Samsung's Galaxy S phones are consistently among the best phones of any given year, so they're always a source of excitement. That's why, even though the Samsung Galaxy S24, Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus, and Galaxy S24 Ultra have just arrived, we're already looking ahead to the Samsung Galaxy S25 line.
Plus, while Samsung's latest phones are excellent, they also have room for improvement, as you'll see in our Samsung Galaxy S24 review, our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review, and our Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus hands-on review.
With that in mind, we've created a wish list of all the key upgrades we want from the Samsung Galaxy S25 lineup. But the first rumors about these phones have also started to arrive, so you will also find them below, and every time we hear more about these phones, we will add those leaks to this article.
Come to the point
- What is it? Samsung's next non-foldable flagship
- When does it come out? Probably early 2025
- How much will it cost? Probably more than $799 / £799 / AU$1399
Samsung Galaxy S25: possible release date and price
Since the Samsung Galaxy S24 lineup landed in January this year, the Samsung Galaxy S25 series is likely to launch in or around January 2025. We'd certainly expect these phones in early 2025 anyway, since while Samsung sometimes releases new models in February, the latest generations have always arrived earlier in the year.
These phones can be expensive, however, as they are likely to be powered by the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 in at least some regions, which is expected to see a price increase.
For reference, the Samsung Galaxy S24 starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399, so that's probably the absolute minimum you could get a Galaxy S25 for. But if the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 costs more than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, then Samsung will likely pass that price increase on to consumers. And of course, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will also cost more than the previous price.
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 likely pay that amount or more for the upcoming models. .
Samsung Galaxy S25: news and leaks
There are already some leaks of the Samsung Galaxy S25, including the claim that the Galaxy S25 will use a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset, which could be significantly more powerful than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 as it could have a clock speed of up to 4 GHz .(versus 3.39 GHz in the Gen 3 version used by the S24).
Expect some models of the Galaxy S25 to use this chipset, but Samsung often equips certain models in certain regions with its own Exynos chipsets, so don't be surprised if that happens with the Galaxy S25 line as well.
We have also heard some claims about the Samsung Galaxy S25 camera from the leaker. @Tech_Revewho in several posts on . and a variable zoom telephoto lens, which could optically zoom to multiple distances.
In another post, @Tech_Reve also stated that the Samsung Galaxy S25 will have “significant design changes.” So don't count on these phones to look like current models.
It's unclear what form these design changes could take, but the leaker @BennettBuhner has claimed on X that the Galaxy S25 Ultra could have a slightly larger screen, closer to 6.9 inches, than the 6.8 inches of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
In several other posts about X, @BennettBuhner has also stated that the S25 line could have larger batteries than its predecessors, and that the S25 Ultra could have a new 200MP main camera with a larger 1-inch sensor, plus an improved 50MP ultrawide camera, a telephoto camera with 50MP 10x zoom and a 50MP 3x-5x variable zoom telephoto camera. However, they point out that these are incredibly early leaks, so we would take them with a pinch of salt.
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 look a lot like their predecessors, and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra even looks a lot like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. So we expect some more substantial design changes with the Samsung Galaxy S25 line.
The good news is that big changes are rumored, although it's unclear what form they will take. But a new design would help build excitement for these upcoming phones, while staying the same could make them feel outdated.
2. Improved AI
Samsung packed the Galaxy S24 line with AI tools and features, but as our reviews demonstrate, these features are a mix of cool and useless, and can even cause performance issues.
The Galaxy S24 line also lacks some of the Google Pixel 8's best AI tools, such as the ability to focus on old, out-of-focus shots.
So for the Samsung Galaxy S25 we want more AI tools and improvements to what already exists.
3. Clever software
Samsung loves to fill its phones with almost endless features, but this has led to bloated and clunky software, with many of the best features, including artificial intelligence tools, hidden in several layers 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 buy it most other places you'll get an Exynos 2400. It's the same deal with the Galaxy S24 Plus. although the S24 Ultra has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 throughout.
With the Samsung Galaxy S25, we don't want this split, as it means you basically get a different phone depending on where you are in the world, and one chipset is inevitably better than the other.
It's usually the Snapdragon that's the best, so ideally we'd like to see the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 used in all regions with the Galaxy S25, but we'd even carry Exynos everywhere with different chipsets in different regions. At least that way, buyers would have a clearer idea of which phone they are purchasing and whether the reviews they have read reflect what is available to them.
5. The return of 10x zoom
One of the most surprising decisions Samsung made with the Galaxy S24 Ultra was to replace the 10x optical zoom of its predecessor with a 5x one. This wasn't a terrible decision, as the sensor used was a better 50MP (instead of 10MP) and still allowed for a 10x optical quality crop.
However, it did mean that the S24 Ultra's camera lost a lens that helped it stand out from its rivals, several of which have their own 5x zoom cameras.
That's why we'd like to see 10x zoom return to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, but with an improved sensor and more megapixels, so perhaps it can offer a 20x optical quality crop.
If Samsung also increases the number of megapixels on its 3x zoom camera, then we could probably get a 5x crop. Or, as a leak suggests, the S25 Ultra could even have a 10x telephoto lens and variable optical zoom, which can switch between 3x and 5x.
