Extra than simply tremendous skinny

Once I first heard Samsung was bringing again the Edge title as a brand new super-thin member of the S25 household, all I might assume was: Why? Truthfully, I believed cellphone makers had gotten over their starvation for thinness practically a decade in the past. The search to shave millimeters off units resulted in worse battery life, further warmth and extra restricted options. So what offers?

On a sure stage, similar to trend, older developments can over time turn out to be contemporary and trendy once more. Moreover, after telephones made the transition to 5G — which required further energy, extra complicated modems and bigger antennas — fashionable elements have began shrinking once more, primarily paving the way in which for the return of slimmer handsets. However then it hit me. Whereas thinness stands out as the most hanging factor in regards to the Galaxy S25 Edge, that is not sufficient to justify the creation of an entire new gadget. As a substitute, I imagine this cellphone is part of a bigger mission by Samsung to make the center baby of its flagship cell lineup a extra interesting member of the household. And when seen in that mild, I truly assume it is largely successful.

Design

Now do not get me flawed, regardless of my gripes about how thinner telephones are much less sensible, the S25 Edge is fantastically designed. At simply 5.8mm thick (0.23 inches), it feels impossibly smooth. What is perhaps much more spectacular is that Samsung hasn’t sacrificed sturdiness to get right here both. Identical to the S25 Ultra, the Edge incorporates a titanium body, an IP68 score for mud and water resistance and a fair stronger Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 panel masking its show. The one distinction is that the Edge’s display has a shiny end as an alternative of matte like on the Extremely as a result of — and I child you not — Samsung says an anti-reflective coating would have elevated its thickness. Kudos to sticking to a strict design philosophy, as a result of when it comes to sheer really feel and aesthetics, S25 Edge is undeniably enchanting.

Nevertheless, whereas the S25 Edge shares some traits with the Extremely, like its body and fundamental digital camera, not less than in relation to its total measurement, it is actually extra of a refreshed tackle the S25+. It has the identical 6.7-inch OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh charge that is simply as vibrant and splendidly colourful as earlier than. Though it does weigh a bit much less at 163 grams or 5.75 ounces versus the S25+ (190g or 6.7 oz).

Efficiency

Like the remainder of the S25 household, the Edge is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip with 12GB of RAM and both 256GB or 512GB of storage. Regardless of the compact dimensions, Samsung nonetheless discovered room to squeeze a vapor chamber inside to forestall throttling and overheating. So even when pushed, the again of the cellphone hardly ever received greater than lukewarm whereas delivering robust efficiency as I used to be gaming, multitasking or doing just about the rest you’ll be able to consider.

Cameras

The opposite main departure from the S25+’s primary template is that the Edge options the 200MP fundamental sensor from the Extremely, together with a 12MP ultra-wide cam. However there isn’t any devoted zoom. Now at first, I used to be a bit upset as a result of I feel any cellphone this costly ought to have a telephoto lens. That mentioned, the large quantity of pixels the Edge’s main sensor can seize means you may have fairly a little bit of freedom to crop in with out degrading picture high quality. You simply want to recollect to inform the digital camera to shoot in full 200MP mode as an alternative of the usual 12MP setting. One different small change is that Edge incorporates a barely wider-angle 12MP selfie cam than the S25+ and Extremely, which lets you match extra individuals in group photographs, however that is actually the principle distinction.

Usually use, the S25 Edge takes nice pics. Colours are wealthy and particulars are crisp, although you continue to get Samsung’s barely oversaturated hues and hotter tones. The identical goes for low-light photographs. For this evaluate, as an alternative of evaluating it to a Pixel or iPhone, I pitted the Edge in opposition to the Motorola Razr Extremely. I really feel like each try to woo individuals who need a smooth and trendy gadget, however they’re doing it in very other ways.

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Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs Moto Razr Extremely digital camera comparisons

In a shot of some roses, the Razr Extremely struggled with focus and colour saturation.

What instantly jumped out is that foldable telephones (not less than the Razr) nonetheless lag behind extra conventional glass bricks, even ones as skinny because the Edge. In practically each shot, Samsung’s handset produced brighter, sharper and better-exposed photos than Motorola’s. So when you’re the form of one who needs a compact cellphone without having to sacrifice picture high quality, the S25 Edge is a stronger decide.

Battery life

The most important trade-off when making a cellphone this skinny is having much less room for its battery. As such, the S25 Edge has the smallest energy pack within the household at 3,900 mAh, which is 100mAh lower than what’s in a base S25. This led to a time of simply 25 hours and 59 minutes on our native video rundown check. That is not horrible, however it’s three and a half hours lower than what we received from the S25 Extremely (29:27) and two hours worse than a regular S25. For many who care quite a bit about longevity, you may have been warned.

Fortunately, the S25 Edge nonetheless has assist for wi-fi charging at a suitable 15 watts, although its wired speeds are simply common at 25 watts. Nevertheless, because the cellphone is merely “Qi2 ready,” anybody who needs to make use of appropriate magnetic wi-fi equipment might want to purchase a case or an adhesive mount with a built-in magnet, as a result of there is not one contained in the cellphone itself.

Wrap-up

The S25 Edge is a divisive cellphone. I nonetheless do not totally grasp the will to make fashionable telephones thinner than they already are. Significantly when you’re like most folk and also you throw the factor in a case as quickly as you get it (even when accounting for Samsung’s new super slim option). Shaving off an additional 1.5mm over the usual S25 does not actually make a tangible distinction in how you utilize it, until you think about the cellphone’s diminished battery life factor.

However as an alternative choice to the humdrum S25+, immediately issues get much more attention-grabbing. Samsung’s earlier center baby prices considerably greater than a base S25, nevertheless it does not have the flowery options like an excellent high-res fundamental digital camera or a titanium body such as you get on the S25 Extremely. Actually, the S25+’s most tasty function is a nicely-sized 6.7-inch display.

Now here is the place the Galaxy S25 Edge is available in. It has all of these issues alongside an excellent skinny and splendidly crafted chassis for a similar $1,100 beginning worth because the S25+. Sure, Samsung sacrificed some battery capability and the cellphone’s devoted zoom to get right here, however these aren’t straight-up dealbreakers. That is as a result of with the Edge, the brand new in-between member of Samsung’s flagship cell household is extra than simply skinny — it has a classy id that may stand by itself.