Dear Samsung: I need you to make a Samsung Galaxy S25 Pro

Before I get into this, I want to make it clear that this is not a “leak” article. I have seen zero evidence to support that a Galaxy S25 Pro is coming or even in the works. This is simply my opinion on what I think Samsung needs to do to both meet industry trends and deliver innovative products to its users.

So what is this hypothetical Galaxy S25 Pro, and why do I think it’s necessary? Let’s dive right in!

Let me explain my rationale behind this opinion, first by looking at Samsung’s major competitors in the US smartphone space: Apple and Google.

Apple’s smartphone release strategy has been pretty consistent over the past few years. At the entry level, there’s a mainline iPhone and then a slightly bigger Plus variant with similar specs. At the high end, you have a Pro version that’s the same size/design as the vanilla model but with better specs across the board. Finally, there is the Pro Max version, which is the biggest and most powerful of them all.

Meanwhile, Google has done things a little bit differently. Over the past few years, it’s had two mainline phones: the Pixel and then the Pixel Pro. For example, we had the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro last year. This year, though, Google appears to be changing its strategy. Multiple rumors support the idea of a triple release: a Pixel 9, a Pixel 9 Pro, and then a Pixel 9 Pro XL (and it’s even possible the Pixel Fold 2 could launch as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold). The 9 Pro, specifically, will be this interesting in-between phone: It’ll be nearly the same size as the Pixel 9 but with a lot of the same capabilities as the larger Pro XL, including a triple camera on the back. In other words, this phone should directly compete with something like the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro.

This change is really exciting because it will finally give Android fans the option to get a super powerful phone in a relatively compact form factor. Previously, this was something only Apple offered, with the iPhone 15 Pro as an example. Even the Android manufacturers that do create compact phones do not make them as powerful or feature-rich as the other phones in their lineup.

This leaves Samsung in a precarious situation because, as far as we know, it doesn’t have a phone that can compete directly against the Pro variants of the iPhones and Pixels. The Galaxy S Plus model doesn’t offer significant enough upgrades to be “Pro,” and the Galaxy S Ultra model is so enormous and powerful that it is obviously a competitor against the iPhone 15 Pro Max and rumored Pixel 9 Pro XL.

So to balance Samsung’s lineup, a Galaxy S25 Pro should slot in right between the Galaxy S Plus and the Galaxy S Ultra. So far, that space is empty — there literally isn’t anything in Samsung’s smartphone roster that fits there. You either spend $1,000 on the Galaxy S Plus, or you spend a lot more money on the Galaxy S Ultra. With Apple and Google offering products that fit right in that gap, Samsung should be worried.

Now that I’ve explained the importance of Samsung creating a more compact Galaxy S25 Pro, let’s talk about what this hypothetical phone should look like in my opinion (once again, there is zero evidence this is happening).

Obviously, a Galaxy S25 Pro would need to have all the capabilities that we expect with the Galaxy S25 Plus. Based on what we saw from the Galaxy S24 Plus, that would include a 1440p display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 12GB of RAM at the minimum, 256GB of storage at the minimum, 45W of wired charging speeds, etc. Basically, everything that the Galaxy S24 Plus already has and everything the S25 Plus might bring, the Galaxy S25 Pro would also need to have.

The bonus of the Pro model, though, would be to adopt many of the features reserved for the Ultra line. Most notably, this would be the camera. The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s camera is far more advanced than the Galaxy S24 Plus’ camera, at least in terms of hardware specs and versatility. The Galaxy S25 Pro would need those same camera capabilities, including that 200MP primary lens, a dual telephoto system, and all the AI photography features.

The internals of the Galaxy S25 Pro would also need to match the Galaxy S24 Ultra. This would mean adopting the Ultra’s all-Snapdragon-everywhere approach to the processor. In other words, there shouldn’t be an Exynos version of the S25 Pro. This strategy would be quite similar to Apple’s, as the Pro iPhones come with brand new Apple silicon each year, while the non-Pro models get the previous year’s processors.

The Galaxy S25 Pro’s cover glass would also need to have Gorilla Glass Armor, which is currently exclusive to the Galaxy S24 Ultra. This glass is very strong and has a unique coating that makes it look better under direct sunlight. It’s not quite as good at cutting glare as what we’ve seen from TCL’s NXTPAPER technology, but it’s a nice perk, and the Pro model would definitely need it.

The real trick, though, would be figuring out a way to cram all these Ultra features into a phone that’s about the same size as the Galaxy S24 Plus — or maybe even a little bit smaller, if possible. Notably, doing so would undoubtedly force Samsung to remove the S Pen from the Galaxy S25 Pro. Now, that wouldn’t mean the Galaxy S25 Pro couldn’t support the S Pen; it just means it couldn’t come with a built-in slot for it. This would be an acceptable trade-off, as far as I’m concerned. I’m the kind of person who never uses the S Pen, so its existence in the Ultra models doesn’t really affect me either way.

Besides, the removal of the S Pen and the smaller size would allow Samsung to still paint the Ultra as being the best of the best. Samsung could say, “Hey, if you want the Ultra, it’s going to have a bigger battery, an S Pen slot, a bigger display, and more, so why don’t you upgrade to this?” The people who don’t care about those things or simply value a more compact/ergonomic phone over those features could opt for the Galaxy S25 Pro instead. It’s a win-win for Samsung and consumers.

You’ve heard my vision for the Galaxy S25 Pro. But this all brings up a big question: What would happen to the Galaxy S Plus models? One outcome could be Samsung continuing to do what Apple does. It could have the Galaxy S25, the Galaxy S25 Plus, the Galaxy S25 Pro, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra as the full series. Apple does this to great success, so it makes perfect sense for Samsung to match it.

However, Apple and Samsung readily admit that the Plus models are the weakest sellers of their respective lineups. That’s probably why Google isn’t bothering with a Pixel 9 Plus.

Speaking of Google, Samsung could adopt Google’s strategy instead of Apple’s. This would have Samsung eliminate the Galaxy S25 Plus and replace it with the Pro. That would mean we’d get a Galaxy S25, a more powerful Galaxy S25 Pro that’s about the same size or a little bigger, and then a Galaxy S25 Ultra, which would basically be the sequel to the Galaxy S24 Ultra. This might upset a lot of Samsung fans, though, because many of them really enjoy the Plus models. But would they still enjoy the Plus if they had a Pro instead? If Samsung could price this fictional Pro near the $1,000 mark, I think Samsung fans would appreciate having that phone instead.

I don’t know about you, but I would be incredibly excited about this hypothetical Galaxy S25 Pro. What I’m describing here is the Samsung phone that I would buy. I love the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but I don’t care for its boxy shape and huge size. The S Pen is pretty much useless to me, and the phone’s price is, to be blunt, excessive. So getting rid of those aspects and creating a phone that is more compact, more ergonomic, just as powerful, and less expensive would be an easy sell for somebody like me.

But I want to know what you have to say about this. Are my thoughts about a Galaxy S25 Pro way off the mark, or is this something Samsung fans would want? Jump down in the comments and let me know — and be sure to answer the poll above, too!