In a context of rising component prices, it is rumored that Samsung plans to skip certain hardware improvements for its future Galaxy S25 Ultra flagship in order to contain costs.
Will the Galaxy S25 Ultra retain the same 5000 mAh battery capacity as its predecessor, the S24 Ultra? Contrary to what this leak of the Galaxy S25 Ultra technical sheet claimed, the answer would have become affirmative according to the information obtained by Android Headlines. The media goes further and even assures that the wired fast charging power would also remain stuck at 45 W. Samsung would in fact reserve the planned improvements, such as a stacked cell battery and 65 W charging, for the Galaxy S26 Ultra expected in 2026 A decision which would be motivated by the desire to reduce production costs of the S25 Ultra.
A more expensive processor that worries Samsung
This caution could be explained in particular by the expected increase in the price of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset, which will equip (barring any surprises) the S25 Ultra. This new high-end SoC would integrate custom CPU cores from Qualcomm but not low-consumption cores, which could affect its energy efficiency and therefore autonomy. For the lower S25 and S25+ models, Samsung would opt for its own Exynos 2500 SoC in most markets, except the US and China where the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 would be used. A strategy already used on the S24 range to optimize margins.
A design and screen similar to the S24 Ultra
Design-wise, the S25 Ultra should not upset the S24 Ultra formula. We would find a titanium chassis and a photo block at the back with the sensors positioned vertically. The screen could gain 0.1 inch to reach 6.9 inches diagonally, compared to 6.8 inches currently. OLED technology and the adaptive refresh rate of up to 120 Hz would be carried over. Samsung could further improve the maximum brightness, after going to 2600 nits on the S24 Ultra.
Android 15 and artificial intelligence on the program
On the software side, the S25 Ultra should run natively under Android 15 and, like the S24, benefit from 7 years of software updates. Samsung is expected to continue developing its artificial intelligence-based features, after introducing “Galaxy AI” on the S24 series. The Bixby home voice assistant could notably be equipped with generative AI capabilities, as mentioned by a vice-president of Samsung’s mobile division. Enough to hope to compete with Google Assistant and Siri in the field of conversational AI.
If Samsung maintains its usual schedule, the Galaxy S25 Ultra should be unveiled in January or February 2025. Its price is not known, but it should logically be at the level of the S24 Ultra when it is released, i.e. almost €1500.
