ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge at present sells for $699 for the 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage configuration.
- With its glossy profile and stable {hardware}, this cellphone units a brand new requirements for cellular gadgets.
- You may should settle with subpar battery life and the absence of a telephoto lens as a result of restricted dimension.
extra shopping for decisions
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The second I unboxed the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, I knew I used to be in hassle. Whereas I had already spent a number of hours fidgeting with the cellphone again in Could, going via my on a regular basis routine with a tool that is considerably thinner, and extra importantly, lighter, than some other cellphone I’ve lately examined has been revolutionary.
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With the S25 Edge, it is the little issues: how the cellphone’s lightness makes magnetic circumstances more durable to by accident detach from mounts, how a lot much less burdensome it feels to carry up a 6.8-inch display when my different hand is hanging on the subway railing, and the way the cellphone hurts rather less after I drop it on my face in mattress.
If there’s one large takeaway from testing the S25 Edge since launch, it is that skinny and lightweight telephones have spoiled me in each manner however one. Sadly for Samsung, that one downside is sufficient to persuade any consumer to look elsewhere. Let me clarify.
Your first impression of the S25 Edge will seemingly be the identical as mine and the various others who expertise an ultra-thin cellphone in 2025. It is an engineering marvel, with a light-weight (163 grams) construct encased in the identical titanium materials that retains the dearer S25 Extremely mannequin protected against bumps and scratches.
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Whereas the 6.8-inch show shares the identical specs because the S25 Plus mannequin, the hand really feel is totally totally different. It virtually feels incorrect to not be burdened by holding a big-screen cellphone, however that is the ultra-thin cellphone expertise, and I’ve been bought on that side since Day 1.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge (left) and S25 Plus (proper)
Kerry Wan/ZDNET
Samsung stated it pulled a variety of design cues from its Z Fold line when designing the S25 Edge, and I imagine it. I’ve used each Samsung foldable phone because the first era in 2019 and have at all times puzzled how good it could be to separate the foldable display in half however retain the slimness. The S25 Edge is successfully that, making virtually each different cellphone I’ve tried to select up since testing it really feel outdated.
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I am much less enthusiastic in regards to the lack of an anti-glare display, which is among the most underrated options on the S25 Extremely mannequin. Positive, the S25 Edge’s peak brightness of two,600 nits makes it simply usable in broad daylight, however the presence of glare and reflections is felt, particularly because the summer season solar begins to beat down extra usually.
It is unlucky as a result of the S25 Edge is a cellphone that is destined to be nimble and carried round. As a substitute, I usually discover myself utilizing the cellphone much less when outside.
Fortuitously, at any time when I exploit the cellphone, it operates with grace. I can not pinpoint one factor for the stable efficiency, so I am going to credit score the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, the smoother animations of One UI 7, and the 12 GB of RAM, which is adequate for hybrid AI duties, cellular gaming, and loading numerous social media feeds.
Simply this weekend, I used the Gemini Live camera-sharing function to inquire about methods to take care of a wall of poison ivy on my yard fence, stream Spotify to a Bluetooth speaker, and textual content my spouse about dinner plans. This was all on LTE knowledge, by the best way, and the S25 Edge dealt with all of it with out many hiccups. I did discover the again of the cellphone, the place the processor is housed close to the digital camera module, often getting heat to the contact.
That leads me to imagine that whereas Samsung put some effort into constructing a useful thermal-cooling system within the S25 Edge, it nonetheless has too little actual property to discipline one thing efficient for modern-day utilization. Any energy consumer can simply rile this machine up.
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On the digital camera entrance, the S25 Edge comes with a 200 MP wide-angle lens and a 12 MP ultra-wide. I used to be initially dissatisfied that Samsung could not throw in a devoted telephoto lens — even the usual S25 mannequin has one — however in apply, I did not discover myself lacking the far-distance sensor. Generally, the 2x optical-level crop from the 200 MP (as long as you flip the decision on within the viewfinder) delivered simply the correct amount of element, colour replica, and vary that I wanted for something additional out.
Samsung says the 200 MP digital camera on the S25 Edge is Extremely-level however not precisely the identical because the one discovered on the dearer flagship. That stated, I did not discover a dramatic distinction in picture and video high quality when evaluating the 2 telephones. Actually, there have been moments after I most well-liked the output from the S25 Edge, which does not oversaturate colours as a lot as I am used to from Samsung telephones.
The most important query mark going into testing the S25 Edge, and actually for each different skinny cellphone shifting ahead, is how its battery fares. From my three weeks of testing, the battery life on the S25 Edge is subpar, although that should not come as a shock to anybody. The writing was on the wall; it is a large-screen cellphone (6.8-inch AMOLED) with a robust processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite) and a battery capability (3,900 mAh) that is smaller than that of the smallest S25 mannequin (4,000 mAh).
Suffice it to say that the S25 Edge made battery nervousness a factor once more, with my evaluate unit persistently dropping to 10–20% energy by late afternoon. Coming from nearly some other cellphone in 2025, the dip in endurance was instantly noticeable after I started utilizing the machine again in Could.
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Even after it is gone via a number of cycles of studying my utilization patterns, and moments after I’d should nerf the settings to 60 Hz refresh fee and activate power-saving mode, I am nonetheless nowhere close to all-day battery life. This can be a deal-breaker for me, and can seemingly be for anybody else who’s usually away from an outlet or would not wish to carry a conveyable battery in all places they go. It would not assist that the S25 Edge caps out at 25 W wired charging, falling wanting the 45 W ranking on the S25 Plus.
Had Samsung been extra keen to flex its ingenuity muscle tissue and embed a silicon-carbon battery — in style amongst Asian smartphone producers for its elevated power density — you might be one of many best phones of 2025. As a substitute, it is a large case of “what if,” with the largest winner being Samsung itself, which now will get to inform Apple that they made the ultra-thin cellphone first. Take that for what you’ll.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
I am going to reiterate that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is that this near being my dream cellphone, with the design and {hardware} being virtually nearly as good as one can hope for at $1,099. However the lackluster battery life is the ultra-thin cellphone’s Achilles’ heel. Samsung ought to’ve been conscious of this draw back going into the manufacturing course of, and the clearest answer (silicon-carbon batteries) has existed in the marketplace for at the very least the previous 12 months.
Because of this, you are a futuristic cellphone that is held again by an old-school drawback.
In fact, when you discover the below-average battery life to be a worthy trade-off for a light-weight but highly effective handset, then the S25 Edge is nearly as good because it will get proper now. I’ve misplaced rely of the variety of iPhone customers who purchased into the concept of a skinny cellphone simply seconds after I handed them the S25 Edge. However if you would like one thing safer, longer-lasting, and one way or the other extra succesful, contemplate the S25 Plus and you will not remorse it.
This text was initially printed on June 2, 2025, and was up to date on September 2, 2025, to mirror the newest Amazon deal, which brings the cellphone worth all the way down to $699.
