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The Samsung Galaxy S25 may get a potentially lifesaving car crash safety feature

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra's camera lenses.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Your phone is packed full of features that you’re probably glad to have, but you hope you never need to use. For example, features that help you find a lost phone. Then there are the safety features. Samsung has been behind in terms of crash detection, with Pixel and iPhone taking the lead — but now a new leak suggests the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra could have a car crash detection system.

This isn’t a new feature. Samsung has worked to implement crash detection in previous phones, with both the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 5 featuring sensors, but not the necessary software to power them. Android Authority spotted documentation that indicates the inclusion of a car crash sensor, but that doesn’t mean it will work.

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Even in phones that have the hardware, the sensors do nothing. The code to turn it on and off has been present in One UI builds dating back to One UI 5.1.1, but there still isn’t a way to activate the feature or implement it in any way.

A person holding the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The inclusion of this sensor doesn’t confirm that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will utilize it, though it is a decent indicator it could be available at launch or shortly thereafter. Development of the feature might not be finished yet, or there could be other considerations that come into play before it goes live. With any luck, the feature will be released soon. The Car Crash Detection feature on the iPhone has already proven itself, and something that could make the road just a little bit safer would be a welcome addition.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is expected to be announced on January 22 at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event, with phones going up for preorder on January 24.

Patrick Hearn
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