Gadgets don't stay new forever. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is the hottest smartphone right now, but in less than a year it will be replaced by something new, fast and perhaps better. There have been a lot of rumors surrounding the Galaxy S25. Here's everything we know about the Galaxy S25 series so far.
Launch time of Samsung Galaxy S25 series
Amidst a lot of leaks about colors, specifications, and chipsets, we may finally have some information about the launch date of the Galaxy S25 series. According to The Financial News, citing reputable industry sources, Samsung may hold the next Galaxy Unpacked event on January 23, 2025 in San Francisco, United States.
Famous technology blogger Yogesh Brar also confirmed this information, claiming that the Galaxy S25 series launch event could take place in the second half of January 2025. Brar also stated that the entire product line will be equipped with powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which is consistent with some recent leaks.
There is also another report by technology expert Max Jambor suggesting that January 22, 2025 is the launch date of the Galaxy S25 series in its home market. The difference in dates may be due to the time zone difference between Korea and San Francisco.
Interestingly, The Financial News also mentioned that the rumored Galaxy S25 Slim model may make a surprise appearance at the Unpacked event along with the Galaxy S25 series. Previous reports suggested that the Galaxy S25 Slim variant is likely to launch after the Galaxy S25 series is released. This new information will bring a little more “spice” to next year's Unpacked event.
Currently, Samsung has not shared any details about the launch date but only confirmed in its third quarter earnings report that the Galaxy S25 series will launch early next year. The company is also behind schedule with the One UI 7 beta program, which is expected to begin in Korea and the United States next week.
Leaked actual photo of the screen protector shows the difference in size between Galaxy S25 models
The Galaxy S25 and S25+ are not expected to bring many major changes compared to previous generations, as it is rumored that most of the new features will be introduced with the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The phone is expected to have rounded edges, not square like on the current Galaxy S24 Ultra. And it looks like the rumors are true because a new leak confirms it.
Famous “leaker” IceUniverse recently shared images of screen protectors believed to be from the Galaxy S25 series. The leaked images give us a better look at the size differences between the Galaxy S25 models. Among them, the screen protector said to be on the Galaxy S25 Ultra has a more curved design than the previous S24 Ultra version.
However, as can be seen, the corners of the Ultra model are not as round as the two standard Galaxy S25 models, because the Galaxy S25 Ultra has to make room to accommodate the S-Pen. The design shown in the latest image also matches the leaked design of the Galaxy S25 Ultra that surfaced a while ago.
The already thin screen border will likely be further minimalist on the Galaxy S25 series. Previous leaks suggest that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will be much thinner and lighter than initially expected. According to the image, Samsung may offer Gorilla Glass Armor protection for all Galaxy S25 models.
Samsung Galaxy S25 design and specifications
Still a long way from launch, rumors don't have much concrete evidence about Samsung's plans for its next flagship product line. Recently, the smartphone giant has not shown much interest in revolutionary changes. The Galaxy S24 series doesn't look much different from the Galaxy S21. Therefore, we expect a similar result for the Galaxy S25 series: Thin screen bezels, Island-style camera lens, and flat edges along the sides.
However, there is one big difference that is rumored to appear on next year's product, which is in screen size. While the Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S25 Ultra are likely to keep their already large screens, the Galaxy S25 could go in that direction as well. A leaked information says the S25 is moving to a larger 6.36-inch screen, a pretty big jump compared to the 6.2-inch screen on the Galaxy S24. It's no secret that big phones are more popular than small ones – no matter how many tech journalists speak out – and this could be an example of Samsung listening to its fan base.
Will all Samsung Galaxy S25 models be equipped with Snapdragon 8 Elite?
Not long ago, information was leaked that the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 processor, expected to be used inside the standard Galaxy S25 and S25+ models, could be used for the Galaxy S25 FE series as well. However, then there are rumors that Samsung is still confused and may make the final decision on whether to use the Exynos 2500 processor inside the Galaxy S25 series or not.
Although no official information has been revealed yet, a reliable source from famous leaker IceUniverse may have an answer regarding the confusion about the chipset of the Galaxy S25 series. In a post on social networking platform Qualcomm. Additionally, the report also reveals that Exynos and Dimensity chipsets will not be equipped in any Galaxy S25 phone models.
On the recent Snapdragon Summit stage, Qualcomm officially announced Snapdragon 8 Elite, the next generation flagship SoC model for high-end smartphones. Thus, Qualcomm has changed the naming of its flagship SoCs from “Snapdragon 8 Gen X” to Snapdragon X Elite. This new naming also helps the Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile chipsets to be similar to the Snapdragon X Elite chipset line for PCs, creating a high degree of unity in the company's product portfolio.
Snapdragon 8 Elite is the first processor to use TSMC's 3nm process, with the pick-up point being the second-generation Orion CPU, Adreno 830 GPU, and upgraded NPU, delivering outstanding performance for next-generation Android flagships. next. Additionally, smartphones running Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite are also eligible for up to 8 years of continuous software updates.
Initial leaks have shown positive signs about the use of the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor inside the flagship Galaxy S25 Ultra, which is expected to feature a new design, upgraded cameras, improved connectivity, and more. satellite connectivity, etc. With the Exynos and MediaTek chipsets said to have been dropped, Samsung fans can feel happy knowing that they will get the proven performance and stability of Qualcomm CPUs.
AI-focused software
We'll have to wait and see what makes One UI 7 tick when it launches after Android 15 later this year, but adding more AI-powered experiences is clear. It's possible that Samsung will also start charging for Galaxy AI tools after the launch of the Galaxy S25; the company only promised to keep the platform free until the end of 2025.
As you might imagine, the Galaxy S25 will also support 7 years of OS and security upgrades, just like its predecessor. So, in addition to new OS versions, expect to see future features appear on the S25 series in time.
Camera
You can get some truly impressive photos out of the Galaxy S24 Ultra, thanks in part to the huge number of lenses fitted to the back of the phone. However, this device – like most of Samsung's recent flagships – really struggles with motion. While it could be a processing issue, something the company could fix on past and future devices, we haven't seen much change on the new sensors either. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like that's going to change any time soon.
As we knew before the launch of the Galaxy S24, Samsung seems to intend to reuse the same main sensor from the Galaxy S23 for the next two generations of hardware. It's not a bad lens, but seeing the Galaxy S25 and S25+ with years-old hardware is quite disappointing, especially at these prices.
Samsung may market the Galaxy S25 Ultra as the Galaxy S25 Note
The once popular Galaxy Note line has been dissolved and merged with the Galaxy S line from 2021. However, in reality, the high-end Galaxy S models – Ultra – launched in the past few years possess a series of design highlights. The design and features make it essentially a Note version.
After several years of implementing this approach, Samsung seems to be planning to bring back the “Note” brand starting with the upcoming Galaxy S25 series. A leaked source revealed that the Korean manufacturer is planning to call the Galaxy S25 Ultra Galaxy S25 Note, and also change the name of the Galaxy S25 Plus variant.
Overall, changing the way smartphones are named is a consistent and frequently used tactic by manufacturers. This helps create the impression that the new devices are not only new, but also offer an improved experience compared to their predecessors. According to a new revelation by technology blogger Yogesh Brar, the new name of the Galaxy S25 Ultra could be Galaxy S25 Note, while the Galaxy S25 Plus could be called Galaxy S25 Pro.
The switch from 'Ultra' to 'Note' could mean Samsung wants to “remind” customers that they are investing in its flagship flagship. The phone will also come with 'ready to use' features built into the S-Pen.
As for the Galaxy S25 Plus, the name change to Galaxy S25 Pro shows that the product can be equipped with the right hardware to take it to the next level, possibly as the top model in the S series.
This year, with the Galaxy S24 Plus, this is the first time Samsung has shipped the Plus model with 12GB of RAM, equivalent to the Ultra variant. Galaxy S25 Note is expected to integrate 16GB RAM to help differentiate from the rest of the products, along with a newer design.
Could this be the Galaxy version that shakes things up?
The Galaxy line has struggled a bit over the past few years, but with the Galaxy S25, Samsung may be turning a corner. This could be the product line that will reinvigorate not only the brand but also smartphones in general. Or it could be another very good device worth upgrading to if you're using old hardware – really, only time will tell.
