We are approaching the next Unpacked event, and as usual, all the smartphone surprises that Samsung harbored have been spoiled by leaks. Granted, it’s a bit shaky to put all your faith in leaks. But what about some unceremonious web upload from one of the world’s top accessories brands?
Well, that just transpired on Dbrand’s website. The notoriously outspoken company has listed dozens of renders depicting the Galaxy S25 series smartphones, draped in a variety of skins available for enthusiasts.
Of course, the design is familiar. A little too familiar, I’d say. The vanilla Galaxy S25 and its Plus trim look identical to each other. And also to their respective Galaxy S24 series counterparts. And their Galaxy S23 series iterations. Plus, a whole bunch of Galaxy A and M series phones.
The only refinement is reserved for the Ultra version, which loses its signature sharp corners and goes with a slightly rounded approach. It’s not quite the dramatic corner radius that Apple has maintained across iPhones, iPads, and Macs over the years, but the Galaxy S25 Ultra still stands out.
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What doesn’t stand out is the camera lens design, the display aesthetics, and the port-button profile. The saving grace could be a splash of new colors on the rear glass. What about the magnetically-driven Qi 2 wireless charging perk? Well, leaks are split on that convenience.
Among the new color options should be a dusty blue tone, as per leaker IceUniverse. If that turns out to be true, this is what it would look like on the Galaxy S25 series phones.
I am ready for the hurt, Samsung
A lot can be written about Samsung’s conservative design. I am being pretty lenient here, but there are a few strong opinions in the Samsung fandom. And by fandom, I mean Reddit subs discussing Samsung Galaxy phones and Samsung’s official community forum.
“At least Samsung is not copying you know who, like everybody else.” That’s an argument rooted in factual accuracy, at least. “Why should they? Not everyone can afford or wants to pay for a flagship,” says one comment in a heated Reddit debate about Samsung’s design approach.
But not everyone can buy into it. A healthy few also want a design that stands out and doesn’t make their thousand-dollar phone look like a $250 midranger with a near-identical design formula.
“I can’t speak for others, but I want a unique and good-looking phone, not just a powerful glass rectangle (especially for flagship prices),” claims one such Reddit argument.
I am siding with the second argument. I would rather have a flagship phone look the part than just go with slightly premium material. A case can be made about, well, cases, which are eventually going to hide all the snazz and jazz of your shiny new phone.
But that argument beats the whole purpose of spending top dollars on a high-end Galaxy S series phone. If performance is all you seek, you can get the same — and more — from a device like the Red Magic 10 Pro, which also blesses buyers with a ginormous battery.
Alternatively, if cameras are the only consideration, maybe a Google Pixel Pro series phone or the iPhone would also suffice. You are buying a premium Samsung phone, knowing all its strengths and willing to live with its weaknesses.
The least it can do is give you the satisfaction of unique, top-tier engineering every time you pick it up. I am hoping that Samsung comes up with some interesting shades and doesn’t keep most of the good ones limited to its online store the way it has done for the past few years.
Wishing for a change won’t change anything, of course, as the phones have been in production for a while now. But if the leaked Dbrand assets are anything to go by, I would pay for a two-tone Galaxy S25 series phone rather than a repetitive glass-and-metal chassis with a matching frame with a luster.
You’ve done it before, Samsung. Do it again, maybe.