I changed my Samsung S25 Extremely with the S25 Edge – here is why I opted for the slim mannequin

At Amazon, you may decide up the 512GB Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge for simply $920 (that is $300 off).

The second I unboxed the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, I knew I used to be in bother. Whereas I had already spent just a few hours fidgeting with the telephone again in Might, going by my on a regular basis routine with a tool that is considerably thinner, and extra importantly, lighter, than every other telephone I’ve lately examined has been revolutionary.

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With the S25 Edge, it is the little issues: how the telephone’s lightness makes magnetic instances 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 telephone hurts rather less after I drop it on my face in mattress.

If there’s one massive takeaway from testing the S25 Edge since launch, it is that skinny and light-weight telephones have spoiled me in each method however one. Sadly for Samsung, that one downside is sufficient to persuade any person to look elsewhere. Let me clarify.

Your first impression of the S25 Edge will possible be the identical as mine and the numerous others who expertise an ultra-thin telephone in 2025. It is an engineering marvel, with a light-weight (163 grams) construct encased in the identical titanium materials that retains the costlier S25 Extremely mannequin shielded from 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 nearly feels fallacious to not be burdened by holding a big-screen telephone, however that is the ultra-thin telephone expertise, and I’ve been offered on that side since Day 1.

Samsung mentioned it pulled numerous design cues from its Z Fold line when designing the S25 Edge, and I consider it. I’ve used each Samsung foldable telephone for the reason that first era in 2019 and have at all times questioned how good it will be to separate the foldable display in half however retain the slimness. The S25 Edge is successfully that, making nearly each different telephone I’ve tried to select up since testing it really feel outdated.

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I am much less enthusiastic concerning 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 time solar begins to beat down extra usually.

It is unlucky as a result of the S25 Edge is a telephone that is destined to be nimble and carried round. As a substitute, I usually discover myself utilizing the telephone much less when outdoor.

Happily, each time I take advantage of the telephone, it operates with grace. I can not pinpoint one factor for the stable efficiency, so I will credit score the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, the smoother animations of One UI 7, and the 12 GB of RAM, which is enough for hybrid AI duties, cellular gaming, and loading varied social media feeds.

Simply this weekend, I used the Gemini Reside camera-sharing characteristic to inquire about the best way 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 way in which, and the S25 Edge dealt with all of it with out many hiccups. I did discover the again of the telephone, the place the processor is housed close to the digicam module, continuously getting heat to the contact.

That leads me to consider 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 subject one thing efficient for modern-day utilization. Any energy person can simply rile this gadget up.

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On the digicam entrance, the S25 Edge comes with a 200 MP wide-angle lens and a 12 MP ultra-wide. I used to be initially disenchanted 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. Normally, the 2x optical-level crop from the 200 MP (as long as you flip the decision on within the viewfinder) delivered simply the correct quantity of element, coloration copy, and vary that I wanted for something additional out.

Samsung says the 200 MP digicam on the S25 Edge is Extremely-level however not precisely the identical because the one discovered on the costlier flagship. That mentioned, I did not discover a dramatic distinction in picture and video high quality when evaluating the 2 telephones. The truth is, 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 largest query mark going into testing the S25 Edge, and actually for each different skinny telephone 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 telephone (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 overview unit constantly dropping to 10–20% energy by late afternoon. Coming from nearly every other telephone in 2025, the dip in endurance was instantly noticeable after I started utilizing the gadget again in Might.

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Even after it is gone by just a few cycles of studying my utilization patterns, and moments after I’d must 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 possible be for anybody else who’s usually away from an outlet or would not wish to carry a transportable battery all over the place 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 prepared to flex its ingenuity muscle mass and embed a silicon-carbon battery — well-liked amongst Asian smartphone producers for its elevated power density — it’s possible you’ll be one of many greatest telephones of 2025. As a substitute, it is a massive case of “what if,” with the largest winner being Samsung itself, which now will get to inform Apple that they made the ultra-thin telephone first. Take that for what you’ll.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

I will reiterate that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is that this near being my dream telephone, with the design and {hardware} being nearly nearly as good as one can hope for at $1,099. However the lackluster battery life is the ultra-thin telephone’s Achilles’ heel. Samsung ought to’ve been conscious of this draw back going into the manufacturing course of, and the clearest resolution (silicon-carbon batteries) has existed available on the market for at the very least the previous yr.

Because of this, you are a futuristic telephone that is held again by an old-school drawback.

After all, in the event 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 depend of the variety of iPhone customers who purchased into the thought of a skinny telephone simply seconds after I handed them the S25 Edge. However in order for you one thing safer, longer-lasting, and one way or the other extra succesful, think about the S25 Plus and you will not remorse it.

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This text was initially revealed on June 2, 2025, and was up to date on July 14, 2025.