In the United States, Samsung offers Care+ with four plans. The most premium of them, Care+ with Theft and Loss, as well as the next most premium plan, Care+, offers screen and back panel replacement. However, if you want to get those parts replaced, the company charges you a nominal fee of $29. Well, the brand will not charge that fee anymore with Care+ with Theft and Loss.
As spotted by Android Police, in the US, Samsung Care+ with Theft and Loss now offers screen and back panel replacement for free. Just like before, you can get these parts replaced for an unlimited number of times. The change is applicable for all four tiers of the plan (Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4) as well as for all three types of devices it covers (phones, tablets, and watches).
Thankfully, Samsung is offering the benefit without hiking the price of the plan (monthly and upfront). What’s even better is that the company is extending this benefit to existing subscribers of the plan. This move will make people happier and could be another reason for them to stick to Samsung over other brands. Hopefully, the tech giant will extend this benefit to other markets as well.
If you have habits similar to mine when using your Galaxy phone, chances are you barely even see the One UI lock screen anymore.
Sure, Samsung improved the lock screen with better widgets through recent One UI updates, but none of those changes were impactful enough to make me want to break my muscle memory.
I've become accustomed to pressing the fingerprint scanner on the Always On Display. I instantly unlock my device, and off I go, using my apps as usual without even noticing the lock screen.
However, One UI 7 might finally have what it takes to break that habit loop and change how I interact with my Galaxy phone. Specifically, the Now Bar might be the puzzle piece that will turn things around.
In theory, Samsung's Now Bar in One UI 7 should bring some relevancy back to the lock screen. The Now Bar delivers key information and controls to the lock screen, and best of all, it's dynamic. It changes based on what app you're using and the activities you're doing. And you can conveniently swipe through different activities manually.
Although support for the Now Bar seems relatively limited — mostly to Samsung apps — in One UI 7 beta, I hope that the Now Bar will support more third-party apps in the future. Assuming it catches on.
Fundamentally, I haven't changed much in the way I interact with One UI and my Galaxy phone in recent years. My UI-related habits were finely tuned for efficiency over time, but the trade-off is that my user experience has become a bit stale.
All in all, the Now Bar in One UI 7 might make me rethink at least some aspects and could slightly rewire my brain in relation to how I interact with my phone. And I must admit I'm a little excited for a possible change of pace.
One UI 7 will debut with the upcoming Galaxy S25 series but will gradually be released for older phones, including the Galaxy S24+ (which I happen to use), in the coming weeks or months. Samsung hasn't revealed an official launch roadmap.
Samsung Health is the go-to app for Galaxy device users who want to track and monitor their activity, fitness progress, sleep quality, stress levels, heart rate, and more. Now, Samsung Health just got a whole lot more useful for users in India.
Today, the company is launching the Personal Health Records feature for the Samsung Health app in India. This not only eliminates paperwork but makes hospital visits easier.
The feature was made possible by Samsung's R&D, UX Design, and Consumer Experience teams, who worked closely with India's leading ABDM-certified (Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission) integrator Eka Care.
Samsung Health users in India can now manage their health data securely through the mobile app. They can register for an ABHA account within the Samsung Health app using their Aadhaar or mobile phone numbers.
Registered users can access their medical history, including hospital visits, laboratory results, prescriptions, and more, directly in Samsung Health.
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In addition, the integration of Personal Health Records and Samsung Health simplifies OPD visits at ABDM-compliant hospitals and clinics. Samsung Health app users who are registered with their ABHA account can obtain virtual queue tokens by scanning QR codes with their phones.
If you want to use this feature, make sure you download the latest Samsung Health app update on your device via the Galaxy Store.
Samsung's Knox Suite is popular among businesses and enterprises who want to offer managed and secure devices to their employees. It is now getting more subscription tiers so that is becomes suitable for businesses of all sizes.
Samsung Knox gets more subscription tiers
Samsung has updated its Knox Suite to bring more subscription tiers to it. Knox Suite is an all-in-one system that offers device management and security to smartphones and tablets. It now has three plans: Base, Essential, and Enterprise.
These plans are designed to suit businesses of all sizes, ranging from small startups to behemoth enterprises.
Knox Suite Base Plan: It is included in all Galaxy devices that Samsung sells. It is for businesses looking for a simple and secure setup of managed devices. IT administrators can add employee devices to the company's Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solutions. They don't need to go through manual device enrollment. This plan includes Knox Mobile Enrollment (KME) and Knox Platform for Enterprise (KPE).
Knox Suite Essential Plan: This plan includes features of the base plan and adds Knox Manage and Knox Remote Support. These features enable cross-platform device management and offer real-time troubleshooting support.
Knox Suite Enterprise Plan: On top of all the base and essential plan features, the Enterprise plan brings Knox E-FOTA, Knox Asset Intelligence, Knox Capture, and Knox Authentication Manager. It offers granular OS version control, device insights, and features tailored for business needs.
All businesses that buy Galaxy Enterprise Edition devices get one year of Knox Suite Enterprise Plan for free.
The best part about Knox Suite is that even if a business is already using a third-party Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solution, devices with Knox Suite can effortlessly integrate into it.
Jerry Park, EVP and Head of the B2B Team at Samsung MX, said, “Through these new scalable solutions, Knox Suite is now optimized for all types of operational use cases, empowering businesses to comprehensively and intelligently manage enterprise ecosystems.“
Samsung will release four Galaxy S25 variants in the first half of 2025. The company will launch the base, Plus, and Ultra S25 models at Unpacked next week, but the Galaxy S25 Slim may or many not come to the market a few months later.
One thing that will set the Galaxy S25 Slim apart from the rest of the series is a thinner profile, and a fan-made render (via @OnLeaks) is now showing that size difference clear as day.
According to another render, this one shared by @UniverseIce, the profiles of the upcoming S25 phones have the following dimensions:
7.2mm — base Galaxy S25.
7.3mm — Galaxy S25 Plus.
6.4mm — Galaxy S25 Slim.
8.2mm — Galaxy S25 Ultra.
As expected, Galaxy S25 Ultra will be the thickest model. As for the Galaxy S25 Slim, it will beat its 2025 counterparts but won't be the thinnest Samsung smartphone ever. The old Galaxy A8 from 2015 will keep the crown, thanks to its 5.7mm profile.
The Galaxy S25 Slim won't outmatch the Galaxy Z Fold 6 either, the latter of which has a 5.6mm profile when unfolded but is quite chunky at 12.1mm when folded.
However, the 6.4mm Galaxy S25 Slim will outdo the Galaxy Z Flip 6 by a small margin. The Flip 6 measures 6.9mm when unfolded.
In any case, Samsung's upcoming Slim model won't break the 2015 record but will be the thinnest modern slab-type phone and hold its own against foldables.
A week before the official announcement, the design, camera specifications, and AI features of the upcoming Galaxy S25 series have leaked. Earlier today, some of the Galaxy AI features of Samsung's upcoming phones were revealed. Now, they have leaked with more details.
Galaxy S25 camera specs, design, Galaxy AI features
The Now Bar will display personalized information and suggested actions that may be useful to the user throughout the day. For example, in the morning, Now Bar will display the weather forecast and the user's Energy Score. Then, it can suggest opening Google Maps for navigation and playing music on the way to work.
Its Night Summary will display memorable moments of the day along with daily activity statistics like steps taken that day.
Some of these features could be powered by the Gemini, while other could be powered by Samsung's in-house AI algorithms.
Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra camera specifications
The images also reveal the camera specifications of the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra. The Galaxy S25 and the Galaxy S25+ feature a 50MP primary camera with OIS, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 10MP telephoto camera (3x optical zoom). They have a 12MP selfie camera.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra has a 200MP primary rear camera with OIS, a 50MP ultrawide camera, a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP super-telephoto camera (5x optical zoom). It also has a 12MP selfie camera on the front.
Samsung explains that the 200MP camera can offer 2x optical-quality zoom, while the 50MP telephoto camera offers 10x optical-quality zoom shots.
The Galaxy S25+ seems to have a 4,900mAh battery that can last up to 30 hours of video playback. The Galaxy S25 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery that can last up to 31 hours of video playback. All three phones have the Snapdragon 8 Elite For Galaxy processor.
The devices will run One UI 7.0 (Android 15) out of the box. You can learn more about One UI 7.0 in our video below. The devices will likely get Android OS and security updates for seven years.
Phone manufacturers have been using lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries for decades. Samsung may switch to an emerging battery technology for the Galaxy S26 series next year, a new rumor claims.
Lithium-ion batteries have been the default solution for phone makers since before smartphones existed. However, battery manufacturers are developing new technologies, among which is the silicon-carbon battery.
According to a new rumor (via @Jukanlosreve citing Ice Universe on Weibo), the Galaxy S26 series will be powered by this new silicon-carbon battery tech. There should be many benefits to this change if it happens.
Unlike lithium-ion batteries, silicon-carbon units store energy in silicon-carbon rather than rare elements like cobalt, lithium, and nickel. The latter ones are difficult to obtain, and the process is very harmful to the environment. Substituting those rare materials with silicon-carbon could have massive environmental benefits.
Silicon-carbon batteries are said to have a higher energy density than their lithium-ion counterparts. In other words, this technology could improve the battery life of smartphones, such as the Galaxy S26.
Another benefit of silicon-carbon batteries is increased safety. These batteries should be a lot safer than lithium-ion units, as they have a lower risk of overheating.
As to how likely this rumor is, it's hard to tell. But it's worth noting that the Galaxy S26 wouldn't be the first smartphone to use a silicon-carbon battery. Honor did it first, albeit in limited quantities and only in China.
Nevertheless, the idea that the Galaxy S26 could store energy in a silicon-carbon battery doesn't sound so far-fetched, given that the technology exists and has already been applied to consumer electronics like mobile devices. The Galaxy S26 might not be the first to do it, but it could be the first to bring silicon-carbon batteries to the masses.
Up to now, the Galaxy S25+ variant headed for Europe and other markets was spotted online running the unreleased Exynos 2500 chip. However, those Exynos-powered models were reportedly prototypes, and in actuality, the final product should be powered by the same Snapdragon 8 Elite chip the Galaxy S25 Ultra uses.
This has now been reconfirmed by a recent entry in the online benchmark Geekbench (via @tarunvats33). It shows the international Galaxy S25+ variant (SM-S936B) rocking the Snapdragon 8 Elite solution.
The Snapdragon-powered Galaxy S25+ scores 2,721 and 9,435 points in the Geekbench 6 single and multi-core CPU tests, respectively.
This new benchmark entry shows a considerable performance improvement over the previous ones. The Galaxy S25+ prototypes equipped with the unreleased Exynos 2500 chip scored 2,359 and 8,141 points at most.
Thankfully, future Galaxy S25+ buyers everywhere will get the seemingly superior chipset option. The Snapdragon 8 Elite shows a lot of promise, and Galaxy S25+ buyers in markets that usually sell Exynos-powered Galaxy phones won't have to worry about performance discrepancies this year.
Samsung will announce the Galaxy S25 series on January 22. Pre-orders should go live on the same day, but fans can reserve the phones online today and receive exclusive bonuses. Hit the reserve button below for more details.
Regardless of how the One UI 7 beta program evolves for the Galaxy S24 series, Samsung's new OS upgrade will soon see the light of day through the launch of the Galaxy S25 series next week.
I haven't been this excited about an upcoming One UI release in a long time. One UI 7 is one of Samsung's most ambitious projects in recent years, and I can't wait to see how it all comes together for the stable release and the Galaxy S25 series.
Many new and interesting changes are coming, but if I had to choose three favorite One UI 7 features I look forward to the most, the following would make the list:
One UI 7 revamped UI blur engine: When done right, I think blur effects are one of the eye candy elements that can elevate the visual style of a UI and improve the experience.
Using just the right type and amount of blur across the UI can not only make things look better but also help direct the user's visual focus. The positive effects of a good blur engine are even more noticeable on larger screens. One UI 7 comes with new UI blur effects, and I think they look fantastic even in beta builds.
One UI 7 AI-powered notifications: Notifications aren't always an issue on One UI 6.1 and earlier versions, but the current system isn't perfect. The more notifications you have in the drop-down notification panel, the harder it gets to organize everything, mark them as read, and focus on or interact with the ones that have a higher priority to you.
Using AI, One UI 7 is expected to improve notifications in three big ways. They will be organized by priority, they'll be grouped automatically, and they will be summarized using artificial intelligence. These upgrades should make interacting with notifications easier and more efficient.
One UI 7 improves Sketch to Image: Samsung announced yesterday that the Sketch to Image tool will receive more advanced multimodal capabilities at Galaxy Unpacked — where the Galaxy S25 series will be unveiled.
Although this is not strictly a One UI 7 feature but more of an upgrade to the Galaxy AI suite, it seems like it will debut with the latest OS update and flagship phones.
I spent hours doodling in Sketch to Image for fun last year, and I am very much looking forward to these upgrades. Soon, Sketch to Image will not only turn simple sketches into more colorful illustrations but also be capable of processing instructions issued through text and voice commands.
One UI 7.0, based on Android 15, is the first big operating system upgrade of 2025 for Galaxy smartphones and tablets. For those who have been living under a rock, yes, the latest version of Android and One UI is arriving later than usual.
One UI 7 is the biggest One UI update since version 1.0, with a visual overhaul one of its primary highlights. It has been available in beta for the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra since early December 2024 and will come preloaded on the Galaxy S25 series out of the box.
The official rollout for eligible Galaxy smartphones and tablets will begin sometime in February. Flagship devices will obviously get the update first, but there's one thing that won't change no matter how expensive or affordable a device may be: the steps you can take to prepare your device for when the update arrives.
Start with backing up your data
When a major software update is involved, it's important to back up your data. Smartphone software has come a long way and instances of an update bricking a device and forcing you to factory reset and lose your data are extremely rare. But rare doesn't equal never, so it's best to take precaution.
Samsung offers several ways to backup your data. If you have a good internet connection, the Temporary cloud backupfeature introduced with One UI 6.1 is the best method.
This feature backs up everything on your device to the cloud using your Samsung account and keeps it there for 30 days. There is no limit to how much data can be backed up, except that any individual file cannot be larger than 100GB.
To access the Temporary cloud backupfeature, open the Settings app, navigate to Device care, scroll all the way down and tap Maintenance mode, then scroll down once again and tap Temporary cloud backup.
Other backup methods include using Smart Switch on the phone or tablet to backup data to a microSD card or external USB disk, using Smart Switch on a Windows PC or Mac, and simply transferring your personal files to a PC using a USB cable.
Our One UI 6.0 preparation guide goes into detail about these backup methods, so be sure to check it out. It even includes details on how you can back up your WhatsApp chats and media.
Have all existing software updates installed
Major new Android One UI updates don't usually require your device to have the most current firmware based on the previous Android/One UI version. But you should still ensure any existing updates are already installed. That way, when One UI 7.0 arrives, you can jump to the new software as quickly as possible.
To check for updates, open the Settings app on your Galaxy device, navigate to Software update, then select Download and install. You can also download the latest firmware from the SamMobile archives and install it on the device using a Windows PC.
Charge battery to at least 30%
Samsung requires your device to be charged to 20% before an update can be installed. However, it's recommended to have the battery charged to 30% or more. That's especially important if your device is a few years old and doesn't last as long on a single charge as it used to.
This will make sure your device won't run out of juice during the installation process. You will also be able to explore the new software immediately without having to keep it hooked to a charger.
Update all apps
Samsung will update many of its apps with support for One UI 7 (Android 15). Some updates will come before the official rollout begins and some after, and if you don't want to waste any time after installing the update, you should install all available app updates beforehand.
Most Samsung apps get updates on the Galaxy Store and a few on the Play Store. You can access the updates section in both stores quickly by long pressing the store's icon in the app drawer and selecting the My apps or Update appsoption from the pop-up.
Once the One UI 7.0 upgrade is complete, be sure to check for app updates again so you can get any that weren't available on One UI 6.x (Android 14).
Using One UI 7 beta? The same advice applies
To prepare for One UI 7, the advice above applies even if you are using its beta version. The only thing you can skip is charging the phone to 30%, as the final version of One UI 7 will be a considerably smaller download for you and won't take as long to install as the full update.
Not in a rush to install the One UI 7 update?
When the One UI 7 update goes live in your country, your phone or tablet will eventually notify you about it. It will also download the update on its own on a Wi-Fi connection. But what if you don't want to install the update right away?
Installing the update takes a while, and during the procedure you cannot use the device for anything, even for making or receiving calls. That's not always ideal, so you may want to install the update later. You may also wish to wait to see if the update has any major bugs before upgrading.
If you don't wish to install the update right away, you can simply ignore the notification until you're ready. You can also schedule the installation for a later time. To do that, tap the update notification and hit the Schedule install button.
Check out our One UI 7.0 content on YouTube
While you wait for the update, why not familiarize yourself with the features, changes, and improvements that are coming with One UI 7? We have loads of One UI 7 content on the SamMobile YouTube channel that you should check out; we will also be creating new content on a regular basis.
Samsung and Nokia are crossing each other's paths again, but not because of 5G or a mobile deal. Instead, Samsung will be using Nokia's proprietary video technologies for smart TVs.
According to the latest news (via MSN – Reuters), Nokia and Samsung have signed a multi-year patent license agreement today.
The agreement will allow Samsung to use Nokia video technologies for smart TVs in exchange for royalty payments.
Exactly what kind of Nokia-developed video technologies Samsung wants to use under license is unclear, but it may have something to do with codecs.
A year ago, Nokia published a blog post detailing how codecs will change over the next five years and how video will be used and consumed in more diverse ways, often interpreted by AI applications. Videos are rendered on numerous device types, from holographic to augmented reality screens and everything in between.
At that time, Nokia said that video codecs have to be “capable of handling such diverse needs efficiently and qualitatively.”
It's not entirely clear if the new Samsung-Nokia multi-year licensing agreement has to do with Nokia's video codecs, but it's no mystery that Samsung is now applying more advanced AI-based technologies to its smart TVs.
At CES 2025, Samsung announced a new NQ4 AI Gen 3 processor for smart TVs and the Vision AI technology that elevates the search functionality on TVs to a whole new level. Just press one button on the remote and Vision AI will look for items and people on the screen to deliver relevant web search results.
Samsung is also developing an AI-powered XR (eXtended Reality) headset, which should be released this year.
While that got people excited for Samsung’s next lineup of flagship smartphones, they are eagerly waiting to know when the South Korean tech giant will let them pre-order/purchase the phones and when will they get the devices in their hands.
Even before Samsung announced the launch date and started taking pre-reservations, a leak claimed that the deliveries of the Galaxy S25 in South Korea would begin on 7 February 2025. Well, today we have information about when people in India will be able to get their hands on Samsung’s upcoming flagship phones. Let's take a look.
Galaxy S25 deliveries in India to begin around 3 February 2025
A popular tipster from India, Ishan Agarwal, claims that the deliveries of the Galaxy S25 series in the Indian market will begin around 3 February 2025. We assume that this will be applicable to people who pre-order the phones. The tipster also claims that the tech giant will open the regular sales of the upcoming lineup by 9 February 2025.
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Unfortunately, there’s no information about when Samsung will start taking pre-orders and when it close the pre-order window. That being said, the brand usually starts taking pre-orders for new Galaxy S/Z series devices right after the launch event. That means, Samsung could open pre-orders for the Galaxy S25 in India on 22 January 2025.
Galaxy S25 storage and color variants for India
Ishan has also revealed the memory configurations and color variants of the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra that Samsung will offer in India. You can check them out in the image below.
Hopefully, we'll soon see leaks about the price of Galaxy S25 for the Indian market. In other regions, the upcoming lineup of phones will cost slightly more than its predecessor, the Galaxy S24 series.
