Samsung releases many phones yearly, but the Galaxy S-series features its flagship models. It has already been a year since the Samsung Galaxy S24 lineup was released in 2024, and we are now inching closer and closer to the Galaxy S25 launch.
What specs are we anticipating? Here’s everything we know so far about the Samsung Galaxy S25.
Samsung Galaxy S25: release date
Samsung has officially confirmed that its next Unpacked event will take place on Wednesday, January 22, in San Jose, California. Samsung doesn’t officially say “Galaxy S25” verbatim, but it did say that it will be announcing “the new Galaxy S series,” so it’s safe to assume that it’s the flagship S25 lineup.
Historically, Samsung has always launched its flagship S-series smartphones at the beginning of the year. This typically happens between January and March. For the Galaxy S24, it came a little earlier than its predecessors. Here’s a look at the past few years of Galaxy S-series announcements and releases:
Galaxy S22: Announced February 9, 2022, released February 25, 2022
Galaxy S23: Announced February 1, 2023, released February 17, 2023
Galaxy S24: Announced January 17, 2024, released January 31, 2024
So, it seems that this year, the Galaxy S25 will be announced a few days later than its predecessor but should be released around the same time, which is likely the end of the month.
Samsung Galaxy S25: possible price
Samsung has remained pretty consistent in pricing for its devices, at least with the base and Plus models of the Galaxy S family. Let’s take a look at what we’ve seen in the past:
Galaxy S22: $799 (base), $999 (Plus), $1,199 (Ultra)
Galaxy S23: $799 (base), $999 (Plus), $1,199 (Ultra)
Galaxy S24: $799 (base), $999 (Plus), $1,299 (Ultra)
For the base and Plus versions, the prices have consistently remained at $799 and $999, respectively, for the past three years. However, Samsung did bump up the price of the Galaxy S24 Ultra by $100 from previous years while keeping the base storage the same (though it has more RAM).
However, 2025 could mean a more complex situation for prices, as we may see a varying range of MSRPs for the S25 line across the globe.
In European markets, it should be the same as its predecessors. This means starting at 899 euros for the base Galaxy S25 and 959 euros for the 256GB model. The Plus variant will start at 1,149 euros for 256GB and 1,269 euros for the 512GB. However, a recent report from 91Mobiles seems to hint at possible price increases in Europe this time around, up 50, 85, and 100 euros for the three models, respectively. Unless Samsung takes a hit on the profits from the new flagship series, we could see something similar in the U.S.
South Korea has confirmed a price increase due to the fluctuating exchange rates. For the Western market, there’s a bit of uncertainty still. Due to President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs, we might see a higher price for the S25 line, as well as other consumer electronics and goods.
Qualcomm, the manufacturer behind the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip that the S25 is likely to use, is also increasing the manufacturing costs by up to 30%, which would mean higher prices for the consumer.
Samsung Galaxy S25: design
The design of the Galaxy S series has not changed much in the past few years. However, the Galaxy S25 may shake things up a little bit, at least with the Ultra model. There doesn’t seem to be any significant changes in design for the base or Plus variants.
With the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Samsung began using titanium in the body, similar to what Apple did, starting with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. We should expect the S25 Ultra to continue using titanium, at least. It’s unknown if Samsung plans to implement titanium in the base and Plus versions.
In September 2024, Android Headlines published the first look at the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The new flagship is expected to be lighter than its predecessor and the recently announced iPhone 16 Pro Max. The new Samsung phone could weigh just 219 grams, versus the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s 232 grams and the latest iPhone’s 227 grams.
Less weight makes sense when you consider that the next Galaxy S Ultra is also expected to be smaller in dimensions and have smaller bezels than its predecessor. The screen size will remain the same, however, at 6.8 inches.
In September, renders of the base Galaxy S25 arrived. The leak predicted a 6.17-inch display on the upcoming phone and a smaller profile along all edges compared to previous models. The smaller chassis means tighter internal space, which could be a concern regarding the amount of thermal headroom provided.
Another report in October confirms the previous theory that the Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra would have thinner bezels and, in the Ultra’s case, rounded corners this time around. This was thanks to a picture from Ice Universe that shows the three phones laid out side-by-side. This report also confirms that the S25 Ultra is larger than the other two models in the line, with a display that is roughly 6.8 or 6.9 inches. We can also expect a single hole-punch camera in the top center of the displays.
There may also be a slight change to the camera layout on the S25 Ultra. Ice Universe shared an image in October showing off the new camera module of the S25 Ultra. It will be similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 6 with the black and concentric circles around the lenses, but it will have the same kind of layout as the S24 Ultra, meaning it won’t have a vertical pill-shaped “island” that surrounds the cameras.
A dummy unit of the S25 Ultra was also shown off in October. The dummy unit seems to line up with the other reports we’ve heard, with a flat design all around, the camera layout, and being slightly taller, narrower, and thinner than its predecessor.
In late November, a video on Reddit surfaced that appeared to show off a Galaxy S25 Ultra unit. Though it’s not verified, it appears that the device in the video falls in line with what we’ve seen so far with other S25 Ultra dummy units. In the video, we can see that it has rounded corners instead of the sharp, boxy corners of the S24 Ultra. The power and volume buttons can be found on the right edge of the frame, the back is entirely flat aside from the camera modules, the display bezels are nonexistent, and the back has a semi-glossy finish.
In late December, Blass shared some renders on X, which show differences in the design of the flagship devices. For the S25 Plus, the corners feature a more rounded and distinct curve, while the S25 Ultra is a bit more angular in comparison. Since these renders line up with the other rumors we’ve heard so far, it’s safe to say that this is what the final design will look like.
Samsung Galaxy S25: colors
Now, let’s get to the fun part of any phone lineup: the colors. So far, we’ve heard a few different reports about the possible colors to expect with the S25 line.
The first report indicated that the base model S25 will have four colors: Moon Night Blue, Silver Shadow, Sparkling Blue, and Sparkling Green. The Plus model may have the same colors but also adds a possible Midnight Black option. The “Sparkling” part of some of the color names indicates that they may have a shimmery finish.
The S25 Ultra will reportedly be available in four colors, all of which have a titanium finish variant: Titanium Black, Titanium Blue, Titanium Gray, and Titanium Silver.
The second report we saw seems to pertain to the Samsung exclusive colors, which would only be available if you purchased directly from Samsung. Reputable leakers have indicated that the exclusive colors for the S25 and S25 Plus are possibly Coral Red, Pink Gold, and Blue/Black. For the S25 Ultra, it could be Titanium Blue/Black, Titanium Jade Green, and Titanium Pink/Silver.
But the most recent report could mean different colors entirely. Another leaker claims the S25 and S25 Plus models will come in Blue, Mint, Navy, and Silver Shadow. It’s unclear at this point which colors we will officially see, so all of these are just possibilities. Blue and Silver are more likely than the others, as they’ve shown up in multiple leaks.
A report in late November showed off a set of original, presumably official SIM card tray replacements for the S25 and S25 Plus, which seem to confirm the leaked color options. These SIM card tray replacements appear in black, green, purple, blue, and white colors. They appear to be a bit more muted than previous iterations, but there could still be more exclusive colors available. For the S25 Ultra, the colors will be a bit different to align with the titanium finish of the phone.
Samsung Galaxy S25: performance and software
For several years, Samsung has mostly relied on Qualcomm’s chips for its phones, while using its own in-house Exynos chip in certain regions. For example, with the Galaxy S24 series, Samsung uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chip in all three models that are sold in the U.S., but its own Exynos 2400 chip in the international market.
Though there were previous rumors that Samsung may even add a third chip into the mix, the latest report in January 2025 eliminates that possibility. It appears that Samsung may be all-in with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor for the Galaxy S25 lineup, which should also mean big upgrades in performance and power efficiency.
There might still be a possibility that Samsung could use Exynos chips in other regions, as it typically means lower costs for Samsung while increasing profits. But as it’s looking likely that Samsung went all-in with Qualcomm this time around, take that with skepticism.
Ice Universe also got some insight into how the S25 Ultra will perform. As it is expected to have the latest Qualcomm flagship chip, it has gotten some impressive benchmark scores. The S25 Ultra reportedly got a single-core score of 3,011 and a multi-core score of 9,706. In comparison, the S24 Ultra had a single-core score of 2,412 and a multi-core score of 6,693. The iPhone 16 Pro Max gets a single-core score of around 3,386 and a multi-core score of 8,306. With the S25 Ultra’s numbers, it appears to be getting a significant boost.
As far as RAM goes, we can expect the Galaxy S25 Ultra to have 16GB RAM, according to leaker Ice Universe. This would be an increase in RAM from the S24 Ultra, which only had 12GB. It also looks like Samsung could be increasing the RAM in the base and Plus models to 12GB, which would be a nice jump up from the 8GB RAM of the S24. The RAM boost would mean a smoother overall experience with fewer hiccups and stuttering and better performance with the AI tasks.
A recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) listing has also confirmed that the Galaxy S25 lineup will have 5G, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GNSS, and NFC connectivity. However, it only looks like two models will have ultrawide band (UWB), which is typically used for precision tracking with item trackers or locating lost devices. The two models with UWB will be the S25 Plus and S25 Ultra, so those who opt for the base model S25 will miss out on that feature.
The Galaxy S25 will be released after Android 15 launches, so we should see Android 15 running on all S25 smartphones. That would also mean Samsung has One UI 7 layered on top. Samsung also has a four-year guarantee of software upgrade support, which should also apply to the S25 line.
We got a sneak peek of what One UI 7 will look like from the alleged hands-on video on Reddit of the S25 Ultra. From the video, we got some screenshots of One UI 7 that confirm what we already know. It doesn’t appear to have a lot of drastic changes, but there are some updated icons, and the battery indicator has a fresh new look.
Speaking of upgrading software, Samsung could improve the process, beginning with the S25 lineup by adding the seamless updates feature. This would allow the phone to download and install a software update as a background process, allowing you to continue using your phone as normal. The only time you need to restart is when it’s finished to actually activate the update. This is a feature that already exists on some phones, but for Samsung, it’s only the Galaxy A55.
For gamers, there could be an upcoming “game mode” feature to improve the overall performance of the S25 without generating an excessive amount of heat. The game mode feature would utilize Qualcomm Adreno Frame Motion Engine 2.0, which can double the frame rate in games without increasing power usage. In short — a better gaming experience without draining the battery. Of course, this also would depend on the mobile games supporting the feature since not every game would run at 120Hz instead of 60Hz.
There will also be some features coming to the Galaxy S25 series that you hope you won’t have to use: car crash detection. While Samsung has previously worked on implementing crash detection in the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 5 by adding the necessary sensors, they didn’t have the software to power the feature. But this will change with the Galaxy S25 if the rumor is true. Currently, Apple and Google have the lead with car crash detection features in the iPhone and Pixel, respectively, but Samsung could be joining in, too.
Samsung Galaxy S25: cameras
The Galaxy S25 Ultra may see some nice improvements for the cameras. Samsung will reportedly continue with the 200-megapixel primary camera lens and 50MP periscope telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom. However, rather than keeping the 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, it could switch to a new 50MP one with 3x optical zoom. Similarly, the ultrawide camera could be upgraded to a 50MP lens.
Leaker Sperandio4Tech on X says the ultrawide lens would have “a new version of the 1/2.76-inch JN1 sensor.” The 3x telephoto lens should also get a better 1/3-inch Isocell sensor. Both of these upgraded sensors should mean improved resolution.
In late June, Samsung announced three new camera sensors coming to future devices — one of which we suspect will be the main camera in the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus. The “GNJ” is a 50MP sensor that looks very similar to the one in the S24 and S24 Plus. So far, it looks like the biggest hardware upgrade is better efficiency in preview mode and with 4K video at 60 fps.
Similarly, another rumor suggests that the Galaxy S25 will have the exact same camera sensor as the S24, as will the S25 Plus. If you were hoping for big camera upgrades for the S25 and S25 Plus, that’s not exactly great news.
Samsung Galaxy S25: battery life
According to a report from The Elec, Samsung is testing a new battery stacking method. This method is commonly used in electric vehicles, but Samsung could be working on bringing this technology to smartphones. The stacking method refers to the way cells in the battery are arranged. It could have higher energy capacity in a smaller volume.
It’s suggested that the S25 may have the same 4,000mAh capacity as the S24. The S25 Ultra also seems to be sticking with the 5,000mAh battery capacity with 45W fast charging speeds.
Of course, those who may have been hoping for a larger battery capacity may be disappointed. However, they probably shouldn’t be. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is quite power efficient, so if Samsung uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, then the S25 should also see excellent battery life.
Another leak suggests the base Galaxy S25 may not support 45W charging like the S25 Plus and S25 Ultra. Instead, it will still only have 25W charging, according to the FCC listing. If this news is accurate, it will have been six years since the base model upgraded to 25W charging with no further improvements. And there’s another bit of disappointing news: the base model S25 will also have downgraded wireless charging at only 9W instead of 15W like the current S24.
A December report also hinted that Qi2 wireless charging may finally be coming to the Galaxy S25, but not in the way we expected. It appears that Samsung is reportedly producing a new magnet case for the Galaxy S25 line, which would make the device capable of charging wirelessly with the Qi2 standard.
However, another report suggests that the S25 will have native Qi2 support. For the record, while Qi2 was initially announced at CES 2023, barely any phones support the standard besides Apple’s iPhone and the HMD Skyline (pictured above).
What about the Galaxy S25 Slim?
Finally, rumors are floating around that Samsung may introduce a fourth S25 model, which could be called the Galaxy S25 Slim. This news follows the rumored iPhone 17 Air from Apple, so Apple may not be the only one working on a superthin model of its next flagship phone.
However, the rumored Galaxy S25 Slim may not launch at the same time as the rest of the S25 family. Instead, it may come a few months after the rest of the S25 line, possibly in April, as it’s supposedly coming sometime in the second quarter of the year. If that’s the case, the S25 Slim could show up on the market ahead of Apple’s iPhone 17 Slim, which we expect in September.
Just how thin could the Galaxy S25 Slim be? There are no specifics just yet, but since the current S24 is just 7.6mm thick, it would be thinner than that. It could even be the S25 SE, just with a smaller frame. We don’t know much else about the S25 Slim, but it might have an “Ultra” camera, making it different from Apple’s iPhone 17 Air, which, according to rumors, may only have one camera lens.
As for its availability, it looks like the Galaxy S25 Slim may have an international launch. According to a report from SamMobile, a new Samsung device was spotted with model number SM-S937B. The rest of the S25 lineup already has the model numbers SM-S9931x, SM0S936x, and SM-S938x. Since SM-S937B has the same sequence, it’s in the same family as the rest of the S25 lineup. The “X” will be replaced by a “U” for the U.S. models, and “B” is an indicator of an international release. Given the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition’s China-only launch, it’s reassuring to see that the S25 Slim should be available for a much wider audience.
