
Samsung Galaxy S25 FE leak just tipped bad news about performance
According to a recent post on X by known leaker Arsène Lupin, the Galaxy S25 FE could come with 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 26GB of internal storage. The post also states that the phone should have four color options: Navy, IceBlue, Jetblack and White.
S25 FE8 + 128 / 8 + 256 Navy, Icyblue, Jetblack, WhiteJuly 24, 2025
I can understand why Samsung would elect to keep the 8GB of RAM we saw in the Galaxy S24 FE, after all, the FE range is designed to be more affordable and RAM can be expensive to increase. On top of the price, it's also worth noting that 8GB of RAM is more than enough for the average user. For instance, it's the same amount as we see in the iPhone 16 series after all.
While this likely isn't an issue for the phone when it releases, it might be for the future of the phone and its usability. Currently, the average user keeps hold of their smartphone for 2 years and seven months, and that's expected to go up to three years by 2026. With that in mind, and considering the rapid advancement in AI, I have to wonder if 8GB will be enough down the line.
More RAM means a higher price for parts, and Samsung clearly wants to keep the FE cheaper than other flagship-grade phones. But it should be noted that the Galaxy S24 FE launched with many of the same AI features that we saw on the mainline Galaxy S24 models while still being affordable. The same would, hopefully, be true for the Galaxy S25 FE, but the lack of RAM is only a single nail in the performance coffin.
Another thing to note about the Galaxy FE range is that it often makes use of less powerful chips. The Galaxy S24 FE, for instance, launched with the Exynos 2400e, which wasn't exactly stellar. Meanwhile, the most recent leaked benchmarks have the Galaxy S25 FE running the Exynos 2400, which is a modest upgrade, but still falls behind the Snapdragon 8 Elite seen in Samsung's Galaxy S25 series.
Why is this a problem, I hear you ask? The reality is that Samsung's latest FE phone will need to compete with the iPhone 16e, and in more than a few ways, it needs to exceed it. As it stands, Samsung phones tend to offer a better AI experience, helped, in part, by Apple Intelligence's limitations and Samsung devices featuring more RAM. However, if the Galaxy S25 FE launches with the same RAM and a weaker chip, I worry about how it will compete when it doesn't have access to all the Galaxy AI features due to its hardware limitations.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Now, in the interest of fairness, not every person buying a Samsung FE phone is invested in AI features. In that case, the real issue becomes the price of the phone and how it compares to the mainline Galaxy S25. As it stands, we don't know a lot about the price of the phone, but we'd expect it to be roughly around the same price as the Galaxy S24 FE, due to the Galaxy S25 not seeing a price increase, would would mean a price of around $649.
It's also worth noting that we can't confirm these rumors until we actually see the phone officially announced, so it's best to take these things with a pinch of salt. On that note, many of the rumors seem to indicate that Samsung will aim for an October launch for the phone.
So, with the possibility of the Galaxy S25 FE only featuring 8GB of RAM, are you still interested, or will you look elsewhere for a more affordable phone?
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CNBC
34 minutes ago
- CNBC
Apple's killer quarter buys more time for the company to deliver clarity on AI
Apple delivered a solid June quarter Thursday evening, and the stock moved higher. However, the lack of any real artificial intelligence strategy updates tempered investor enthusiasm. The stock remains an AI "show me" story — and in a market currently being powered by the AI trade, that's all anyone really cares about. Revenue in Apple's fiscal 2025 third quarter, which ended in June, rose 10% year over year to $94.04 billion, outpacing the $89.5 billion consensus estimate compiled by LSEG. It was the company's biggest growth in quarterly revenue since December 2021. Earnings per share (EPS) increased 12% in the quarter to $1.57, better than the $1.43 consensus estimate, according to LSEG. The strong performance comes even as Apple saw a roughly $800 million drag due to tariff-related costs . That was $100 million less than Apple CEO Tim Cook had estimated back in May. On Thursday evening's post-earnings call, Cook projected a $1.1 billion negative effect from tariffs in the September quarter, assuming no changes. Why we own it Apple's dominant hardware and growing services businesses provide a deep competitive moat and plenty of bundling opportunities. Management's net cash-neutral strategy provides confidence that free cash flow will continue to fund dividends and buybacks. Competitors: Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO, Dell , and HP Inc. Most recent buy : April 8, 2014 Initiation : Dec. 2, 2013 Bottom line Both sides of Apple's business — products and services — saw June quarter revenue and gross income come in better than expected and higher year over year. Apple once again achieved a new all-time high for its installed base of active devices in all product categories and across all geographic regions. Services, meanwhile, set a new record with better-than-expected gross margin performance. Remember, a small miss on services revenue in the March quarter hit the stock pretty hard at the time. So, it was nice to see services turn. On the call, Cook said the company saw growth accelerate in the "vast majority of markets" that Apple tracks, including Greater China and many emerging markets. Moreover, he noted that the company set June quarter revenue records in over 24 countries and regions, "including the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Western Europe, the Middle East, India and South Asia." Regarding China, it's clear that the Chinese consumer still loves Apple, with iPhone sales accelerating sequentially to set a new record installed base. Mainland China set a June quarter record for iPhone upgrades, and according to consumer data tracking service Worldpanel, formerly Kantar, the iPhone held the top three spots in urban China. MacBook Air was the top-selling laptop in China during the June quarter, while the Mac Mini was the top-selling desktop there. Cook also touched on AI, reaffirming his view that it is "one of the most profound technologies of our lifetime." He added that Apple Intelligence is being integrated across the company's various platforms, and the company is "significantly growing" its investments in the technology. There, unfortunately, was not much of an update beyond what we already know. However, Cook said the team continues to make progress on a more personalized Siri, with plans for a launch of the updated personal assistant sometime next year. He also said, "We're open to M & A that accelerates our roadmap." That statement did not directly address reports back in June that Apple held internal discussions about whether to make an offer to buy AI startup Perplexity. But Cook saying that Apple is open to bringing in help is a welcome sign. AAPL YTD mountain Apple YTD Given the strength of the report and what appears to be a better-than-expected outlook for the current September quarter, it was no surprise to see the stock trading more than 2% higher in the after-hours session. That said, it's a relatively muted move, given the positive results and the stock's year-to-date decline of 17% as of Thursday's close. The S & P 500 has gained nearly 8% in 2025. In our view, this is likely a reflection of investors being hesitant to get more optimistic on the stock until we get more clarity on Apple's AI initiatives. While we fully understand that view, we too want more clarity on the road map for Apple Intelligence and would love to one day wake up to news that Apple has struck a deal to acquire Perplexity, results like this are a reminder of why investors should stick with Apple though times like this, even if it's not yet time to recommend the stock as a buy. Apple is rarely the first to adopt new tech, choosing instead to take its time, see what's out there and how consumers are responding, and then release a more refined version. Should that be the case again this time, and Apple does indeed come to market with the kind of AI features we should all expect from a company of this caliber, then it can instantly push the updates to its legion of loyal users with a simple software update and become a serious player in personal AI. We know Meta Platforms is looking to create a more personal AI, however, given the deep connection Apple users have with their iPhone and other devices, we still think Apple has a real opportunity to lead here. The company just needs to execute. While AI execution, thus far, has left something to be desired, betting against Cook over the long term has truly been a loser's gamble. We think that will prove true again. However, until we do get more clarity on the AI roadmap and a timeline for a real upgrade to turn Siri into a conversational, problem-solving digital assistant, we have no choice but to maintain our hold-equivalent 2 rating. We're also keeping our price target on the stock at $240 per share, roughly 16% upside to Thursday's close but still 8% below its record-high close of $259 on Dec. 26, 2024. Commentary Looking at the Products portfolio, the iPhone, which shipped its three billionth device since launch during the quarter, set a June quarter sales record of $44.58 billion. That was up 13.5% from last year and better than expected. Growth was seen in all geographic segments, with double-digit percentage growth in emerging markets including India, the Middle East, South Asia, and Brazil. Apple delivered a June quarter record for iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch upgrades. While Mac sales rose nearly 15% in the quarter and beat estimates, the iPad, as well as wearables, home and accessories segments declined year over year and missed. Services achieved a new all-time sales record, growing double digits in both developed and emerging markets alike. Services revenue rose more than 13% to $27.42 billion. Cloud services sales accelerated sequentially to a new all-time revenue record, driven by strength in iCloud. Apple TV+ viewership was up double digits versus the year-ago period. App Store revenue was also up double digits year over year, setting a June quarter record. Additionally, Parekh called out a new all-time high for both transacting and pair accounts. Outlook While Apple doesn't provide formal guidance, management said that September quarter revenue is expected to increase by mid-to-high single digits versus the year ago period. That sounds in-line to better than the 3.3% year-over-year growth the Street was looking for, according to LSEG. Services revenue is expected to grow at a year-over-year rate similar to the more than 13% increase in the June quarter. The Street was expecting to see 11% growth in the September quarter versus the year-ago period. So, this also appears to be in-line to better than expected. Gross margin for the September quarter is expected to be in a range of 46% to 47%, which would be better than the 45.7% expected, according to FactSet. This includes the estimated $1.1 billion tariff-related headwind mentioned earlier. Management expects September quarter operating expenses to be between $15.6 billion and $15.8 billion, a bit higher than expectations of about $15.4 billion, according to FactSet. This guidance assumes no deterioration in macroeconomic conditions and no changes in global tariff rates, policies or enforcement. It also assumes Apple's revenue share agreement with Google remains intact. The king's ransom paid Apple for Google search priority has been called into question due to the government's antitrust case against Alphabet . Capital allocation Apple ended the March quarter with $133 billion in cash and marketable securities. Excluding debt, net cash was $31 billion. During the quarter, Apple returned over $27 billion to shareholders, including $3.9 billion in dividends and equivalents and another $21 billion via share repurchases. (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long AAPL, META, GOOGL. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.

Business Insider
2 hours ago
- Business Insider
Here's what Tim Cook thinks about AI replacing the iPhone
Apple CEO Tim Cook appears unfazed by concerns that advancements in AI could topple the iPhone's dominance. During Thursday's earnings call, Wamsi Moen, an analyst with Bank of America, asked Cook directly how Apple is preparing for a world where dependence on screen-based devices "significantly diminishes," thanks to advances in AI. Cook didn't seem to see an imminent threat to Apple's hero product. "When you when you think about all the things an iPhone can do, from connecting people to bringing app and game experiences to life, to taking photos and videos, to helping users explore the world and conduct their financial lives and pay for things and so much more, you know, it's difficult to see a world where iPhone's not living in it," Cook said. "And that doesn't mean that we are not thinking about other things as well," Cook added, "but I think that the devices are likely to be complementary devices, not substitution." While Cook didn't appear worried about advances in AI disrupting the tech giant's business, Apple has been slow to release new Apple Intelligence features, leaving analysts with mixed opinions about its competitive edge. EMARKETER analyst Jacob Bourne told Business Insider that, "while the AI arms race may pressure Apple toward bolder moves, including potential acquisitions, its disciplined approach to product quality over speed should help it maintain a competitive advantage in the premium market over the long haul, provided it makes the necessary R&D investments in AI." Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said in a research note after the call that the company's revenue beat was "a major step in the right direction," adding that "now it's time to address the elephant in the AI strategy, which remains absent while the rest of the tech world is laser focused on the AI Revolution at warp speed."
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Elon Musk Said He Would 'Walk The Line Personally' Following $16.5 Billion Samsung Deal, Is this A Return To 'Wartime CEO' Mode?
Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk recently announced he will be closely involved with Samsung Electronics (OTC:SSNLF) manufacturing the EV giant's next-gen AI6 chip following a $16.5 billion deal. What Happened: Taking to social media platform X, Musk announced the deal with Samsung on Monday. "Samsung's giant new Texas fab will be dedicated to making Tesla's next-generation AI6 chip," Musk said before adding that the deal had significant strategic 7,000+ investors have joined Timeplast's mission to eliminate microplastics—now it's your turn to However, what was interesting was the billionaire's comments after. Replying to the original post, Musk said that the deal was a critical point. "I will walk the line personally to accelerate the pace of progress," he said. This could signal Musk's renewed focus on his companies after a stint in politics and activism with the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Could this be a 'Wartime CEO' moment for Musk? Well, this isn't the first time Musk has expressed full commitment to his had earlier said in a post that he would "spend seven days a week" and would sleep at the office if his kids were away. That too wasn't an isolated case, as Musk had also shared that he would be "Back to spending 24/7 at work and sleeping in conference/server/factory rooms," following outages experienced by social media platform added that he would 'be super focused on 𝕏/xAI and Tesla (plus Starship launch next week), as we have critical technologies rolling out."Why It Matters: Musk's renewed commitment to his businesses could be a confidence booster for investors following a disappointing Q2 earnings call for Tesla that saw the EV giant post a 12% revenue decline as well as dwindling sales figures across multiple regions. Despite this, Musk has remained optimistic and promised to release a new affordable Model Y, a decision that has been slammed by critics as it could lead to cannibalization within the company's lineup. Musk has also laid out ambitious targets of producing over 100,000 units of the Optimus robot annually in 5 years and serving about half of the population of the U.S. with robotaxis by the end of the year. Elsewhere, Musk's SpaceX also aims to conduct a test launch of its Starship rocket next month and the billionaire has said that the next major milestone for the company is to achieve orbital propellant refilling. Read Next: $100k+ in investable assets? Match with a fiduciary advisor for free to learn how you can maximize your retirement and save on taxes – no cost, no obligation. These five entrepreneurs are worth $223 billion – they all believe in one platform that offers a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends Photo courtesy: Shutterstock/Alessia Pierdomenico UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Elon Musk Said He Would 'Walk The Line Personally' Following $16.5 Billion Samsung Deal, Is this A Return To 'Wartime CEO' Mode? originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Sign in to access your portfolio