According to SamMobile, their 2025 Samsung Awards have crowned this year’s best devices, introducing new categories like Best Feature. The award for Best Display went decisively to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, largely due to its superior anti-reflective coating. The Best Designed Device award, however, sparked a surprise, going to the Galaxy S25 Edge over strong contenders like the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Fold 7. The win was attributed to the phone’s incredibly thin and light feel in the hand, despite its lackluster market performance. The Best Feature award was given to Now Brief, the Galaxy AI summarization tool first launched with the Galaxy S25 series earlier this year. The full breakdown of winners is available on the SamMobile YouTube channel.
When Awards Feel Detached From Reality
Here’s the thing about these awards: they feel a bit… academic. Giving “Best Design” to the Galaxy S25 Edge is a fascinating choice. The article itself admits the device “may not have done well in the market or have any standout attributes.” So we’re rewarding a phone that people largely didn’t want to buy? It highlights a weird gap between what reviewers value in a controlled setting and what actually drives consumer excitement and sales. The Z Flip and Z Fold are objectively more innovative in form factor. But I guess if the only metric is “feels thin in the hand,” sure, the Edge wins. It just seems like a missed opportunity to celebrate genuine design bravery.
The No-Brainers and The AI Play
The S25 Ultra winning Best Display is the least shocking news of the day. That phone’s screen is a masterpiece, and the anti-reflective coating is a game-changer for outdoor use. Hold it next to anything else, and the difference is stark. That’s an award based on a tangible, superior technology. The Best Feature win for Now Brief is more strategic. It’s Samsung planting a flag for Galaxy AI. By awarding its own marquee software feature, the awards serve as a marketing reinforcement tool. Is Now Brief useful? For many, yes. But giving it an award feels like Samsung giving itself a pat on the back through a proxy. Clever, but obvious.
Reading Between the Award Lines
So what does this list really tell us about Samsung’s 2025? It suggests a year of refinement over revolution. The standout wins are for an incremental screen improvement (coating) and a software feature. The most radical devices, the foldables, were runners-up. Is Samsung’s own awards system subtly signaling that their safe, incremental updates on traditional slabs are what they’re most proud of? It’s possible. It also points to a focus on ergonomics with the S25 Edge win—thin and light is back in vogue as a primary design goal. Basically, don’t expect Samsung to get wildly experimental next year. The awards trail tells us they’re in a polishing phase.
