Your Samsung Galaxy is about to look VERY outdated, and you’ve only got hours to do something about it
We’re hours away from glimpsing the next Samsung Galaxy smartphone — and if you’re the sort of person who must have the latest and greatest gadget in your pocket, you might want to avert your eyes.
Yes, the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra will all be superseded by an all-new range of Android devices from the South Korean firm in just a few hours. The launch event, Galaxy Unpacked, will be held in San Jose, California from 6pm tonight.
If you want to upgrade to the next-generation Galaxy device from Samsung, you should act fast. That’s because the value of your Galaxy S24 handset is likely to nose-dive after Samsung unveils its new lineup.
Hours before Samsung executives are scheduled to walk on-stage at Galaxy Unpacked, websites like MusicMagpie are offering £300 for the entry-level Galaxy S24 with 128GB of built-in storage in good condition.
At launch, the same handset cost £799, although Samsung offered a free upgrade to the 256GB to anyone who placed a preorder. The flagship Galaxy S24 Ultra commands a higher price of £470.
That’s a decent discount for anyone looking to switch to whatever comes next from Samsung — provided you don’t fancy moving over to a new subscription model for your smartphone? If you’re tempted by those figures, you’ll need to make a decision pretty sharp-ish.
If previous Galaxy phone launches are anything to go by, we expect those trade-in values to plummet pretty rapidly. Speaking to Express.co.uk, a spokesperson for MusicMagpie said: “We’ve seen from previous research that older devices typically lose their value quickly after a new device launches, so to get the most money for your current device it’s worth locking your trade in price immediately if you are looking to upgrade.”
While trading-in your current phone as quickly as possible is the best way to maximise your return, there’s reason to be hopeful. Yes, despite the usual concerns about depreciation, data shows the Galaxy S24 might be weathering better than earlier generations from Samsung.
According to data shared by US trade-in site Sellcell, the Galaxy S22 lost 66.7% of its value during the first year since its launch alone. One year, Samsung’s Galaxy S23 series showed some improvement, dropping 61.1% of its value in its first 12 months on store shelves.
Galaxy S24, which was announced in January 2024, depreciated by just 50.4% — marking a 3.7% improvement compared to its predecessor — during its first six months since launch.
Price comparison site Compare and Recycle has shared data that shows Galaxy smartphones with more built-in storage lose the most value. This can be explained with the fact that 512GB and 1TB variants are the most expensive to buy — so tend to be less popular with shoppers, the figures show.
If you’re thinking of treating yourself to one of the handsets announced at Galaxy Unpacked today, you might want to plump for the smallest feasible storage capacity to maximise the re-sale value when it comes time to upgrade.
So, what can we expect from Galaxy Unpacked today?
According to the latest whispers, Samsung will unveil three smartphones: Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra.
The incoming Samsung Galaxy S25 series is expected to include four distinct models:
- Galaxy S25: The standard handset with a 6.2-inch FHD+ display and 50MP wide-angle camera
- Galaxy S25+: Identical to the regular Galaxy S25, but with a larger 6.7-inch Quad HD+ display and battery
- Galaxy S25 Ultra: Flagship device with a 6.8-inch QHD AMOLED screen, 200MP main camera, and up to 16GB RAM and 1TB storage
These Android phones will promise significant advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities and bolstered camera performance.
💙 like this post to witness the next evolution of #GalaxyAI
A true AI companion is coming — are you ready for #GalaxyUnpacked? pic.twitter.com/djbjSNo82Q
— Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) January 6, 2025
The new lineup will purportedly feature deep integration with Google’s newest Gemini AI assistant, marking a shift from the traditional “Hey Google” wake phrase to “Hey Gemini” for voice commands.
Samsung has already teased its new devices will be powered by “the most powerful processor made for Galaxy,” likely referring to the new system-on-a-chip by US manufacturer Qualcomm, which provided the brains for the Galaxy S24 lineup.
Following the success of the Galaxy AI features introduced last year, which data from Kantar Research shows drove almost 1 in 4 purchases Galaxy S24 purchases, Samsung looks set to dramatically expand its AI offerings across its ecosystem of apps including Calendar, Notes, and Reminders.
We expect to see the new Now Brief feature, which offers personalised AI-powered summaries throughout the day. This includes weather forecasts, calendar appointments, and energy scores for Samsung Watch owners.
A dedicated commute version will help users navigate their journey, automatically opening Maps and starting music playback. At the end of the day, the evening brief will provide a summary of the day’s activities and achievements, including physical activity goals and memorable moments.
This was unveiled during the announcement of One UI 7, the next major operating system upgrade from the teams at Samsung, which is coming to older devices, but will be installed out-of-the-box on the incoming Galaxy S25 lineup — provided Samsung sticks with the formula used for previous Galaxy smartphone releases.
According to the latest rumours, Galaxy S25 Ultra will feature a significant upgrade to its ultrawide camera, boasting a 50MP sensor compared to the 12MP lens in its predecessor.
Elsewhere, Ultra model is tipped to maintain its impressive 200MP main camera alongside dual telephoto lenses — a 50MP sensor with 5x optical zoom and a 10MP sensor with 3x optical zoom. Samsung uses AI to offer a maximum 100x zoom, dubbed Space Zoom.
For the standard S25 and S25 Plus models, the camera setup remains similar to their predecessors, featuring a 50MP main camera with 2x zoom, a 10MP telephoto with 3x zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide lens.
Samsung is also tipped to include an improved 12MP front-facing camera for selfies and video calls across the Galaxy S25 lineup.
These new handsets will introduce new AI-powered camera features, including Night Video with Audio Eraser, which can remove unwanted sounds like wind noise and crowd chatter.
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Of course, it’s worth taking these rumours with a healthy pinch of salt. We won’t know what Samsung has up its sleeves until the Galaxy Unpacked keynote starts at 6pm tonight.
But if you’re excited about the prospect of a new generation of Galaxy S devices, you might want to think about the trade-in value of your handset now.