Samsung Galaxy S25 release date expectations, price estimates, and upgrades
Early next year, Samsung will treat us to the Galaxy S25 and the Galaxy S25 Plus, the more affordable of the upcoming flagship series, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra will be the crown jewel. While it's too early to have any super-credible leaks and rumors coming our way, we know surprisingly much about the next-gen Samsung flagships.
Just like most previous Galaxy flagships, the Galaxy S25 models might use Qualcomm's 3nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip in the USA, but Samsung's own line of Exynos chips on most other international markets. However, some reports also claim Samsung could resort to Mediatek Dimensity chips due to rising costs for the Snapdragon lineup.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is shaping up to be a powerhouse, potentially even surpassing the upcoming iPhone 16, which would bode well for any on-device Galaxy AI features. The Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus might feature much faster storage, which could boost overall performance and boost Galaxy AI.
These two phones will boast the same design language, which has been the case with most pairs from previous years. New here could be a potential design refresh that will reportedly aim to make the phones feel "fresh". Another rumor relates to the design and claims that the Galaxy S25 might grow from 6.2 to 6.3 inches, potentially following the footsteps of the iPhone 16.
Camera-wise, there could be a major shift as Samsung is heavily rumored to be dropping its ISOCELL camera sensors in favor of Sony's ones. This could deliver a serious improvement to overall image quality, provided that the rumors are true.
We have heard nothing about battery capacity yet, but one thing that's hopefully getting changed are the slow wired charging speeds. These max out at 25W and lag behind many other Android flagships.
Price-wise, it's too early to have any particular expectations, but we wouldn't expect a significant price increase. The two devices will possibly be announced in January, with a subsequent release in late January or early February.
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Galaxy S25 release date
The Galaxy S25 series will most probably be announced in January or February 2025. Unveiling its flagship phones so early has slowly become a tradition for Samsung, so we are pretty certain the next Samsung flagships will be announced then.
After a Galaxy flagship lineup is announced, there's usually around ten days to two weeks until it hits the market. What this means for the Galaxy S25? The phone will possibly be released in late January/early February, falling in line with previous Galaxy launches.
| Device lineup | Announcement | Market release |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S25 | January 2025* | January/February 2025* |
| Galaxy S24 | January 17, 2024 | January 31, 2024 |
| Galaxy S23 | February 1, 2023 | February 17, 2023 |
| Galaxy S22 | February 7, 2022 | February 25, 2023 |
| Galaxy S21 | January 14, 2021 | January 29, 2021 |
| Galaxy S20 | February 11, 2020 | March 6, 2020 |
* - probable dates
Galaxy S25 price
It's too early for any pricing rumors to be taken seriously.
Although we don't have lots of intel on the Galaxy S25's price tag, we doubt that Samsung will make its next core flagships much pricier (or more affordable) than the current devices it sells. Thus, we'd wager that the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus will cost in the same ballpark as the previous models.
We haven't had any serious price corrections on Samsung's Galaxy lineup lately, so there's a chance that the Galaxy S25 range could get pricier.
| Model | Price |
|---|---|
| Galaxy S25 Plus | $999 (256 GB), $1119 (512GB)* |
| Galaxy S25 | $799 (128 GB), $859 (256GB)* |
| Galaxy S24 Plus | $999 (256 GB), $1119 (512GB) |
| Galaxy S24 | $799 (128 GB), $859 (256GB) |
| Galaxy S23 Plus | $999 (256 GB), $1119 (512GB) |
| Galaxy S23 | $799 (128 GB), $859 (256GB) |
* - anticipated prices
Galaxy S25 camera
As it's simply too early to know anything credible about the Galaxy S25 models, most of what we know about the lineup is mostly based on rumors, some of which should be taken with more salt than usual.
At this point, we don't expect neither the Galaxy S25 Plus nor the Galaxy S25 to change their rear camera setups. Thus, we expect a wide-camera, a ultra-wide, and a telephoto with 3X optical zoom to make the rounds.
As is tradition, Galaxy flagship releases usually introduce a ton of software and image-processing upgrades that are equal part responsible for any improved image quality enhancements. It's a certainty that such improvements wouldn't miss the Galaxy S25 Plus or Galaxy S25 models.
Galaxy S25 storage
The Galaxy S25 range might become the pioneer in incorporating Samsung's latest UFS 4.04-lane storage chip, potentially capable of supporting speeds of nearly 8GB/sec. This marks a significant leap from the current UFS 4.0 standard, which typically offers around 4GB/s, effectively doubling the data transfer rate. Faster storage would be great for on-device AI, but would also improve the overall perceived performance and user experience.
We don't expect any changes in storage capacity in comparison with the previous models.
We don't expect any changes in storage capacity in comparison with the previous models.
Galaxy S25 Plus storage capacity:
- 256 GB
- 512 GB
Galaxy S25 storage capacity:
- 128GB
- 256 GB
Galaxy S25 design
There are some rumors suggesting Samsung will be shaking the design language of the vanilla Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus. Tipster Revegnus has it that Samsung's Design Team Leader has reportedly been tasked with redesigning the Galaxy S25 lineup to make it feel "fresh". No other details are given, so this redesign could go one of two ways: a complete redesign or a slight touch-up that could be enough to refresh the overall Galaxy feel.
While titanium is already making the rounds on Samsung's Ultra flagship phone, the rest of the lineup is enjoying Armor Aluminum. Currently, we haven't heard any plans that Samsung might be trying to adopt titanium across the board on all Galaxy S25 models, but we wouldn't rule it out.
Another possible upgrade for the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus could be the new Gorilla Glass Armor that eliminates most display reflections and boosts display legibility. This design quirk is currently making the rounds on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, so there's a chance that it could trickle down to the Galaxy S25/Galaxy S25 Plus.
Galaxy S25 display
As per the redesign rumors, the Galaxy S25 display could grow to 6.3 inches, a 0.1-inch bump in comparison with the current Galaxy flagship. No such change is currently expected for the Galaxy S25 Plus, so it could remain at 6.7 inches.
Aside from size, the Galaxy S25 Plus and the Galaxy S25 will certainly come with Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays. Both phones will offer super-smooth user experience, dynamically switching between 1 and 120Hz. The Galaxy S25 Plus will retain its QHD+ resolution, while the Galaxy S25 could remain a FHD+ phone. We suppose we might see higher maximum brightness on both devices.
Aside from size, the Galaxy S25 Plus and the Galaxy S25 will certainly come with Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays. Both phones will offer super-smooth user experience, dynamically switching between 1 and 120Hz. The Galaxy S25 Plus will retain its QHD+ resolution, while the Galaxy S25 could remain a FHD+ phone. We suppose we might see higher maximum brightness on both devices.
Galaxy S25 battery
Battery capacities are often among the latest aspects of a phone that leak out. Thus, given just how early in the rumor period we are, it's unlikely to have any credible tidbits on battery capacity.
Then again, we doubt that the batteries of either the Galaxy S25 or the Galaxy S25 Plus would be that much larger than the current ones inside the Galaxy S24 models. As a refresher, the smaller current model has a 4,000mAh battery, while the Plus-sized one features a 4,900mAh battery.
fresh new rumor claims that Samsung might utilize a so-called Battery AI that might extend battery life by throttling the CPU/GPU, as well as limit the 5G modem's capabilities. It could also be more aggressive in killing background tasks deemed unnecessary. As Samsung is further pushing Galaxy AI, it only makes sense that such a feature could make it to the Galaxy S25 range.
Then again, we doubt that the batteries of either the Galaxy S25 or the Galaxy S25 Plus would be that much larger than the current ones inside the Galaxy S24 models. As a refresher, the smaller current model has a 4,000mAh battery, while the Plus-sized one features a 4,900mAh battery.
fresh new rumor claims that Samsung might utilize a so-called Battery AI that might extend battery life by throttling the CPU/GPU, as well as limit the 5G modem's capabilities. It could also be more aggressive in killing background tasks deemed unnecessary. As Samsung is further pushing Galaxy AI, it only makes sense that such a feature could make it to the Galaxy S25 range.
Given that the Galaxy S25 could slightly grow, there's potentially some leeway for a battery capacity boost. Expecting a slight bump in the possible battery capacity could be a thing. We'd expect 100-200mAh of additional battery capacity.
While the Galaxy S25 Plus could boast 45W wired fast charging, matching what we expect of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, it's the smaller Galaxy S25 that could use a charging speed upgrade. The previous model supports 25W charging, which is slow compared to other phones on the market.
While the Galaxy S25 Plus could boast 45W wired fast charging, matching what we expect of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, it's the smaller Galaxy S25 that could use a charging speed upgrade. The previous model supports 25W charging, which is slow compared to other phones on the market.
Galaxy S25 features and software
The Galaxy S25 series will arrive with One UI 7, based on the upcoming Android 15. Currently, we don't have any specific information as to what potential features the update could deliver.
Samsung is all-in on generative AI, and we can only imagine that this will deepen with the Galaxy S25 series. The potential for generative AI is enormous, thus we can't wait to see what features could make it to the Galaxy S25 models.
We expect that the Galaxy S25 lineup will be supported for seven years, just like the current Galaxy S24 lineup. This essentially means the phones will be supported until 2032. This includes both major Android releases and security patches.
Galaxy S25 hardware and specs
Just like most previous Galaxy releases (except for the Galaxy S23 series), the Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 might use different chips in the different regions. In the US, they will possibly be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, while Samsung's Exynos chip would power the phones in most regions around the world.
Yet, rumors don't rule out the possibility that Samsung could use a MediaTek Dimensity chipset on the Galaxy S25 lineup due to the rising prices of the Snapdragon chips, which might be 25-30% pricier than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and cost between $240-$260. The chip that's likely being considered by Samsung could be the 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 9300 Plus chip.
Meanwhile, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip is set to adopt Qualcomm's new CPU cores, replacing ARM's Cortex cores. According to rumors and leaks, the chip may not include any efficiency cores, opting instead for two high-performance Phoenix CPU cores and six medium-performance CPU cores.
Tipster Digital Chat Station has it that the two performance cores of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 could potentially be clocked at speeds as high as 4GHz. This represents a significant improvement over the 3.3GHz clock speed of the Cortex-X4 found in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
Finally, a leaked GeekBench 6 benchmark test result has surfaced, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 reportedly achieved 2845 points in GeekBench's single-core test and 10628 points in the multi-core test. These scores significantly surpass the 7249 points achieved by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and the 7281 points attained by the A17 Pro chip in the iPhone 15 Pro Max. This suggests that the upcoming phone could offer noticeably faster performance compared to its predecessor.
Meanwhile, the Exynos chip that would power the Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 is probably the Exynos 2500, which recently leaked out. It will reportedly maintain a deca-core build.
Should I wait for the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus?
- You should wait for the Galaxy S25 if you haven't upgraded in a while and could see yourself being interested in the upcoming Galaxy S25 lineup. If you're using an older Galaxy phone, like a Galaxy S20 or a Galaxy S21, next year's Galaxy S25 could be the perfect upgrade for you.
- You should not wait for the Galaxy S25 if you've recently upgraded your phone or are using a relatively modern device. Anyone coming from a Galaxy S23 or a Galaxy S24 probably shouldn't consider upgrading, but of course, this could change depending on the Galaxy S25's merits.
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