Slim Is in Style Again? Samsung Unveils the Galaxy S25 Edge

It's been a long journey from the rumors late last year and the teaser at Samsung Unpacked early this year, but the Galaxy S25 Edge is finally official. This confirms many of the rumored specs, and most importantly, confirms that the phone is just 5.8mm thick. That's something we haven't seen in an Android phone in a long time, let alone a flagship.

Now that the device is here, the question is, does a slim device have a place in today's smartphone scene, considering the tradeoffs that need to be made? Let's break it down and see about that.

The Galaxy S25 Edge Makes Only a Few Tradeoffs to Be Razor Thin

I'm a power user. The idea of a phone that intentionally makes major tradeoffs to be aesthetically pleasing isn't my kind of device. That's exactly what the S25 Edge is, but quite surprisingly, it manages to lose fewer perks than I'd expect. Let's talk about what it offers, in case you're on the fence about getting one.

The Design

The S25 Edge's design is arguably its most important aspect. The first thing you'll notice when you look at it is how thin it is—only 5.8mm. The last Android device that thin was launched in 2018. It manages to pair that with a light weight of 163g, which you'll essentially never see for a device with a 6.7-inch display.

The device has flat titanium rails, marking the first time Samsung has used the material outside of its S Ultra devices. That explains the names of the colorways: Titanium Icyblue, Titanium Jetblack, and Titanium Silver. The back panel, covered by Gorilla Glass Victus 2, is flat, for the most part. The camera bump is quite large, probably adding about 50% to the phone's thickness, but that isn't included in official measurements.

The Screen

If you have to compare the S25 Edge to any existing Samsung phone, the S25+ might be the most straightforward one. The two devices essentially have the same footprint—just like the Plus model, you get a screen that has:

• 6.7-inch diagonal
• AMOLED technology
• QHD+ resolution (1440 x 3120)
• 120Hz LTPO
• HDR10+ certification

Notably, the screen is protected with Corning's brand-new Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2, currently available on no other device. Corning says it is 10x stronger than regular aluminosilicate glass. Even though the device is thin and light, it seems to be built tough.

The Hardware

One aspect of the Galaxy S25 Edge that is very impressive is its internal hardware. Most important is the fact that you get a Snapdragon 8 Elite, the flagship chip of the moment. I do have concerns about thermal management with how slim the device is (and how powerful the chip is). Qualcomm's chip comes paired with 12GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage.

Other aspects of the hardware spec sheet are top-end. You get Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, USB Type-C 3.2, and an ultrasonic fingerprint reader under the display.

The Battery and Charging

The battery is the first and most obvious trade-off that the Galaxy S25 Edge makes. Despite a 6.7-inch footprint, it only manages a 3,900mAh battery—smaller than what the 6.2-inch Galaxy S25 has inside. That's a consequence of its thinness and reduced internal volume, but perhaps it would have been the best time for Samsung to embrace new battery technology.

Samsung is still up to its usual standards on the charging front. You get 25W wired charging and 15W wireless charging, the same setup most Samsung phones have.

The Cameras

If cameras are the most important part of a phone to you, then the S25 Edge makes another tradeoff here, getting rid of one thing but pushing up another. There are only two cameras on the back of this phone, and that's an upgraded 200MP main and the same old ultrawide. The telephoto is dropped because of space constraints. On the front is an unsurprising 12MP selfie snapper.

The Pricing and Availability

If you're fine with a small battery and you've never needed a telephoto camera, the S25 Edge might be fine for you. However, it costs more than the similar S25+, at $1,099 for the 256GB version and $1,199 for the 512GB model. The phone is available for pre-order starting today, though Samsung is currently offering the 512GB model at the same price as the 256GB option.

Oh, and if you live in the UK or the US and have a Galaxy S25 phone, you can join the New Galaxy Club program.

• In the US, it operates as a subscription. Pay $8.33/month for your S25 Edge, and after 12 months, you will get an offer of 50% of the price of your device as a credit towards your next Samsung device. You also get a free year of Samsung Care+.
• In the UK, it works more like a zero-interest loan over 24 months, only making a 10% down payment. If you're one of the first 2,500 people to sign up, you will get a £100 Klarna voucher. And most importantly, after a year, you can get 50% of the phone's original price back towards an upgrade.