Samsung to launch a new “Galaxy S25 Slim” variant next year as an experiment for its future flagships

It’s no secret that Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S25 series of smartphones early next year, which should consist of three models, including the standard Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

However, just about a week ago, etnews.com, a Korean site, reported on Samsung’s possibility of introducing a new variant to the S25 lineup, rumoured to be known as the “S25 Slim”. Fast forward to this week, the phone has been spotted on the GSMA IMEI database.

According to industry sources, the rumoured Galaxy S25 Slim is said to focus mainly on its thin design, similar to what Samsung did with its recently launched Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition.

Why would Samsung need an additional “Slim” model?

Some of you might question the existence of this potential “slim” flagship. Well, it’s reported that Samsung is making it to test the market response.

If it’s well received, Samsung might consider implementing some of its design cues into the Galaxy S26 series in the year after. As it’s still a mystery whether this will become a success, Samsung will only be producing the Galaxy S25 “Slim” in small quantities.

Do not expect the slim model to launch that soon though. The company will stick to its plans by launching the regular, Plus, and Ultra variants of the S25 in the first quarter of 2025, with the “Slim” model to be introduced several months later, sometime in the second quarter of the year.

This is to make sure that sales of the regular S25 models and the “S25 Slim” do not cannibalise each other. Launching the “slim” model on a separate date will also make it easier for Samsung to determine the actual demand for the model.

Consumers struggling to differentiate between Samsung’s recent flagships

We will have to admit that recent Samsung Galaxy flagships like the Galaxy S24 series, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, and the Galaxy Z Flip 6 look rather similar to their predecessors.

Despite sporting performance and feature upgrades, particularly in the AI realm, consumers are struggling to spot the differences the new Samsung Galaxy flagships bring, which is certainly not good news for the company. Thus, this became one of the reasons why Samsung decided to make more apparent changes with the “slim” variant.

On a side note, Samsung isn’t alone in this either, as Apple has also not been introducing new design changes with its recent iPhone releases, especially with the Pro and Pro Max models.

Samsung “Galaxy S25 Slim” to battle against Apple’s “iPhone 17 Slim”

Speaking of Apple, Samsung’s idea of introducing a new “Slim” model is most probably inspired by the potentially named iPhone 17 “Slim”, which is rumoured to make its launch in the third quarter of 2025 as a replacement to the existing “Plus” model.

As its name suggests, the iPhone 17 “Slim” is expected to sport a thinner body and a smaller 6.56-inch display as compared to the 6.69-inch panel of the existing Plus model.

For years, Samsung’s Galaxy S series has been consisting of a standard, a Plus, and an Ultra model. The addition of the new “slim” model will certainly be a breath of fresh air. Still, by sporting a thinner body, we can’t help but question how this will affect its thermal and battery performance.

[SOURCE 2]