Samsung has allegedly fired the employee who leaked the S25+ prototype online

Leaks in the tech world are as common as rain in the tropics. Employees, insiders, and even contractors risk their jobs to spill the beans on upcoming gadgets. But sometimes, these leaks backfire spectacularly. Take the case of the Samsung Galaxy S25+ prototype that recently surfaced online.

A photo surfaced showing what appeared to be a working Galaxy S25+ prototype. The leaker, perhaps too eager to share, forgot to blur out the serial number at the bottom of the phone. This oversight was quickly spotted by eagle-eyed netizens. The serial number "CE092439139P4DF34E7ECE092" was clearly visible, making it a straightforward task for Samsung to trace the leak back to its source.

Max Jambor, a tech insider, took to X (formerly Twitter) to reveal that the leaker had been fired.

According to @chunvn8888, the individual is now pleading with Chinese internet users to delete the leaked images, warning that their company might take legal action.

This isn't the first time someone’s been let go over a leak. Apple has taken legal action against former employees for leaking confidential information. In March 2024, Apple sued former iOS engineer Andrew Aude, accusing him of leaking sensitive information to the press.

The lawsuit alleged that Aude used his company-issued iPhone to exchange thousands of messages with reporters over a five-year span, leaking details about unannounced apps, hardware characteristics, and research efforts in the spatial computing space. Apple claimed that Aude deleted evidence during a meeting, including the encrypted messaging app Signal, and was subsequently fired on December 15, 2023.

While all the leak drama's going down, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 series is also getting attention for some other reasons. We’ve heard that the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event in 2025 will showcase four S25 models: the standard S25, S25+, S25 Ultra, and the new S25 Slim, which is allegedly being made in limited quantities.