I have been using Samsung’s category-defining Galaxy S25 Edge for the last three weeks and loving it. My biggest realization during that time is that liking this phone comes down to a simple question: “Do you know what you want?”
If you are looking for an ultra-thin, unbelievably light, high-performance smartphone with a full-day battery life and the latest AI experiences for typical productivity use, then the Galaxy S25 Edge is a perfect fit for you. However, if you’re an enthusiast who enjoys experimenting with the camera beyond simple point-and-shoot, or a power user seeking extreme battery life, then I suggest you try the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Check out our reviews of the Galaxy S25 Ultra and other devices here
Knowing what you want is key
The Galaxy S25 Edge was announced with great fanfare during this year’s first Galaxy Unpacked event in January 2025. It was officially launched on May 13 and started shipping on May 30, 2025. No question, it started the Ultra-Thin phone trend, which even Apple is rumored to follow soon. Chinese OEMs are already on this path. Since then, numerous reviews of the phone have been published and I have spoken with many owners as well. The feedback is generally good. When it’s not, it’s most likely a case of wrong or unreasonable expectations. We often forget – if you plant an orange tree, you get oranges, not mangoes!
Slimness for the eyes, lightness for the soul
My expression when I picked up the Galaxy S25 Edge for the first time was “Whoa! It’s incredibly light,” far exceeding my expectations. Unsurprisingly, that was also the reaction of many of my friends when they held my S25 Edge for the first time. Most are impressed by its thinness, but are blown away by the lightness. Someone actually asked me whether it is a real working phone!
The thinness serves not only for an attractive look but also has a lot of utility. It fits perfectly in any of my pockets, whether it’s a shirt or jeans, without protruding. The former is more popular in India & other Asian regions. The perfect fit reduces the risk of the phone falling out of your pocket and allows you to sit comfortably, even when it’s in the back pocket. The titanium frame makes it sturdy enough so that it doesn’t bend in your back pocket. The “Bendgate” of the iPhone 6 is still fresh in people’s minds. What is impressive is that the Galaxy S25 Edge offers all of this with a screen size comparable to that of the S25 Ultra (6.7 in vs 6.9 in).
I think more important than its thinness is its lightness, as putting a thick case would nullify the charm of the former. Lower weight, on the other hand, is very addictive and universally useful. For starters, the biggest complaint with today’s large and heavy phones is the difficulty in holding, because the phone’s center of gravity is toward the top. This makes phones unstable and prone to being dropped when held in one hand. Also, operating with one hand puts a lot of weight on the pinky. Galaxy S25Edge solves all these problems.
Even with a 6.7-inch display, it has a very comfortable single-handed hold. Folks with smaller hands will love this phone. Since you don’t have to hold the phone tightly, the maneuverability of your thumb is very high, especially compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Since S25 Edge has a slightly bulged camera protrusion, I was worried that it might make it top-heavy and unstable. But I didn’t feel that at all. However, I will once again bring up my pet peeve here—the phone’s body is very slippery. I don’t know why Samsung doesn’t make the sides with a textured finish. That would make it grip even better and the fear of dropping that much lower.
Battery and camera — Perfect for regular user, not for the power user
Phone design is a complex tradeoff between the battery size, battery life, sustained processor performance (and its heat dissipation), various functions, physical size, and most importantly, cost. It’s all physics and there is no free lunch. To achieve this phenomenal thinness and lightness, Samsung has made numerous optimizations and trade-offs. The question is whether those are reasonable for the target users.
In my experience, the battery life is adequate for a regular productivity user profile, which typically might include checking emails and updates throughout the day, a couple of video conferences (Teams/Zoom), five to ten short to medium voice calls, some web browsing and video consumption, as well as taking and sharing a few pictures. On most of my regular days, I had more than 10% battery still remaining at the end of the day. However, on busy days, when I was on travel, working primarily from my phone (no laptop), continuously using cellular connectivity, taking a lot of pictures, live tweeting, etc., ending up with a dead battery was a real worry. I had to charge at least once midday or at the end of the day.
So, the decision comes down to how many such “power user” days do you have in a week or a month and whether you are willing to trade the thinness and lightness for the inconvenience of charging and perhaps the anxiety of running out of juice.
Now, coming to the camera, the Galaxy S25 Edge takes beautiful pictures. It has the same 200MP sensor as in the Galaxy S25 Ultra. It has an inferior ultrawide lens (12 MP vs. 50 MP) and lacks the 3x and 5x telephoto lenses. You will most likely not notice a significant difference between S25 Edge and Ultra pictures during everyday use, such as taking family photos, portraits or selfies. However, you will see the difference, again, when you move toward the “power user” category. Last weekend, I was at my son’s amateur rocket launch event. Most of the pictures came out great. However, the zoomed shots of the rocket far up in the sky, as well as those taken in the evening with low light, were slightly grainy. Additionally, the S25 Edge takes longer to focus when taking close-ups. So, there is some trade-off and you have to decide whether that makes sense for you.
Evolution of the ultra-thin phone category
The Galaxy S25 Edge is launching a new device category, expanding the smartphone portfolio, which now ranges from ultra-thin and ultra-light to extra-large display foldables, to an extreme performance line-up. Most major OEMs have or are planning to have all these categories. It is encouraging that, if rumors are true, Apple will also soon have an ultra-thin iPhone Air and a foldable. Therefore, I am confident that the ultra-thin category will continue to evolve and remain a long-standing presence. At some point, it might replace and become the standard flagship offering (e.g., Galaxy S-series for Samsung).
There will be significant similarity and reuse of technology among all three, i.e., ultra-thin and ultra-light, foldable and performance. The overlap between ultra-thin and foldables will be even greater. Any technology that makes phones thinner and lighter will be highly relevant for foldables. As evident, there is a lot of commonality between S25 Edge and the newly announced ultra-thin and ultra-light foldable, Galaxy ZFold 7. I am currently testing that phone and look forward to sharing my review here very soon.
To further enhance its appeal, Samsung is also offering incredible discounts and trade-in deals. In summary, Galaxy S25 Edge is a perfect choice for you if you know what you want and understand the tradeoffs you are making. It is a good reminder that your best phone isn’t always the one that has the most of everything, but the one you enjoy using every day.
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