Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra tipped to be thinner and lighter than the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Pixel 9 Pro XL

The new Pixel 9 Pro XL: pretty thin (Image credit: Peter Hoffmann)

Google just unveiled the Pixel 9 Pro XL – and our Pixel 9 Pro XL review is now up for your perusal – and the iPhone 16 Pro Max is expected to be one of the Apple handsets unveiled next month. However, it seems the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra could beat them both in two key ways.

Specifically, it might be thinner and lighter than the top-end smartphones from Google and Apple. That's according to well-known leaker Ice Universe, who says the Galaxy S25 Ultra will be "the thinnest and lightest of all Ultra flagship phones".

We're assuming "Ultra flagship phones" mean the top spec, most premium, most expensive handsets that manufacturers put out – including the Google phone that's already out and the Apple phone that'll be out soon.

The leaks so far

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra — The Galaxy S24 Ultra launched at the start of this year (Image credit: Future)

Samsung is clearly going to have to do some clever component packing and handset design tricks to put together an Ultra phone that's thinner and lighter than ever. We've also heard that the width of the S25 Ultra is going to be reduced to 77.6mm, down from 79mm on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Another previous leak has suggested the upcoming handset – probably arriving sometime in January 2025 – is going to have an asymmetrical frame design for a more comfortable hold, which could be where some of the weight reduction is coming from.

Of course, a thinner and lighter phone might also mean a smaller battery (and reduced battery life). However, the rumors are that a more efficient chipset will ensure the 2025 Galaxy Ultra phone offers better battery life than the 2024 version.

Another key upgrade could come in the camera department: back in May we heard that the Galaxy S25 Ultra might add an extra rear camera for a four-camera module. You can catch up on everything we know about the Galaxy S25 so far.

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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.