With all four devices in Google’s Pixel 9 lineup now available, and Apple’s new iPhone 16 series preparing to launch on Friday, it seems like we’re all wrapped up on incoming flagships for 2024. With that in mind, it might be time to look forward to what’s coming next, and if my calendar is right, Samsung seems destined to be one of the first OEMs to launch new high-end hardware after the New Year. After getting glimpses of both the small S25 and the larger S25 Ultra, we’re finally getting a look at what might just be the sweet spot: the Galaxy S25+.
These renders are coming at us via the ever trustworthy OnLeaks — alongside Android Headlines — and I’ll cut right to the chase: This phone sure does look a lot like this year’s Galaxy S24+. Aside from the larger camera rings around Samsung’s trio of lenses, a design first implemented on this year’s Galaxy Z Fold 6, the S25+ seems like it’s sticking with the status quo for yet another year. Flat edges, round corners, and a centered cutout for the front-facing camera — yep, this sure is a modern Galaxy flagship.
The Galaxy S25+ seems mighty familiar
Let’s hope some big changes lie under the hood
The rest of Android Headline’s report sums up what sounds like, at least as far as cosmetic changes go, a very boring upgrade. At 158.4 x 75.7 x 7.3mm, the Galaxy S25+ is a bit narrower and thinner than its predecessor, but only by fractions of a millimeter. Likewise, that 6.7-inch display is sticking around for another generation, meaning Google’s new Pixel 9 Pro XL actually has a larger display. Under the hood, expect a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 (stateside, at least) paired with 12GB of RAM and a starting configuration of 256GB of storage.
Really, I can’t fault Samsung for sticking with this design for yet another generation — aside from change for the sake of change, what other reasoning could there be? It’s a large display with minimal bezels paired with a thin and light chassis and a massive battery, exactly what the bulk of upgraders would want in a device. While I’d argue the company’s overall design language feels a little sterile at the moment, this is a good, reliable design, a perfect example in not fixing what isn’t broken.
The real test for the Galaxy S25+ — and, really, for the entire Galaxy S25 lineup — is going to come once we get a glimpse of what this thing can do in the field. The Galaxy S24 series got solid remarks from AP’s reviewers across the board, but camera performance was a common, glaring issue for all three phones. Considering that the long-fabled image processing update seemingly never arrived (and, I’m convinced, was overhyped to begin with), I’m hoping we see some serious changes when the Galaxy S25 family arrives early next year.
Source link
