Samsung Planning Ultra-Thin Galaxy S25 Model to Rival iPhone 17 Air
Samsung is developing a slim version of its upcoming flagship Galaxy S25 smartphone that could launch in Q2 2025, potentially setting up a direct competition with Apple's rumored iPhone 17 'Air', according to reports from South Korean media and data discovered in GSMA's global mobile registry database.
Korea's ET News on October 31 claimed that Samsung could release a slim smartphone during the second quarter of 2025, or between April and June. The timing would position it just a few months ahead of the launch of Apple's so-called iPhone 17 'Air', expected in September 2025.
Since the Korean report, Smartprix has discovered a smartphone listing in the GSMA IMEI database under the market name "Galaxy" with the model number SM-S937U. According to the outlet, Samsung often registers smartphones it is testing internally in this database about six to seven months before their official launch. The model number is said to match the pattern seen in Samsung's standard Galaxy, Plus, and Ultra series devices, but it will likely be launched separately from its main Galaxy S25 series to avoid cannibalization of sales.
It won't be the first time Samsung has experimented with thin designs – back in 2014, the company released the Galaxy Alpha, which featured a 6.7mm profile compared to the regular Galaxy S5's 8.1mm thickness. Industry sources claim that Samsung views its latest attempt as a strategic move to reinvigorate the smartphone market amid plateauing demand. The company reportedly plans to gauge market response to the slim model before potentially restructuring its entire Galaxy S26 lineup in 2026.
There have been conflicting rumors about the design and specifications for Apple's rumored slim device, but most sources have agreed that it will have around a 6.6-inch display. In July, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he expects the device to have a standard A19 chip, a Dynamic Island, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G modem. The official name of the model is not yet known.
The timing of both releases suggests 2025 could mark the beginning of a new focus on device thinness from the two major smartphone rivals, after years of emphasis on improved camera capabilities and processing power.
Popular Stories
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.4 will be released in April.
From the Apple News+ Food announcement:Coming with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section that will feature tens of thousands of recipes — as well as stories about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more — from the...
Apple is expected to embrace a new camera system design for some models in its upcoming iPhone 17 series, and the latest purported CAD images don't deviate from what we have been hearing lately about Apple's new lineup. If you do not like the sound of an iPhone with a Google Pixel-style camera bar, look away now.
Seasoned leaker Sonny Dickson shared the following images in a post on X...
Apple has offered a reason why the iPhone 16e doesn't include MagSafe, one of the more notable omissions from its latest entry-level smartphone.
According to Apple representatives who spoke to Daring Fireball's John Gruber, MagSafe is not included in the iPhone 16e because "most people in the iPhone 16e's target audience exclusively charge their phones by plugging them into a charging...
iOS 18.4 was supposed to bring new Apple Intelligence Siri features, but Apple ended up needing to pull those capabilities from the update to continue testing. There are fewer new Apple Intelligence additions now, but there are still some new features that will make the update worth installing when it comes out in April.
Priority Notifications
Apple introduced Priority Notifications back at ...
iOS 19 is still around three months away from being unveiled, but there are plenty of rumors about the upcoming update.
Below, we recap iOS 19 rumors so far.
Redesigned Camera App
A leak earlier this year allegedly revealed a redesigned Camera app coming with iOS 19.
On his YouTube channel Front Page Tech in January, Jon Prosser shared a video showing what the new Camera app will...
In an all-caps post on Truth Social today, U.S. President Donald Trump said Apple should fully end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
Tim Cook meeting with President Trump in 2017
"APPLE SHOULD GET RID OF DEI RULES, NOT JUST MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEM," he wrote.
Trump's post comes one day after Apple held its annual shareholders meeting, during which a majority of...
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements.
While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way.
By the time the ...
According to a post on X today from a leaker known as Kosutami, Apple plans to launch AirPods Pro 3 in May or June this year.
The leaker also claimed that an AirTag 2 will launch around the same time.
Kosutami is best known as a collector of prototype Apple hardware, but they have occasionally shared accurate information about Apple's future product plans. For example, they accurately...
iPhone 16e reviews are now out, and Apple's custom-designed C1 modem has been put to the test. The results so far are quite surprising, as the C1's speeds are not as slow compared to Qualcomm modems as originally expected.
While the C1 does not support ultra-fast mmWave 5G in the U.S., it appears to offer comparable 5G performance to Qualcomm's Snapdragon X71 modem found in the iPhone 16,...
