Bucket Tech: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2025

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has announced the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S25, setting a new standard as a true AI companion with our most natural and context-aware mobile experiences ever created. Introducing multimodal AI agents, the Galaxy S25 series is the first step in Samsung’s vision to change the way users interact with their phone – and with their world. A first-of-its-kind customised Snapdragon® 8 Elite Mobile Platform for Galaxy chipset delivers greater on-device processing power for Galaxy AI and superior camera range and control with Galaxy’s next-gen ProVisual Engine.

“The greatest innovations are a reflection of their users, which is why we evolved Galaxy AI to help everyone interact with their devices more naturally and effortlessly while trusting that their privacy is secured,” said TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “Galaxy S25 series opens the door to an AI-integrated OS that fundamentally shifts how we use technology and how we live our lives.”

Our Most Intuitive and Effortless Mobile Interactions Yet

With One UI 7, the Galaxy S25 series is a true AI companion that understands the context of your needs and preferences and provides personalised AI experiences with privacy assured at every turn. It’s the starting point of a shared vision with Google to imagine Android with AI at the core, bringing together developers and partners from around the world.

AI agents with multimodal capabilities enable Galaxy S25 to interpret text, speech, images and videos for interactions that feel natural. Upgrades to Google’s Circle to Search make searching your phone screen more helpful, fast and contextual. Circle to Search now quickly recognises phone numbers, email and URLs on your screen, letting you call, email or visit a website with a single tap.

With Galaxy S25 series, you can also perform actionable searches with context-aware suggestions for next steps. Plus, Galaxy S25 makes it frictionless to switch between apps for quick follow-up actions, like sharing a GIF or saving event details.

Galaxy S25 also represents a breakthrough in natural language understanding, making everyday interactions easier. Simply ask and intuitively find a specific photo in Samsung Gallery or adjust the size of display fonts in Settings. Just press and hold the side button to activate Gemini and perform seamless interaction across Samsung and Google apps, plus third-party apps such as Spotify. For example, find your favourite sports team’s season schedule and add it to Samsung   Calendar – with a single command.

These intuitive interactions are elevated by expansions to Galaxy AI’s popular tools for communication, productivity and creativity. Galaxy S25 keeps calls organised with Call Transcript[4] and summary. Writing Assist features such as summarizing content or automatically formatting notes can be enabled where texts can be selected, without needing to switch between applications. Drawing Assist unlocks fresh ways to bring ideas to life through combinations of sketches, text or image prompts.

Hyper-personalised Experiences with Privacy Secured

In the era of AI, personalisation goes hand-in-hand with privacy. On Galaxy S25, the Personal Data Engine powers personalised AI features by safely analysing your data on-device to deliver highly tailored experiences that reflect your preferences and usage patterns. These insights enable tailored experiences such as searching for an old photo in the Gallery using natural language, or being guided through the day with Now Brief, which proactively offers suggestions accessible via Now Bar on the lock screen. All personalised data is kept private and secured by Knox Vault. Combined with enhanced on-device processing capabilities, this creates a powerful, protected AI experience that is unique to Galaxy.

Galaxy S25 also introduces post-quantum cryptography, safeguarding personal data against emerging threats that could increase as quantum computing evolves. Because there is no privacy without holistic security, One UI 7 laid the groundwork for these innovations by introducing an extra, fortified layer of device safety designed for the age of AI and hyperconnectivity. Additional updates include added Maximum Restrictions settings, enhanced Theft Protection, and a new Knox Matrix dashboard to monitor the security status across a connected device ecosystem.

Galaxy’s Most Powerful Performance Ever

The Galaxy S25 series is powered by the Snapdragon® 8 Elite for Galaxy. With unique customisations by Galaxy, this is the most powerful processor ever on Galaxy S series, delivering a performance boost of 40% in NPU, 37% in CPU and 30% in GPU compared to previous generation. This power fuels the Galaxy S25 series’ ability to process more AI experiences on-device without compromise, including previously cloud-based AI tasks such as Generative Edit.

Samsung and Qualcomm Technologies worked together to customise the Snapdragon® 8 Elite for Galaxy.  The Galaxy S25 series features advanced, efficient AI image processing with ProScaler to achieve a 40% improvement[12] in display image scaling quality, while incorporating custom technology with Samsung’s mobile Digital Natural Image engine (mDNIe) embedded within the processor using Galaxy IP to enable greater display power efficiency.

Snapdragon® 8 Elite for Galaxy is also equipped with Vulkan Engine and improved Ray Tracing, which makes for smoother and more realistic mobile gaming. All intense device usage and AI processing run smoothly thanks to changed heat dissipation structure with 40% larger vapor chamber and a tailored thermal interface material (TIM) that delivers extra improvement in thermal efficiency.

Unleashing Truly Pro Creation

The Galaxy S25 series delivers ultra-detailed shots at every range with high resolution sensors and ProVisual Engine, setting a new standard for mobile photography. With a new 50MP ultrawide camera sensor upgraded from the previous 12MP, Galaxy S25 Ultra provides exceptional clarity and vibrancy.

10-bit HDR recording is now applied by default, offering four times richer colour expression compared to 8-bit. Galaxy S25 can thus capture details in any lighting conditions. Plus, low-light videos have never been clearer than with Galaxy S25. Based on powerful processor, Galaxy S25 analyses movement and time to reduce noise more effectively. This integration allows detecting both moving and static objects with greater precision, ensuring sharper, cleaner footage in any scenario.

Galaxy S25 also introduces a range of tools once limited to specialised software, making advanced editing accessible for all. Now anyone can be a pro at editing photos and videos. Audio Eraser simplifies the removal of unwanted noise in videos. By isolating categories of sounds – including voices, music, wind, nature, crowd and noise – you can control what to tone down or eliminate entirely.

For a DSLR-like experience on mobile, Galaxy S25 introduces depth-of-field control with Virtual Aperture, integrated into the popular Expert RAW. Galaxy S25 also elevates cinematic creativity with Galaxy Log, enabling precise colour grading options for more professional video production. Portrait Studio has also been enhanced, allowing users to create personalised avatars with more true-to-life facial expressions. Filters introduces new analog-style filters, delivering film-like aesthetic for their photos and videos.

Durable Design Embracing a More Circular Approach

The Galaxy S25 series builds upon Galaxy’s ‘Essential Design’ grounded in ‘Simple, Impactful and Emotive’ elements. Galaxy S25 Ultra refines this essence into the slimmest, lightest and most durable Galaxy S series yet, with a rounded edge for a comfortable grip that complements the series’ aesthetic identity.

Galaxy S25 Ultra features durable titanium and the new Corning® Gorilla® Armor 2, a first-of-its-kind material that is more durable than glass. It combines Corning’s glass-ceramic with a proprietary anti-reflective surface treatment, helping to ensure advanced drop protection alongside anti-reflection surface treatment and scratch resistance.

Every external component of Galaxy S25+ and S25 now includes at least one recycled material, as their metal frame incorporates recycled armor aluminum for the first time. In addition, while every Galaxy S25 series device uses a minimum of 50% recycled cobalt for its battery, Galaxy S25 will be the first Galaxy smartphone to feature batteries made with recycled cobalt sourced from previous Galaxy devices or the batteries discarded during the manufacturing process. Samsung goes through multiple stages with its like-minded partners, from extracting cobalt from used batteries to re-using the recycled cobalt for the batteries of Galaxy S25.

Combined with seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates, the Galaxy S25 series ensures a reliable and optimised performance over a longer lifespan. For greater peace of mind, Samsung Care+ offers comprehensive coverage for accidental damage, repairs, and replacements, ensuring peace of mind for Galaxy users. Plus, Samsung is introducing the New Galaxy Club. For users who love having the latest technology, this flexible subscription model is designed to make owning and upgrading Galaxy devices more convenient than ever. Regional details and availability will be announced at a later date.

The Galaxy S25 series will be available for pre-order from 23 January to 13 February 2025. Galaxy S25 Ultra will be available in Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Whitesilver and Titanium Gray. Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+ will be available in Navy, Silver Shadow, Icyblue and Mint.

Pricing as follows:

• Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 256GB - R29,999
• Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 512GB - R31,999
• Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 1TB - R34,999

Bucket Tech: Nokia 8

Some of you may remember in January this year I did a post on the Nokia 6, while we were all excited that Nokia had resurrected themselves and got back into the market, our joy was soon turned to disappointment when it was announced that the phone would only be available in China. Then even worse news came out, they remade the 3310, and it was crap! Look, for what it's worth, the 3310 does the job but guys, no, the phone in our modern day lacks what we all need in a phone. While Nokia's new lease on life in the mobile industry looked dead an dreary. this week they released its flagship device, the Nokia 8. 

They didn't have to try hard to impress us after releasing the 3310 but from what I've read about the 8, it sounds like a fantastic device. First lets start off with the manufacturing process of the device. The Nokia 8 undergoes a rigorous 40-stage process of machining, anodizing and polishing, this makes for a very attractive looking product. The entire unibody is made from polished aluminium and available in a host of colours. Nokia say the phone is designed to fit into the palm of your hand. 

While the primary use for a phone would be to make phone calls, in the era we living in, it seems like the primary use is to capture lifes moments. Yes, everyone loves to document their daily activities, whether they're stuck in traffic, eating some thing that looks good and tastes good, or just take selfies with friends. If you're one of them, you'll be glad to know that Nokia's partnership with Zeiss optics still exists, and the Nokia 8 comes with a 13MP Zeiss optics camera...on the front and back. Why you ask? Well another common feature from Social Media apps that is taking off is the live feature, with the Nokia 8, it features dual image fusion, where it combines the rear and the front facing camera and splits the image in half, one half showing what the rear wide angle dual lens see's and the front showing whatever the front camera see's. Its pretty cool and works great with broadcasting live. 

With recording, the Nokia 8 records everything in 4K and features Nokia OZO spatial 360 degree audio. Nokia believes that videos aren't always about what you see but also what you hear, with this new feature it will focus on audio that happens around you and accentuates the right sounds while reducing ambient sounds or background noise. The screen on the Nokia 8 is a 5.3" 2K display that offers ultra-vivd colours and superb clarity. 

With Nokia adopting the Android OS now, this is their most powerful device they have built for this software. The Nokia 8 has a Qualcomm Snapdrago 835 Mobile Platform, engineered to deliver exceptionally long battery life, something that we need dearly right now and they also added a full length copper cooling pope with graphite shield to dissipate system heat across the body of the phone, so you won't have your phone heating up, which is also a common problem in most smart phones on the market. The phone comes with 64GB of storage space and with all the Google add on's that come with the OS, you'd have access to Google Drive with ample space on your cloud. If you require more space, the Nokia 8 also can take a MicroSD card with support up to 256GB. 

The talk about this phone sounds really impressive, while Nokia isn't as Swedish as we know it to be with a large majority of the company being owned by a Chinese company, they certainly look like keeping up that legacy with this device. Pricing on the phone doesn't seem to bad either with suggested pricing in the region of R9,499 on Prepaid or about R449 a month on contract from Cellucity, ask confirmed by MyBroadband

Bucket Tech: Huawei G8

When I attended the launch of the Huawei Mate 8 last month, they also revealed another range of devices that they were introducing to the market, the G Series. Huawei said that the G Series was aimed at the youth market with the phone offering more in terms of a playful creative nature compared to their other phones which are made more for the business individuals. It seemed to make sense seeing that kids mainly use their phones for taking pictures, listening to music, and being on the social media stream, so would they really need the hardcore processing power and the rest of the jazz that goes into the high end smart phones when they could really have their own which would cost significantly less? Well the answer is yes, although it did have me wondering, how much did Huawei compromise on their product to make the G series what it is? Well a couple weeks ago they sent me the G8, the "top of the range" if you may call it, from the lot, with the others being the G3, and G5 to test out and this was my experience with it.

Quality

Since the package arrived I tried to see where the manufacturer tried to make the device different form the others, the packaging still looking sleek and typical of their devices so no cost cutting there. Once opened, and removed the phone, I was surprised at the weight, as it was quite heavy compared to your normal phone but the reason behind this was the massive screen, unlike the P8 and P9, the G8 comes with a 5.5" screen instead of a 5.2" as found on the other 2 devices. The build quality seems great as well, just as all their other devices so definitely no cost cutting on that part of the phone. The finish is exquisite and high quality as well, really gives off that premium feel to it.

Design & Dimensions

When compared to the the P series, the G would be slightly bigger due to the screen size which see's the overall dimensions of the phone at 152 x 76.5 x 7.5mm which still is a comfortable size to fit into the palm of your hand. The beveled edges also help with this as it gives the phone a less edgy feel and therefore a better grip for the user. The 360 touch finger print recognition has improved in leaps and bounds since the P8. With it taking a full scan of your finger , thus improving scanning speeds to milliseconds upon touch.

Taken with the Huawei G8

Camera

The G8 comes with a 13 megapixel primary camera, with auto focus and dual LED flash. Huawei takes it's camera's very seriously and the quality on this one is just as great as the others. I love the features it comes with one of my favourite being the time-lapse. I even recorded my entire flight from Johannesburg to Durban which you can find below. I wish they could give you ways in which you can control the frames per second though, I mean the 50 odd minute flight only was a 1 minute video, most of it was boring but it would be nice to slow down certain aspects of the video and speed up the rest. The front facing camera is a 5 megapixel lens and has the smile detection feature which is perfect for selfies.  

       

Performance

Now many might be reading and thinking, if this phone is aimed at the youth and would be more affordable, how exactly did they do it if Huawei didn't compromise on build quality or features, well I'll tell you where they saved the cash, it was in the processing power. Whilst their top phones come with the powerful HiSilicon Kirin chipsets, the G Series opts for the Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets. While there is a significant difference between the two, the Qualcomm Snapdragon is still a quality chip with 1.5GHz Cortex - A53 & quad-core 1.2 Ghz Cortex-A53 CPU. It's more than sufficient to deal with the demands for what the phone was made for. 

Taken with the Huawei G8

Display

As mentioned before on the post, the G8 does come with a larger screen, a 5.5" ISP LCD capactivie touchscreen to be exact. It has 16 million colours to mesmerise your eyes with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 so, you have a full high definition experience. The touch screen is multi touch capable and has an Emotion UI 3.1 rating for protection, hence the added weight of the phone which is 167g in total. 

Taken with the Huawei G8

Verdict

While the manufacturer has compromised on performance for this device, it's acceptable when looking at the overall phone and what it's purpose is meant for. Certainly everything else is up to scratch with other devices in the market with some aspects being even better than their competitors flagship devices. The phone still offers the same great UI with a host of themes and settings to make yours unique and there are 3 colours for you to chose from. I quite enjoyed my time with the G8, more so because I used it for all my social media activities and capturing pictures and video with it and it did that perfectly, battery life was surprisingly great as I thought with the larger display it would drain it quite quickly. It's certainly a great phone if you're looking at getting one for those specific purposes or something you want to get for your kid.

Taken with the Huawei G8