Smartphones have become invaluable for government service in many places. Obviously, they provide a much-needed line of communication for people working in the field though voice communication, email and texting. But they can also drive critical government applications and provide access to forms and online resources.
But as great as smartphones are, their use has been somewhat limited in certain areas such as law enforcement. That’s why many police cars have computers mounted on their dashboard to perform key tasks such as running license plates or checking identification, operations a smartphone typically can’t perform. Now, however, Samsung has a device that can fill that role too.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is designed for two essential uses. When inside a police vehicle, it can automatically dock with a dashboard-mounted monitor and provide all of the applications and communications that the old laptops did. And when officers leave their vehicle, they can take those applications with them on the S25, along with anything they were working on; for example, forms or reports.
Click the banner below to learn how IAM enhances security across complex device ecosystems.
Powerful Phone Processor Supports Flawless Performance
One reason the S25 can perform advanced tasks so easily is because it has a very powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Galaxy processor, one of the most powerful mobile chips available. Coupled with 12 gigabytes of RAM, the device can drive almost any application. In my testing, every app performed flawlessly. I was even able to scroll quickly through a lengthy database without any slowdown or shuttering despite the 6.9-inch OLED being set to a native resolution of 3120 by 1440 (4K UHD).
While the large smartphone screen is nice, bigger displays can provide even more productivity. That’s why the S25 integrates a new feature called Samsung DeX. When you dock an S25 using a small USB-C-to-HDMI cable or adaptor, it will stream to an attached monitor to provide a desktoplike experience. You can even connect a mouse, keyboard and Ethernet cable for full desktop functionality.
Device Is Invaluable Gear for Law Enforcement
Samsung has provided the city of Chicago with over 10,000 S25 devices to replace in-vehicle mounted laptops. Inside the vehicle, the S25 connects with either a special monitor built into the car itself or to an external display mounted on the dashboard. Officers in the field don’t have to do anything to launch DeX other than slide their phone into the docking port. In my testing, I was able to pair an S25 with a 20-inch monitor to achieve a realistic desktop experience with no traditional computer required.
READ MORE: The benefits and implications of AI in law enforcement.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Smartphone fills the role of both a vehicle-mounted computer and mobile communication device for law enforcement. And with its small size and Corning Gorilla Glass screen, it could become another invaluable piece of gear for every officer’s tool belt.
