The Galaxy S25 Ultra arrives in 2025 with 2024 specs: isn't it time to get rid of this trademark feature?

I still recall the 22nd of March 2024. That's when I actually did the "lol" thing: I laughed out loud – the Galaxy S24 Ultra made me do so. Now, don't get me wrong, I think highly of the S24 Ultra: it's got an amazing reflection-free screen and an aggressive, mouthwatering design. The story that got me amused was this:

• Galaxy S24 Ultra users shocked to find their S Pen smells burnt and funky

The next time Samsung is going to make me laugh is most likely in January 2025: that's when the Galaxy S25 Ultra is expected to come around. If things are going the way they're going, I won't be laughing out of joy and pride. Quite the opposite. Why? It's because of this:

• New leak strengthens the possibility that Samsung's Galaxy S25 Ultra will be a gentle giant

So far, there isn't a shortage of S25 Ultra leaks: some have to do with its design, others – with its battery and charging speeds, and some have to do with its camera. While they don't sound great – at all! – the battery front is what really grinds my gears.

The battery is a joke at 5,000mAh

Last time I talked about the Galaxy S25 Ultra's battery, I mentioned how the S25 Ultra is going to get humiliated by Honor… once again. Reports suggest that Samsung will stick with the same battery capacity for the Galaxy S25 Ultra as it used for the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Certification documents show the S25 Ultra's battery has a rated capacity of 4,855 mAh, identical to its predecessor.

This could lend credibility to rumors that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will have a slimmer design. If Samsung is aiming for a thinner, more streamlined 2025 flagship, there may not have been enough room to fit a larger battery.

The reason I introduced Honor was because of a clever "vs." comparison battle between the S24 Ultra and Honor's Magic 6 Pro: they were both put in a freezer. The Galaxy lost spectacularly to Honor's champ!

The test was conducted in a freezer set at -7°F (-22°C) and both devices were initially charged to 59%. After 20 hours, the Galaxy S24 Ultra's battery dropped to 34%, while the Magic 6 Pro had 40% left. At 48 hours, the Galaxy S24 Ultra's battery was fully drained, but the Magic 6 Pro still had 33%. Impressively, the Magic 6 Pro continued running for five days, retaining over 10% battery.

Now I can say that the Galaxy S25 Ultra's battery won't get humiliated just by Honor, but by many other flagships – and even mid-rangers – in 2025.



The OnePlus 13, for example, is expected to arrive with a bonkers 6,000mAh battery (and a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip under the hood), so a 5,000mAh Galaxy S25 Ultra is OOA – outdated on arrival.

What's more, the $250 Vivo Y300 Pro comes with a 6,500mAh battery in a 7.7mm thick body. Sure, this one probably won't make it to the US, but so what? The Vivo Y300 Pro packs a Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chipset that could be less effective than the expected Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 (on the S25 Ultra), but a 1,500mAh capacity difference is hard to neglect.

Not to mention Xiaomi and its plans to develop a 7,500 mAh battery with 100W fast charging – I'm sure they'll pull it off in the near future.

What's the remedy?

I say ditch the S Pen. Ditch it and use the extra space for battery, if you insist so badly on a thinner phone, Samsung. As the rumors claim as of now, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is tipped to reduce its predecessor's 8.6mm thickness to around 8.4mm.

To me, a 0.2mm thickness is not impressive enough, although the real test is when the device is in your hands: it could turn out to be a nice upgrade over the Galaxy S24 Ultra. I'd much rather have a 9mm thick phone with a huge battery over a wasp waist 5,000mAh one, but that's just me.

That's why I'm unironically advocating for the S Pen to be thrown out of the phone itself and let the battery expand. There's a bonus gift attached to my plan, you know.