Even though Samsung has managed to lead the global smartphone sales chart for the first three quarters of 2024, which means that the company will likely top the vendor hierarchy at the end of the year as well, it's pretty obvious that the Galaxy handset family is in need of an overhaul of some sort.
The chaebol's product launch schedule and upgrade strategy, especially as far as high-enders are concerned, have simply become too darn predictable in recent years to set up Samsung for future industry growth and prosperity, which is particularly and abundantly clear in the still-fledgling foldable segment.
After a 2024 flagship roster composed of a completely unremarkable Galaxy Z Fold 6, similarly forgettable Z Flip 6, and a way too familiar-looking Galaxy S24 trio, I was certain that I would welcome any 2025 deviation from the norm of the last few years with open arms and a big smile. Unfortunately, the changes rumored a few days ago by two generally reliable tipsters are... not it.
Why is Samsung preemptively copying Apple?
Yes, I realize that's not how plagiarism works, but with a new "Slim" (or Ultra, or Air) member widely expected for several months now to be added to next year's iPhone 17 family, it's hard not to feel like Samsung is taking a page out of its biggest rival's playbook by purportedly considering a Galaxy S25 Slim release "around April."
I highly doubt that's going to be the product's final name (if such a product exists), and of course, if the S25 "Slim" comes out in the spring, the iPhone 17 Slim could technically be considered the copycat in the fall of 2025.
Do we really need a significantly thinner Samsung flagship than the Galaxy S24? | Image Credit -- PhoneArena
Still, making the Galaxy S25 series a quartet rather than a trio with the addition of an ultra-thin new model feels like an ill-advised idea to me no matter when this "Slim" variant might see daylight. That's because I haven't personally met a single human being who considers the thickness of the S24, S24 Plus, or S24 Ultra to be a problem.
7.6, 8, and even 8.5 or 9mm phones are just fine for... pretty much anyone to use on a daily basis, not to mention that the S25 Ultra is already expected to reduce its predecessor's 8.6mm waist to 8.2mm, which probably means that the "vanilla" S25 could easily go down to 7.2 or even 7mm without cutting any battery capacity corners.
In short, I don't think we need an entirely separate fourth model to be released months after the main Galaxy S25 trio with, say, a 6.5mm profile and a 3,500mAh or so cell. That's not going to move the needle for Samsung's largely stagnant smartphone sales, especially if it means dropping the family's FE version.
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A Galaxy S25 Fan Edition more closely resembling the Galaxy Buds Fan Edition than the Galaxy S24 FE is what Samsung truly needs to breathe fresh air into its flagship portfolio, and focusing too much on what Apple may or may not do a year from now seems... in lack of a better word, ill-advised. How can a phone take inspiration from a pair of earbuds? By keeping its price point as low as possible and borrowing as many key features from the S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra as possible. That's the recipe for success, Samsung, and I'm giving it to you today for free.
I still can't believe the Galaxy Z Fold FE is (probably) not happening
I know I've said this before, and I might say it again in the next few months in the hopes that my words will somehow reach Samsung's powers that be, convincing them to reconsider the company's 2025 foldable launch plans. The market needs a Z Fold Fan Edition.
A book-style foldable powerhouse with a (way) lower price point than $1,800 or $1,900 makes a lot more sense than a completely inaccessible "Special Edition" of the same type of device, and in my view, a Z Fold FE is more desperately needed than a Z Flip FE as well.
Do we need a Z Flip FE? Maybe, but not as badly as we need a Z Fold FE. | Image Credit -- PhoneArena
That's because the premium Galaxy Z Flip 6 is already affordable enough to appeal to a truly mainstream audience (especially around the holidays), and if you think for a second that a Z Flip Fan Edition could be priced as low as the Motorola Razr (2024), for instance, then you don't really know Samsung.
At best, I believe the Z Flip FE (if real) will start at $850 or so, which is probably how much the Z Flip 6 will cost this Black Friday and Cyber Monday with no strings attached. An even more realistic prediction is that Samsung's first-ever Fan Edition clamshell will set you back $900 and up at launch, making it hard to comprehend how it could distinguish itself from the Z Flip 7 and help its manufacturer reach a wider audience.
The limited mass appeal of the tri-fold model the company is also expected to add to its foldable roster in 2025 is the final reason I don't understand these rumored plans and I continue to hope we'll see... something else from Samsung next year as well. If not a Z Fold FE, at least a more impactful S25 FE than this year's S24 FE or a Z Fold 7 with a radically different design than the Z Fold 6.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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