New Samsung leak reveals bold changes in the Galaxy S25 series

As good as Samsung’s current flagship phones are, attention has already shifted to what’s next for the Galaxy S lineup. If you’ve held off so far on buying the Galaxy S24, S24+ or S24 Ultra, then you’ll probably be interested in what Samsung has in store for 2025.

Despite that being a few months away, there are already plenty of leaks and rumours regarding the upcoming Galaxy S25 range. Here’s all the latest news and rumours around the upcoming new models from Samsung.

When will the Samsung Galaxy S25 be released?

There’s no official release date as of the time of writing, but Samsung is pretty consistent with the Galaxy phone launches, so we can make an educated guess.

Here’s when the previous models arrived:

• Samsung Galaxy S24 – January 2024
• Samsung Galaxy S24+ – January 2024
• Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra – January 2024
• Samsung Galaxy S23 – February 2023
• Samsung Galaxy S23+ – February 2023
• Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – February 2023
• Samsung Galaxy S22 – February 2022
• Samsung Galaxy S22+ – February 2022
• Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra – February 2022

As you can see, the new Galaxy devices usually make their debut at the start of the year. It should be noted that the S24 range was actually released on 31st January, so it was almost a February release.

Samsung has posted an official invitation for the next Galaxy Unpacked event that will happen on 10 July 2024. However, the S25 series almost certainly won’t be launching next month. With this in mind, we think it’s safe to say that the Galaxy S25 range will launch in either January or February 2025.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Additionally, according to a Dutch site GalaxyClub, Samsung has begun registering the Galaxy S25 brand name in various markets, a departure from their previous practice of registering names post-launch. This proactive approach includes recent registrations for the Galaxy S24, Z Fold 6 and Z Fold 7, the latter also expected in 2025.

The Galaxy S25 name has been registered in Mexico, among other places, though this does not guarantee the series’ continuation. The paperwork mainly protects the brand name and while it suggests the series’ persistence, it isn’t definitive proof of future plans.

How much will the Samsung Galaxy S25 cost?

Samsung seems to have a settled range of costs these days, so although we don’t know how the Galaxy S25 range will line up, we don’t expect it to veer too much away from the previous generation.

The S23 range saw some price hikes, but these were reduced in the S24 lineup, and it makes sense that these tiers will be retained for the S25 models.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

However, according to a Weibo post from Digital Chat Station (via Android Authority), the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will cost about 20% more than its predecessor.

What’s more, Qualcomm’s SVP Chris Patrick claimed (via SamMobile) that Qualcomm expects the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 to have a price increase, confirming the latest reports.

If this turns out to be true, the price of the Galaxy S25 series may increase. According to recent reports, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 could cost between $190/£140 and $240/£180. However, we don’t know by what amounts this could increase the prices of individual Galaxy S25 models.

As a reminder, here’s how the last few iterations have been priced: 

Samsung Galaxy S24

• Samsung Galaxy S24 (128GB) – £799/$799.99
• Samsung Galaxy S24 (256GB) – £859/$859.99
• Samsung Galaxy S24+ (256GB) – £999/$999.99
• Samsung Galaxy S24+ (512GB) – £1,099/$1,119.99
• Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (256GB) – £1,249/$1,299.99
• Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (512GB) – £1,349/$1,419.99
• Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (1TB) – £1,549/$1,659.99

Samsung Galaxy S23

• Samsung Galaxy S23 (128GB) – £849/$799
• Samsung Galaxy S23 (256GB) – £899/$899
• Samsung Galaxy S23+ (256GB) – £1,049/$999
• Samsung Galaxy S23+ (512GB) – £1,149/$1,099
• Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (256GB) – £1,249/$1,199
• Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (512GB) – £1,399/$1,379
• Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (1TB) – £1,599/$1,619

Samsung Galaxy S22

• Samsung Galaxy S22 (128GB) – £769/$799
• Samsung Galaxy S22 (256GB) – £819/$849
• Samsung Galaxy S22+ (128GB) – £949/$999
• Samsung Galaxy S22+ (256GB) – £999/$1,049
• Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (128GB) – £1,149/$1,199
• Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (256GB) – £1,249/$1,299
• Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (512GB) – £1,329/$1,399
• Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (1TB) – £1,499/$1,599

What specs and features will the Samsung Galaxy S25 have?

Samsung is yet to reveal anything about the Galaxy S25 range at this stage. However, there are already some rumours regarding what we can expect.

Different naming

Reliable tipster Yogesh Brar hinted that the Galaxy S25 Ultra could be rebranded as the Galaxy S25 Note. Additionally, the Galaxy S25 Plus might be renamed the Galaxy S25 Pro.

The switch to ‘Pro’ for the S25 Plus could position it as a feature-rich alternative, similar to Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro or Google’s Pixel 9 Pro. These changes would have made more sense when Samsung merged the Note series into the S22 Ultra in 2022, but it appears the company now seeks to further differentiate its high-end models.

This rumour coincides with leaks of a Galaxy S25 Ultra render (disscused below), suggesting a design with rounded corners.

Design

Galaxy S25

A known leaker, Revegnus, claims that the S25 range could come with an updated design. This would come via the MX division Design Team Leader, Ilwhan Lee (formerly of Mercedes Benz), who has reportedly been given the brief of overhauling the aesthetics of the new models.

We don’t have any firm details of what these changes might entail, but hopefully, it won’t be too long before we start to see leaks of potential cases and chassis from parts of the supply chain.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Recent pictures of the Galaxy S25 dummy unit surfaced online from the team at VeePN Blog, showcasing key design elements like the placement of buttons, bezels, and camera layout.

The dummy unit reveals that the Galaxy S25 might be slightly smaller and thinner than its predecessor, the S24, focusing on comfort and portability. The unit measures 146.94 x 70.46 x 7.25 mm, making it seemingly compact and easier to handle one-handed, with a minimalist rear design featuring three circular camera cutouts and slimmer, symmetrical bezels.

Leaked renders (via Android Headlines) suggest that the Galaxy S25 will have slight size reductions compared to its predecessor, measuring 146.9 x 70.4 x 7.2mm, versus the S24’s 147 x 70.6 x 7.6mm.

The renders suggest it will retain a design similar to the S24, with smaller bezels and camera rings on the back. The flat-sided frame remains a key feature, potentially influenced by future design trends in the smartphone industry.

Ice Universe also reported that the Galaxy S25 will be 7.2mm thick. If true, this would make the S25 the thinnest Galaxy S flagship since the Galaxy S6 from 2015.

Galaxy S25+

Android Headlines shared leaked renders of the Galaxy S25+, showing a design very similar to its predecessor, with subtle refinements.

The changes include thinner bezels, slightly modified camera rings, potentially different colours and back texture, and a flatter frame. However, these are seen as minor upgrades.

In the end, both the S25 and S25+ are expected to feature the same armour aluminium frame.

Galaxy S25 Ultra

The Galaxy S25 Ultra seems to follow the same design trend as the standard S25. The external design was revealed through a production blank (via Online Solitaire), which shows that the S25 Ultra might also be slightly smaller than its S24 Ultra counterpart.

Coupled with the choice to sculpt the sides of the Galaxy handsets with more curves and rounder corners, Samsung appears to be leaning into ergonomics and comfort for its next flagship.

According to leaks from well-known leaker Ice Universe, Samsung could be shifting towards a more ergonomic design with the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The leaked mock-ups suggest that Samsung is softening the corners and adopting a rounded design, moving closer to the S24 and S24+ models.

The S25 Ultra might feature a flatter front and a more rounded back, creating a softer, more comfortable shape. Compared to its predecessor, the S25 Ultra’s rounded corners are apparent, though it still retains a somewhat rectangular look.

The S25 Ultra’s leaked dummy unit measures 162.82 x 77.65 x 8.25 mm, making it slightly smaller than the S24 Ultra but still significantly larger than the standard S25. This fine-tuning in size suggests that Samsung is focused on improving ergonomics across its flagship series.

The S25 Ultra, with its larger dimensions, will likely continue to cater to users seeking the ultimate powerhouse with expansive screen real estate.

According to Ice Universe, the phone will measure 77.6mm in width, with 73mm dedicated to the screen, resulting in very thin 2.3mm side bezels. The screen size will increase to 6.86 inches, a slight upgrade from the 6.79-inch screen on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. This reduction in bezel size by over 30% is set to significantly enhance the visual experience.

Ice Universe also adds that the S25 Ultra will measure 8.2mm in thickness and said that “Samsung narrowed it by 0.2mm bezel” compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Recently, Apple released that phone with a 6.9-inch display and thinner bezels, surpassing Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra in display size and bezel slimness. However, Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S25 Ultra is set to match the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s 6.9-inch display and reduce its bezels by an additional 0.2mm, giving it slimmer bezels than Apple’s latest flagship.

Android Headlines shared renders of the Galaxy S25 Ultra based on CAD files. However, Ice Universe pointed out two inaccuracies due to incomplete details in the original CAD file.

First, the bezel and middle metal frame in the renders are incorrect, and Ice Universe suggests referring to his render for accuracy on the bezel.

Second, the texture and design details of the rear camera are speculative; Onleaks (who made the renders) might have borrowed the camera style from the Galaxy Z Fold 6, but the final design remains unknown.

The titanium frame is expected to remain exclusive to the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Display

Samsung may bring significant changes to the design of the Galaxy S25, particularly by enlarging its display.

According to known Korean leaker, Yeux1122, the Galaxy S25’s screen size is expected to increase from 6.2 inches in the Galaxy S24 to a slightly larger 6.36 inches, aligning with rumours about the enlarged display of the iPhone 16 Pro.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

It’s likely that the phone will be slightly larger overall compared to its predecessor, as Samsung reduced the bezels in the S24 model to increase screen space.

Performance

As the Galaxy S range is Samsung’s flagship, we fully expect to see the S25 models that arrive in North America and Asia to be equipped with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset, which is rumoured to be launching by the end of 2024.

The company may repeat what it’s done on the S24 range, with regular and Plus models using one of Samsung’s own Exynos chips instead. By the time the S25 series launches, this will likely be a successor the current Exynos 2400 and probably known as the Exynos 2500.

To help differentiate the Ultra, it may continue to use Snapdragon in all markets. Initially, there was a rumour from leaker Connor suggesting that Exynos will take over all Galaxy S25 phones, and then later a report from DigiTimes suggesting that Samsung will maintain its dual-chip strategy, featuring both the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 and Exynos 2500.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

However, despite earlier reports suggesting a possible Exynos-exclusive lineup or mixed chipsets, it now seems the whole series will be powered globally by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. This decision is reportedly (via GSMArena) aimed at maximising the series’ performance.

Recent reports from Korea also suggest that Samsung may switch entirely to Snapdragon chips for all Galaxy S25 models. This change is due to Samsung facing production challenges, specifically low yields of the Exynos 2500 chips.

If Samsung opts for Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 (also known as Snapdragon 8 Elite) across the entire Galaxy S25 lineup, it would mark another setback for Samsung’s semiconductor division. The company has already lost chip orders from major clients like Nvidia and Apple, who have turned to TSMC for their advanced AI-enabled chips.

In contrast, Samsung’s Exynos 2500 chipset is slated for use in the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7, which are expected in the latter half of next year. This marks a shift for Samsung’s foldable devices, which have traditionally used Snapdragon chips.

The delay will give Samsung more time to refine the Exynos 2500, improving its yield and performance stability before the foldables launch.

Elsewhere, while we don’t have any information on the Galaxy S25 and S25+, a known leaker Ice Universe claims “this is 100% confirmed” that the S25 Ultra will feature 16GB of RAM.

Cameras

Alongside his leaks surrounding the design, Revegnus also suggested that Samsung will be moving away from the GN3 camera sensors that feature in the Galaxy S24 range. Instead, they will apparently switch to improved Sony sensors for the Galaxy S25 devices.

He doesn’t specify the particular variant, but Sony has been making some excellent camera sensors for a long while and this could mark a step up in photo and video quality on the new device.

One exception to the Sony sensors, states Revegnus, will be the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which will come with Samsung’s own ISOCELL sensor range.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

According to the recent report from the Dutch site GalaxyClub (via GSMArena), the Galaxy S25 Ultra will indeed get a notable camera upgrade. The report claims that Samsung will give the S25 Ultra possibly improved 200Mp main camera, 50Mp ultrawide, 50Mp 3x telephoto and 50Mp 5x telephoto shooters.

However, both the regular S25 and S25+ might feature exactly the same hardware as the previous models: a 50Mp main camera, 10Mp telephoto lens, 12Mp ultrawide lens and 12Mp front facing camera.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Another online reporter, Bennett Buhner, has posted a list of rumoured specs for the S25 Ultra camera lineup, which he states will be a quad setup that includes a 1-inch 200Mp main sensor, improved 50Mp ultrawide, 3x to 5x 50Mp variable telephoto camera and a second 10x 50Mp telephoto.

Although the list doen’t lineup exactly with the GalaxyClub report, they both idicates upgrades to the main shooter and that a 12Mp ultrawide camera from the S24 Ultra might be replaced with a 50Mp lens.

A rumour (via Nextpit) suggested that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will feature three rear cameras instead of four like its predecessor. The dropped camera was rumoured to be the 10Mp 3x optical zoom telephoto, with Samsung aiming to enhance the main camera’s capabilities to achieve similar or better zoom results through improved image processing.

However, contrary to this report, reliable tipster Ice Universe said it is “certain” that the phone will indeed retain its four-camera setup, including the 3x telephoto module.

While he also suggested at the time that an upgrade to the 3x camera is probable, his recent claim states that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will feature a 50Mp ultrawide camera using the Samsung ISOCELL JN3 sensor.

However, this is reportedly the only camera upgrade, as the main ISOCELL HP2 200Mp camera, 10Mp 3x zoom camera using Sony’s IMX754 sensor, and the same 50Mp 5x zoom camera using Sony’s IMX854 remain unchanged from the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Battery & charging

According to a Dutch site GalaxyClub, the whole series will retain their predecessors’ battery sizes. The S25 will feature 4,000mAh cell, the S25+ a 4,900mAh cell, and the S25 Ultra will boast a 5,000mAh battery.

Recently, both the S25 and S25+ received 3C certification in China (via GizmoChina), revealing that the charging capabilities remain unchanged from their predecessors. The Galaxy S25 will support 25W charging, while the S25+ will go up to 45W, both via USB-C.

MySmartPrice also reports that the S25 Ultra will feature a 45W charging speed. However, details of each phone’s wireless charging have not yet been revealed.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Despite ongoing rumours about Samsung incorporating stacked batteries in its new flagship series, there isn’t substantial evidence to suggest that we’ll see them in the S25 series just yet.

Connectivity

The Verge reports that, starting next year, Samsung Galaxy phones will be able to unlock smart door locks using either NFC for tap-to-unlock functionality or UWB (Ultra-Wideband) for hands-free unlocking.

This brings Samsung devices on par with iPhones, which have already offered similar capabilities. These new features might integrate with Samsung Wallet’s Digital Home Key and support the upcoming Aliro smart lock standard, developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (the same group behind Matter).

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The UWB hands-free feature might only work on certain Samsung models, such as recent foldable devices and the + and Ultra models of the Galaxy S series. As the Aliro standard is being worked on by companies like Apple, Google, and Samsung, along with major lock and chip makers, it may drive the adoption of UWB in more devices.

The first smart locks supporting Aliro are expected to launch next year alongside the release of the standard’s first specification. The connection between phone and lock will work locally without requiring an internet connection, and users won’t even need to unlock their phone to access their smart lock.

Software

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is expected to launch in early 2025, running Android 15 and Samsung’s redesigned One UI 7, as seen in a leak shared by tipster Ice Universe. The leaked image shows a new command center design, accessible by swiping from the right of the home screen.

This differs from the current layout, which places notifications on the left. The new command center positions volume and brightness sliders within easy reach while keeping Wi-Fi and Bluetooth options at the top.

This interface update has been spotted in the Galaxy S24 Ultra beta, and One UI 7 may debut alongside the S25 Ultra.

Following the introduction of several Galaxy AI features with the S24 series, Samsung will need to innovate further for the Galaxy S25.

As of now, there are no leaks regarding new Galaxy AI features for the Galaxy S25. However, these are already available on older Samsung phones through software updates, and it’s unclear if any new AI features will be exclusive to Galaxy S25 phones.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

That’s all we’ve found so far, but we’ll keep updating this article with any new information that comes to light. Be sure to also check out our guide to the best smartphones to see what else is out there.

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