned because we’re not giving up on this. Trump might be okay with dissolving a life-saving office but the people aren’t."

Many online ironically referenced the office's apparent shuttering in light of the nation's most recent mass shooting, in which at least one student was killed at Antioch High School in Nashville, Tennessee on the morning of Jan. 22. In response to the outrage, others argued the office's mandates could be subsumed under the Department of Justice, part of its previous mandate.

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National gun violence prevention organizations also cried out against the website's demise. Brady, formerly known as Brady United and the the nation’s oldest gun violence prevention organization, issued a statement articulating the potential impact of losing the office and its mandates. "While gun violence in the U.S. surged under President Trump’s first term, the creation of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention led a cross-agency public health approach to preventing gun violence," the organization wrote. "This contributed to a significant drop in the proliferation of unserialized and untraceable ghost guns, the largest-ever decrease in the homicide rate, and historic funding for Community Violence Intervention (CVI) programs."

Brady president Kris Brown wrote: "The White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention wasn’t about politics – it was about strengthening the government’s ability to protect Americans (more than 300 of whom are shot every single day) from guns. By shuttering it, Trump is putting the interests of the gun lobby above our kids, our communities, and our country. Trump can claim he will 'make America safe again.' But these words are empty without action on guns. Trump’s decision today – coupled with the release of gun-wielding domestic terrorists back on our streets – will make all of us less safe."

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Taking to X, youth-led gun violence prevention organization March For Our Lives added: "This is what happens when you abandon progress. People will die."

Alright, Samsung fans. Strap on in because this year's Samsung Galaxy Unpacked was a ride.

Samsung delivered at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2025, with a multitude of big announcements. Of course, there were the mobile announcements regarding the next generation Galaxy S25 line of smartphones – but we also saw AI take the spotlight and even some surprises. 

Here's everything you need to know about this year's Samsung Galaxy Unpacked.

Samsung Galaxy S25 series

Say "hello" to the Samsung Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra. 

The new Galaxy S25 line was officially launched at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked today. However, it took Samsung a long time to get to the main event. Unlike previous events where the latest smartphones kicked things off, it took 30 minutes for Samsung to start talking about the S25 and a whole hour to eventually even show off the S25 line. 

SEE ALSO: Where to preorder Samsung's new Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra smartphones

Anyway, the new phones are officially available for pre-order and will be on the market in just a few short weeks on February 7.

The biggest upgrade on these new Galaxy smartphones? That's easy. It's the Qualcomm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip that powers the S25 line. This chipset was designed to handle intense processes required by Samsung's newest and latest AI features. It'll also be a boon for gamers looking for a smooth mobile gaming experience. According to Samsung, the S25 line will receive a 40 percent NPU boost when compared to its predecessor.

Samsung also highlighted its ProScaler display technology found in the S25 line which reduces noise and enhances images and videos on the screen.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy S25 vs S24: Comparing price, specs and features

After its chipset, the next biggest S25 series upgrade is likely its camera capabilities. The S25 models have an upgraded 50MP ultrawide camera sensor, which is a leap above the 12MP ultrawide camera found in its predecessor. The line also features Galaxy's next-generation ProVisual Engine for superior camera range and control as well as a new virtual aperture. 

Samsung also announced log video shooting, the ability to create photo filters based on the color profile of existing photos, and an AI-powered noise detection feature to provide automatic audio corrections to video shot on the phone.

One UI 7

While it's been in beta for a bit, Samsung has now given its custom interface built on Android an official release.

"Our most personalized interface" is how Samsung described it.

And the big draw for One UI 7? All the AI features packed into it such as AI agents.

Galaxy AI

AI might steal the headlines out of Samsung Unpacked. And Samsung certainly made sure of it.

Surprisingly, Samsung began Unpacked with its AI announcements, bumping the usual smartphones announcement back to much later in the show.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy AI adds agentic features. What it will do for you.

AI agents with multimodal capabilities played a leading role in Samsung's AI announcements. These AI agents enable its new Galaxy S25 line to interpret text, speech, images and videos for wholly immersive interaction.

Samsung kicked things off by talking about its AI integrated platform and showcased its partnership with Google in integrating its AI model Gemini to provide AI agent features. Google showcased screen sharing and live video sharing capabilities with Google Gemini, allowing users to talk with AI agents regarding the content in screenshots and livestreams.

Thanks to Google Gemini integrations, users can have live conversations about specific photos, videos, websites, and more with AI. Samsung showed off an example of Google Gemini giving photography advice based on a photo that the user took.

Google Gemini will be accessible with the touch of a button on the S25 line. Gemini will also be able to connect with Samsung apps like calendar and clock.

Speaking of Google, Samsung also demonstrated new Circle to Search capabilities like how it can now automatically identify phone numbers, web addresses, music being played, and more.

Samsung also shared that generative AI works like AI-generated photos will be watermarked and its metadata will signal that the piece was created by AI.

Galaxy AI: Personal Data Engine

Probably the biggest AI-related feature is the Personal Data Engine that enables personalized AI services that live locally on device and not in the cloud. Samsung came back to this multiple times and cited it as powering many of its new AI features.

For example, Samsung debuted Now Brief, a personalized AI-powered lock screen page with notifications, news, and reminders for the day ahead. The Now Bar located at the bottom of the screen provides real-time updates throughout the day. Galaxy AI is able to do this thanks to the personal data engine, which allows Samsung to tailor features for the individual user while still keeping their data private and secure.

These capabilities also allow Galaxy AI to automatically provide AI tools based on what the user is doing on screen. For example, by just writing a text, a user's S25 will automatically open AI writing tool options without the user having to do anything.

In addition, Samsung highlighted other new AI features such as Galaxy AI's ability to provide transcripts and summaries for phone calls live in real-time on the call screen.

Samsung also showcased a feature where a user can search for a specific photo by just talking to their phone and describing the content of the picture.

The company provided updates for its health and connected home capabilities as well, showing how the personal data engine can provide personalized insights and recommendations.

Surprises Unpacked

There were two surprises at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked this year.

SEE ALSO: Samsung briefly teased XR headset 'Project Moohan' at Galaxy Unpacked

The company teased an Android XR based headset, including a photo of the device, and ended the show with a brief clip of its upcoming ultra-slim Galaxy S25 Edge.

The company kept both devices shrouded in mystery and didn't mention either specifically beyond what was shown on screen.

The rumors are true. Samsung did have a few surprises in store at its Galaxy Unpacked 2025 event – and one of those surprises was its "Project Moohan" XR headset.

However, the surprise was nothing more than a brief mention of a XR headset and a teaser photo, which I guess is better than nothing at all!

Codenamed Project Moohan, Samsung's XR headset is a joint venture between Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm and it signals Samsung's intent to get into the currently booming immersive 3-D content business.

SEE ALSO: Where to preorder Samsung's new Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra smartphones

Samsung's XR headset hasn't really been much of a secret in the industry as the companies have been demoing the device. However, this appears to be the first time the company has publicly acknowledged its existence to consumers.

When Mashable covered CES earlier this year, AR/VR glasses and headsets were everywhere. We tried out hardware from big names like Sony to a multitude of known and upcoming AR/VR startups in the space. The industry is definitely having a moment right now.

Samsung's XR headset is reportedly powered by an upgraded Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chipset – the chip that's currently found in Meta's Quest 3, which makes Samsung's offering more powerful than arguably the most popular headset currently on the market.

Project Moohan is built on Google's Android XR operating system, which should further Apple and Google's ongoing mobile device feud among consumers that pit iOS and Android smartphones against each other. Samsung's XR headset is clearly the company's answer to the Apple Vision Pro, which has struggled after a highly-anticipated launch.

Samsung didn't mention any product names, but that XR headset said to be codenamed "Project Moohan" officially made its debut at Samsung Unpacked. Mashable will continue to monitor news regarding specs, pricing, and possible pre-order and launch dates.

Many Instagram and Facebook users say they are confused about why they are seeing posts from the president and vice president in their feeds. Here’s what to know.

Samsung is charging ahead with its plan to pack AI into every nook and cranny of its devices.

At Samsung Galaxy Unpacked on Wednesday, the tech giant unveiled a slew of AI-powered features for its Galaxy S25 lineup that are both user-facing and operate behind the scenes to automate various tasks. Notably, this includes a step further into agentic AI with features that can perform actions on the users behalf.

The Galaxy S25 series weaves AI into practically every function

Underpinning the Galaxy S25 series as what Samsung describes as a "true AI companion," is the One UI 7 operating system. In partnership with Google, the Galaxy S25 series uses the Gemini AI model to provide contextual awareness and personalized actions based on a user's behavior and data.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2025 live blog: Galaxy S25 series, AI tools, and more

New features include customizable multimodal agents, the ability to activate Gemini with the side button, on-screen awareness, Google Circle to Search, and natural language search. That's on top of pre-existing AI features introduced with the S24 series, like writing and summarization tools, live translation and transcription, and Circle to Search.

Via Giphy Samsung and Google deepen partnership for agentic AI capabilities

Samsung kicked off the event by touting its Google partnership which integrates the Gemini AI model with Samsung Galaxy devices. Based on Google's Project Astra which develops agentic AI, the new S25 lineup showcases Gemini's reasoning capabilities with screensharing and live video streaming, which enables the device to understand what's on your screen, like whether dough has been kneaded enough or shopping for the right pants size.

With Gemini Live, users can share images, files, and videos with the AI assistant and have a conversation in real-time for things like troubleshooting or asking specific questions about whats on the screen.

The event also showed off the side button to invoke Gemini, which brings up a way to interact with the model and recommended next actions to take.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy S25 announced: Price, release date, and upgrades for each model Galaxy AI agents working on your behalf

Users can also check in realtime updates with the Now Brief, and AI-powered report, throughout the day, which compiles information from third-party apps and can be customized with suggestions accessible in the Now Bar. Kind of like Apple's Live Activities for iPhone, but with more AI features.

Google's Circle to Search capabilities on the S25 series are getting an upgrade by being able to recognize phone numbers, email, and URLs on the screen "letting you call, email or visit a website with a single tap," according to the announcement.

Speaking of searching, with the S25 series, Samsung also introduced something called AI Select, which makes suggestions based on highlighted information like adding a calendar event for a friend's birthday party from an invitation that was texted to the user. Generative edit can suggest and execute ways to summarize, proofread, and generate images based on what's on your screen.

Galaxy AI's multitasking and proactive suggestions is made possible Gemini's ability to work across apps. Gemini works with Samsung Calendar, Notes, Reminder, and Clock and third-party apps to perform tasks for the user without having to switch between apps.

The S25 series has improved searching for image, documents, etc. on the device by understanding natural language. For example you can find recent pictures of a wedding you attending by saying, "show me pictures of wedding in Pittsburgh," or finding a picture of your beloved dog getting a bath.

Everywhere you can preorder the Samsung Galaxy S25 series: Amazon Samsung Galaxy S25 series Starting at $799.99 (Get a free Amazon gift card worth $100 to $200) Pre-Order Here Best Buy Samsung Galaxy S25 series Starting at $799.99 (Get a free Best Buy gift card worth $50 to $200 and a free 1-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership) Pre-Order Here Samsung.com Samsung Galaxy S25 series Starting at $799.99 (Get a free Samsung.com credit worth $50 to $100) Pre-Order Here AT&T Samsung Galaxy S25 series Starting at $799.99 (Or free with eligible trade-in and new line or line upgrade) Pre-Order Here T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S25 series Starting at $799.99 (Get up to $1,000 off with new line and/or trade-in) Pre-Order Here Verizon Samsung Galaxy S25 series Starting at $799.99 (Get up to $1,000 off with a trade-in and new line) Pre-Order Here

Samsung's new AI-forward flagship smartphones are on deck.

The South Korean tech giant unveiled the Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra during its Galaxy Unpacked livestream on Wednesday, Jan. 22, showcasing their sweeping integration of AI features but otherwise minimal spec upgrades. Set for release on Friday, Feb. 7, the Galaxy S25 series is now available for preorder at major retailers and phone carriers starting from $799.99, $999.99, and $1,299.99, respectively, or the same prices as their predecessors. Note that Amazon and Best Buy are giving preorderers free gift cards worth up to $200.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2025 live blog: Galaxy S25 series, AI tools, and more

All three phones in the Galaxy S25 series will run on One UI 7, an all-new version of Samsung's Android operating system that brings a redesigned interface and support for agentic (e.g. autonomous) AI capabilities. A company press release says One UI 7 will make the Galaxy S25 series "a true AI companion," adding that it will roll out "gradually" on other Galaxy devices.

The Galaxy S25 series is powered by a custom new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor, which supposedly translates to a significant performance boost in CPU, GPU, and NPU tasks compared to the high-end Galaxy S24 Ultra from last year. (Our near-future testing will confirm this.) Samsung said it also makes the phones capable of more on-device AI processing, making them less reliant on the cloud for "AI experiences" — i.e., faster and more secure. They have a tweaked heat dissipation structure that should keep them running cool amid these intense workloads.

Samsung Galaxy S25: Specs and pricing Credit: Alex Perry / Mashable

The Galaxy S25 is the series' base model, and design-wise, it's slightly thinner and lighter than the previous-generation Galaxy S24. It also features more memory: Samsung's upped it from 8GB to 12GB of RAM. Otherwise, its specs are quite similar to those of its predecessor. It features the same 6.2-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, the same 4,000mAh battery, and the same storage options (128GB or 256GB). It also has the same stacked rear camera setup with a 50MP wide lens, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 10MP telephoto lens — though the Galaxy S25 supports new AI-powered photo and video features like a Virtual Aperture tool and 10-bit HDR recording by default.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy S25 vs S24: Comparing price, specs and features

As Mashable's Alex Perry writes, the Galaxy S25's software, not hardware, will probably be the deciding factor in most people's "upgrade from the S24" debate.

The Galaxy S25 is available at Amazon, Best Buy, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon in new navy, mint, icyblue, and silver shadow finishes. Samsung's online storefront carries additional blueblack, coralred, and pinkgold variants.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy S25 (128GB) $799.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, Samsung, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon
Pre-Order Here Samsung Galaxy S25+: Specs and pricing Credit: Alex Perry / Mashable

The Galaxy S25+ improves upon the base model with a slightly larger and nicer 6.7-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display featuring new "ProScaler" technology, which delivers a 40 percent improvement in image quality compared to the Galaxy S24 series (so Samsung claims). The Galaxy S25+ also has a bigger 4900mAh battery.

That battery is a holdover from last year's Galaxy S24+, as are your configurables: The Galaxy S25+ still has 12GB of RAM with either 256GB or 512GB of storage. It's a hair thinner and a few grams lighter than its predecessor, but otherwise looks identical. Again, the new AI-integrated OS and processor are supposed to be the stars of the show here.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy AI adds agentic features. What it will do for you.

The Galaxy S25+ comes in the same hues as the Galaxy S25, including the same Samsung exclusives. It starts at $999.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, Samsung, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy S25+ (256GB) $999.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, Samsung, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon
Pre-Order Here Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Specs and pricing Credit: Alex Perry / Mashable

Samsung reserved most of its exciting hardware tweaks for the premium Galaxy S25 Ultra, which has a 6.9-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display (with ProScaler support). Its slimmer, lighter frame has newly rounded edges for a cleaner look and a screen made from Corning Gorilla Armor 2, which the company describes as a "first-of-its-kind material that is more durable than glass." On the back, there's a new 50MP ultrawide camera sensor — up from a mere 12MP in the previous generation. It joins a 200MP wide lens and 10MP and 50MP telephoto lenses, which made appearances on the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max: Which one should you buy?

Under its hood, the Galaxy S25 Ultra also packs the same 5000mAh battery, 12GB of memory, and storage options as its predecessor: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB. It still comes with an embedded S Pen.

Shoppers can choose from several new colorways, including titan black, titan gray, titan whitesilver, and titan silverblue, plus the Samsung-exclusive titanium pinkgold, titanium jetblack, and titanium jadegreen. The Galaxy S25 Ultra starts at $1,299.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, Samsung, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (256GB) $1,299.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, Samsung, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon
Pre-Order Here

Android users who use assistive devices can anticipate in a new era of connection and control, right on their phone.

New to the Samsung Galaxy S25 and harnessing its wireless audio LE Audio tech, Android will be adding next generation Bluetooth connectivity compatible with GN Hearing and Oticon Intent hearing aid devices. According to the company, this enables users of such devices to more efficiently access controls like hands-free calling, settings presets, and lower latency Bluetooth connections.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2025 live blog: Galaxy S25 series, AI tools, and more

Bluetooth LE Audio technology is a relatively new standard in hearing aid tech, with lower latency connection significantly reducing the delay between sources of audio and the hearing aid itself.

The update was announced as part of Samsung's annual Unpacked event, and will also be available to Google Pixel 9 users who opt-in to the Android 16 beta. It will be added to the Galaxy S24 with Android 15 in the coming weeks, according to the company.

Credit: Google / Samsung

Android will also introduce new updates to TalkBack, its on-device screen reader for users who are blind or low vision. Samsung Galaxy S25 users will have first access to new HID connection options for external braille displays, for example, which will come to all Android 15 devices in coming months. In addition to connectivity updates, Android will also incorporate Google's Gemini models to enhance accessible image descriptions on Galaxy S25 devices.

Looking for the biggest, most powerful smartphone you can get your hands on? Well, look no further than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra – or the Apple's iPhone 16 Pro Max?

With Samsung's Unpacked 2025 event now behind us, we now have two brand-new current generation powerhouse smartphones on the market: The new Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Apple's iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Should you finally leave the Apple ecosystem behind you? Or is sticking with iOS over Android still the way to go? Lets take a look at what Samsung announced and then compare the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Specs

Both the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the iPhone 16 Pro Max are powerhouses.The Galaxy S25 Ultra is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite and the iPhone is powered by Apple's Apple A18 Pro chipset. Both were designed for maximum performance and processing power as they were built with each smartphone's new AI feature set in mind.

In Mashable's previous hands-on comparison of both previous generations of smartphones, the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the iPhone eked out ahead of the Galaxy phone in performance tests. While we wait to get hands-on with the Galaxy S25 Ultra, we will say this: Both smartphones are so powerful that the vast majority of users will not be able to tell the difference. In fact, many users of either smartphone will likely never even utilize the full extent of either's processing power.

There is one variable here where the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra may come ahead of the iPhone 16 Pro Max. The former comes packed with 12GB of memory as opposed to the latter's 8GB. Yes, Apple's chipsets are known for making the best of whatever RAM is included with a device. However, for hardcore multitaskers, this may be something to keep an eye on when it comes to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Cameras

Cameras are areas where you really see differences between the Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

On paper, the Galaxy S25 Ultra has the iPhone 16 Pro Max's number. The Galaxy S25 Ultra has 200MP wide, 50MP ultrawide, and 50MP telephoto cameras. The iPhone 16 Pro Max only has 48MP wide, 48MP ultrawise, and 12MP telephoto cameras, respectively. The more megapixels often equates to more detailed and higher resolution photos.

But, again, while that sounds good on paper, there's more to a good photo than megapixels. Other factors play a role as well, such as the camera's lens and sensor.

As we previously mentioned, Mashable compared the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the iPhone 15 Pro Max before. But, we also did a more extensive test comparison on the cameras and resulting photography from both previous generations as well. We found that more often than not, the majority of us felt that the iPhone 15 Pro Max produced a better photo with richer color, despite the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra having more megapixels.

Will the Galaxy S25 Ultra outdo its predecessor in the camera department? It's possible! However, it will likely come down to individual taste as to which smartphone produces the better quality photo.

Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Battery

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a slightly larger battery at 5,000 mAH when compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max's 4,685 mAH battery.

However, despite the same being true with their predecessors as well, Mashable found that the iPhone 15 Pro Max had a slightly longer battery life than the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

The chipset powering each device plays a role here, so it's very possible that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and its reported efficiency can outdo the iPhone 16 Pro Max here with battery life.

Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Price

Interestingly, one has the upper hand here for being a slightly more affordable option.

Both Samsung and Apple's base model devices, the Galaxy S25 and iPhone 16, start at $799. However, for the premium models of the current generation of smartphones, those prices diverge. 

The base iPhone 16 Pro Max with 256GB of storage space is priced at $1,199. That's $100 less than Samsung's $1,299 pricing for the base Galaxy S25 Ultra with the same amount of storage space.

As I'll get into, if one of your main priorities is getting the best bang for your buck, the Galaxy S25 Ultra may not have too much over the iPhone 16 Pro Max to warrant spending the extra $100 bucks.

Which one to get?

Both the Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max are among the most powerful smartphones on the market. So, which one should you get?

That's really going to be up to your personal preferences. Aside from their differences, both smartphones have plenty of similarities too. For example, both the Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max have 6.9" displays and were designed with processing power specifically with AI capabilities in mind.

Are you willing to jump ship from Apple's iOS walled ecosystem and start anew on a more open Android device or vice versa? Does Apple Intelligence or Samsung's AI features speak to you more? At the end of the day, the decision between the Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be less about the actual hardware and more about the operating system running and software available on each device.

Samsung Galaxy S25 has arrived, and now you have a decision to make.

Samsung showed off its latest flagship phones at its Galaxy Unpacked event on Wednesday, which means people with older Samsung phones might be wondering whether or not it's worth upgrading. Specifically, if you have last year's Galaxy S24 model, there are some difference between the S25 and S24 that are worth noting.

No more wasting time. Here are the differences between Galaxy S25 and S24.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. 24: Price

This one's easy. Last year, the Galaxy S24 started at $799. This year, the Galaxy S25 starts at...$799. It's a wash, in other words. That said, it's possible that Samsung drops the price of the S24 after the launch of the S25, but until that happens, these two phones cost the same amount of money.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. 24: Specs

Here are how the basic specs for the Galaxy S25 line up:

• 6.2-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate

• Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor

• 12GB RAM

• 128GB, 256GB storage

• 4,000mAh battery

For reference, this is what was inside the Galaxy S24:

• 6.2-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate

• Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor

• 8GB RAM

• 128GB, 256GB storage

• 4,000mAh battery

Two big differences stand out: Processor and RAM. The Galaxy S25 runs on a newer Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 the S24 runs on. In layman's terms, that means the newer phone has a newer, theoretically faster and more performant engine underneath the hood. Without proper, rigorous testing, however, it's hard to say how performance is impacted by this change.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. 24: Design

The Galaxy S25 is available in four colors: Icyblue, Navy, Mint, and Silver Shadow. Similarly, the S24 also came in four colors: Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow, Onyx Black, and Marble Grey.

Other, smaller design changes are harder to detect without having the two phones side-by-side, but there are some size differences to point out. Here are the precise measurements for both phone, ordered by height, weight, and depth, in millimeters:

• Galaxy S25: 146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2

• Galaxy S24: 147.0 x 70.6 x 7.6

In terms of height and weight, both phones are nearly identical. However, the S25 is marginally thinner than the S24. In accordance with that, it's also very slightly lighter, coming in at 162g compared to the S24's 167g. These are tiny differences, but they are differences nonetheless.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. 24: AI features

With hardware improvements being rather minimal this year, Samsung's increased push into the artificial intelligence zone is the big story with Galaxy S25.

Samsung is leaning heavily into AI agents this year, with new multimodal features that let the AI in your phone do things across multiple apps at once. For example, with Galaxy S25, you can ask the AI to find info about your favorite basketball team's upcoming games online and, separately, add those games to your personal calendar. Or, you can ask it to find recipes and add those recipes to your notes.

There's also an AI-powered morning brief that gives you important info like weather, your personal events for the day, and other things you might need to know upon waking up each day. Circle to Search has also been enhanced to recognize URLs, email addresses, and phone numbers on your screen.

At the time of writing, it's not 100 percent clear how many of these features will be exclusive to the Galaxy S25 series of phones, and which will retroactively come to S24, if any. For now, it's best to assume these are all Galaxy S25-exclusive until further notice, though.

Samsung Galaxy S25 vs. 24: Cameras

Last year, the S24 had three rear camera lenses: a 50MP wide lens, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 10MP telephoto lens. The Galaxy S25's rear camera lineup is exactly the same, at least in terms of megapixel count.

Without big hardware differences to highlight, we once again turn to the realm of AI. For the Galaxy S25, Samsung advertised some new AI photography and videography features. For starters, the generative editing tech in these phones continues to grow, as it can now do things like detect and remove shadows for objects you want erased from photos. In addition, the Audio Eraser tool from previous Google Pixel phones is now here, with the ability to recognize and tune out various kinds of noises in the backgrounds of your videos.

S25 vs S24: The verdict

Without having tested the Galaxy S25, it's impossible to render a final verdict on which phone is better. But, at the very least, if you want all the AI features, it's clear which Galaxy phone is the one to get.

Samsung officially announced the new Galaxy S25 line of phones at its Galaxy Unpacked 2025 event. 

While plenty of comparisons will be made between the Samsung Galaxy S25 and its predecessor, the Galaxy S24, Mashable knows that a good chunk of people actually upgrade to the a new smartphone every two-years.

This means that for those Samsung Galaxy users, the real comparison is between the new Galaxy S25 and their current model, the two-year old Samsung Galaxy S23. Lets take a look at the two.

Galaxy S25 vs S23: AI, chipset are the major factors

Let's be up front: For the casual smartphone user, the upgrades between phone models are getting less noticeable.

However, for those looking to fully take advantage of all the newly announced AI features, this is where the difference between the S25 and S23 will really shine through.

The Galaxy S25 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, which is reportedly more powerful than even Apple's Apple A18 Pro chip powering the iPhone 16 Pro line of smartphones. The Snapdrop 8 Elite chipset is also said to be nearly 50 percent more powerful than the previous Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. The two-year old Galaxy S23 is powered by the chip released prior to that one, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, so it's a massive upgrade.

Samsung's new AI features and the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip were built to work perfectly in tandem. So, if you're planning on using them, this smartphone upgrade is for you.

Galaxy S25 vs S23: Everything else

The difference in processing power is obviously a major factor. But, looking at everything else, the upgrades seem pretty standard from what you'd see year-after-year without any major leaps in technology or new must-have features.

When it comes to memory, the base model of the Galaxy S25 comes with 12GB of RAM as opposed to just 8GB for the S23, so that might be one of the next big draws to upgrade to the latest Galaxy phone.

Design wise, the Galaxy S25 and the S23 look pretty similar with no really major changes other than a slight bump in the display size. The Galaxy S25 has a slightly bigger screen at 6.2 inches when compared to the S23's 6.1 inch display.

The biggest overall changes to the design between the two Samsung Galaxy phones is likely the color options to choose from when making the upgrade. The Samsung S25 comes in Navy, Icyblue, Mint, Silver Shadow, Blueblack, Coralred, and Pinkgold. The Samsung S23 only has four color options to choose from.

If you use your Galaxy phone to take lots of photos and videos, then unfortunately there's not much here for you in terms of an upgrade. The Samsung Galaxy S25 has the same three cameras: Wide, ultrawide, and telephoto.

Battery-wise, there's not much of an upgrade on paper. The Galaxy S25 has a 4,000 mAH battery compared to the 3,900 mAH battery of the S23. However, there are a few additional factors here that can make a difference. For one, if your two-year old Galaxy S23 may not be holding a charge like it once did when it was brand new and it might make sense to upgrade. But, also, in addition to that, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip is reportedly much more energy efficient, which should translate to less strain on the battery resulting in a longer battery life.

Galaxy S25 vs S23: Should you upgrade?

So, should you upgrade from the Galaxy S23 to the Galaxy S25? The answer to the big question is really dependent on your needs.

If you're completely happy with your Galaxy S23, then there's probably nothing new here in the Galaxy S25 for you. However, if you feel like your Galaxy S23 is slow and can't keep up with your usage or you are sure you'll be regularly utilizing AI features, then the upgrade to the Galaxy S25 makes perfect sense.

At its Galaxy Unpacked event on Wednesday, Samsung lifted the lid on the Galaxy S25 lineup.

As usual, there are three phones here: Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra.

We all pretty much knew that's what would be featured at the show, and that's what we got. Just like last year, the prices start at $799, $999, and $1,299 for the Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra, respectively.

Samsung Galaxy S25 base model

Samsung's $799 base model is going to be the least specced-out of the bunch, but not by much. Here's what you get for eight Benjamins:

• 6.2-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate

• 12GB RAM

• 128GB, 256GB storage

• Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor

• Three rear cameras: 50MP wide, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto

• 4,000mAh battery

Of particular note here is the RAM, which has been bumped up from a base of 8GB on the Galaxy S24 to 12GB on the S25. That's consistent across all three phones, so you're not losing out on RAM by going with the cheapest option this year. The new processor should also provide better performance than last year's model, but without proper testing, we don't know that for sure yet.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus

Like in previous years, the S25 Plus is really just a bigger S25. It has a 6.7-inch display with the same refresh rate, the same RAM, and the same processor. The camera specs are identical, as well. The biggest difference, other than physical size, is the presence of a larger 4,900mAh battery. Oh, and you can get more storage, with an additional 512GB option on top of the 256GB base storage in the S25 Plus.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Those who spend extra to get the $1,299 S25 Ultra are getting not only the biggest phone of the bunch, but the best cameras, too. On top of that, its 5,000mAh battery is the biggest of the three S25 phones, so it should last the longest. Of course, we'll have to test that to find out for sure.

As for specs, here are the basics:

• 6.9-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate

• 12GB RAM

• 256GB, 512GB, 1TB storage

• Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor

• Rear cameras: 200MP wide, 50MP ultra-wide, 10MP/50MP telephoto

• 5,000mAh battery

All models will see Galaxy AI upgrades

In the age of creeping AI, software features took on a bigger role in this presentation than hardware improvements. Samsung highlighted AI agents that can do multimodal things across different apps, all in one action. For instance, you can ask the phone's AI to find a certain type of recipe and add that recipe to your phone's notes app, all in one go. Circle to Search has also been improved, with the new ability to recognize URLs and phone numbers on your screen.

Samsung highlighted some AI features for photography and videography, such as an improved version of generative editing that can detect and remove shadows of objects you removed from photos. Audio Eraser (something that appeared in Pixel phones a couple of years ago) can identify and lower the volume of certain elements in the backgrounds of videos, too.

So, in summary, you get more RAM on the base model, a better processor, and a bunch of AI enhancements, among other small odds and ends. To top it all off, no prices were raised for any of the models, either.

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Opens in a new window Credit: Woot JBL Soundgear Frames $99.99 at Woot
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Imagine never having to remember to take your headphones with you when you leave the house again. That can be a reality with You the JBL Soundgear Frames, which are both sunglasses and built-in "headphones" that let you listen to music and even make calls. And you can get them for half off right now at Woot.

As of Jan. 22, you can get the JBL Soundgear Frames for just $99.99 at Woot, down from their usual price of $199.99. That's a discount of 50%. The deal runs through the next 11 days, or until the glasses are sold out.

SEE ALSO: Take 63% off the JBL Live 660NC headphones with 50 hours of battery life

While some smart glasses are all about camera recording or giving you overlays (RIP Google Glass), JBL sought to create a product that's all about listening – and talking, if you like. These flexible and lightweight plastic frames can be custom-fitted with prescription frames, or you can wear them like they are. Connect to a Bluetooth device like your phone and queue up some tunes or a show to listen to on the go with audio only you can hear.

Alternatively, use one of the multiple mics on board to make calls (and do so discretely) while out and about. Tap the JBL logo on the temples to answer calls, skip songs, or adjust volume. Wherever you go, enjoy excellent sound that no one would believe is coming from a pair of glasses.

If you're interested in do-it-all glasses, this is a great price — and the novelty of combo glasses and a speaker might be worth something, too.