Samsung

What you need to know

• The Galaxy S25 Ultra might not see a battery upgrade, sticking with a 5,000mAh capacity and 45W charging.
• The S25 Ultra’s rumored slimmer design could explain the lack of battery improvement, as fitting a larger battery in a thinner phone is challenging.
• Despite no battery upgrade, the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processor could improve battery life due to better power efficiency.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is shaping up to be another example of Samsung’s battery complacency.

Often-reliable leaker Ice Universe shared on X that Samsung is expected to ship its Galaxy S24 Ultra successor with the same battery capacity and charging speeds as its previous top-of-the-line variants.

This means the Galaxy S25 Ultra is expected to stick with a 5,000mAh battery (via SamMobile). So, don’t be surprised if its battery life is pretty much the same as the earlier models.

Sticking with the same battery capacity in the Ultra line while competitors keep innovating weakens the Ultra brand’s image as a tech leader. Keeping this up in 2025 doesn’t match what you’d expect from a flagship device.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is also tipped to keep the same 45W fast charging as its predecessor. While that’s better than Apple’s offerings, it still falls short compared to other fan-favorite Android phones pushing past 100W charging speeds.

When the Galaxy S20 Ultra debuted in 2020, its 5,000mAh battery and 45W charging set a new standard for flagship phones. These features were passed down to the Galaxy S21 and S22 Ultra. Unfortunately, it seems the Galaxy S25 Ultra will continue this trend without any battery upgrades.

Nevertheless, the rumored slimmer design of the Galaxy S25 Ultra might explain the lack of battery improvements. Fitting a larger battery into a thinner phone while keeping its advanced camera system and other internal components is a tough engineering challenge.

Even without a battery capacity upgrade, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is expected to deliver better battery life than its predecessor. Thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processor, built with TSMC’s advanced 3nm technology, the phone should be more power-efficient, allowing for longer usage on a single charge.

Previous rumors also suggested that Samsung might use AI to enhance battery performance. However, it’s wise to take these claims with a grain of salt at the moment, as the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s official release is still several months away.

Jay Bonggolto always keeps a nose for news. He has been writing about consumer tech and apps for as long as he can remember, and he has used a variety of Android phones since falling in love with Jelly Bean. Send him a direct message via Twitter or LinkedIn.