Summary
- I was originally quite critical of Samsung’s new super-slim Galaxy S25 smartphone.
- After spending the last few days with the product, I now think it might be almost the perfect Android device for me.
- Despite being a generally solid, cool-looking phone, the Galaxy S25 Edge is far from perfect, however.
I was pretty critical of Samsung’s super-slim Galaxy S25 Edge in my hands-on preview. I used the phone for a brief period at a hands-on event, but I just didn’t understand the draw. Sure, it’s thinner, but it’s also pricey at $1,100, and the phone features fewer cameras than the rest of the Galaxy S25 lineup.
At the time, the Galaxy S25 Edge seemed like a really tough sell.
“Who exactly is this phone for?,” is the key question that kept running through my head. But after spending the last few days with the Galaxy S25 Edge, I think it might be almost the perfect Android device for me.
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The first thin phone has arrived, but does it live up to the hype?
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It’s delightfully thin and light
I continue to be surprised that it feels like I’m holding almost nothing
By far the best thing about the Galaxy S25 Edge is how thin (0.23-inches or 5.8mm) and light (5.7oz or 163g) it is. The phone is slightly heavier than the base Galaxy S25, but it doesn’t feel like it since it features the same 6.7-inch 3,120 x 1,440 pixel 120Hz display as the Galaxy S25+. I’ve really enjoyed sliding it into my front pants or shorts pocket because it feels like there’s almost nothing there, unlike my weighty iPhone 16 Pro. The S25 Edge feels like a big phone, but without the ample bulk I’ve come to expect from larger devices.
- Brand
-
Samsung
- SoC
-
Octa-core Snapdragon 8 Elite (3nm)
- Display
-
6.7-inch 3120 x 1440 pixel resolution QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED2X
- RAM
-
12GB
Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge features a thin design and a rear-facing dual-camera array with an f/1.7 200-megapixel wide and f/2.2 12-megapixel ultrawide shooter.
An issue I highlighted in my hands-on is how I initially didn’t really notice the Galaxy S25 Edge’s thinness, even when placed beside my 8.25mm iPhone 16 Pro. However, now that I’ve spent more time with the phone, I not only see it but feel it too. At times, it’s difficult to believe there’s an actual smartphone that’s this thin. It’s made me excited for the often-rumored iPhone 17 Air Apple is reportedly cooking up, and that we might see this fall.
It also doesn’t feel like I’m about to experience “Bendgate 2,” thanks to the Galaxy S25 Edge’s Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 back and Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 display. During my time with the super-thin smartphone, I haven’t been worried about the device bending at all. It’s sturdy and solid, just like the rest of the Galaxy S25 lineup.
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The battery life isn’t as bad as I expected
With regular use, the Galaxy S25 Edge’s battery feels a lot like the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s
On the battery life front, things haven’t been as bad as I expected. The Galaxy S25 Edge has the smallest battery in the Galaxy S25 lineup, but with moderate use — including a bit of social media doom-scrolling, sending a few messages, and listening to podcasts — I haven’t really felt the difference in battery life. This has surprised me, particularly because the Galaxy S25 Edge features the same Snapdragon 8 Elite chip as every other device in the S25 series (on that note, it’s very responsive and snappy, too).
Generally, I’m still plugging in the Galaxy S25 Edge before I go to bed with about 25-30% charge leftover, which is similar to my experience with the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
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I’m a sucker for unique phones that look cool
It takes a lot for me to get excited about a smartphone
Phones are boring now, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Every single device is a slab that’s equipped with powerful cameras and, for the most part, the same sensors, including a fingerprint scanner and some form of facial recognition. That’s why folding phones initially garnered so much attention from tech media. While that luster has faded considerably, foldables were exciting and different a few years ago and really felt like the future of the smartphone industry.
Although I didn’t experience this excitement right away with the Galaxy S25 Edge, I’ve grown to really like the device over the past few weeks, and I’m excited to see how far Samsung can take this thin design direction in the future. If the Galaxy Z Fold line is any indication, the second-generation Edge will be a notable leap over its predecessor. I’m also interested to see what Apple does in the space as the iPhone 17 Air’s rumored release draws closer.
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It does have a few downsides, though
Fewer cameras and a less-than-ideal price
Despite being a generally solid, cool-looking phone, the Galaxy S25 Edge is far from perfect. It’s expensive at $1,100, a cost that puts it $100 above the arguably more capable Galaxy S25+ that’s priced at $1,000, and just $200 under the top-tier device in the lineup, the Galaxy S25 Ultra. While you can easily make the argument that the Galaxy 25+ isn’t targeting the same phone enthusiast audience as the Galaxy S25 Ultra, the Galaxy S25 Edge clearly falls into the camp of buyers that are looking for a high-level experience.
This is where my primary concern with the Galaxy S25 Edge arises. While the Galaxy S5 Ultra offers a quad-rear camera setup, including a 200-megapixel main, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide, a 10-megapixel telephoto, and a 50-megapixel telephoto, the Galaxy S25 Edge’s rear-facing iPhone 11-like camera array only features a 200-megapixel main and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide. It offers 2x sensor cropping optical zoom, but that’s it. During my time with the S25 Edge, I’ve found that I’ve missed the Ultra’s 5x optical zoom quite a bit. Getting closer to whatever I’m shooting has always been more useful to me than snapping a wide-angle photo. Of course, this won’t be an issue for everyone, though.
Still, I feel like the thinness and weight trade-off is worth it for a little less optical zoom, and I have a feeling a lot of other people looking for a unique, cool-looking smartphone will feel the same. That said, this is a trade-off calculation those interested in the Galaxy S25 Edge will have to make for themselves.
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