Samsung Galaxy S25 rumors: Everything we know so far
Is the Galaxy S25 worth waiting for?
While it may feel like Samsung just launched its Galaxy S24 series, it's actually been a year — well, almost. That means we're due for the Galaxy S25 lineup any day now, and because of that imminent launch window, Galaxy S25 rumors are swirling strongly right now.
So far, the biggest rumors we've heard include a major boost in performance and perhaps beautifully thin bezels (fingers crossed). Regardless of which promised changes end up realized with the Galaxy S25 series, it's likely still going to be one of the best smartphones you can get your hands on.
Here's all the renders, leaks, and other info we've rounded up so far on the Samsung Galaxy S25 flagship, from the launch price to design changes and those all-important expected spec upgrades.
Samsung Galaxy S25: How much will it cost and when is it coming out?
Samsung doesn't always release its new Galaxy S lineup in the same month every year, but we can still guess a general timeframe.
Based on historical releases, we expect the Galaxy S25, along with the Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 Ultra, to be released in early 2025. However, it's unclear which month Samsung will launch its next smartphone lineup.
- Galaxy S24 release: January 31, 2024
- Galaxy S23 release: February 17, 2023
- Galaxy S22 release: February 25, 2022
- Galaxy S21 release: January 29, 2021
Over the past four years, Samsung has launched a new Galaxy S series of phones in late January or February. For comparison, early Galaxy S series phones used to be released in late May or June, so Samsung has historically been pushing the release date up. Perhaps eventually, Samsung flagships will launch alongside Apple flagships in September; who knows?
For that reason, I think it's a safe bet to assume Samsung will try to match its January release date for the Galaxy S24 lineup or maybe even shoot for a little earlier.
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Regarding price, Samsung has reliably kept the launch price for its base Galaxy S series phone at $799 for the past four lineups. However, this might change with the Galaxy S25 series launch.
- Galaxy S24 base launch price: $799
- Galaxy S23 base launch price: $799
- Galaxy S22 base launch price: $799
- Galaxy S21 base launch price: $799
According to SamMobile, Qualcomm's SVP Chris Patrick said that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 — the chip expected to grace Samsung's Galaxy S25 lineup — is expected to increase in cost due to its push to reach "astonishing levels of performance."
Digital Chat Station and Ice Universe on Weibo have claimed that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip will be about 20% more expensive, or about $40 to $50 more. Those added costs will likely be passed on to consumers.
JoongAng.co.kr estimates that the price of Samsung's Galaxy S25 series could increase by as much as 150,000 won (or roughly $105).
Still, some insist the pricing scheme will remain the same. WinFuture reported that "northern European retailers are quoting the same launch prices for the Samsung Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra as for the previous models" (translated from German).
The Samsung Galaxy S25 smartphone could cost between $799 and $899.
Samsung Galaxy S25 design
The only smartphone in Samsung's Galaxy S25 lineup that looks like it's getting a slight design change is the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which will reportedly (via Android Headlines) transform its sharp corners into softer, slightly rounded corners (though not as rounded as the S21 Ultra, somewhere in between).
S25,S25+,S25 Ultra pic.twitter.com/x7TupwE1GJOctober 9, 2024
The Galaxy S25, on the other hand, will look almost identical to the Galaxy S24. According to Android Headlines, the Galaxy S25 will likely feature the same 6.2-inch display as the Galaxy S24, but differ in dimensions. The Galaxy S25 will reportedly measure 146.9 x 70.4 x 7.2 mm, slightly smaller than the Galaxy S24's dimensions of 147 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is expected to be the only phone in the lineup featuring a titanium frame, while the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+ will both sport an aluminum frame.
Say hello to Sparkling Blue and Sparkling Green, debuting with the Galaxy S25 & S25+! Which one do you like?Credits @DSCCRoss#GalaxyS25 #OneUI7 #Samsung pic.twitter.com/4ABY9cHFh0November 6, 2024
According to Ross Young on X, the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+ will both be available in the following colorways: Moon Night Blue, Silver Shadow, Sparkling Blue, and Sparkling Green. Then, the Galaxy S25 Ultra will come in Titanium Black, Titanium Blue, Titanium Gold, and Titanium Silver.
These are the colorways that will be available at all retailers, but Samsung is known to reserve a few unique colorways exclusively for its own site. For example, the Galaxy S24 Ultra had black, purple, and yellow options that were exclusive to the online Samsung Store.
Samsung Galaxy S25 specs
Samsung's current Galaxy S24 lineup sports Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chips, from the base Galaxy S24 to the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The upcoming Galaxy S25 was initially expected to not follow suit, but recent rumors suggest we'll see the next-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite in most Galaxy S25 series phones.
In an article on the Google DeepMind website (via Tom's Guide), Google's team hinted that some of Samsung's Galaxy S lineup may be powered by a MediaTek chipset rather than its long-standing Qualcomm chip upgrade. As of October 8, the implicating quote has been removed from the Google DeepMind article, so there is no mention of a MediaTek Dimensity chip or Samsung.
More recent leaks, including one from Ice Universe, suggest that the Galaxy S25 series uses a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, which may be the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, just with a different name.
According to Android Headlines, the Samsung Galaxy S25 is also expected to feature 12GB of RAM (along with the Galaxy S25 Plus), a base storage capacity of 128GB, and a battery life similar to its predecessor, which has a 4,000 mAh battery.
Perhaps the most exciting rumored spec for the Galaxy S25 is its display. The Galaxy S25 display is expected to have thinner bezels than the Galaxy S24.
Frequent Galaxy S25 leaker Ice Universe shared an image (via Android Headlines) of tempered glass screen protectors for Samsung's Galaxy S25 series phones — and they all indicate impressively thin bezels. Interestingly, it appears the Galaxy S25+ will have slightly thicker bezels than the Galaxy S25.
In addition to thinner bezels, the display might also increase slightly in size. Known leaker Yeux1122 (via Tom's Guide) says Samsung may increase the Galaxy S25's screen from 6.2 inches to 6.36 inches.
Samsung Galaxy S25 cameras
As of right now, we haven't heard any rumors on improvements to the Galaxy S25's camera array — and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
If the Galaxy S25 kept all the same camera specs as the Galaxy S24, it'd still be in great shape to take sharp, vibrant photos. Here's what the existing Galaxy S24 camera array looks like:
- 12MP front camera
- 50MP main wide rear camera
- 12MP ultra-wide rear camera
- 10MP telephoto rear camera
- 3x optical zoom, 2x optical quality, 20x space zoom
Samsung announced new camera sensors recently, and one of them will likely make its debut in the Galaxy S25 lineup: the 50-megapixel ISOCELL GNJ sensor. This sensor features an anti-refractive layer and pixel isolation, which were added to help improve light capture and color reproduction, reduce reflections, and deliver more accurate shadows. In short, it'll help you take even better photos.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is expected to get more intense camera upgrades compared to the base Galaxy S25. In a since-deleted tweet from @Tech_Reve (via Tom's Guide), the leaker revealed the Galaxy S25 Ultra would feature an upgraded main camera, a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera (up from its predecessor's 12-megapixel ultrawide camera), and a new telephoto camera with "variable capabilities."
Outlook
I'm a sucker for a smartphone with stellar cameras, so the Galaxy S25 Ultra may have stolen my heart at the moment. Still, the Galaxy S25 is looking to be a solid, budget-friendly option for those just looking for a great phone with next-gen performance improvements.
We're hopefully only a month or so away from the Galaxy S25 launch, so we'll surely hear more rumors and reports over the next few weeks to update this post. But for now, the Galaxy S25 is worth waiting for if you think your existing phone will last a little longer.
Samsung is expected to host a Galaxy Unpacked event in January and, hopefully, debut an all-new product. A news report out of South Korea already has said the date of Samsung Unpacked will be January 23, 2025 — but Samsung has not officially confirmed that.
For more news, rumors, and updates on everything related to the Samsung Galaxy S25 and all things tech, follow Laptop Mag on X, Facebook, and Flipboard for the latest news as it arrives.
Sarah Chaney is a freelance tech writer with five years of experience across multiple outlets, including Mashable, How-To Geek, MakeUseOf, Tom’s Guide, and of course, Laptop Mag. She loves reviewing the latest gadgets, from inventive robot vacuums to new laptops, wearables, and anything PC-related. When she's not writing, she's probably playing a video game, exploring the outdoors, or listening to her current favorite song or album on repeat.