Update, Tuesday Jan 14, 2025: This article has been updated with additional details on Samsung’s registration and trade-in offers for the Galaxy S25 Ultra, S25+ and S25.
Samsung has confirmed that the next Galaxy Unpacked event will take place later this month. There will, no doubt, be an intense focus on the second generation of Galaxy AI and a wide range of connected peripherals. Still, the community’s eyes will be on the new Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S25 Ultra.
For those looking to purchase any of the new handsets, including the flagship Galaxy S25 Ultra, there are several dates to be aware of to get the handset as quickly as possible and at a competitive price.
Registering Interest In The Galaxy S25 Ultra
Samsung has already started the process for those interested. The company has opened a program allowing consumers to register their interest in Galaxy AI and the Galaxy S25 Ultra and offers a $50 voucher for “additional eligible products.” It has also emailed Samsung registered users a questionnaire with a $50 offer attached to it.
Forbes contributor Janhoi McGregor has more details on both offers, but for those registering their interest, it has to be completed on or before Jan 21, the day before Galaxy Unpacked.
Update, Monday Jan 13, 2025: Samsung has confirmed several elements of the reservation process currently open to US consumers. In addition to the $50 credit towards the Galaxy S25 handsets, the South Korean company has stated that the trade-in values will be enhanced over the usual values, and offers could be as high as $900.
Not every phone traded in will receive this much; you’ll need to hand in last year’s flagship Galaxy S24 Ultra. Older handsets, or handsets from other manufacturers, will be accepted but will not have as high an offer when traded in.
There’s also a further offer of $300 credit for “qualifying products,” although it’s unclear what these products will be. Several peripherals will undoubtedly be launched or updated during the Galaxy Unpacked event—these will be part of the qualifying products. I’d expect at least one Galaxy Wear smartwatch and Galaxy Buds true wireless earbuds to be included. There’s a strong chance that another product may be Samsung’s Galaxy Ring.
And if you’re feeling lucky, there’s a $5,000 Samsung credit voucher for one person who makes a reservation.
Update, Tuesday Jan 14, 2025: Both the Galaxy S24 family and the folding Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold families launched in 2024 all heavily prompted the trade-in options and values. After all, the various different values can be qualified in the small print while the maximum discount can be placed on the retail ticket.
Samsung has an additional option for consumers in its home country of South Korea, the “Galaxy Easy Compensation” program. Starting today (Jan 14, 2025) you can check the value of your phone online before sending it to Samsung. Once assessed and you accept, the value will be sent back to you
Currently, the program runs on Galaxy S models as far back as the Galaxy S20, and Galaxy Z models going as far back as Z Flip3 and ZFold 3. While it is limited to South Korea, Samsung has indicated it may expand to other unnamed territories in the future.
When Will Pre-Orders For The Galaxy S25 Ultra Open?
During previous Galaxy Unpacked events that featured phone launches, Samsung opened pre-orders at the end of the event. With the Galaxy Unpacked event scheduled to start on Jan 22 at 1300 Eastern / 1000 Pacific, pre-orders could be expected to open an hour or two after the start.
Unlike previous years, there has been discussion that Samsung would delay the opening of the pre-order system from the Wednesday event to the morning of Friday, Jan 24. It’s likely that, no matter the starting date, pre-orders will come to a close on Tuesday, Feb 4.
The pre-order period will be important for another reason. Samsung typically offers some of its best deals to those who purchase a new Galaxy in the pre-order period. Last year saw several exclusive colors only available through Samsung.com, a free upgrade to the next tier of storage (so those buying the Galaxy S25 Ultra priced for the 512 GB model would receive the 1 TB storage model), and generous trade=ins on a wide range of smartphones both from Samsung and other manufactures including Google and Apple.
When Will The Galaxy S25 Ultra Go On Sale?
After registering your interest, watching the Galaxy Unpacked launch, and putting in your pre-order, deliveries of the Galaxy S25 Ultra will line up with its retail availability. This is expected to start on Friday, Feb 7, when deliveries should arrive to those who have pre-ordered.
Now read more about the features that will help sell the Galaxy S25 Ultra…
