Samsung is preparing to introduce the Galaxy S25 series early next year. The Galaxy S26 series could be launched in early 2026, and Samsung may be unable to freeze the Ultra model’s price due to the next Qualcomm chip.

According to Jukanlosreve, Qualcomm may increase the price of the Snapdragon 8 Elite successor. The company recently launched the new Snapdragon chip fabricated using a 3 nm process which is expected to power the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

The leaker suggests that the next-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite may get a significant price increase. This would force Samsung to increase the price of the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Qualcomm has also raised the Snapdragon 8 Elite price, significantly, compared to the 8 Gen 3. However, the price increment offers exceptional outcomes – robust performance and efficiency.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is rumored to be priced $100 higher than the S24 Ultra. If the rumor materializes, the S25 Ultra may start at $1399 – a full $200 costlier than the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Why Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 may be pricier?

Qualcomm invests a massive fund in research and development. This year marks the debut of its in-house Oryon CPU cores. The fabrication process also impacts the overall pricing, as the shift to 3nm already boosted the price significantly.

Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 may be produced using the 3nm process, but “various internal and external factors” may lead to a significant price hike. It is said that Qualcomm has sent notifications to suppliers and negotiations have begun.

Given Qualcomm’s price hike, suppliers of related components may also desire to make increased profits. Either supplier would also raise the prices of components or Qualcomm’s negotiations may freeze the costs of components – at best.

At present, we are awaiting the Galaxy S25 Ultra launch which could happen in late January next year. We are over a year away from the tentative unveiling of the Galaxy S26 Ultra, hence, it’s advised to take this info as a pinch of salt.

Samsung Galaxy Slim is under development with model number SM-S937. Following the US variant’s existence, the recent revelation suggests that Samsung will launch the Galaxy S25 Slim globally.

A yet-to-launch Samsung phone with model number SM-S937B was spotted, indicating a global variant of the Galaxy S25 Slim. The company may bring this sleek model of the Galaxy S25 lineup to the market next year.

Galaxy S25 Slim may be marketed as Galaxy S25 Special Edition. The model number suggests that the device will be better or equivalent to the Galaxy S25 Plus. It could lag behind the S25 Ultra in aspects such as the periscope camera and S Pen.

A recent rumor claimed that Samsung is working to equip the Galaxy S25 Slim with a powerful camera setup. The phone will not only be slim but also beat the Galaxy S25 and iPhone 17 Air in terms of camera capabilities.

Why is the S25 Slim coming?

It is believed that Apple will launch the iPhone 17 Air, replacing the iPhone 17 Plus, next year. The OEM is all set to enter the sleek smartphone market formally. Similarly, Samsung is preparing to rival Apple with its Slim model of the S25 series.

Notably, the Galaxy S25 lineup will have three models; Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and Galaxy S25 Ultra. The Slim or SE, whatever it would be called, will join as the fifth model, as there’s an FE variant also rumored to be coming.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S25 Slim would launch before the Galaxy S25 FE. Despite having a slim design, the smartphone could get a 200-megapixel camera, large display, flagship processor, and decent battery for longer usage.

Samsung is preparing to debut its first tri-fold phone as early as next year. A new patent suggests that the first Samsung Tri-Fold could be equipped with an innovative and first of its kid foldable battery to match the form factor.

Huawei has recently released the Mate XT tri-fold phone which features a dual-hinge mechanism. The dual-hinge design makes the Huawei Mate XT a tri-fold smartphone, letting the display to be folded and unfolded twice.

Samsung is working to streamline the hardware components of its potential tri-fold phone. A new patent (via xleaks7) suggests that a single-cell foldable battery could be in development. It could be used in the tri-fold phone to match the design.

Image: VeePN via xleaks7

Samsung is internally working to launch its first tri-fold smartphone by the next year. If the testing goes well, we could see the first product in 2025. However, the company hasn’t yet officially confirmed its plans on new form factor device launch.

Reliability concern

The world has not yet forgotten the explosion of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7. The company has faced immense backlash over the exploding smartphone globally. The controversy forced it to recall the device and apologize to the consumers.

Samsung keeps user safety as its utmost priority. A product with less capable hardware should be avoided over safety concerns. Hence, such a major change in terms of the battery’s form factor will take time to take place.

A foldable battery may have more chances of damage than a conventional lithium-ion battery. The cell may be integrated from both packages, but reliability remains the biggest concern to be solved before going ahead with it.