Galaxy S25 series might include an ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air alternative, but not at launch

Samsung is widely expected to release its next-gen Galaxy S model in early 2025. We saw plenty of Galaxy S25 leaks already that indicate Samsung is approaching production. A new report from Korea says the company has already set its sales targets for the new series and is informing suppliers about its needs for the Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra.

The report includes an interesting detail aboutng a Galaxy S25 variant that will not launch until the second half of the year. Samsung is reportedly considering giving the Galaxy S25 FE an ultra-thin body. Thus, the handset would compete against the iPhone 17 Air that Apple is expected to launch next September.

The iPhone 17 Air is the unofficial name of the ultra-thin iPhone 17 model that will supposedly replace the Plus size. This device should be smaller than a Plus model but thinner than all the other iPhone 17 versions.

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Samsung expects the Galaxy S25 series to sell at least as well as the Galaxy S24 models. This year’s flagship should sell up to 35 million units, or 10% more than the Galaxy S23 series.

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The company will manufacture up to 22 million Galaxy S25 units by June and could produce as many as 30 million by the end of 2025.

The information comes from Korean news outlet The Elec , which claims Samsung has already shared its forecast with suppliers.

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As expected, the Galaxy S25 series will feature three models: the 6.2-inch Galaxy S25, the 6.7-inch S25 Plus, and the 6.9-inch S25 Ultra. The latter should be slightly larger than the 6.8-inch Galaxy S24 Ultra. At 6.9 inches, the S25 Ultra display would match the size of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, something leaks have been saying all along.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra will account for 50% of the 22 million production estimate, with the regular model and the Galaxy S25 Plus accounting for about 6 million and 4 million units, respectively.

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The report also notes that Samsung will manufacture 2 million Galaxy S25 units in December and 5 million more in January. This is a strong indicator that Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S25 series in January, just like it did with its predecessor.

Galaxy AI on the Galaxy S24 FE. Image source: Samsung

The most interesting tidbit in The Elec’s report concerns the Galaxy S25 FE model. The phone is still in development, with Samsung considering making it a slim model. In such a case, the phone might have a slightly larger display than the expected 6.7-inch screen assigned to the FE phones and a thinner battery.

The report says the Galaxy S25 FE’s fate hasn’t been decided. If made, it wouldn’t be Samsung’s first slim device. The ultra-thin Galaxy Z Fold 6 SE should be unveiled soon. But a thinner Galaxy S25 FE model would be a thin candybar phone rather than a foldable.

I’m certainly interested in the latter type of device. The iPhone 16 Plus made me realize I need a thinner phone in my pocket. The iPhone 17 Air is already on my list , assuming Apple manufactures it.

How thin could the Galaxy S25 FE get? The current model has an 8mm profile, which is actually thicker than the Galaxy S25’s 7.6mm depth. The Galaxy S24 Plus is slightly thicker at 7.7mm, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra has an 8.6mm profile.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are 7.80mm thick, while the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max are slightly thicker at 8.25mm.

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