Samsung, Follow Apple & Google’s Lead And Give Us A Smaller “Ultra” Phone

I’ve spent the last few days using the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and while I do really like this phone, after having the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus delivered this morning, it’s clear that Samsung needs to make a smaller “Ultra” phone. Like what Apple has done for years, and Google started doing this year.

With the Pixel 9, Google introduced the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL. These phones are identical in every aspect except for the battery size and screen size, obviously. However, battery life is very comparable on both phones. Making it a perfect way to allow customers to choose from either a small phone or a large phone. Apple has also done this for years, since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. Offering a smaller “Pro” model in 6.1-inch (or 6.3-inch with iPhone 16 Pro), and then a larger “Pro at 6.7 inches (or 6.9 inches with iPhone 16 Pro Max). Samsung, on the other hand, you’re stuck with a 6.9-inch behemoth of an Ultra phone.

Sure, Samsung does have the smaller Galaxy S25, but that is quite the downgrade from the Galaxy S25 Ultra. It doesn’t have the 200-megapixel camera, it has a lower-resolution display, a much smaller battery, and slower charging at 25W. The slower charging doesn’t really both me that much, as it is a much smaller battery at 4,000mAh. So there’s only so much heat that the battery can handle.

Samsung should offer two “Ultra” sizes with Galaxy S26

Samsung typically launches three Galaxy S phones at the same time – Galaxy S25, S25 Plus and S25 Ultra. With a fourth one coming later in the year as an “FE” model. Though, this year, it seems like that will be the “Edge” that was teased at Unpacked last week. The better way to do this would be, offering two regular S25 models in S25 and S25 Plus, with two Ultra models, Maybe Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy S25 Ultra Plus. The naming might sound odd, but it’s no worse than some OEMs using “Pro Plus” as their name.

I understand a good reason for only offering the Ultra in this size is because of the S Pen. That forces the phone to be a certain height. However, with the downgrades to the S Pen this year, I would not be surprised to see the S Pen be removed next year. I would expect it to still be compatible, but instead of having a built-in silo, it’ll be separate, perhaps in a case. This is something Samsung already does with the Galaxy Z Fold series. If that is indeed the move, then Samsung could be looking to do two different Ultra model sizes.

Offering a 6.2-6.3 inch model and then the behemoth 6.9-inch Galaxy S26 Ultra next year would likely really improve sales. Many are stuck between the Ultra and the regular S25 because of the size. They want the features of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but don’t want the size of the Ultra. I’m one of those people. My daily phone is the iPhone 16 Pro, not the Pro Max. Because I like the smaller size phone. And so far, I’m liking the smaller size of the Galaxy S25 as well. Not to mention it’s less boxy, and therefore more comfortable to hold.

Google’s Pixel 9 sales have skyrocketed this year, likely thanks to the smaller “Pro”

Don’t get me wrong, Samsung will still sell tens of millions of each of these Galaxy S25 models this year. But a good way to improve those numbers even more, is by offering a smaller “Ultra” model, since Samsung uses Ultra instead of Pro. Just take a look at Google’s sales numbers since the Pixel 9 series launched. They have increased rather dramatically, with the Pixel 9 Pro being one of the more popular phones that Google has ever released. Samsung could do the same thing.

This isn’t like the iPhone 12 and 13 Mini, where we clamored for Apple to release a smaller phone. The iPhone 12 Mini was a mistake, because it was much smaller at 5.8 inches, and had terrible battery life, and was not a “Pro” model in any respect. And hence, it didn’t sell well. However, the smaller “Pro” models sell well for Apple. Of course, the Pro Max and the Plus models sell the best, since many do prefer the much larger displays. But giving consumers the choice is never a bad thing.

Would you buy an “Ultra” that was the same size as the Galaxy S25 (which is 146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2 mm)?