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Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1095) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1095) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 3.

Quordle today (game #1095) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1095) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1095) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• R

• S

• W

• B

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1095) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1095, are…

• RUGBY
• SASSY
• WORRY
• BANAL

A rare day without an E.

I was thrilled when I got RUGBY in three goes – mainly because after deciding to go with a word that began RU I couldn’t think of any others – but then I really laboured over the next word.

Words beginning in S and ending in Y are pretty common – or at least it feels like it. Getting the second letter narrowed it down a little, but it still took me three goes before I guessed SASSY – another Qourdle deja-vu word that I’m sure was used recently.

Daily Sequence today (game #1095) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1095, are…

• EXIST
• ERECT
• ADULT
• UNTIE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1094, Wednesday 22 January: SLANT, TRUNK, WOOZY, EATEN
• Quordle #1093, Tuesday 21 January: CHART, VIGOR, PRINT, SPAWN
• Quordle #1092, Monday 20 January: SIXTY, THONG, TATTY, ROBIN
• Quordle #1091, Sunday 19 January: WREST, RINSE, SCOUR, CANNY
• Quordle #1090, Saturday 18 January: BLARE, ITCHY, BICEP, PIPER
• Quordle #1089, Friday 17 January: CATCH, WEARY, SWOON, LATHE
• Quordle #1088, Thursday 16 January: PARTY, BLUNT, TWEED, PLANT
• Quordle #1087, Wednesday 15 January: RISEN, PLATE, RURAL, ENVOY
• Quordle #1086, Tuesday 14 January: SWARM, SCRAP, ONION, BELCH
• Quordle #1085, Monday 13 January: EYING, GIDDY, CHEAP, PETAL
• Quordle #1084, Sunday 12 January: BRIEF, PETAL, WOMAN, FELON
• Quordle #1083, Saturday 11 January: ASCOT, FIBER, ROGUE, SMELL
• Quordle #1082, Friday 10 January: BIGOT, INLET, LEECH, TUNIC
• Quordle #1081, Thursday 9 January: RESET, HUMOR, TENOR, IMAGE
• Quordle #1080, Wednesday 8 January: MINCE, SADLY, RISEN, VOUCH
• Quordle #1079, Tuesday 7 January: CREED, FILET, ROUTE, TAPER
• Quordle #1078, Monday 6 January: PIVOT, WOOLY, GRUNT, GROOM
• Quordle #1077, Sunday 5 January: BORAX, JUDGE, CADET, SALON
• Quordle #1076, Saturday 4 January: CORER, CRATE, QUASI, EXIST
• Quordle #1075, Friday 3 January: PERKY, QUARK, NAVEL, SHEEN

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #326) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Udderly delicious

NYT Strands today (game #326) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• STALE
• BURY
• START
• SIDE
• CRUD
• BUTCH

NYT Strands today (game #326) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Cow classics

NYT Strands today (game #326) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: bottom, 5th column

Last side: top, 3rd column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #326) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #326, are…

• MILK
• BUTTER
• CHEESE
• GELATO
• CUSTARD
• YOGURT
• SPANGRAM: DAIRY PRODUCTS

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Being lactose intolerant and also, despite this condition, a turophile, I found today’s Strands enjoyable but, much like my beloved cheese, hard to stomach.

I put my diminutive stature down to a dislike of creamy creations, as height and milk protein have been shown to be linked. Researchers have attributed an obsession with DAIRY PRODUCTS as the reason why people from the Netherlands are better at reaching things on high shelves than any other nation in the world. In a year the average Dutch person consumes over 25% more CHEESE and other milk-based products than their American or British counterparts and this has resulted in a growth spurt over the past century, taking the Dutch from the shortest people in Europe to the tallest – the average Dutchman is more than 6ft tall and the average Dutch woman about 5ft 7in. 

Anyway, a lovely easy Strands with a tasty subject matter.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, 22 January, game #325)

• BRAVE
• CARS
• SOUL
• ONWARD
• ELEMENTAL
• RATATOUILLE
• SPANGRAM: ANIMATION

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need clues.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #592) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• BETTER
• BLANKET
• SATCHEL
• PAGAN
• WIDEN
• COOLER
• WHIP
• SMARTER
• BASKET
• ECLIPSE
• BOMBER
• UTENSILS
• ТОР
• FEDORA
• SURPASS
• VIXEN

NYT Connections today (game #592) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Superior output
• GREEN: Alfresco dining
• BLUE: As seen in the Temple of Doom  
• PURPLE: Sounds like White House residents

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #592) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: OUTDO 
• GREEN: PICNIC ACCESSORIES 
• BLUE: PARTS OF AN INDIANA JONES COSTUME 
• PURPLE: RHYMES OF U.S. PRESIDENT NAMES 

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #592) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #592, are…

• YELLOW: OUTDO BETTER, ECLIPSE, SURPASS, TOP
• GREEN: PICNIC ACCESSORIES BASKET, BLANKET, COOLER, UTENSILS
• BLUE: PARTS OF AN INDIANA JONES COSTUME BOMBER, FEDORA, SATCHEL, WHIP
• PURPLE: RHYMES OF U.S. PRESIDENT NAMES PAGAN, SMARTER, VIXEN, WIDEN

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 3 mistakes

Oh my gosh I found today’s Connections difficult.

Maybe if the RHYMES OF U.S. PRESIDENT NAMES had included Chump I would have got there, but this wasn’t the only group I was mentally grappling with.

On my third attempt I managed to link BOMBER, FEDORA, SATCHEL, and WHIP, but it wasn’t because I thought they had anything to do with PARTS OF AN INDIANA JONES COSTUME – if I’m honest, I’d forgotten his bag preference.

Cluelessly, I thought they were accessories named after a person, based on the incorrect assumption that Fedora was someone famous in the 1920s. In fact, the history of the Fedora is much more interesting and culminates in a 2016 article that described the fedora hat as the world’s “most-hated fashion accessory”. Yes, this is the same year as a certain red cap rose to prominence.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, 22 January, game #591)

• GREEN: RESULTS OF SOME DIGGING DITCH, HOLE, PIT, TRENCH
• YELLOW:  TYPES OF ACADEMIC COURSES DISCUSSION, LAB, LECTURE, SEMINAR
• BLUE: ONES WEARING ROBES BOXER, JUDGE, MONK, WIZARD
• PURPLE: ___ UP BATTER, BOTTOMS, CHIN, LAWYER

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

• GMKTec joins HP with a Ryzen AI Max+ 395 workstation mini PC
• The Max+ 395 is currently the world's most powerful APU and could be a nuisance to Nvidia's DIGITS GB10
• Expect products based on the 395 to roll out later in Q2 2025 after Chinese New Year

GMK, an emerging Chinese brand in the mini PC market, has announced (originally in Chinese) the upcoming launch of a new product powered by the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395.

The company claims this will be the world’s first mini PC featuring the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chip. It also plans to offer versions with non-Plus Ryzen AI Max APUs.

According to ITHome (originally in Chinese), the device is part of GMK's “ALL IN AI” strategy and is expected to debut in the first or second quarter of 2025.

AMD’s Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chip

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor boasts 16 Zen 5 cores, 32 threads, and a 5.1 GHz peak clock speed. Additionally, it integrates 40 RDNA 3.5 compute units, delivering solid graphics performance via the Radeon 8060S iGPU.

According to benchmarks, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 outpaces the Intel Lunar Lake Core Ultra 9 288V in CPU tasks by threefold and surpasses NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4090 in AI performance tests.

With a configurable TDP of 45-120W, the processor balances efficiency and performance, positioning itself as a competitive choice for AI workloads, gaming, and mobile workstations.

This platform adopts LPDDR5x memory, achieving a bandwidth of up to 256GB/s. It also integrates a 50TOPS “XDNA 2” NPU, providing impressive AI performance tailored towards Windows 11 AI+ PCs.

The Max+ 395 specs suggest that the new GMK mini PC will likely surpass the performance of the current Evo X1 model, which features a Ryzen Strix Point HX 370 APU and is priced at $919.

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During Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked 2025 event, its SmartThings division unveiled new AI technology that could be set to supercharge the smart-home experience – provided that you have a Samsung-based ecosystem, that is.

The new tools will fall under the banner of Samsung's Home AI, and include 'ambient sensing', a feature that gathers insights from connected devices around your home and adapts to your everyday life to make your smart home more efficient.

We don't have a confirmed release date yet, other than a broad 2025-2026 rollout window, which means there's plenty of time to kit your smart home out with SmartThings-enabled hardware; just bear in mind that it's likely most features will be exclusive to Samsung's devices, at least in the short term.

Here are the answers to all your burning questions…

What is ambient sensing?

Chief among these new developments is ambient sensing, whereby SmartThings devices will be able to leverage advanced sensor technology such as motion and sound detection to monitor your daily activities and create the perfect environment for every moment.

Many of Samsung's devices feature such sensors, from the new Bespoke JetBot Combo AI robot vacuum to Samsung's large appliances and the Samsung Music Frame, meaning you just might already have a few devices in your home that will benefit from the new ambient sensor technology.

What will Samsung's ambient sensing do?

Samsung provided a few examples of what its ambient sensing technology will be capable of:

• Human Detection and Activity Monitoring: SmartThings will be able to use sensors to detect different activities like push-ups, sleeping, or even working at your desk. This information will be used to recommend better routines and improve your environment.
• Health Insight and Lifestyle Recommendations: It's not just your devices that SmartThings will adjust; to help you keep healthy, SmartThings will provide real-time feedback such as reminding you to move around if you've been sitting for too long.

So what might this look like in practice? For example, while you're working out, Samsung says SmartThings will be able to detect which kind of exercise you’re doing, offering guidance on your form and giving recommendations for how to up your gains by changing the length of exercise.

If you've just hopped in the shower, the sound and motion made as you dry your hair could trigger your robot vacuum to collect any hair you shed in the process, or create a more ambient mood as you approach your favorite reading chair by switching on the nearby lamp and adjusting the room's temperature.

Or, if you've got a particularly fluffy friend at home that emits wafts of fur as it jumps up on furniture, SmartThings could even recognize this and activate your air purifier to remove allergens from the air.

Indeed, it's a development I discussed with a number of executives at CES 2025, though I couldn't quite get a sense for how soon these features might manifest; now I know, and I'm delighted that it's set to happen so much sooner than I'd anticipated.

Generative AI Map View

The fun doesn't stop there; SmartThings is also set to upgrade its AI Home arsenal with Generative AI technology, namely by adding further personalization to your Map View.

Now, Samsung says you'll be able to use your phone camera to capture images of furnishings around your home to make Map View more accurate to your styling.

That in turn means you'll have a better user experience when it comes to navigating around and interacting with your smart home, as Map View will know where your furniture is, and be capable of leveraging the new ambient sensing technology based on proximity.

Will SmartThings keep my home data secure?

The short answer is, Samsung says, yes.

The longer answer is that Samsung will store all information locally on your network, offering privacy by keeping the data within Samsung's appliances and devices instead of being dependent on the cloud. That means, Samsung says, that your data won't be accessible to third parties without your consent.

Samsung is, frankly, light years ahead of its smart home competition, owing to its combination of wide-ranging product categories across home and lifestyle devices, its worldwide popularity, and its various partnerships with the likes of Google for its AI tools as well as its collaboration with the Connectivity Standards Alliance on Matter.

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Samsung’s first Galaxy Unpacked event was packed, and keeping with the brand's tradition, it went through all of its news in a zippy fashion. The Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra were all made official, alongside deeper partnerships with Google for new Gemini tricks, a bevy of new Galaxy AI features, major improvements to content creation, and a tease of what the company is cooking up with Google for its Android XR headset.

It was a lot, and while you can read through our live blog of the event – including on-the-ground moments captured by the TechRadar team – here we’re sharing the nine most significant things we learned from the January 22, 2025, Galaxy Unpacked.

And it all starts with, you guessed it, AI.

1. Galaxy AI is getting even smarter and more personalized

(Image credit: Samsung)

Just like the Galaxy S24 family, the S25 is all about Galaxy AI, and for 2025, Samsung is doubling down on the performance of these features and their breadth. It starts with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, which comes with 12GB of RAM and a dedicated core for AI tasks dubbed the Personal Data Engine.

The idea here is that inside the S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra is a core that can be dedicated to handling AI tasks, and eventually create a sort of personalized LLM for you. One that can learn your habits and the other devices you have and serve helpful AI – in the form of Bixby, Gemini, or the new Now Brief functionality – to help you get things done faster or complete them for you without you needing to do much.

Samsung wants its devices to do more for you – not just the latest Galaxy phone, but other devices within the ecosystem too, such as a Galaxy Ring, Watch, or even a connected appliance. Ideally, it could turn off your TV for you when your watch tells your phone that you’re asleep, or it could make a recommendation to turn on a sleep mode to let you stop doom scrolling on TikTok and put the phone down.

2. The Galaxy S25 Ultra aims to deliver the complete package

(Image credit: Future / Roland Moore-Colyer)

The headline hardware announcement from Galaxy Unpacked was the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, aka Samsung’s biggest, baddest new flagship smartphone.

At first glance, it doesn’t look too dissimilar to its predecessor, but there are some important design differences worth mentioning. For starters, the S25 Ultra has much bolder camera rings, which now look more like they do on the Galaxy Z Fold 6, and are consistent across the entire Galaxy S25 lineup. The new phone has a slightly bigger display than the S24 Ultra too; it now measures 6.9 inches, up from 6.8 inches on last year’s model, which is an increase made possible by a 15% thinner bezel.

The S25 Ultra is also thinner than its predecessor more generally, and it weighs 15g less, but the biggest difference comes to the corners, which are now rounded rather than sharp (iPhone fans, rejoice).

Under the hood, Samsung’s latest flagship boasts a For Galaxy version of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which is more powerful than the S24 Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and should deliver even better gaming and AI performance. Speaking of which, the S25 Ultra gets a larger vapor-cooling chamber than its predecessor, and you’ll also get instant access to some new Galaxy AI features like Now Brief and Audio Eraser.

For our first impressions of this new best Android phone contender, check out our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review. Your move, Google and Apple!

@techradar

Meet the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus: same great design, beware chip and more AI!

♬ original sound - TechRadar 3. The Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus step things up in terms of value

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Compared to the Ultra, this year’s new standard models aren’t all that exciting, but they are objectively better than their predecessors and come with a host of future-facing upgrades.

Design-wise, you’re looking at the same fancy new camera rings as on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and both the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus are 7% thinner than last year’s models.

The big news for these two phones is the RAM capacity: it’s now 12GB instead of 8GB, which brings both models in line with the S25 Ultra, and all three new devices also share the same Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. There’s no Qualcomm/Exynos split this year, which will come as good news for European buyers.

Other hardware upgrades for the S25 include a larger vapor-cooling chamber, which should facilitate better gaming performance alongside that 8 Elite chipset, and on the software front you’ll get instant access to several new Galaxy AI features.

For an early look at both devices, check out our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S25 review and hands-on Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review.

4. The Galaxy S25 Edge is official, and it’s crazy thin

(Image credit: Future)

While the phone rumor mill has been talking about an iPhone 17 Air for quite some time, Samsung beat the Cupertino-based tech giant to the punch. Just like it teased the Galaxy Ring at the end of the January 2024 Unpacked, Samsung closed out this year's Unpacked with a glimpse of an ultra-thin smartphone.

The Galaxy S25 Edge shows various components stacking together in a shockingly slim build for a phone that seemingly promises the Galaxy AI powers of the rest of the S25 lineup in an ultra-light build. We got to see it from afar at Galaxy Unpacked, and yes, it’s crazy, and super thin, but still has room for a main camera bump and seems to boast matt titanium sides.

Of course, nothing more than a quick look and a name was made official, but the minute Samsung gives us more information on the Galaxy S25 Edge, we’ll be sure to update you.

@techradar

♬ original sound - TechRadar 5. We got another look at Samsung and Google’s Project Moohan headset

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Google and Samsung formally unveiled the Project Moohan Android XR mixed-reality headset in December of 2024, but it wouldn’t have been an Unpacked without a tease, right? It was only a brief mention, but Samsung did indeed show off a fresh look at the forthcoming headset.

The two brands are still partnering on the Android XR platform, but also on the headset poised to deliver a complete range of XR experiences with eye- and hand-tracking. Samsung again confirmed the headset is in the works, though nothing more concrete was shared except that it will integrate with the existing Samsung ecosystem.

Separately, speaking to Bloomberg, Samsung’s TM Roh confirmed that the brand is also working on glasses with Google, and that the two companies want to ship them as soon as they’re ready. It's safe to say AR, XR, and smart glasses are still heating up.

@techradar

♬ original sound - TechRadar 6. You’ll get 6 months of Gemini Advanced with an S25, S25 Plus, or S25 Ultra

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Considering Samsung highlighted a number of new Gemini features during Galaxy Unpacked, it’s only right that folks ordering the Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, or S25 Ultra are getting a freebie. With the purchase of Samsung’s latest flagship, you’ll get six months of Gemini Advanced at no additional cost, which should let you use all the phone's AI capabilities to the fullest without worrying about limits.

The deal also stretches the value of the Galaxy S25 lineup; Gemini Advanced is $19.99 a month in the United States, so a six-month subscription is just short of $120 in value.

7. The S25 series phones are getting the iPhone and Pixel’s best camera features

(Image credit: Samsung)

The race for the title of best camera phone is going to be tight again in 2025, with Samsung revealing that its S25 clan will get some powerful features we’ve mostly seen from Apple and Google before now.

That includes the ability to shoot log video (which is ideal for color grading) and Samsung’s take on Google’s Best Take for Pixels, which it’s calling Best Face. That’s ideal if your group shots usually contain someone with unfortunate blinking timing.

If you prefer to tweak and color-grade your still photos, there’s also an equivalent of Apple’s Photographic Styles. This lets you select a picture and create a filter based on its look, before fine-tuning its white balance, saturation, and grain.

Interestingly, a demo of Gemini Live showed a presenter getting some photo editing tips from an AI assistant by talking to them about their dog photo. Snaps of your furry friend will never have poor composition again.

8. Samsung’s SmartThings ecosystem is getting new AI tools

(Image credit: Samsung)

While it wasn’t a huge portion of the keynote, SmartThings had its moment in the sun with the official announcement of new ambient sensing technology and Generative AI Map View tools to help you personalize your smart home, all under the banner of Home AI.

Ambient sensing is arguably the most exciting feature, marking the first ecosystem-wide sensor-based technology that will allow your smart home devices not only to detect where you are and what you’re doing, but also optimize your environment accordingly.

Doing some press-ups? Well, your refrigerator might just be watching you, ready to give personalized tips on how to improve your form, or suggest adjustments to the duration of your workout.

While the second update might sound less exciting, it’s actually part of how ambient sensing can be made even more effective. Samsung’s new Gen AI Map View will allow you to photograph and upload your real furnishings into Map View, meaning your Home AI will not only know where the furniture is, but also what the furniture is. This is already somewhat possible with the Bespoke JetBot Combo AI robot vacuum, but Gen AI Map View will open the gates for even more personalization and detail.

Given that Samsung is already discussing its vision of bringing devices like the Samsung Galaxy Ring and even SmartTag 2 into the SmartThings fold, it’s not hard to imagine just how intelligent your Samsung smart home might be about to become.

Both ambient sensing and Gen AI Map View are set to roll out throughout 2025 and 2026.

9. There might be a Samsung tri-fold phone in the future

(Image credit: Future)

Before closing out the keynote with the Galaxy S25 Edge, Samsung showed off what looked like a roadmap that included a tri-fold phone.

While Samsung didn't share anything further, it likely shows where Samsung is heading with its foldable smartphone lineup. We already have the Flip and Fold, but there will need to be a new form factor to push the category further and deliver something new. It seems that tri-fold is that build type, and Samsung might ship it sooner than we expected.

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• Finnish retailer has posted a release date for RTX 5070 Ti
• The Nvidia GPU is supposedly set to arrive on February 20
• With no mention of a date attached to the RTX 5070, this might fuel other rumors that this vanilla graphics card could slide to March

Nvidia’s RTX 5070 Ti hasn’t been given an official release date beyond February, but a European retailer has revealed when it thinks the GPU will go on sale – namely February 20.

Add your own salt now, but the retailer is Proshop over in Finland (which recently aired purported details on third-party RTX 5080 pricing, too), and it has that on-sale date for all of the many third-party RTX 5070 Ti graphics cards that it'll be selling.

With the RTX 5090 and 5080 hitting shelves on January 30, that would theoretically mean a three-week gap between these higher-end graphics cards, and the mid-range Blackwell offering, going on sale.

I was hoping for a smaller gap between these launches, as it’s the mid-range I have my eye on for my PC upgrade early this year. Although as ever, we must be skeptical about any retailer leak such as this, as Proshop could have wrong or outdated info, or might just be guessing and have shoved in a placeholder date. And to be clear, Team Green has so far only told us the GPU will arrive in February.

(Image credit: Nvidia) Analysis: One date present, one date missing

What’s interesting to note is that while the RTX 5070 Ti has had this date of February 20 attached to the GPU, the vanilla RTX 5070 hasn’t. Proshop hasn’t pinned a date on this lower-tier flavor yet.

Does that mean anything? Well, maybe not (and we can’t even assume the date means anything for the RTX 5070 Ti either). However, dropping into indulgence mode here, I guess it’s possible to read it as a hint that the RTX 5070 could be further out. If that GPU was arriving before February 20, or on that day as well, it seems likely Proshop would’ve displayed that too. If it’s later and still to be confirmed, the retailer would just leave it blank, as it has done.

It's also worth bearing in mind that we’ve just reported on a rumor that fits with this line of speculation. Namely that the RTX 5070 Ti is apparently set to arrive mid-to-late February, which February 20 matches up with nicely – and furthermore, that the RTX 5070 might not go on sale until early March.

Granted, I feel the latter rumor remains very tenuous, and I’d strongly caution against going too far with this idea right now. But it’s not unthinkable that the RTX 5070 might turn up later than the RTX 5070 Ti, and there’s been a rumor in the past that this is the plan.

It’s quite possible that Nvidia hasn’t made the final decision yet, and is still waiting to make a definitive call, which is (of course) why we weren’t treated to any specific dates at CES 2025 beyond just February.

Whatever the case, I hope the RTX 5070 makes the cut for late February, as promised, rather than sliding to March (and Nvidia will surely want this too – as the latter scenario means a direct clash with AMD’s RX 9070 GPUs, rather than getting out ahead of them).

Via VideoCardz

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• Buffalo's RUF3-KEV offers built-in security endpoint protection
• This is a effectively describing an antivirus as used in businesses
• USB flash drives historically have been used to infect host PCs

Buffalo has introduced a new USB flash drive, the RUF3-KEV (via PC Watch, originally in Japanese), designed to provide physical security against malware and virus infections.

The USB 3.2 Gen 1 drive comes with in-built endpoint protection, the "DiXiM Security Endpoint," a security service that continuously monitors files saved or updated on the USB drive for any signs of infection.

This is in addition to a real-time antivirus feature which automatically isolates and removes infected files when detected, and a "heuristic function" that identifies potentially malicious programs by analyzing their behavior.

Buffalo RUF3-KEV security mechanism and pricing

Though less eye-catching, the RUF3-KEV also supports password authentication, preventing unauthorized access.

Given the potential perils of its compact design (measuring just 19.8 x 10 x 68 mm and weighing approximately 11 grams), the drive uses a cap-less design and supports an "auto-return mechanism" which automatically retracts the connector when the USB drive is removed from the computer, offering protection from dust and physical damage.

The drive series will have three models of modest caacity; 64GB, 32GB and 16GB. Pricing has only currently been announced in yen, but each model will cost 10,000 yen, 8,300 yen and 6,600 yen each.

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Samsung has just unveiled its new Galaxy S25 series smartphones at its Galaxy Unpacked event, alongside a slew of brand-new AI features coming to its devices, such as the handy Now Brief. You can check out our coverage here at TechRadar.com including our hands-on thoughts with the new Samsung Galaxy S25, Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus, and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, and find out more about everything announced via our Galaxy Unpack event liveblog.

But if you want us to truly unpack everything Samsung just revealed, as well as what we think this event means for Samsung as a whole in 2025, then you’ll need to watch our brand-new Samsung Unpacked January 2025 special episode of the TechRadar podcast.

In it, Josie Watson and I are joined by phone expert Axel Metz, fitness tech guru Matt Evans, and as always the wonderfully wise Lance Ulanoff to break down everything we saw so you can get to grips with the latest tech news.

We take a deep dive into the new phones and AI features, give you our thoughts on Samsung’s continued efforts to build an interconnected internet of things ecosystem – which goes beyond anything Apple is currently capable of – and discuss what Samsung needs for Project Moohan and its XR efforts to succeed where others have failed.

You can catch our latest podcast episode via our YouTube channel – or the embedded video above – and you can also check it out on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. You can find all our other episodes there too, including our CES 2025 special.

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• Samsung teased Project Moohan AI capabilities at Galaxy Unpacked
• It also announced exclusive software from third-party app creators
• The presentation was light on the details

Samsung took a few moments – literal seconds – out of its Samsung Galaxy S25 launch event to talk about Project Moohan (its upcoming VR headset) and Android XR, and how the platform will leverage multimodal AI to bring awesome (but currently nebulous) upgrades to XR systems. Thankfully it had more to say in a separate interview with TM Roh, the president of Samsung’s Mobile Experience division, including one detail which makes me believe Samsung’s tech won’t crash and burn like the Apple Vision Pro.

Out the gate we have some bad news courtesy of the interview conducted by Bloomberg (behind a paywall): we still don’t have a release date for Samsung’s headset or AR glasses. Roh did reaffirm the consumer version of Moohan is coming this year, though he didn’t reveal precisely when, or how much it’ll cost at launch.

@techradar

♬ original sound - TechRadar

Roh also added that Samsung is working on AR glasses – though again, he refused to elaborate on when they might launch, just that they would arrive eventually once they reach the quality and readiness Samsung wants (which Roh hopes is “as soon as possible”).

However, the good news is that Samsung and its partner Google seem to have understood their core focus shouldn’t just be hardware, but software too.

An important lesson learned

Roh reportedly said that one key part of launching the XR devices will be having enough exclusive, original, worthwhile content ready for launch. To achieve this goal Samsung and Google are apparently working with third-parties to develop XR software for Android.

Thank goodness.

Samsung is learning from Apple's Mistakes (Image credit: Surreal Interactive)

I’m not the only one to say this, but a huge issue with the Apple Vision Pro’s launch wasn’t intrinsically that it cost $3,500 / £3,499 / AU$5,999, it was that it didn’t justify costing $3,500 / £3,499 / AU$5,999. Sure, it boasted incredible specs, but fundamentally it couldn’t do anything you couldn’t just do with a Mac or iPad and a Meta Quest 3 – pairings that would cost you significantly less. And it could do less than either of those pairings in some ways, because the Quest platform is brimming with exclusive software.

Apple had a couple of impressive exclusives, like its Disney Plus 3D content, but nowhere near enough to compete with the market at the price it attempted to demand. That’s why a year on from its release it just hasn’t had the staying power anyone hoped it might.

TM Roh’s comments at least show Samsung is aware of the importance of software, though given how badly people have been burned previously by other brands, I’m hesitant to take the comments at face value – not until we can see and try the software he’s teasing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m desperate for Samsung to succeed so Meta can face some proper competition – right now, the closest thing we have to a Quest-killer is the rumored Asus Tarius headset (which uses the Quest’s operating system because it’s a collab between Asus and Meta) – but until Samsung and Google show us the goods I’ll remain cautiously optimistic.

For now, we’ll have to make do with Samsung talking the talk, and wait and see if it can walk the walk when it shows us what Project Moohan has in store for us later in 2025.

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• GL.inet's Comet is a piece of open-source remote KVM hardware
• Remote access by Ethernet gives you access to a terminal from afar
• Unlike software-based solutions, this one is BIOS-compatible and can be used for OS installations

GL.iNet has unveiled the Comet (GL-RM1), an open source remote KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) device running a Linux distribution based on the open-source project Buildroot.

Designed for users who require remote access to PCs and servers, the Comet connects via HDMI and USB for KVM functionality, while its Ethernet port integrates with your network for remote access.

GL.iNet's Comet product page is currently only offering a mailing list subscription, but it's notable that the company is describing it as, minus power blips, a failsafe alternative to remote desktop software.

Remote control at a new level

With the Comet's BIOS/UEFI level compatibility, users can perform tasks like OS installations and troubleshooting without requiring the target system to be operational.

It's powered by a quad-core 1.5 GHz CPU and a 2.0 TOPS neural processing unit (NPU) which supports lightweight AI applications.

One of the key features of the Comet is its built-in permanent free VPN service, providing secure remote access. GL.iNet also equips the Comet with multiple remote boot options, including Wake-on-LAN (WOL), a mechanical button, and an ATX control board.

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Samsung just pulled a classic Apple at the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked January 2025 event, revealing 'one more thing' – the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.

After the reveal of the Samsung Galaxy S25 and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra were done, Samsung suddenly dropped a video showing the internal design of a very fancy-looking new phone, and eventually revealed an ultra-slim side profile.

However, it didn't follow up with any kind of extra information, such as price, release date, specs, actual measurements, or answers to any of the other questions I was immediately yelling at my screen.

But Samsung has form for this, teasing the Samsung Galaxy Ring last year with similarly mysterious reveal.

@techradar

♬ original sound - TechRadar

There have been hot rumors that Apple is planning to launch a super-slim iPhone 17 'Air' model this year, but it seems like Samsung is planning to beat Apple to the punch. I mean, I assume this thing will come out before September, but that's far from official.

Our people on the ground at the Samsung event were able to get up-close with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge now, and while it was an eyes-on versus a hands-on, we're working to find out as much about it as we can.

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We can already tell you a few things, though, from the video and what we can see in the demo room. It's squeezed in dual rear cameras, and has a tiny pin-hole front camera, with a nearly edge-to-edge screen – at least, it does in the mock-ups/prototypes that we're seeing.

By far the biggest takeaway, is that it truly is extremely thin. In the display at Galaxy Unpacked, the Edge is next to thicker device mockups which we believe are meant to show the standard S25 and S25 Ultra devices. This helps to demonstrate just how the Edge is, and you can see that in the photos above.

The video also seems to reveal some aggressive heat management layers, which seems very necessary if it's using the same powerful chips as the main Samsung S25 lines.

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Additionally, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman is reporting that Samsung plans to release the Galaxy S25 Edge in the first half of 2025 with a starting price less than that of the Galaxy S25 Ultra. That could make it pretty competitive, and likely follows the same approach that Apple is rumored to be taking with the iPhone 17 Air.

If you want to find out about the camera, processor and – especially – AI improvements in those devices, read our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S25 review, hands-on Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review and our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review.

Developing: this story will be updated with more information as we have it.

@techradar

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Samsung is already the king of folding phones – and at the first Samsung Galaxy Unpacked of 2025, the tech giant teased its potential next frontier.

During the launch, which saw the reveal of the Samsung Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy S25 Plus, Samsung showed off a brief roadmap of its future products – complete with a tri-folding foldable phone.

There were no timings or dates included, and no suggestion that such a device will be with us this year, but I'd suggest such a phone is coming sooner than later, as the Galaxy Z Fold 6 seems to have reached a plateau for folding phones at Samsung.

For more from the showcase right now, check our our Samsung Galaxy Unpacked live blog.

A new frontier for foldables

While even the best foldable phones aren't exactly perfect, with chunky frames and visible creases. But even with these caveats, they are rather good productivity devices, so having another display could turn them into serious devices that can double up as Android tablets.

Samsung’s display arm has already shown off a couple of prototype tri-fold concept phones at CES 2025, so such a folding phone was definitely being considered by the South Korean company. But seeing such a phone on a roadmap is a very strong indicator that a tri-folding phone will become a legitimate consumer product.

It's over to fellow Managing Editor and TV/display specialist Matthew Bolton for his thoughts on the tri-fold concepts he got to see at CES: "I saw two versions of a tri-fold screen prototype device. One that folds in a Z-shape, just like what Samsung hinted at in its announcement, and one where left and right screens folded on top of the center screen.

"I wasn't allowed to fold these phones (no one was, it's not a reflection on my brutishness), but it showcased the potential designs of these phones, and just how much extra space this layout can give you – it really feels like these reach the promise of 'a tablet that turns into a phone', in the sense that when folded out, they're around the 10-inch size of a full tablet, instead of the mini-tablet size of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. However, don't expect much change in the key flaw of folding screens: you're going to be looking at two creases instead of one."

We've already gone hands on with other tri-folds, most notably the Huawei Mate XT that impressed Phones Editor Axel Metz. So there's no doubt in my mind that the next step for foldable phones will be tri-folds, at least from the Android camp of the smartphone arena.

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• Google has added several new features to ChromeOS
• These include Class tools, Workspace, and Classroom
• Most are aimed at both students and educators

Google has announced several brand new features for the best Chromebooks, Google Workspace, and Google Classroom in a series of official blog posts.

First of all, there are Class Tools: real-time features that educators can use with their students, such as sending and pinning educational content to students’ screens, or turning on live captions and translations.

Google Classroom has several new features, including the ability to generate vocabulary lists through Gemini in Classroom, allowing educators to create customized word lists with definitions, parts of speech, and examples tailored to various grade levels.

Figma’s FigJam lets educators assign group whiteboards for group work, discussions, and brainstorming ideas. Educators can also create distinct student groups based on their needs and assign grades at scale, as well as keep students’ guardians informed with weekly newsletters and share Classroom page links to keep them up to date with assignments.

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Another tool, somewhat related to education but also applicable more widely, is Face Control on Chromebooks, which is finally being released. First revealed back in 2023, it’s an incredibly useful accessibility tool that allows users to control their cursor with head movements and perform actions with facial gestures. It’s now rolling out with the ChromeOS M132 update.

There will also be a whopping 20 new Chromebook and Chromebook Plus devices launching in 2025 for students and educators. These include the Acer Chromebook Spin 511 and Lenovo Chromebook Duet EDU G2, which will come with styluses and are built with a younger audience in mind, while the Asus CR1204CTA, and HP Fortis G1i 14 Chromebook are meant for older students. There’s also the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 for educators.

Google is continuing its winning streak with ChromeOS

In the past I've written about how Google has done surprisingly well in its initiative to create useful AI tools meant to aid users and enhance lives, rather than simply (and poorly) perform tasks better suited to humans. In that quest, Google has been also developing useful tools in other underrepresented markets, like education. Chromebooks are especially useful for students and educators, as their simple UI, affordable pricing, and portability are ideal for those who need a laptop to carry around and use eight or more hours a day.

Now with enhancements to Class tools, Google Classroom, Face Control on Chromebooks, and a bevy of models specially designed for education, Chromebooks and ChromeOS as a whole have become even more valuable, offering features that other laptops simply don’t.

Hopefully the tech giant will continue to innovate in this regard, as this is one of the best ways it sets ChromeOS and Chromebooks apart from the competition.

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• Proof of concept sees half a MB of data compressed in a steel capsule that looks like a bullet
• As expected, you cannot read the book like a normal paperback
• DNA storage is still firmly in a futuristic concept

DNA storage offers the potential to store billions of terabytes of data in an incredibly compact form, capable of lasting hundreds of years with minimal cost. The technology is increasingly being seen as a potential way to reduce energy usage, minimize physical space requirements, and enhance data security. Although we are seeing regular breakthroughs, there’s still a long way to go before DNA storage hits the mainstream and we're still waiting for that major breakthrough.

Recent advancements include a credit-card-sized DNA storage device by the French firm Biomemory, which can hold one kilobyte of data, and the first specifications for storing bytes in DNA were unveiled by the DNA Data Storage Alliance in late 2024.

In the latest milestone, DNA-based digital data storage company CATALOG, founded in 2016 by MIT scientists, has delivered the first commercially available book encoded into DNA.

A bit hard to read

The book, created in collaboration with Asimov Press and available for $65, features nine essays and three science fiction works from a number of writers including Alex Telford, Richard Ngo, and Tom Ireland. Each copy comes in the form of a steel DNA capsule that holds approximately half a megabyte of data and resembles a bullet.

The Boston-based CATALOG encoded 240 pages of text, totaling 481,280 bytes, into 500,000 unique synthetic DNA molecules. These molecules are stored as a dry powder under inert gas, safeguarding them from moisture and oxygen to ensure long-term preservation. It should go without saying that you can’t actually read its contents.

"Providing 1,000 copies of this latest Asimov book encoded into DNA is a significant milestone as we commercialize our DNA Storage and Computation technology,” said Hyunjun Park, Co-Founder and CEO of CATALOG. "Our DNA Computing platform – which uses very little energy – is quickly becoming an attractive option as emerging workloads including AI require unsustainable amounts of energy to process.”

The capsule, the first commercial product encoded into DNA, is available for pre-order now, priced at $65. If you just want to read the contents of the book, you can buy a physical copy for $30.

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Samsung’s new S25 smartphones have just been revealed at its January 2025 Galaxy Unpacked Event, but that’s not all that it showcased: it also gave us a taste of the AI-powered tools that are set to launch alongside the new devices – and I’ve had the chance to try them out.

The star of the show was Now Brief, a feature teased ahead of the event which sees your phone offer you personalized daily briefs based on your personal schedule and habits.

Taking cues from your connected email, calendar, wallet, accessories (such as a Galaxy Ring or Galaxy Watch), and other Samsung devices (i.e. your Samsung TV), Now Brief promises to give you a quick rundown of the day ahead – such as reminding you to prepare for your trip in a few days, to take it easy because you didn’t sleep well the night before, and that you have a coupon expiring today. Throughout the day the Now Brief will shift to suit your preferences and help you achieve your targets – for example in the afternoon you’ll get a reminder to get your steps in if you’re short of your health goals for the day, with tips on how to up your count.

Now Brief (Image credit: Samsung)

Samsung says Now Brief will learn to understand you via its 'Personal Data Engine'. It’ll learn what tips it should prioritize and which elements it doesn’t need to include as those aspects of your brief aren’t relevant. Most interestingly it seems like Samsung is learning heavily into its internet of things connected devices – with its presentation focusing on the improved integrations you’ll unlock if you pair your new Samsung phone with other devices like a Samsung TV and Samsung smartwatch (a tactic Apple has been using for years to convince users to not only buy an iPhone but a whole Apple ecosystem).

Because of this reliance on understanding you, of the three features I’ve tried Now Brief is the one I got the worst look at – because the test unit knew nothing of my personal schedule or who I am, it could only tell me about the weather conditions in the area nearby (which wasn’t especially useful). I’m hopeful that the full release will be more exciting, and that’ll come to older devices like the Samsung Galaxy S24, and Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Fold 6, as Now Brief has the potential to be the best new AI feature.

I constantly forget things in my busy schedule until the last minute, so a regular update on what’s coming up and reminders to hit my daily health goals could be super handy – but it will come down to how well this is implemented. AI features promise a lot, but will Now Brief deliver?

Now Bar can give you easy access to essentials (Image credit: Samsung) Cut through the noise

For those of you who love recording video – either to share with friends, family, or your followers – the new phones can also take advantage of new on-device audio editing called Audio Eraser. We’ve seen a similar tool from the Google Pixel 8 which allows an AI to identify different types of sound in a video to be able to turn it up or down as you see fit.

In a demo I had before the Galaxy Unpacked event I was able to record a clip of a Samsung representative talking while I clapped loudly and made noise in the background. Listening back to the clip you’d struggle to make out what they were saying.

That is, until I went into the phone’s video editor to alter the sound – turning down my disruption and turning up their voice. The end result sounded really good, and while there was a little distortion to their voice it certainly sounded a lot clearer than the unedited audio. We’ll need to test it further, but I expect Audio Eraser will be perfect for making your concert recordings pop.

For those of you who prefer using AI to help you create images, Samsung’s Sketch to Image AI tool is getting an upgrade too that makes it easier to combine real and AI elements.

In the demo I was able to combine a written prompt – I went for “an icy lake in a cartoonish style” – with a preexisting image – for the demo I used a photo of a random dog to stand in as my puppy – and Galaxy AI was able to combine the two parts into one single picture – spitting out an image of a dog that looked like the one in the photo playing near a lake in the snow, all in a cartoonish style.

AI image generation isn’t for everyone, but if you like playing around with this feature and want a little more freedom to combine real and fake elements this looks like a solid improvement over what we’ve had access to on Samsung before.

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• Gemini can now chain actions together to complete complex tasks
• Gemini Live is gaining multimodal abilities on the newest phones
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To coincide with the launch of the Samsung S25 range of devices, at today's Galaxy Unpacked, Google has announced some impressive updates to its Gemini AI platform. Many of the improvements are specific to devices like the new Samsung S25, but some also work on the older Samsung S24 and the Pixel 9 phones.

The stand-out feature is Gemini's new ability to chain actions together. This means you can now do things like connect to Google Maps to search for nearby restaurants, then draft a text in Google Messages to send to people you’d like to invite to lunch, all through Gemini commands.

The chaining ability is being added to all devices that run Gemini, “depending on extensions”, which means that the extensions to link the particular app to Gemini will need to be written by a developer for them to be included. Naturally, all the major Google apps have extensions for Gemini already, but extensions are also available for the Samsung Reminder, Samsung Calendar, Samsung Notes, and Samsung Clock apps.

Gemini Live goes multimodal

Google’s Gemini Live, the part of Gemini that gives you the opportunity to have a natural, human-like conversation with the AI, is also getting some major multimodal upgrades. You will now be able to upload images, files, and YouTube videos to the conversation you’re having, so, for example, you could ask Gemini Live, “Hey, take a look at this picture of my school project and tell me how I could make this better”, then upload the picture, and get a response.

The Gemini multimodal improvements are not available across the board, however, and will require a Galaxy S24, S25, or Pixel 9 to work.

Project Astra

Finally, Google has announced that Project Astra capabilities will be coming in the next few months, arriving first on Galaxy S25 and Pixel phones. Project Astra is Google’s prototype AI assistant that enables you to interact with the world around you, asking questions about what you’re looking at and where you are using your phone’s camera. So, you can simply point your phone at something and ask Gemini to tell you something about it, or ask it when the next stop on your bus route will be.

Project Astra works on mobile phones, but takes your experience to the next level when combined with Google’s prototype hands-free AI glasses, so you can simply start asking Gemini questions about what you’re looking at, without having to interact with a screen at all.

While there’s still no news about a release date for this next generation of Google glasses, they will join Meta Ray-Ban glasses in the emerging market for AI wearables when they finally become available.

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The first Samsung Galaxy Unpacked of 2025 kicks off an exciting year ahead for Android phones and mobile AI. We're expecting a brand new Samsung Galaxy S25 family, with the premiere Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra leading the way. I've attended plenty of Unpacked events, so I'll be live blogging here as news breaks from Samsung's conference in San Jose, CA.

We haven't heard much about the Galaxy S25 that will make it stand out, even against the Galaxy S24 family, so we're expecting Galaxy AI to be star of today's show. There could be Bixby surprises and previews of what's to come in the months or even years ahead.

At the least, I'm expecting a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset for Galaxy, continuing Qualcomm's tradition of overclocking its chips for its biggest Android and foundry partner.

Will we see a preview of more than just phones? Maybe a hint about Project Moohan and Samsung's smart glasses? We'll know soon enough.

If you want to watch the event yourself, you can check out our guide on how to watch Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2025. For all the news and rumors ahead of Unpacked, you're in the right place, so read on.

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

We're 30 minutes from Galaxy Unpacked and your TechRadar editors are live on the scene at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA! Our Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff is covering the news as it happens, then going hands-on with all the new devices, while our video guru Viktoria Shillets captures live footage for all of our TechRadar channels. We'll keep this Live Blog going throughout the show, so stay tuned to this channel.

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Ok Galaxy fans, today is your day. If you've been following the leaks and rumors about the upcoming Galaxy S25 family so far, you haven't seen a whole lot that's new. We're expecting a new look for the Galaxy S25 Ultra that brings it closer to the other Galaxy S25 family, with rounded corners and a smooth back, but we haven't seen many other new hardware features. Is Samsung hiding all the good stuff inside?

Undoubtedly, as Samsung will definitely be using a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, and it will probably be overclocked just for Samsung with a for Galaxy badge attached. That means the Galaxy S25 could the fastest phone ever, even faster than the iPhone 16 Pro. What will Samsung do with so much power? That's what we're waiting to find out.

Viktoria and Lance at Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked in San Jose, CA (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

One of the biggest questions we have remaining today surrounds the mysterious, so-called Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim. Apple has been rumored to be working on a slimmer version of its iPhone, now presumably called the iPhone Air. Samsung could also be leading the charge with a slimmer Galaxy S25 today, a Galaxy S25 Slim.

Last minute rumors suggest that the slimmer Galaxy S phone may not appear today, but could show up later in the year, around May. The Galaxy S25 Slim may not come to the US, either, presumably because we don't like things that are Slim here? Who knows.

We'll keep a look out for any executives carrying incredibly slim Galaxy phones, but until we know for sure, keep following for the latest news and rumors.

(Image credit: Axel Metz / Future)

Samsung isn't just throwing a party in San Jose, today. Our reporters in the UK are also on the scene for a special hands-on opportunity with Samsung and the new phones. Clearly the 10am Samsung crowd in California is different from the 6pm Samsung crowd across the pond.

If you weren't sure that today's star would be Galaxy AI, even more than the Galaxy S25, just look at that drink! When the ice cube says AI, believe it.

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Go go go! We are go for Galaxy Unpacked. The Live stream should start any minute, and I'm watching at Samsung.com.

I can also tell you now that I've gotten hands-on time with the entire new Galaxy S25 family, including the Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Read my hands-on look at the Galaxy S25 and the Galaxy S25 Plus, and Lance's hands-on with the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Samsung's President of the Mobile eXperience group, TM Roh, has taken the stage and immediately announced the Galaxy S25 family. Now Roh has handed off to Google to talk about Gemini and new features coming first to the Galaxy S25.

(Image credit: Samsung)

Roh is back on stage saying the Galaxy S25 will understand not only your commands, but also your intentions. You can talk the way you talk to your friend, and initiate multiple actions with one button press. Roh says it will anticipate your needs.

No specifics on how it will do all of this, but Roh is moving onto privacy. The Personal Data Engine on the Galaxy S25 will keep all of this personal data secure with Samsung's KNOX security, which is no joke. But what data will it store? We haven't heard specific examples yet.

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Roh is saying today marks a beginning of a new reality. We're going to hear a lot of this sort of talk today. A new beginning, opening a door, starting something big. We're at the start of the new mobile AI phase, not in the middle. Samsung is going to start collecting what it needs to build a more robust Galaxy AI, but it isn't quite here yet.

That's fine, the phone is still going to be a top performer. Hopefully we'll see more about the features available today, instead of just talking about tomorrow.

(Image credit: Samsung)

Samsung is showing off improvements to features we've seen before, like transcripts on calls, and other improved AI generative text and speech features.

Samsung's Drew Blackard is showing a preview of upcoming Galaxy AI, and we get to see the Now Brief and Now Bar, two new AI driven features that will deliver news and updates about your day.

(Image credit: Samsung)

The Now Brief will proactively share information tailored to you when it matters most, according to Blackard. It isn't all meetings and business, the Now Bar on the lock screen will give you sports updates. We're not seeing anything brand new, so we'll need to experience all the new software to determine if it's really responding to our daily routine.

To do this, Blackard is describing the Personal Data Engine, a partition in the Galaxy S25 that will privately store a wealth of information about you using knowledge graph technology. It will try to make connections about all of the different data it collects from your phone, your wearables, and even your smart home devices.

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Blackard says the Galaxy S25 will provide tailored AI suggestions, but hasn't given us any concrete examples of what sort of suggestions it will provide.

We're now seeing a new update to the Samsung side bar tool, adding an AI Assist feature. In the past, you could use Drawing Assist to select and cut up parts of your screen, but AI Assist will understand what sort of content you're viewing, and it will offer you a variety of options based on what you see. You might cut up a video for a GIF, or add a date to your calendar, based on what AI Assist sees.

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Samsung is now talking up Circle to Search improvements, because apparently that's one AI feature people are actually using. In fact, Samsung says that Circle to Search fans use it quite extensively, almost every day on average.

Google is also improving its Gemini and Gemini Live features, and we're getting a preview of Gemini from Google's own AI execs.

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Google is talking about new multi-modal context capabilities coming to Gemini Live on the Galaxy S25 first. You'll be able to ask Gemini Live, Google's conversational version of Gemini, to interact with the things you see on screen. Previously, Gemini Live, which again is only the conversational component of the Gemini AI, could only operate in its own app.

These seem like baby steps towards a true AI user interface, but we're getting closer. Google is asking Gemini Live to critique a photo taken of a pet retriever, and of course Live has something to say.

Google is offering 6 months of Gemini Advanced and 2TB of Google Cloud storage to all Galaxy S25 buyers. That's a nice start, I pay for that service on my own and it's worth the price for the storage alone, since you can share that space across all your Google accounts and apps.

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Whoa, a hint about Project Meehan, Samsung's upcoming XR goggles. Samsung is saying that the XR experience will rely upon multi-modal AI, just like the features coming to Gemini Live on the Galaxy S25. We're not seeing anything specific, just a silhouette of the goggles, and apparently this executive is still talking about things that are not XR glasses, but I stopped listening. When are we getting Samsung XR glasses?! Tell us more, now!

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Here, Samsung presents in one slide all of the cool things that they are not going to show us today. We have a tri-fold phone, a set of XR goggles, and smart glasses that look like Meta Ray-Ban glasses.

Instead they are talking about more AI in the future and keeping data secure and blah blah blah. This isn't very fun. They can talk all they want about keeping data secure, but they haven't explained why I should hand over my data in the first place? What's the benefit? We shall see, eventually.

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Okay, now we're hearing about the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which we already know is an incredibly powerful mobile platform with great power management skills. It should offer top-notch power and amazing battery life, if the Galaxy S25 performs like other Snapdragon 8 Elite phones I've reviewed and tested.

This should be a gaming powerhouse, and Samsung is showing off tons of in-game footage from a variety of Android games. Our own benchmarks have shown Qualcomm isn't lying about this chipset, it really is a major step forward. If you have an older phone, especially a phone that is a couple years old or more, you're going to see a big difference.

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Galaxy S25 series comes in luminant shades of blue inspired by AI. Samsung just said that. AI is blue. It isn't just three stars, it's actually the color blue. And that blue is navy, icy, or mint green, if you check out the Galaxy S25 in person.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is not blue. It is serious titanium colors, because when you pay for a phone like the Ultra you don't want silly blue colors, you want serious metal colors.

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Samsung is talking about the camera, starting with the ProVisual engine inside. That's good, because we already know that the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus have been left behind when it comes to camera technology. The Galaxy S25 Ultra remains a superlative camera phone, but the other Galaxy S25 phones are using sensors and lenses that would have been advanced two or three years ago.

Samsung is demonstrating the new aperture control, but this is a bit misleading, because you have to download a separate Samsung app, Expert RAW, if you want this feature to work. And it isn't really giving you control over the aperture, it's simulating the depth of field using AI.

There are tons of improvements to the photo editing across the board, with more automatic removal tools if you have people who walk into your frame.

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Now is the portion of Galaxy Unpacked where professional film makers with professional lighting and film crews show you the sort of professional footage they can capture using only the Galaxy S25 Ultra and their professional gear.

In fact, the SCUBA videography looks very impressive, and I'll be asking for more details about how this videographer pulled off amazing color underwater.

Samsung is also offering Log video recording on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which helps professionals set a constant color balance across a range of footage.

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The only major hardware upgrade to the Galaxy S25 cameras is the 50-megapixel sensor on the ultra-wide camera on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The other specs remain completely the same across the entire range. I'm not sure if any of the underlying camera sensors have changed, but the resolution and focal lengths have stayed the same since last year.

There could be plenty more benefits from the improved image processing handled by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, and Samsung's own improved image tooling. I'll have to spend plenty of time with this camera to see if it earns a spot on my list of the best camera phones.

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Moving on from the cameras, Samsung is talking about how the Galaxy S25 will help us improve our health. Samsung Health app will get an update that takes advantage of more AI features and tailors an end-to-end experience, according to Samsung. That will include personalized insights and coaching, usually advice to get more sleep.

Your Galaxy devices will know when you fall asleep, and will check for patterns with your smart home equipment to determine if there is an ideal setting that helps you fall asleep better. It might also turn off your Samsung TV.

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Samsung is launching a number of new Samsung Health coaching and tracking features, including mindfulness features that will ask you about your mood. Frankly, it doesn't seem as intrusive as Apple's Journal app, which pesters me daily to write about mundane trips to the grocery store.

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Drew Blackard is coming back, and he's important, so hopefully we'll hear more important news, not just Samsung app examples.

We're hearing about how the phone will connect with other Samsung devices around your home. I hope this doesn't require a brand new TV set, in addition to the latest Galaxy S phone. Also, we've only heard about gathering information about your home, and turning off the TV.

Samsung will now let you monitor your pets and help them watch more TV. You'll be able to connect with a vet in the US through Dr.Tail, an online vet service, using your Samsung phone.

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Blackard just said 'Bixby,' so I think I got BINGO! This might be the first time we've heard Samsung use the name of its AI agent on device, while Google has spent plenty of Unpacked talking about Google Gemini advances.

Bixby is the AI that controls your phone, and possibly other Samsung smart devices. We haven't heard too much about the way Bixby has matured with AI, but hopefully we'll learn more.

Wait, there's ONE MORE THING! The Galaxy S25 EDGE!!!

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

What is this?! We see some internal components, and a brief silhouette from the side, and then the screen goes dark. Thankfully our diligent screenshot people caught that one. I think we'll learn more about this in a few months.

• Meta is reportedly working on multiple smart glasses
• Includes Oakley smart specs like its Ray-Bans, and glasses with a display
• Artemis, consumer versions of Orion, are tipped for 2027

We already knew Meta was working on improvements to its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses in the form of the Meta Orion AR glasses prototype, with leaks also pointing a display-equipped version of its Ray-Ban specs landing this year, but it reportedly has a few other tricks up its sleeve too, including Oakley-branded smart glasses designed for athletes and earbuds with cameras built-in.

This is according to details shared by Bloomberg (article behind a paywall), which are attributed to people familiar with the projects who have been asked to not be identified.

Starting with project “Hypernova” – the name given to those Ray-Ban specs with a display – Bloomberg’s report supports details we’ve heard previously that such smart glasses would be coming this year, with the earliest teaser of that coming from a leaked internal Meta roadmap The Verge shared back in 2023, though we’ve heard more recently that a 2025 launch is on the cards.

The Meta Orion smart glasses (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

We now might also know a bit more about Hypernova, with the Bloomberg leak revealing that the display will feature on the bottom of the right lens, and can show apps, notifications, and previews of images you’ve taken with the glasses – which sounds a lot closer to Orion’s capabilities than some were expecting (us included). Hypernova won’t be cheap though, with some suggesting it could cost around $1,000 (£800 / AU$1,600), which is three times pricier than the cheapest Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses.

The leaks also teases “Artemis”, which is set to drop in 2027 and will be the commercially available version of Orion. Artemis prototypes are said to already be more advanced and lighter than Orion, though weight, device cost and manufacturing at scale are apparently challenges Meta still needs to overcome before it settles on a final version of Artemis.

Oakley smart specs incoming?

If Ray-Bans aren’t your style, Meta is also rumored to be partnering with Oakley (which shares a parent company with Ray-Ban) to create glasses labelled “Supernova 2”, which are said to be based on Oakley’s Sphaera glasses. The specs of the glasses would seemingly be similar to the current model of Ray-Bans (ie camera, no display), but would shift the camera to the center of the glasses frame, and include features to appeal to cyclists and athletes.

Precisely what this means beyond the frame shape is yet to be seen, but as I’ve previously highlighted it’s important for wearables to not just be useful but look good and come in plenty of style varieties as fashion is an extension of who we are more so than typical gadgets – so i won’t be complaining if Supernova just ends up being effectively new styles of the pre-existing specs, if anything I’m all for it.

(Image credit: Oakley)

Lastly, we have a few weirder items. We’ve heard previously about Meta’s Camerasbuds, which add cameras to more typical looking earbuds – and apparently Samsung has similar plans – though they’re still likely some time away.

There’s also talk of a Meta smartwatch (which long-time readers will know is rumored to be cancelled/uncancelled every few months). Codenamed “Ceres”, this latest iteration is less of a watch and more a band for controlling Meta’s smart glasses. We’ve already seen a version of Ceres being used to control the Meta Orion smart glasses, and according to the leak Meta is weighing up including the wristband with Hypernova – the alternative would be relying solely on touch controls on the glasses’ frames (as we’ve seen from the current Ray-Ban smart glasses model).

While all of these new rumored details about Hypernova, Artemis, Supernova 2, and Ceres are consistent with previous leaks and official details, it’s still worth taking them with a pinch of salt. Until Meta makes its plans known in a proper setting, they could always change – especially projects like Artemis, which are still said to be at the prototype stage. To know what Meta really has up its sleeve.

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• Avengers: Doomsday won't feature Doctor Strange, according to the actor who plays him
• Benedict Cumberbatch accidentally revealed that he isn't part of the Marvel movie's ensemble
• Marvel hasn't officially commented on Cumberbatch's slip-up

Benedict Cumberbatch has accidentally revealed that he won't appear as Doctor Strange in Avengers: Doomsday.

Speaking to Variety, the British star let slip that he isn't involved in the highly anticipated Marvel movie, which is due out in May 2026. Cumberbatch, then, won't be lining up alongside many of Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Avengers 5.

It's unclear what led to Cumberbatch's faux-pas but, after the Doctor Strange actor surprisingly revealed that he isn't part of the film's ensemble cast, he simply reacted by saying: "Is that a spoiler? F*** it!"

Fans of the Sorcerer Supreme shouldn't fret about his potential absence from Avengers: Secret Wars, which will cap the Marvel Multiverse Saga in May 2027. Indeed, Cumberbatch also told Variety that Stephen Strange is "in a lot" of Avengers 6, before adding: "He’s quite central to where things might go. He’s a very rich character to play. He’s a complex, contradictory, troubled human who’s got these extraordinary abilities, so there’s potent stuff to mess about with."

Marvel hasn't officially commented on Cumberbatch unexpectedly revealing that Strange won't be part of Avengers 5. Nonetheless, I've reached out to my Marvel contacts for a statement on the matter, and I'll report back if I receive a response.

Why isn't Doctor Strange going to be in Avengers: Doomsday?

Doctor Strange isn't likely to be based on Earth when Doctor Doom comes calling in Avengers 5 (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Apart from Cumberbatch telling Variety that "the character [does] not align with this part of the story [Avengers 5]", we don't know. However, given how his last solo movie – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – ended, we can speculate on his absence from the Marvel Phase 6 flick. You can read a detailed account of what happened in my Doctor Strange 2 ending explained piece, or read on for a full albeit abridged spoiler-filled explanation below.

Doctor Strange 2's ending hints at why he won't be around for Doomsday's events (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

At the end of Doctor Strange 2, the Master of the Mystic Arts took a walk on the cosmic and multiversal side (again) with fellow sorcerer Clea, who was briefly portrayed by Charlize Theron. She'd tracked him down on Earth to request his help in stopping an Incursion Event that he'd caused as part of events that play out in The Multiverse of Madness. Somewhat reluctantly, he agrees to aid her, with the pair stepping through a portal that seemingly leads to Dormammu's domain, which we last saw in 2015's Doctor Strange film.

If Strange and Clea are still trying to shut down whatever Incursion Event he created, it would explain why he won't be around to help his fellow Avengers in Marvel's next team-up movie. In it, they'll take on Doomsday's primary villain, who was revealed to be Robert Downey Jr's Doctor Doom at San Diego Comic Con 2024.

Still, while Cumberbatch won't be part of Doomsday's stacked cast roster, there are plenty of other big names attached to the project. The Fantastic Four's Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach were confirmed to be appearing by Marvel chief Kevin Feige last year. Expect Marvel's First Family to help try and defeat one of their most iconic foes, then, after starring in their first Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie, which is titled The Fantastic Four: First Steps and arrives in theaters this July.

As for other individuals who may appear, Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson/Captain America and Tom Holland's Peter Parker/Spider-Man are among the many A-listers likely to show up. One actor who I didn't expect to see, though, is Chris Evans, with the Marvel alumnus reportedly returning for a mystery role in Avengers: Doomsday. With the movie set to start shooting sometime in early 2025, we should prepare for more cast announcements and rumors to appear online in the weeks and months ahead.

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