Samsung's Galaxy S25 phones are slim, large, uninnovative, and equipped with artificial intelligence.
In the latest episode of The Vergecast, they discussed Samsung's new phones, the future prospects of TikTok, and the recent price adjustment of Netflix.
The new Samsung phones are set to become the most popular among Android devices in 2025. They are also expected to rank among the best in their category, despite this week's Unpacked event being perceived as one of the most monotonous phone launches in history. This raises the question of whether we are entering a new phase in the smartphone industry, where companies simply present similar versions of products over and over again. Haven't we already been in this phase for a while?
In a recent episode of a popular podcast, the implications of Samsung's new phones were discussed. Several experts commented on the atmosphere at the Unpacked event, where the presentation of the slim S25 Edge generated significant excitement, despite Samsung trying to emphasize that artificial intelligence will enhance the user experience, even in the absence of significant innovations in hardware. A glimpse of Project Moohan was also offered, highlighting the growing influence of Gemini on the future of virtual assistants.
In the second part of the episode, the first week of Trump's new administration was analyzed, addressing the announcement of a $500 billion plan for artificial intelligence data centers from the White House. There was also a discussion about the U.S. Digital Service and its relation to DOGE, as well as the controversy surrounding Elon Musk's greeting and the latest confusing developments regarding the TikTok ban. For now, TikTok remains operational, although the future is uncertain.
Finally, in a quick segment, the reasons behind Netflix's price increase were discussed, along with the Sensify standard that turns light bulbs into ubiquitous sensors, among other relevant topics.