Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Phones
  3. Mobile
  4. News

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra may not be the upgrade you’re hoping for

Add as a preferred source on Google
A person holding the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

With the possible exception of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim, Samsung’s releases for this year are likely ending. As a result, the focus is shifting toward the upcoming Galaxy S25 series, which is expected to debut in January. While there has been minimal information about these phones, the latest news isn’t positive.

Ice Universe, a well-known leaker, has revealed some information about the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s potential battery. They claim the largest of Samsung’s Galaxy S25 phones will feature a 5000mAh battery with 45W fast charging. These are the specifications found on the 2020 Galaxy S20 Ultra, and the same type of battery was used on the previous five Galaxy S Ultra models.

Recommended Videos

Providing further context, it’s important to note that Samsung’s Galaxy S Ultra phones are renowned for their excellent battery life, and we can anticipate the same from next year’s model. However, expecting even better battery life in the next iteration wouldn’t be unreasonable, nor would faster charging. For context, phones like the OnePlus 12 with 80W charging blow Samsung’s charge speeds out of the water.

Rendered prototypes of Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra display.
Galaxy S25 Ultra display leak @PandaFlash/X

Let’s end this on some positive notes. Current rumors say the Galaxy S25 Ultra might include thinner bezels than the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It could also have a flatter frame and more rounded corners. At least one rumor says the rounded corners might remind many of the Galaxy Note 7.

The display on at least one of the new Samsung Galaxy S25 models could also feature new OLED technology, allowing a fingerprint scanner anywhere on the screen. And naturally, any Samsung phone released in a new year means improved chips. We can probably say hello to Qualcomm’s unreleased Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 in the Galaxy S25 models.

And, yes, we can once again expect to see three Galaxy S25 models: a Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and Galaxy S25 Ultra. Watch for the new phones in January, with a release date later that month or in February 2025.

Bryan M. Wolfe
Former Mobile and A/V Freelancer
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
Android desktop mode made me miss my laptop in record time
I tried writing and publishing from Google’s phone-to-monitor setup, and the future of mobile computing immediately started sweating.
Computer, Electronics, Laptop

Android 17 desktop mode has a very simple pitch. Plug your phone into a monitor, add a keyboard and mouse, and watch the slab in your pocket pretend to be a computer. I wanted to give that pitch a fair shot, so I tried using it for an actual workday instead of a cute demo.

The goal was boring on purpose: write an article, edit it, build the page in WordPress, upload whatever needed uploading, and publish the thing without running back to my laptop like a coward.

Read more
After test-driving iOS 27, my iPhone still doesn’t feel like it has made a substantial leap
Siri learned new tricks. Safari got smarter tabs. My morning routine didn't change at all.
iOS 27 new star rating feature in Photos

Every June, after Apple wraps up its annual WWDC keynote, I install the latest iOS beta on my iPhone, watch the progress bar crawl to completion, and wait for the inevitable restart. For years, picking up my phone afterward felt almost identical to how it did before the update. 

I saw the same grid of icons, the same Control Center, and the same version of Siri until iOS 26 finally broke that pattern in 2025.

Read more
Android 17 makes a strong case for ignoring Android version numbers entirely
When the most noticeable change is a better Quick Settings button, the annual update cycle starts looking more like branding than progress.
Android 17 logo.

Android 17 finally separated the Wi-Fi and mobile data buttons, and I hate how much that improved my mood. For years, Android treated internet access like one mysterious blob, as if Wi-Fi and cellular data were emotionally codependent. In Android 17 Beta 3, Google split the old combined Internet button into separate Wi-Fi and mobile data tiles, making each connection easier to switch off with a single tap.

That’s a good change, which is also why it’s a little damning. When one of the cleanest wins in a major OS update is “the buttons make sense again,” the celebration gets awkward fast.

Read more