Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: Stunning Looks But Here’s the Shocking Downside!
A Featherweight Flagship That Prioritizes Thinness Over All Else. Sleek Design with Trade-Offs in Battery and Camera
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, launched in May 2025, reintroduces the “Edge” moniker with a bold focus on a super-slim design, measuring just 5.8mm thick and weighing a mere 163g.
Priced at $1,099 (£1,099/€1,259/A$1,849), this titanium-framed Android flagship aims to stand out in a sea of bulky smartphones, offering a 6.7-inch OLED display, top-tier performance, and a premium 200MP main camera. However, its slender profile comes at the cost of a smaller battery and a simplified camera system, raising questions about whether thinness justifies the compromises.
Here’s an in-depth look at the S25 Edge’s design, battery, camera, and overall performance, based on its specifications and real-world feedback.
Design: A Marvel of Thinness
At 5.8mm thick—1.5mm slimmer than the Galaxy S25 Plus—and weighing only 163g, the S25 Edge is one of the thinnest non-foldable flagships available, rivaling the likes of the iPhone 16 (7.8mm, 170g) despite boasting a larger 6.7-inch screen. Its titanium frame, paired with Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 on the front and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the back, ensures durability with an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance (1.5m for 30 minutes).
The phone feels “shockingly lightweight,” slipping easily into pockets or bags, and its sleek profile has been praised for feeling “refreshingly different” compared to heavier flagships like the S25 Ultra (8.2mm, 218g).
However, the design has drawbacks. The protruding camera bump nearly doubles the thickness at one end, causing the phone to rock on flat surfaces, and some users note gaps between the frame and back glass that could collect dirt. While the S25 Edge’s featherweight build is a standout, adding a case—common for most users—negates the thinness advantage, making it feel “just kinda regular.”
The phone’s dimensions (158.2 x 75.6 x 5.8mm) mirror the S25 Plus, requiring two-handed use for most, despite its lighter 163g weight compared to the S25 Plus’s 190g. Available in Titanium Silver, Jet Black, and Icy Blue, the S25 Edge is undeniably stylish, but its build quality has been criticized for minor misalignments, like an uneven SIM tray.
Battery Life: The Biggest Sacrifice
The S25 Edge’s 3,900mAh battery is the smallest in the S25 lineup, compared to 4,000mAh in the base S25 and 4,900mAh in the S25 Plus. This compromise, driven by the slim design, results in lackluster battery life that struggles to compete with modern flagships.
Real-world tests show it lasts about 17-18 hours with light use, achieving 3-4 hours of screen-on time, though some users report up to 4 hours 41 minutes under optimal conditions. Heavy tasks like photography or gaming drain the battery quickly, with one user noting a drop to 3% after 20 minutes of camera use in sunlight, forcing the screen to dim to an unusable 1 nit to conserve power.
Charging is another weak point. The S25 Edge supports 25W wired charging (80 minutes to full, 50% in 26 minutes) and 15W wireless charging, lagging behind the S25 Plus’s 45W wired charging. Samsung claims “all-day” battery life, but power users may need to carry a charger, undermining the portability advantage of the slim design.
The phone’s vapor chamber cooling, though broader than the S25 Plus’s, prevents excessive overheating, but it can warm up near the camera during intensive tasks like gaming. Compared to competitors like the OnePlus 13, which offers two-day battery life, the S25 Edge’s battery performance is a clear drawback for all but light users.
Camera: Impressive Main Sensor, Missing Telephoto
The S25 Edge features a dual-camera system, a significant departure from the triple or quad setups of other S25 models. Its 200MP f/1.7 main sensor, borrowed from the S25 Ultra, delivers “excellent” photos with vibrant colors, sharp details, and strong low-light performance.
The camera supports 2x optical-quality zoom and up to 10x AI-enhanced digital zoom, compensating somewhat for the lack of a dedicated telephoto lens. The 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera, shared with the S25 Plus, doubles as a macro lens with autofocus, while the 12MP front camera offers an 85-degree field of view for group selfies. The camera app includes modes like 4K 120fps video and Log format for editing, appealing to creators.
However, the absence of a telephoto lens is a notable compromise. While the 2x crop zoom performs well, image quality degrades at 10x, unlike the S25 Ultra’s superior 100x zoom capabilities. The ultra-wide lens, downgraded from the 50MP sensor on some competitors, is solid but not class-leading.
Users who prioritize zoom or versatile photography may find the S25 Edge lacking compared to the S25 Plus ($999) or S25 Ultra ($1,299), which offer dedicated telephoto lenses and greater camera flexibility.
Performance and Software: Flagship Power in a Slim Package
Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, with 12GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of storage, the S25 Edge delivers top-tier performance. It handles apps, games, and multitasking with ease, matching the S25 Ultra despite a slightly downclocked processor.
The 6.7-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display (1440 x 3120px, 120Hz) is bright (up to 1,416 nits in auto mode), crisp, and responsive, though it lacks the S25 Ultra’s anti-reflective coating and uses an 8-bit panel instead of 10-bit, which may affect color gradients. Stereo speakers produce good sound (92dB max), though bass is less pronounced due to the thin chassis.
Running One UI 7 on Android 15, the S25 Edge offers a polished experience with extensive customization and Galaxy AI features like Gemini Live for real-time assistance and Generative Edit for photos. The Now Bar and live notifications enhance usability, displaying tasks like music or timers on the lock screen.
Samsung promises software updates until May 31, 2032, ensuring seven years of support, a standout in the Android ecosystem. Connectivity includes 5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, and UWB, keeping it on par with premium flagships.
Sustainability and Repairs
The S25 Edge incorporates recycled materials, and Samsung offers trade-in and recycling programs. The battery should retain at least 80% capacity after 500 charge cycles, though no exact lifespan is specified. Repairs are accessible, with screen replacements costing £259 (including a battery swap) via authorized centers, and a self-repair program is available.
However, the lack of silicon-carbon battery technology, used in devices like the OnePlus 13 for denser capacity, limits the S25 Edge’s efficiency.
Verdict: A Niche Marvel with Notable Trade-Offs
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is a striking achievement in design, offering a featherlight 163g build and a 5.8mm profile that feels “impossibly sleek.” Its 6.7-inch display, powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, and 200MP main camera make it a compelling flagship, while seven years of software updates add long-term value.
However, the 3,900mAh battery’s 17-18-hour lifespan and lack of a telephoto lens are significant compromises, especially at $1,099, when the S25 Plus ($999) offers a larger 4,900mAh battery, faster 45W charging, and a telephoto lens, and the S25 Ultra ($1,299) adds an S Pen and superior cameras.
The S25 Edge targets users who prioritize portability and a big screen over battery life and camera versatility. Its thinness is a “vibes-based” appeal, ideal for those who dislike bulky phones and don’t mind charging frequently.
However, for most buyers, the S25 Plus or Ultra provide better value and fewer sacrifices. As Samsung tests the market for slim phones ahead of Apple’s rumored iPhone 17 Air, the S25 Edge is a bold but niche experiment that may not win over everyone.
