Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra tipped for design overhaul — here’s what we know

The Galaxy S25 Ultra could take design cues from an unexpected source if a recent leak is to be believed. A recent leak has stated revealed some more information about the the Galaxy S25 Ultra, including a surprising potential bases for certain design changes. 

According to noted tipster IceUniverse, the S25 Ultra will have a body thickness of 8.4mm, making it the thinnest Samsung Ultra model we have seen since the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra which had an overall thickness of 8.1mm, although it did have a larger camera bump than most other models.

Interestingly, IceUniverse also doubled down on a previous leak that stated that the Galaxy S25 Ultra would have a more rounded shape than the other phones, stating that will be as round as the Galaxy Note 7 from 2016. However, there has been no mention of bringing back a curved screen as it seems Samsung is officially done with that design choice.

Some of our younger readers may not remember the Galaxy Note 7, and that isn’t all that surprising as Samsung has tried to distance itself from the device in the intervening years. While the phone did offer some great features such as improved S Pen support and some of the best cameras at the time, it also had one major issue. Samsung officially recalled the phone in 2016 due to a catastrophic design flaw in the batteries that caused them to heat up and, in some cases, explode. Thankfully it doesn’t seem that Samsung is including that particular design into their next Ultra model. 

This isn’t the only recent news that we’ve heard about the upcoming Galaxy S25 Ultra, for instance, it seems that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will be keeping the reduced telephoto lens that many complained about on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, however, it does appear that the new lens will have a much improved 50MP output. There has also been some confusion over the chipset being supplied with the device, with one rumor stating that evert Galaxy S25 Ultra will come with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, and another stating that the company would be introducing the latest MediaTek in certain markets. 

Samsung’s decision to go for a more curved design is not necessarily a bad one, but any comparison to the Note 7 may be a concern for the company. However, we won’t know anything for certain until the official announcement of the device, which we expect to happen early next year. 

In the meantime, keep an eye on our Galaxy S25 Ultra hub, which we update with all the news and rumors as we hear them

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Josh is a staff writer for Tom’s Guide and is based in the UK. He has worked for several publications but now works primarily on mobile phones. Outside of phones, he has a passion for video games, novels, and Warhammer.