Skip to main content

Here’s how the Galaxy S25 Ultra may beat the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s display

A person holding the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Every year, when new Apple iPhones are released in September, they outperform the earlier Samsung Galaxy S models. However, the iPhones will typically be overshadowed when the following year’s Galaxy S models are released a few months later. Today’s nugget about the upcoming Galaxy S25 Ultra aligns with this pattern.

According to Ice Universe, Samsung’s next flagship will have slimmer bezels than those of the Galaxy S24 Ultra. As a result, the phone’s bezels will be smaller than those on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which will be released on Friday.

Recommended Videos

Is this a significant issue? Probably not for end users. It’s hard to imagine someone deciding to buy a Samsung or Apple phone based on the size of the phone’s bezels. However, since Apple emphasized how small the bezels were on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, if this rumor is true, Samsung will likely highlight this advantage when the Galaxy S25 Ultra is announced.

S25 Ultra vs iPhone 16 Pro Max
Samsung narrowed it by 0.2mm bezel. This time, Samsung won a little more. pic.twitter.com/7GD9Nu1niL

— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) September 17, 2024

Samsung is expected to announce the Galaxy S25 lineup early next year. Similar to the Galaxy S24 lineup, the S25 series is anticipated to include a Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and Galaxy S25 Ultra. Rumors about the Galaxy S25 Ultra have been circulating, and it is expected to feature a different design than its predecessors.

The newest Galaxy S Ultra is expected to be lighter than its predecessor and feature tweaked cameras. It will also likely ship with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processor. The screen size, at 6.8 inches diagonal, is expected to remain the same despite smaller bezels.

If that last point turns out to be accurate, it’s one area where Samsung’s phone won’t outdo the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which has a 6.9-inch display. Your move, Samsung.

Bryan M. Wolfe
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
We’ve got our first big clue about the Galaxy S25’s arrival
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in Titanium Gray in hand.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 has had a tentative early 2025 launch date for months now, but we might finally have an actual date to look forward to. Samsung will hold its next Galaxy Unpacked event on January 23, according to FNNews, a South Korean website, with the Galaxy S25 series as the star of the show. It's the most precise date we have seen yet for the speculated Galaxy S25 announcement.

Take this news with some skepticism, though, as Samsung has not confirmed any dates for its Unpacked event yet. The report also states San Francisco is "a strong candidate" for the city to host the event. The last Galaxy Unpacked event was held in Paris in July.

Read more
5 phones you should buy instead of the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL sitting upright outside.

If you’re in the market for a new smartphone, you could be eyeing the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. And there’s nothing wrong with that — it’s a great phone! It has Google’s Tensor G4 chip inside, along with 16GB RAM, up to 1TB storage, plenty of Google Gemini AI goodies, ample storage, and a fantastic triple lens camera system. Plus, it even comes in a gorgeous pink Rose Quartz color.

But as great as the Pixel 9 Pro XL is, there are also plenty of other excellent alternatives if you want to save some money or get even better features. Here are some phones to consider instead of the Pixel 9 Pro XL.
Google Pixel 9 Pro

Read more
This iPhone prototype has a feature Apple hasn’t released yet
A close-up of the iPhone 14 Pro's camera module.

Before the iPhone 15 Pro launched, a lot of people suspected Apple would ditch its physical buttons in lieu of haptic feedback buttons. As we now know, that didn't happen, nor did any of the iPhone 16 lineup receive this feature. Now, a video of an iPhone 14 Pro prototype has surfaced that shows a working haptic volume and power button — so why didn't it release?

An anonymous source told Android Headlines that Apple isn't yet ready to add the feature into its existing lineup. Haptic controls — supposedly code=named internally as "Bongo" — have been in development for quite some time, even before the launch of the iPhone 13 series. The prototype iPhone 14 is said to have been built in May 2021, and though it does have some interesting features, it isn't fully functional.

Read more