Phones
Rumor: Galaxy S25 Ultra camera is super sleek vs iPhone 16 Pro Max
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra would be super sleek against the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Apple recently launched its new iPhone lineup, with shipments starting on the 20th. Samsung will likely debut the new flagship phones in January 2025.
A new rumor suggests that the Galaxy S25 Ultra camera lens is greatly sleek as compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Leaker IceUniverse compared the thickness of both flagships’ camera lenses, suggesting a notable difference.
Per the info, the Galaxy S25 Ultra lens could be just 2.4mm thick. Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro Max comes with a 4.3mm thick camera module. It’s over 1.5x of the camera thickness of Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Despite equipping better camera hardware, the Galaxy S25 Ultra could maintain its thickness. Camera modules on Chinese phones are already monstrous (in size), which won’t create a sleekness load against the upcoming S25 Ultra.
If the rumor is true, the Galaxy S25 Ultra will be the finest and sleekest flagship in 2025. The company has reportedly upscaled the hardware game, with the design department also working hard to make the device vastly acceptable.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is said to be 8 grams heavier than the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Samsung reduced the thickness of the middle frame, as part of reducing the weight. However, things may be cleared as the time of official debut comes close.
S25 Ultra lens is only 2.4mm, and that of iPhone16 Pro Max is 4.3 mm. pic.twitter.com/KSMVsCICpS
— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) September 17, 2024
SIM tray and charging boards of Samsung Galaxy S25 series have been leaked. While the phones are yet to go on sale, official spare parts have been listed online. The parts discovered by Roland Quandt reveal color options for the S25.
Samsung Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus could be available in Black, Green, Purple, Blue and White colors. The SIM tray spare reveals the official color options for both non-Ultra Samsung flagships coming early next year.
Notably, the SIM trays are for only Samsung’s Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus. The Ultra variant’s colorways may be different from these models. We could see a similar revelation for the Galaxy S25 Ultra too, in the next few days.
Samsung Galaxy S25 SIM Trays | Image: RolandQuandt / BlueSky
The source also spotted charging components for the S25 models. Unlike the SIM tray, charging assemblies surfaced for the S25 Ultra too. The phones will feature a USB Type-C charging port – as confirmed through the charging board leak.
Internal components have started to appear, but, the official launch could only happen in 2025. It is expected that the Unpacked event could be held in late January next year, with shipments starting in early February.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Series Charging Boards | Image: RolandQuandt / BlueSky
Galaxy S25 Ultra Specs
Samsung will equip the Galaxy S25 Ultra with Snapdragon 8 Elite. The flagship will have 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage (paired with 16GB RAM). This powerful configuration will deliver never-before-seen performance.
The device could also get a 50-megapixel ultrawide sensor. The remaining four cameras (including the selfie snapper) will remain the same as the S24 Ultra. The entire lineup is slated to come with a price increment of $100.
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.