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Corporations hope that this 12 months, like final 12 months, will likely be remembered for AI breakthroughs in smartphones. Nevertheless, there’s one other pattern this 12 months that I anticipate we’ll not overlook: the period of the skinny telephone.
The OPPO Discover N5 pushed the boundaries of thickness in folding telephones, and now Samsung has carried out the identical in smartphones with the Galaxy S25 Edge. Forward of the rumored iPhone 17 Air’s debut in September, Samsung’s newest flagship has already ruined thicker telephones for me.
At first look, the Galaxy S25 Edge could also be thought-about a downgrade in comparison with its siblings. It has the smallest battery and one much less digital camera, however because the adage goes, seeing is believing. On this case, it could be extra apt to say that holding is believing.
There’s room for enchancment, however the Galaxy S25 Edge is a phenomenal telephone which you could solely respect when you maintain it. While you do, chances are you’ll forgive its shortcomings.
Nirave is a veteran tech journalist and creator at House of Tech. He is reviewed each Samsung flagship telephone and greater than 1,000 telephones over the previous 20 years. A coronary heart assault at 33 impressed him to think about the Impact of Technology on our bodily, psychological, and emotional well being. Say hello to him on Twitter or Threads!
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: Worth and Availability
The Galaxy S25 Edge was first teased on the Unpacked occasion for the Galaxy S25 launch on January 22, 2025. The official launch occurred on Might 13, 2025, with the telephone formally on sale as of Might 30, 2025.
There are two storage choices accessible, each of which include 12GB of RAM. The bottom mannequin comes with 256GB for $1,099.99 (UK £1,099 / AU$1,849), whereas the 512GB mannequin prices $1,219.99 (UK £1,199 / AU$2,049).
In contrast to its siblings, it doesn’t are available in an enormous vary of colours, and there are not any Samsung.com unique colours, however it’s accessible in three hues: Silver, Jet Black, and Icy Blue.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: Design & show
- The S25 Edge is extraordinarily skinny at 5.8mm.
- It weighs 25% lower than the Galaxy S25 Extremely.
- It has a titanium body, an IP68 score, and Gorilla Glass back and front.
If there’s one cause to purchase the Galaxy S25 Edge, it’s the design, and particularly, the thickness. Measuring 5.8mm thick (excluding the digital camera bump), it’s presently the thinnest flagship telephone, though it’s nonetheless a lot thicker than the OPPO Find N5, which is 4.21mm skinny when unfolded. For comparability, the Edge is between 1.4mm and a couple of.4mm thinner than the remainder of the Galaxy S25 lineup.
It’s not simply in regards to the thickness, as arguably the extra impactful characteristic is the burden. At 163 grams, it’s only one gram heavier than the common Galaxy S25, however options the bigger show of the Galaxy S25 Plus and the first digital camera of the Galaxy S25 Extremely. The Galaxy S25 Plus weighs 27 grams extra, whereas the Galaxy S25 Ultra is a whopping 55 grams extra, or over a 3rd of the full weight.
These numbers could seem inconsequential, however they’re core to the Galaxy S25 Edge providing. It combines the very best options of the Galaxy S25 series right into a telephone that’s thinner, lighter, and way more pocket-friendly.
When you maintain the Galaxy S25 Edge in your fingers, the skinny profile and light-weight weight shortly assuaged a lot of my issues round lacking options, the smaller battery, or the shortage of a telephoto lens. I didn’t understand that telephone thickness was vital to me till I used the Galaxy S25 Edge.
Past the design, you get a construction that Samsung has refined over the previous few years. There’s a titanium construct that feels extraordinarily premium, and it’s paired with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the again. Regardless of some issues in regards to the thickness, particularly contemplating different telephones in historical past which have been skinny and bent simply, the Galaxy S25 Edge has proven no indicators of bending simply throughout every day utilization.
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The 6.7-inch show on the entrance is protected by Corning’s new Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2, which is just about equivalent to the Ceramic glass used within the Galaxy S25 Ultra, however lacks the anti-glare end. The show is equivalent to the one discovered on the Galaxy S25 Plus, additional highlighting how the Galaxy S25 Edge captures most of the finest elements of its siblings in a wholly new system.
Having used the Galaxy S25 Edge for nearly two weeks, it’s grow to be more and more more durable to make use of some other telephone. The design could not really feel that spectacular on paper, however when you maintain it, you’ll shortly understand that this can be a particular telephone. If telephones have been too huge or heavy for you, the Galaxy S25 Edge would be the answer you’ve been on the lookout for.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: Specs & efficiency
- Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy is quick, fluid, and improbable.
- Glorious flagship specs sheet
- The battery is the smallest within the vary however nonetheless lasts a day.
For probably the most half, the Galaxy S25 Edge options the identical flagship {hardware} as the remainder of the Galaxy S25 lineup. It’s equally the very best and the worst elements of this telephone, particularly contemplating one of many greatest issues, the battery.
First, the great elements. The Galaxy S25 Edge is powered by the identical Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor as the remainder of the lineup, providing flagship efficiency as anticipated. I’ve used it for gentle gaming, heavy multitasking, and extra, and there have been no indicators of lag or slowdown.
The result’s unimaginable efficiency, and the upper clock speeds on the Galaxy variant Snapdragon 8 Elite imply it’s the strongest Android telephone in the marketplace.
|
Class |
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge |
|
OS |
One UI 7 (as much as seven OS upgrades) |
|
Show |
6.7-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz LTPO 2,600 nits peak brightness |
|
Processor |
Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy |
|
RAM |
12GB |
|
Storage |
256GB, 512GB |
|
Rear Digicam 1 |
200MP vast, f/1.7, 24mm, OIS, PDAF, 0.6µm |
|
Rear Digicam 2 |
12MP ultrawide, f/2.2, 13mm, PDAF, 1.4µm |
|
Selfie Digicam |
12MP, f/2.2, 26mm, PDAF |
|
Audio |
Stereo audio system |
|
Connectivity |
Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, 5G, USB-C (3.2) |
|
Safety |
IP68 |
|
Battery |
3,900mAh |
|
Charging |
25W |
|
Dimensions |
158.2 x 75.6 x 5.8mm |
|
Weight |
163g |
|
Colours |
Titanium Icyblue, Titanium Silver, Titanium Jetblack |
In every day utilization, there’s not an enormous distinction between this and the Snapdragon 8 Elite utilized in different telephones, but it surely must be future-proofed for longer. Samsung is promising seven years of software and security updates for the Galaxy S25 Edge. With AI enjoying a big position within the present and future smartphone featureset, the Galaxy S25 Edge ought to stay extraordinarily succesful even on the finish of this era.
There’s additionally the massive set of options that you simply’d anticipate from a flagship telephone, together with an under-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor that’s positive, albeit inferior to rival flagships I’ve used. There’s additionally help for Snapdragon Satellite, which suggests the S25 Edge can ship and obtain SMS messages by way of satellite tv for pc when your mobile community isn’t accessible.
That’s the great, but it surely comes at a worth: the battery. Even Samsung can’t beat physics, and the massive show, flagship specs, twin digital camera, and skinny profile meant there could be a compromise. On this case, it’s the battery and charging, but it surely’s not as huge because it sounds on paper.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: Battery Life & Charging
- All-day battery life, however solely someday.
- Slower charging than you’d anticipate.
The Galaxy S25 Edge contains a 3,900mAh battery, 100mAh smaller than the bottom Galaxy S25, and considerably smaller than the Galaxy S25 Plus (4,900mAh) and S25 Extremely (5,000mAh). When Samsung first revealed the battery capability, I anticipated this to be my greatest problem, however because it seems, that is solely partially true.
Like many telephone makers, Samsung has been promising all-day battery life on its telephones for a few years, and most telephones ship with some cost remaining on the finish of the day. The Galaxy S25 Edge additionally delivers all-day battery life, but it surely will get dangerously near needing a recharge earlier than the top of the day.
Battery life is not phenomenal, but it surely’s additionally not as dangerous as you’ll anticipate.
Everybody’s utilization varies, so what does all-day battery life seem like? Charging to full at 11 a.m. (having forgotten to cost it in a single day), the Galaxy S25 Edge lasted a complete of 28 hours on a full cost with just below seven hours of display screen time and round seven p.c battery remaining. It’s pretty consultant of the utmost battery life you may anticipate, and that was with gentle gaming, numerous streaming, net searching, and a few calls, with half the day on Wi-Fi and half with out.
The battery life meets my expectations for average to heavy utilization in a day, and must be adequate for many customers. Nevertheless, it’s a lot more durable to excuse the slower 25W charging, which takes round 80 minutes to cost the telephone. Samsung opted in opposition to together with the 45W charging from the S25 Plus, regardless of the S25 Edge costing extra, which is more durable to simply accept contemplating the value.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: Cameras
- 200MP major digital camera from the S25 Extremely.
- 12MP ultrawide digital camera.
- No telephoto lens, high quality degrades after 2x.
The Galaxy S25 Edge has two rear cameras. The primary one is 200MP and is supposedly the identical digital camera discovered within the Galaxy S25 Extremely, however shriveled by nearly 40%. The ultrawide is identical 12MP ultrawide discovered within the Galaxy S25 Plus.
Picture 1 of 17
The Galaxy S25 Edge provides a 2x ‘zoom’ achieved via an in-sensor crop, in addition to 4x and 10x zoom choices, with 10x being the utmost. At 2x, the digital camera continues to be pretty succesful, however above this, the pictures don’t really feel like they had been captured by a flagship telephone.
Picture 1 of 8
At increased resolutions, the OIS is considerably ineffective, and the digital camera is unable to compensate for the lack of element. As an alternative, you get photographs which have slight movement to them and lack the finesse of different cameras. You additionally want the bigger pixel measurement to compensate for gentle in low-light situations, so the 12MP photographs are usually the very best total.
Picture 1 of 13
There’s excellent news: if you happen to take principally portraits, the Galaxy S25 Edge has the identical wonderful portrait mode, together with Shade Level, my favourite portrait mode characteristic of any telephone, as the remainder of the Galaxy S25 lineup. There’s additionally 8K video at 30fps, 4k at 120fps, and FullHD video that may seize slo-mo movies at 240fps.
Picture 1 of 7
The Galaxy S25 Edge boasts principally flagship digital camera specs on paper, however whereas the principle digital camera does go away me wanting, it stays greater than succesful. In order for you the very best smartphone digital camera, you don’t have any alternative however to take a look at the OPPO Find X8 Ultra or Galaxy S25 Extremely. Nevertheless, if design is vital and also you don’t thoughts a digital camera that’s simply adequate, the Galaxy S25 Edge is nice.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: Software program and AI
- Android 15 with One UI 7 on high.
- Seven years of software program and safety updates.
- Samsung DeX, Galaxy AI, and Gemini included.
As with each firm, AI performs a big position within the Galaxy S25 Edge expertise. In contrast to Samsung’s previous Edge telephones, such because the Galaxy S6 Edge and its waterfall show design, there are not any unique software program methods on this telephone. Fairly, you get the identical, nice One UI 7, Galaxy AI, and Gemini expertise that you simply’ll discover throughout the remainder of the lineup.
That features a clean interface with bubble-like, rounded edges; a cut up notification middle and fast settings much like iOS; an app drawer that may lastly be laid out vertically in alphabetical order; and larger consistency with different Android units. I’ve been a fan of One UI for a few years, however One UI 7 feels higher than ever earlier than.
One other welcome boost to the software program is the deep partnership between Samsung and Google. As an alternative of competing visions, the Galaxy S25 Edge — and the remainder of the Galaxy S25 lineup — use Google apps (like Messages) as default, and have been the primary telephones to get many new Google Gemini options like Circle to Search.
Paired with Galaxy AI features and Samsung’s improbable picture modifying capabilities, you have got an completed AI suite, even when it considerably depends on you needing to take a position closely within the Galaxy ecosystem. Samsung and Google have discovered work collectively, and the result’s a software program expertise that’s akin to the previous Google Play Version in its seamless and streamlined nature.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: Competitors
The Galaxy S25 Edge is the primary commercially accessible ultra-thin flagship candybar smartphone, though Apple can also be anticipated to launch the iPhone 17 Air later this 12 months.
At 5.8mm, the Galaxy S25 Edge will not be the thinnest smartphone total, nonetheless. Corporations like OPPO and Honor have each launched ultra-thin folding phones, such because the Discover N5 and Honor Magic V3, measuring 4.21mm and 4.35mm, respectively. Nevertheless, in the case of non-foldable telephones, the Galaxy S25 Edge is really distinctive in its skinny construct.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: Must you purchase it?
You should purchase this if…
- You’re uninterested in thick or heavy telephones in your pocket
- You need a huge display screen and digital camera with out the burden
- Design is extra vital than uncooked specs to you
You should not purchase this if…
- You need the best possible digital camera or battery life
- You need a devoted telephoto digital camera for enhanced zoom
- You do not need to make any compromises
If the Galaxy S25 Edge weren’t the thinnest smartphone you should buy proper now, the reply to this query would doubtless be no; there are sufficient trade-offs that this isn’t the very best telephone you should buy proper now. Nevertheless, the thinness makes this extremely interesting, and much more so than I had anticipated.
Going into this assessment, I had three major issues: the battery life, the construct high quality, and the digital camera. Every thing else was prone to be extraordinarily stable. Having hung out with the Galaxy S25 Edge, it delivers on two out of the three, however the digital camera falls brief.
But, for some folks, this may very well be the perfect telephone. In order for you the very best of the Galaxy S25 Extremely and S25 Plus with out the thickness or weight, the Galaxy S25 Edge may very well be excellent.
Personally, the Galaxy S25 Edge has modified my ideas on slim telephones. There’ll all the time be trade-offs, however the Galaxy S25 Edge exhibits {that a} skinny telephone could be nice. There’s room for enchancment, however this telephone has me smitten.
Holding is believing
The Galaxy S25 Edge demonstrates that skinny telephones can nonetheless supply spectacular specs. It provides the very best of the Galaxy S25 collection in a really particular design. Holding is believing, and once you maintain the S25 Edge, you will not need to put it down.
