All eyes are on the Galaxy S25 Ultra launch since the models themself have been a hit among consumers who want a big screen and the flexibility to use it like a tablet. The Galaxy S24 Ultra of the previous year succeeded with the updated internals and new camera system. As per various rumors, this year isn’t any different.
A decade ago, we saw Samsung jump the trend by offering what many used to call a phablet. Displays beyond 5 inches were humongous at the time, and having a 5.7-inch display, the Galaxy Note made waves in the mobile industry.
This smartphone was equipped with yet another technology, the S-Pen, which allowed users to take notes and scribble. Fast forward to today, we are in a world where huge display phones are now the trend.
Where the Note left off with the Note20 Ultra, Samsung continued the journey in a new shell dissolving most of what remained into the Galaxy S lineup. This journey of combining the S-Pen with a regular phone will continue with Galaxy S25 Ultra touted to get major updates this year.
“Samsung’s trending Galaxy AI is going to be a hit on the S25 models”
Galaxy S25 Ultra Design: Sometimes it’s about the familiarity
In the years since the last Note 20 Ultra, Samsung has maintained the same design. The boxy design with sharp corners and narrow bezels will also continue this year. This has been confirmed by reliable sources and leaked dummy models of the Galaxy S25 Ultra also show a familiar design.
To the right of the phone will be the buttons and at the bottom, the middle of the phone will house the Type-C port flanked by the sim tray, the speaker setup, and the S-Pen slot. The company is expected to change mostly the internals and camera setup. There have been several rumors detailing how we might see a reduction in cameras for the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Galaxy S25 Ultra UFS 4.1: It’s all about the internals
It’s a trend that has been seen in other industries as well. The design remains mostly unchanged for a product while the feature set is up to the trend.
Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra featured UFS 4.0 storage and now sources have revealed that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will feature the updated UFS 4.1 storage. The advantage of using UFS 4.1 is faster data transfer offering a throughput of 4GB/s.
With a feature-rich smartphone, a fast connectivity option is welcome. This takes much precedence on the Galaxy S25 Ultra with its note-taking capabilities and exceptional camera setup. It’s unclear as to whether the lower tier models like the S24 and S24 Plus will get this feature.
Galaxy S25 Ultra Display: A refreshing upgrade
Smartphone displays now have reached a point of saturation where bigger is better. Although other manufacturers are offering bigger display phones, like Huawei’s 7.2-inch model, the Samsung Galaxy Ultra models have pretty much stuck with a 6.8-inch setup for the most part.
This might see a slight upgrade thanks to another set of rumors. The display on the Galaxy S25 Ultra is set to bigger this time, scaling to 6.9-inch diagonally instead of the 6.8-inch S24 Ultra Display.
The display is also expected to use a better AMOLED panel this year, offering a brighter screen and rich colors. It’s unclear whether Samsung will still go with the QHD display for the S25 Ultra or scale it up for the updated model. Our bet is on the former as the setup saves up juice in the battery for long hours of use.
Galaxy S25 Ultra Camera: Old is gold; new is better
The Galaxy S23 Ultra from a generation back was touted to be one of the best smartphone cameras out there. Samsung has pretty much been holding on to this trophy for quite a while now.
Although Samsung did some camera switcheroo with the S24 Ultra, switching from a 230mm periscope to an anemic 110mm, the camera setup overall has had some good feedback throughout.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra camera is getting updates as per leaked dummy images and one reliable leaker. The quadruple setup will see another iteration on the S25 Ultra albeit with some upgrades. The secondary telephoto and the ultrawide lenses on the S25 Ultra will be switched from 10 and 12 Megapixels to 50 Megapixels for both as per the leaker.
This although an early rumor, is making rounds, and various sources have since been sharing these same details. However, our concern is how will this affect the battery life and the phone’s heating. Samsung has to pull up a rabbit out of the hat magic trick to achieve this feat.
Galaxy S25 Ultra Hardware: Performance at its peak
One leaker claims that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will be equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset for the entire S25 lineup.
The chip will be clocked at 4.26GHz for blazing-fast performance. Another claims that there will be multiple variants like previous versions, one with the Qualcomm chip and the other with the Exynos 2500. Either way, we are talking class-leading performance with the chipsets.
Galaxy S25 Ultra Battery: Plenty of juice where that came from
This is where a lot of rumors agree on one key detail. The Galaxy S25 Ultra battery will be similar to the S24 Ultra battery at 5000mAh capacity. Samsung is likely to resort to new technologies like battery stacking to improve battery capacity while keeping the phone less bulky.
The S24 Ultra wasn’t a battery champ by any measure but any user could stretch it to one full day usage by limiting some functionalities.
One key area that we like to see Samsung improve is in the chagrin department. With many smartphones getting wired charging above 50W, we’d like to see something similar here. We would also expect the wireless charging to get a boost as well.
Galaxy S25 Ultra Galaxy AI will be baked in with Bixby personal assistant offering more features.
Galaxy S25 Ultra Release Date: We can’t hold the excitement
We are halfway through 2024 witnessing another Galaxy Unpacked event. Our excitement to see the Galaxy Note models has now come down to just being a witness to some great launches in terms of both hardware and software.
A key announcement that’s going to happen in this unpacked event is going to be the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Z Flip 6. We should also mention that the Galaxy AI is also getting some updates.
This event has always been like a segway for us. A mid-year event offering plenty of surprises and what to expect in the coming months. The end of January 2025 or early February is likely when we would get to see the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Samsung might set the S25 Ultra release date a little earlier than CES 2025 as has been the script for the past few times.
Galaxy S25 Ultra Price: Pricier than the previous
Leaks have claimed that the Galaxy S25 might start from $899 this year. This strategic move is to stay ahead of the competition if we were to understand correctly.
While the base models will be budget-oriented, the price for the Galaxy S25 Ultra is set to start from $1399, says one of the leakers. Ultra models have always been premium devices offering the best camera and feature set you can get in any phone these days.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra FAQs
To help you get more information about the upcoming Galaxy S25 Ultra, here are answers to some frequently asked questions:
When will the Galaxy S25 Ultra be available for purchase?
The S25 series is expected to be available worldwide starting February 2025.
How much will the Galaxy S25 Ultra cost in the US?
The Galaxy S25 Ultra will be a premium flagship and the pricing strategy is expected to change this year. Samsung’s plans, as per early leaks show a price tag of $1399 US for the S25 Ultra.
When is the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra coming?
We can expect the S25 Ultra in the early months of 2025. January last week or February first week is the expected announcement date.
What models or variants are expected for the Galaxy S25 series?
Like last year, Samsung is expected to announce three Galaxy S25 models this year as well. The model naming convention will also remain the same: Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
What are the expected camera specifications for the Galaxy S25 Ultra?
The primary camera on the S25 Ultra is likely to remain the same as last year. The secondary telephoto and the ultrawide lenses on the S25 Ultra will be switched from 10 and 12 Megapixels to 50 Megapixels.
When will pre-orders for Galaxy S25 Ultra start?
With the launch in January or early February, consumers can expect the preorders for Galaxy S25 Ultra to start from February 2025.
What color options will be available for Galaxy S25 Ultra?
As per leaks, the Samsung S25 Ultra is likely to feature the same titanium shell and color options like the S24 Ultra. The expected options are titanium black, gray, violet, yellow, blue, green, and orange.