Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S25 series on January 22nd, during its first Unpacked event of the year. The press conference should feature other exciting announcements, but the Galaxy S25 phones will be the star of the show. Samsung might also unveil the brand-new Galaxy S25 Slim alongside the three traditional Galaxy S25 options, though it isn’t expected to be available for purchase for another few months.
The Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra will be available for preorder right after the launch event and will hit stores about two weeks later. Word on the street is that Samsung will have to raise prices on all Galaxy S25 models, at least in some markets. That’s why the preorder deals might be something to consider once Unpacked concludes.
However, Samsung is doing things differently this year. The company announced a new Galaxy Trade-In Program that will let you trade in your current Galaxy phone all year long, not just during preorder availability when a new phone launches.
A few days ago, reports said that Samsung would launch a Galaxy subscription program to make phones like the Galaxy S25 models easier to buy. A hardware subscription plan would let fans pay for the newest phones in installments.
While specifics about the program have not leaked, I assume a subscription program would also include a trade-in program, allowing buyers to easily move from one model to the next.
The new Galaxy Trade-In Program Samsung announced on Tuesday isn’t the subscription plan we’re waiting for. Instead, it’s just a tweaked process that Samsung will initially test in Korea and France.
The program is similar to what wireless carriers already offer. They let you trade in phones at any given time throughout the year for a better deal on the smartphone you want to purchase. Until now, Samsung offered trade-in options only during the preorder periods for various devices. Flagships like the Galaxy S, Galaxy Z Fold, and Flip always get trade-in deals during preorders.
Starting with the Galaxy S25 series, you won’t have to purchase the flagship during the two-week preorder period to take advantage of trade-ins.
Samsung says buyers can trade in a Galaxy device at any time on Samsung.com. Interestingly, you can trade in your phone even if you don’t purchase a new device. Samsung will presumably offer you credit or cash. The specifics aren’t clear at this time:
The program underscores Samsung’s commitment to boost the value of Galaxy devices for users in long-term by continuing to provide not only the premium quality of Galaxy phones, but the amazing savings being unlocked through the simple and secure trade-in process.
The program starts in Korea and France today and might be available in other regions later this year. Samsung set up a page for trade-ins that covers all sorts of devices. It’s not necessarily functional, but you can see it at this link.
Before you get too excited about trading in your smartphone for a better Galaxy S25 price, you should also be aware of the fine print that concerns eligible devices. You’ll have to trade in a previous flagship model to take advantage of the deal, with the promo not covering devices older than the Galaxy S20, Fold 3, and Flip 3:
Current eligible devices include Galaxy S23, S22, S21, S20 series, Z Fold5, Fold4, Fold3, Flip5, Flip4 and Flip3.
Still, this might be a step in the right direction for Samsung, especially if Galaxy S25 phones cost more than their predecessors. Hopefully, Samsung will explain its trade-in program and the rumored subscription plan in greater detail next week.
