Samsung’s Galaxy S handsets consistently rank among the best phones of any given year, so they’re always a source of excitement. That's why, even though the Samsung Galaxy S25 line is still several months away, we're already looking ahead to what it might bring to the mobile table.
Plus, while Samsung’s latest phones – that's the Samsung Galaxy S24, Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus, Galaxy S24 Ultra – are undeniably superb, they also have room for improvement, as you’ll see in our Samsung Galaxy S24 review, our Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review and our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review.
With that in mind, we’ve created a wish list of all the key upgrades we want from the Samsung Galaxy S25 line, as well as a list of the biggest rumors that have already emerged about these upcoming best Samsung phone contenders.
Samsung Galaxy S25 latest rumors and leaks
Cut to the chase
- What is it? The next non-foldable Samsung flagship
- When is it out? Possibly January 22
- How much will it cost? Likely upwards of $799 / £799 / AU$1,399
A possible price rise
- Might cost more than the current models
- Could launch on January 22
Given that the Samsung Galaxy S24 line landed in January of this year, it’s likely that the Samsung Galaxy S25 series will launch in or around January of 2025. Certainly, we’d expect these phones early in 2025 anyway, as while Samsung sometimes launches new models in February, recent generations have always arrived early in the year.
We can get more specific too, as a Samsung Galaxy S25 release date leak points to a launch on January 23, with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim possibly also set to land then.
Another leak has since emerged pointing instead to a January 22 launch date for the Galaxy S25, but due to time differences in the places these leaks originated from, they actually don't conflict. Given that the Galaxy S25 is also rumored to be landing in San Francisco though, it's the January 22 date that's most likely to apply for US and UK readers.
In any case, these phones might be expensive, as it’s likely that in at least some regions they’ll be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, which itself is expected to have a price increase.
A more recent leak specifically suggested the Snapdragon 8 Elite might cost around $40 (roughly £30 / AU$60) more than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and a second Snapdragon 8 Elite leak said it would cost around 20% more than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
For reference, the Samsung Galaxy S24 starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399, so that’s probably the absolute minimum you can expect to pay for the Galaxy S25. But if the Snapdragon 8 Elite does cost more than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, then Samsung will probably pass that price rise on to consumers. And, of course, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will also cost more than the base model.
For reference, the Galaxy S24 Plus starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,699, while the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra starts at $1,299.99 / £1,249 / AU$2,199, so you’ll probably be paying that much or more for the next models.
Can you trust these rumors?
A January 22 launch seems somewhat likely since multiple sources have now pointed to that launch date.
As for the price, Qualcomm itself has said its new flagship chipset is likely to cost more so this is almost certainly the case, and if it does then there's a high chance the Samsung Galaxy S25 line will also increase in price.
A new name
- The Ultra might become the Note
- The Plus might become the Pro
- There might be a new, slimmer model
Before we get to design and spec rumors, we've interestingly heard that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Ultra might get new names.
A source claims that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra could instead launch as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Note, while the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus might land as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Pro.
Additionally, there are reports that Samsung might add a fourth model to the mix, albeit one that could land a few months later. This would apparently be extremely thin, so we're referring to it as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim for now. A model number for this fourth Galaxy S25 handset has also now been spotted, so it may well be real.
Can you trust these rumors?
We're less sure of the naming claim than a lot of other leaks, not least because only one source has so far said the names might be changing.
That said, there's some logic to it, since the latest Ultra models with their S Pen styluses are more like Galaxy Note handsets than the original Galaxy Ultras anyway.
Changing the Plus name to Pro though might require a spec boost, and could also lead to some confusion among buyers as to whether the Pro model or the Note is the top of the line.
As for a Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim, that would make sense as a competitor to Apple's rumored iPhone 17 Slim, but it's also something we've not heard much about yet.
Refined designs
- "Significant design changes" rumored for the S25 line
- The Galaxy S25 Ultra could have a bigger screen and smaller bezels
- The S25 Ultra might also have rounded corners
In design news, leaker @Tech_Reve claimed that the Samsung Galaxy S25 will have “significant design changes.” So don’t count on these phones looking like the current models. Having said that, more recent likes suggest that we might be looking more at refinement than revolution.
As for what form these design changes might take, one tipster has claimed on X that the Galaxy S25 Ultra could have a slightly larger screen that’s closer to 6.9 inches than the 6.8 inches of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Reputable leaker @UniverseIce has echoed this claim, saying that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will have a 6.86-inch screen that's slightly wider than the S24 Ultra's at 73mm. However, thanks to shrinking the bezels and frame, the overall width of the Galaxy S25 Ultra could be marginally less than the S24 Ultra, at 77.6mm.
So in other words, the Galaxy S25 Ultra might have a bigger screen while achieving a smaller footprint (as it doesn't appear taller either in their example images).
@UniverseIce has also claimed that the Galaxy S24 Ultra could replace its sharp corners with new rounded edges, which could make it more comfortable to hold.
They have reiterated this claim since, and even provided a render of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, which you can see above, complete with those rounded corners. Additional images of the Galaxy S25 Ultra have also since been shared by the same source, showing the same design again.
And the same source has also said that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra could have similar dimensions of 162.8mm x 77.6mm x 8.2mm.
We've also now seen additional unofficial Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra renders, showing a similar design to those above, with rounded corners and flat sides. This leak also mentions that the screen size will be the same as last year, and that the phone will be lighter at 219g.
An image of a case for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has also now leaked, and this likewise shows off more rounded corners but an otherwise similar design.
As for the standard Samsung Galaxy S25, we've seen leaked renders of that too, one of which you can see above.
These show a very similar design to the Samsung Galaxy S24, with a 6.17-inch screen that will once again probably be marketed as 6.2 inches.
However, there's now a black ring around the camera lenses, and the bezels are slightly smaller, leading to apparently reduced dimensions of around 146.9 x 70.4 x 7.2mm, compared to the 147 x 70.6 x 7.6mm Samsung Galaxy S24.
On the subject of dimensions, another leak has suggested the Galaxy S25 will be 146.94 x 70.46 x 7.25mm, the Galaxy S25 Plus will be 158.44 x 75.79 x 7.35mm, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra will be 162.82 x 77.65 x 8.25mm.
We've also heard that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim might not be as thin as Samsung hoped, as that apparently didn't leave enough space for a big enough battery, but there's no word on exactly how thick the phone might be.
Plus, a photo seemingly showing all three Samsung Galaxy S25 models has leaked. This shows that the Galaxy S25 Plus is almost as large as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, while the standard Galaxy S25 is unsurprisingly much smaller. You can also see that the Ultra has curvier corners than its predecessor, as previously rumored, and that all three phones might have small bezels.
And we've now seen cases for all three Samsung Galaxy S25 models, matching the leaked designs above.
We've also now heard screen details for all three Samsung Galaxy S25 models, with the Galaxy S25 itself said to have a 6.16-inch screen, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus a 6.66-inch one, and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra a 6.86-inch one.
That's in line with previous leaks, but this source adds that all three phones will use the same M13 display panels as the Galaxy S24 line, meaning the quality of the screens might not improve, and might not match the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, both of which use M14 panels.
And for colors, we've heard that the Samsung Galaxy S25 colors could include Moon Night Blue, Silver Shadow, Sparking Blue, and Sparkling Green, the Galaxy S25 Plus colors might be the same with the addition of Midnight Black, and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra could come in Titanium Black, Titanium Blue, Titanium Gray, and Titanium Silver shades.
Since then, the same source has come back with more Galaxy S25 series shades, this time ones that might be exclusive to Samsung's store. These apparently include Pink Gold, Blue/Gold, and Coral Red for the Galaxy S25 and Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus, and Titanium Blue/Black, Titanium Jade Green, and Titanium Pink Gold for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
That said, a slightly earlier leak disagreed, saying the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra could be sold in Black, Blue, Green, and Titanium shades.
We've also seen how the Sparking Blue and Sparkling Green Galaxy S25 colors might look, and they're surprisingly pale.
Can you trust these rumors?
So far we've only really heard about the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra's design, but multiple sources have made similar claims about it, and these are fairly reputable leakers too, so there's a good chance the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will have a bigger screen, smaller bezels, and rounded corners.
Numerous new cameras
- A new 200MP 1-inch camera for the Galaxy S25 Ultra
- A 10x telephoto and a 3-5x variable telephoto for the S25 Ultra
- A new 50MP ultra-wide camera for the S25 Ultra
Across several posts on X, leaker @BennettBuhner has claimed that the S25 Ultra could have a new 200MP main camera with a larger 1-inch sensor, plus an improved 50MP ultra-wide camera, a 50MP 10x zoom telephoto camera, and a 50MP 3x-5x variable zoom telephoto camera.
They note, however, that these are incredibly early leaks, so we’d take them with a pinch of salt.
Since then, another source has pointed to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra having mostly similar cameras to its predecessor, including a 200MP main sensor, a 50MP 5x telephoto, and a 10MP 3x telephoto, but with a new 50MP ultra-wide.
We've also heard that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim could have an 'Ultra' level camera, perhaps meaning the same 200MP snapper as the Galaxy S24 Ultra or the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Can you trust these rumors?
We're more inclined to trust the leak stating that only the Galaxy S25 Ultra's ultra-wide camera will be changing than the earlier leak pointing to numerous changes, as that source doesn't have much of a track record.
We'd take claims of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim having an 'Ultra' camera with a pinch of salt, as being so slim it might not have room for much camera hardware.
Three chipset choices
- Snapdragon, Exynos, and MediaTek chipsets are all rumored
- The Snapdragon 8 Elite now looks the most likely
- The Galaxy S25 and S25 Ultra could have more RAM than their predecessors
With regards to the chipset set to power the Samsung Galaxy S25, things are a little unclear. Initially, it was thought that Samsung wanted to offer different chipsets in different regions with the Galaxy S25 line, as it did with the Galaxy S24 line.
Specifically, the company was reportedly planning to ship the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus with its own Exynos 2500 chipset in Europe, India and South Korea, while giving the US market Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite across the board.
Then, it became clear that Samsung was struggling to meet production demands for the Exynos 2500, which led tipsters to believe that the company might use the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset in every Galaxy S25 model, regardless of region.
More recently, though, we've heard that Samsung is considering turning to MediaTek for help with Galaxy S25 chipset production, owing to the high price demanded by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite. We've now also heard some Google employees suggest that MediaTek will be used in the Galaxy S25 line.
If indeed Samsung does pen a deal with MediaTek, it could mean that some Galaxy S25 models in Europe, India and South Korea are equipped with a MediaTek chip – presumably the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 – while others use Samsung's own Exynos 2500.
As with the Galaxy S24 line, the US market will likely remain Qualcomm-exclusive across the board, and it’s also worth noting that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, specifically, looks set to be offered with the Snapdragon 8 Elite in every region.
We may still see every main model in every region use Snapdragon though, as according to one leak, Samsung will only put a MediaTek chipset in the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE. And another recent leak has also said the Snapdragon 8 Elite will be used in every main Galaxy S25 model. As recently as mid-November a leaker has again said the Snapdragon 8 Elite will be used globally.
In any case, whichever chipsets Samsung decides to use, it seems certain that the Snapdragon 8 Elite will be significantly more powerful than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, with the now-announced chipset promising big boosts to gaming performance and AI capabilities.
An early benchmark for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra with this chipset even suggests it could be more powerful (at least in multi-core tests) than the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and a second Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra benchmark shows even higher scores.
However, a benchmark for the standard Samsung Galaxy S25 which also lists the Snapdragon 8 Elite has less impressive scores.
We've also heard that the Snapdragon 8 Elite might support faster RAM, which could allow phones equipped with that chipset to handle more AI tasks on device.
And speaking of RAM, leaks suggest the Samsung Galaxy S25 might have 12GB of it (up from 8GB in the Galaxy S24), and the Galaxy S25 Ultra could have 16GB (up from 12GB in the previous model), with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus having 12GB, just like its predecessor.
On the software front, Samsung has finally started offering seamless Android updates in its new phones, so presumably the Samsung Galaxy S25 will get this too. Indeed, leaks now specifically suggest the Samsung Galaxy S25 series will get seamless updates.
Can you trust these rumors?
There seems to be some confusion as to what chipsets the Galaxy S25 line will use, but based on past form we're almost certain that some regions (most notably the US) will get a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset.
It's very possible though that elsewhere some Galaxy S25 models will instead use a MediaTek chipset, but Exynos is currently looking unlikely.
Claims of increased RAM are believable, especially in the wake of the Google Pixel 9 line, which has a lot of RAM to aid with AI.
Bigger batteries
- Batteries might be larger
- But another leak says the standard S25 will have the same size battery as before
Leaker @BennettBuhner claims that the S25 line could have bigger batteries than its predecessors, but a more recent leak (and from a more reputable source) claims that the Samsung Galaxy S25 will have a 4,000mAh battery, just like its predecessor. Similarly, another more recent leak states that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will have a 5,000mAh battery like its predecessor.
So there's conflicting information here, but the leak claiming the Samsung Galaxy S25 will have the same battery capacity as the S24 feels the most credible.
Can you trust these rumors?
The claims of larger batteries are questionable, since the source doesn't have much of a track record and it's an early leak that's at odds with a more recent one.
So for now, we'd guess that the Samsung Galaxy S25 at least will have a 4,000mAh battery, just like the Samsung Galaxy S24, and that the S25 Ultra will inherit its predecessor's 5,000mAh battery.
Samsung Galaxy S25: what we want to see
The Samsung Galaxy S25 series could be even more impressive than the Galaxy S24 line, if Samsung makes the following changes.
1. A new design
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and its siblings all look quite a lot like their predecessors, and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra even looks a lot like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. So we’re hoping for some more substantial design changes with the Samsung Galaxy S25 line.
The good news is that big changes are rumored, though it’s unclear what form they’ll take. But a fresh new design would help build excitement for these upcoming phones, while staying the same could leave them feeling stale.
2. Improved AI
Samsung packed the Galaxy S24 line full of AI tools and features, but as our reviews attest, these features are a mix of cool and useless, and they can even cause performance problems.
The Galaxy S24 line also lacks some of the Google Pixel 8’s best AI tools, such as the ability to sharpen old, out of focus shots.
So for the Samsung Galaxy S25 we want more AI tools and improvements to the ones that are there.
3. Slicker software
Samsung loves to stuff its phones full of near endless features, but this has led to bloated, clunky software, with many of the best features – including AI tools – buried several layers deep in the settings menu.
This makes the phones complex and unintuitive to use, and it’s something we really want Samsung to improve for the Galaxy S25.
4. No chipset split
The Samsung Galaxy S24 has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset if you buy it in the US, but if you’re shopping for it in most other places then you’ll get an Exynos 2400. It’s the same deal with the Galaxy S24 Plus, though the S24 Ultra has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 everywhere.
With the Samsung Galaxy S25, we don’t want this split, as it means you essentially get a different phone depending on where in the world you are, and one chipset is inevitably better than the other.
Usually it’s the Snapdragon that’s better, so we’d ideally like to see the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 used in all regions with the Galaxy S25, but we’d even take Exynos everywhere over different chipsets in different regions. At least that way it would be clearer to buyers which phone they’re getting, and whether the reviews they’ve read reflect what’s available to them.
5. The return of 10x zoom
One of the more surprising decisions Samsung made with the Galaxy S24 Ultra was replacing its predecessor’s 10x optical zoom with a 5x one. This wasn’t a terrible decision, as the sensor used was a better 50MP one (up from 10MP) and it still allowed for a 10x optical quality crop.
However, it did mean the S24 Ultra’s camera lost a lens that helped it stand out from rivals – a number of which have 5x zoom cameras of their own.
So we’d like to see the 10x zoom return to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, but with an improved sensor and more megapixels, so that it can perhaps offer a 20x optical quality crop.
If Samsung also ups the number of megapixels in its 3x zoom camera then we could probably get a 5x crop from that. Or – as one leak suggests – the S25 Ultra might even have both a 10x telephoto and a variable optical zoom, that can switch between 3x and 5x.
