Generationally speaking, the Samsung Galaxy S24 was more or less the expected next-step upgrade to the S23 series. When benchmarked, however, we realized that the upgrades a quite a bit than expected. Synthetic, sure, but excellent numbers nonetheless. Could we expect the same for the future Galaxy S25? We sure hope so.
Even Crazier Camera Sensors
One of the most notable differences between the S23 Ultra and the S24 Ultra was the use of a 50MP f/3.4, 111mm periscope telephoto lens, a departure from the original 10MP 230mm. While this seemed to be more of a sidegrade (even downgrading from 10x to 5x optical zoom), it actually proved to be quite the significant upgrade as it allowed to fix detail noise, providing a clearer picture in darker environments.
We expect that the next Galaxy S25 will step up the game even further to include upgraded sensors that enhance its dynamic range even further. After two generational cycles, the main camera might go down from 0.6 to 04 µm. Maybe down from 1/1.3 inch to 1/1.0 inch as well? Better yet, the telephoto lens might also catch up to drop down below the 1.0 µm mark.
A reliable leaker even pointed out potential main camera upgrades, and that Sony will be making the sensor for the next flagship, which means our predictions might be on the right track. In any case, all of this results in even greater native image detail retention, which is then further enhanced by AI regeneration capabilities.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 4
The bread and butter of flagship upgrades has always been the CPU. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 showcases an impressive 30% performance uplift compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 when it comes to synthetic benchmarks. At least, when properly installed on devices such as the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Looking ahead, we can easily predict that the Galaxy S25 will sport a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. A future SoC that, if the leaks are proven to be accurate, would ramp up its multi-core performance even higher, creating a significant gap between 4nm and 3nm node technologies.
The problem though is that even with the expected energy efficiency of a smaller node, Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is reported to be more power-hungry, offsetting the potential savings in battery consumption. At the very least, however, it is reasonable to expect that a considerable boost can be had yet again, without the Intel-centric strategy of just pumping more watts into the system.
Better, More Seamless AI Integration… Maybe.
And of course, with the Galaxy S24 series going all out on the AI craze, we can definitely foresee Galaxy S25 diving deeper into this new phase of consumer technology. Do take note, we probably won’t see completely new features. Maybe one or two. But you can better anticipate the enhancement of the features already available on the S24 Ultra.
For example, the Galaxy S25 might provide more complex finishing touch options to Galaxy AI’s “Generative Edit” feature. But, instead of adding steps, the AI smartly combines the function for the user, making the experience relatively similar between both devices.
Other Minor Upgrades
To further create distance between the last flagship, we can also predict some of these minor upgrades to the future Galaxy S25:
- 16GB becomes the standard, at least for capacities beyond 128GB
- Bluetooth 5.4 integration
- Updated ultrasonic fingerprint sensors
- And maybe one software-based killer feature (that is still AI-based).
- Gorilla Glass Armor as the default standard on lower variants
