Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Design upgrade, Qualcomm chip, One UI 7 expected

Samsung typically launches its flagship Galaxy S-series smartphones early in the year. It is likely that the company will follow this trend for the Galaxy S25 series as well

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Software, particularly its suite of artificial intelligence (AI) features, defined Samsung’s 2024 flagship model, the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which was otherwise an incremental upgrade over its predecessor. For next year, however, the South Korean electronics maker may have a surprise in store. While AI is expected to remain a dominant feature of its next-generation flagship model, upgrades across the board cannot be ruled out. Although there has been no confirmed report on what to expect, the rumour mill is buzzing with interesting possibilities. Here is a roundup:

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: What to expect

The anticipated Galaxy S25 Ultra will likely showcase design changes. The next-generation flagship model is expected to feature a rounded frame design, differing from this year’s Galaxy S24 Ultra, which has sharp edges. The smartphone is also anticipated to have a slimmer chassis compared to the current generation model. It may sport a slightly larger display due to a taller body and slimmer bezels.

While the Galaxy S25 Ultra is expected to retain the 200MP primary sensor and telephoto cameras from the Galaxy S24 Ultra, it could receive an upgraded ultra-wide angle camera. According to a report by Tom’s Guide, the Galaxy S25 Ultra may feature a 50MP ultra-wide angle camera, a significant enhancement from the 12MP sensor on the current flagship.

The Ultra model is expected to be powered by the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip, with indications that Samsung will equip the other models in the lineup with the same chip. Samsung has previously used its own Exynos chip to power the standard and Plus S-series smartphones; however, media reports suggest this could change with next year’s models. According to a report by GSMArena, Samsung’s semiconductor division is facing low yields for the next-generation Exynos 2500 chip, which may result in insufficient units being available in time for the launch of the Galaxy S25 series. This suggests that Samsung could equip all Galaxy S25 series devices with Qualcomm chips.

Samsung has also confirmed that its Android 15-based OneUI 7 user interface will be released on the next Galaxy S-series device, likely the Galaxy S25 series.