Most Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra rumors we're more than happy to hear, but when it comes to suggestions of an increased price, we can only hope that Samsung's already expensive flagship won't be as costly as it's now rumored.
Jukanlosreve, quoting Weibo leaker Setsuna Digital, claims that the most expensive Galaxy S25 model will cost at least $110 more to make than the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Jukanlosreve then describes a price increase as "inevitable," although Setsuna Digital takes a more guarded view, saying Samsung "will probably raise prices in many sales regions."
If Samsung passed on these alleged increased costs entirely to the consumer, that would make for an approximate price tag of $1,409 for the S25 Ultra. This would make the new Ultra incredibly expensive compared to competitors like the $1,199 iPhone 16 Pro Max or $1,099 Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, and would no doubt impact the buying decisions of many possible Samsung customers.
However, while the cost of materials and the retail price of a phone are linked, they don't necessarily increase in identical amounts. What feels more likely is that Samsung will increase the cost of the Galaxy S25 Ultra by 50 bucks or so, aiming to maintain a similar profit margin but also eating some of the increased cost. It may also choose to keep prices the same as before to keep prices in line with its main competitors.
After all, the Galaxy S24 Ultra already saw a $100 price increase in the U.S. last year compared to 2023's Galaxy S23 Ultra. Bumping up the price two years in a row would be an unpopular choice among smartphone buyers, even if Samsung saw it necessary to maintain its margins in light of increased costs.
Why might a price hike be necessary?
The leak we're looking at doesn't explain why Samsung faces higher production costs for the Galaxy S25 Ultra. But other rumors have given us some ideas.
We've heard previously that the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip (previously thought to be named the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4) that the Galaxy S25 series is believed to use could lead to a price hike due to the expense of the new Snapdragon silicon, and from multiple sources, too. Plus, rumored improvements like a new, larger display, a higher-resolution ultrawide camera or variable-zoom telephoto cameras could contribute to this too.
Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy S25 series is coming in 2025 but hasn't said precisely when. But if I were a betting man, I'd be placing my money on a launch in January like we've seen from Samsung in the past few years.
Alongside the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra you may be expecting to see at the next Galaxy Unpacked, we may also see a Galaxy S25 Slim, a brand new model that'll focus on cramming Ultra-grade features into a smaller package.
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