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Some big Galaxy S25 news has left us disappointed

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Three Galaxy S24 Plus models laying on a table, including the white, gray, and yellow ones.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Three Samsung Galaxy S25 smartphones have been certified by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). While that’s good news because it means the official launch is getting closer, it’s also a bit disappointing because it’s not four new Samsung phones being certified. What do we mean? The devices are almost certainly the Samsung Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra, so where’s the so-called Galaxy S25 Slim?

The FCC certification registers devices by model number rather than name, and lists the SM-S931B/DS, the SM-S936B/DS, and the SM-S938B/DS as new entries. The SM-S931 model number follows on from the Galaxy S24’s model number of SM-S921. The case is the same for the Galaxy S24+’s SM-S926 model number and the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s SM-S928 model number. The letter B signifies the certified model is an international version, while DS denotes a dual-SIM capability.

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Previous leaks have referred to a mystery Samsung phone with the model number SM-S937B/DS, which has been linked with the Galaxy S25 Slim name. While the model number obviously fits in between the ones listed by the FCC, and the B suggests it’s an international model, why hasn’t it been certified by the FCC along with the other Galaxy S25 phones? At the moment, it’s unclear, and it may simply be that Samsung is holding it back as it knows these records are public. Or it could be the Galaxy S25 Slim is not destined for international release after all, or that the model has been delayed.

What else do the FCC records tell us? It doesn’t seem like there’s going to be any change in charging speed for the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+, with the pair certified with 25-watt chargers and wireless charging. The charging details for the Galaxy S25 Ultra aren’t stated, but it’s highly likely it’ll use the same 45W charging system as the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The FCC records also state the phones will have NFC, Wi-Fi, and 5G support as you’d expect.

One anomaly is the inclusion of Ultra Wideband (UWB) support on all three international Galaxy S25 phones, but not the U.S. version of the Galaxy S25 as spotted by Android Authority. It means the standard Galaxy S25 model will miss out on UWB-reliant features that enable digital car keys or precise tracking data for devices like Samsung’s SmartTag 2, and you’ll need to buy the S25+ or S25 Ultra to get the feature on U.S. phones.

Samsung is expected to officially reveal the Galaxy S25 series at an Unpacked event in early 2025.

Andy Boxall
Andy Boxall
Former Senior Mobile Writer
Andy has written about mobile technology for almost a decade. From 2G to 5G and smartphone to smartwatch, Andy knows tech.
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