Extra than simply tremendous skinny

After I first heard Samsung was bringing again the Edge title as a brand new super-thin member of the S25 household, all I may suppose was: Why? Actually, I assumed cellphone makers had gotten over their starvation for thinness practically a decade in the past. The hunt to shave millimeters off gadgets resulted in worse battery life, additional warmth and extra restricted options. So what provides?

On a sure stage, similar to trend, older traits can over time turn out to be contemporary and trendy once more. Moreover, after telephones made the transition to 5G — which required additional energy, extra complicated modems and bigger antennas — fashionable elements have began shrinking once more, primarily paving the way in which for the return of slimmer handsets. However then it hit me. Whereas thinness often is the most hanging factor concerning the Galaxy S25 Edge, that is not sufficient to justify the creation of a complete new system. As a substitute, I imagine this cellphone is part of a bigger mission by Samsung to make the center youngster of its flagship cellular lineup a extra interesting member of the household. And when considered in that mild, I really suppose it is largely a hit.

Design

Billy Steele for Engadget

Whereas it suffers from a smaller battery and no telephoto lens, the S25 Edge is greater than only a tremendous glossy cellphone designed purely for excessive thinness.

Execs

• Smooth design
• Titanium body
• Massive 200MP foremost cam
• Vibrant OLED show

Cons

• Smallest battery on any S25 cellphone
• No telephoto lens
• Mediocre wired charging pace
• Not totally Qi2 appropriate

$1,100 at Samsung

Now do not get me unsuitable, regardless of my gripes about how thinner telephones are much less sensible, the S25 Edge is fantastically designed. At simply 5.8mm thick (0.23 inches), it feels impossibly glossy. What may be much more spectacular is that Samsung hasn’t sacrificed sturdiness to get right here both. Similar to the S25 Ultra, the Edge encompasses a titanium body, an IP68 score for mud and water resistance and a good stronger Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 panel protecting its show. The one distinction is that the Edge’s display screen has a shiny end as an alternative of matte like on the Extremely as a result of — and I child you not — Samsung says an anti-reflective coating would have elevated its thickness. Kudos to sticking to a strict design philosophy, as a result of when it comes to sheer really feel and aesthetics, S25 Edge is undeniably enchanting.

Nevertheless, whereas the S25 Edge shares some traits with the Extremely, like its body and foremost digital camera, at the least relating to its general dimension, it is actually extra of a refreshed tackle the S25+. It has the identical 6.7-inch OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh fee that is simply as vibrant and splendidly colourful as earlier than. Though it does weigh a bit much less at 163 grams or 5.75 ounces versus the S25+ (190g or 6.7 oz).

Efficiency

Like the remainder of the S25 household, the Edge is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip with 12GB of RAM and both 256GB or 512GB of storage. Regardless of the compact dimensions, Samsung nonetheless discovered room to squeeze a vapor chamber inside to stop throttling and overheating. So even when pushed, the again of the cellphone not often acquired greater than lukewarm whereas delivering robust efficiency as I used to be gaming, multitasking or doing just about anything you may consider.

Cameras

The opposite main departure from the S25+’s primary template is that the Edge options the 200MP foremost sensor from the Extremely, together with a 12MP ultra-wide cam. However there is not any devoted zoom. Now at first, I used to be a bit upset as a result of I believe any cellphone this costly ought to have a telephoto lens. That stated, the huge quantity of pixels the Edge’s major sensor can seize means you have got fairly a little bit of freedom to crop in with out degrading picture high quality. You simply want to recollect to inform the digital camera to shoot in full 200MP mode as an alternative of the usual 12MP setting. One different small change is that Edge encompasses a barely wider-angle 12MP selfie cam than the S25+ and Extremely, which lets you match extra individuals in group pictures, however that is actually the primary distinction.

Typically use, the S25 Edge takes nice pics. Colours are wealthy and particulars are crisp, although you continue to get Samsung’s barely oversaturated hues and hotter tones. The identical goes for low-light pictures. For this assessment, as an alternative of evaluating it to a Pixel or iPhone, I pitted the Edge towards the Motorola Razr Extremely. I really feel like each try to woo individuals who need a glossy and trendy system, however they’re doing it in very other ways.

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Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs Moto Razr Extremely digital camera comparisons

In a shot of some roses, the Razr Extremely struggled with focus and coloration saturation.

What instantly jumped out is that foldable telephones (at the least the Razr) nonetheless lag behind extra conventional glass bricks, even ones as skinny because the Edge. In practically each shot, Samsung’s handset produced brighter, sharper and better-exposed photos than Motorola’s. So should you’re the sort of one that needs a compact cellphone without having to sacrifice picture high quality, the S25 Edge is a stronger decide.

Battery life

The largest trade-off when making a cellphone this skinny is having much less room for its battery. As such, the S25 Edge has the smallest energy pack within the household at 3,900 mAh, which is 100mAh lower than what’s in a base S25. This led to a time of simply 25 hours and 59 minutes on our native video rundown take a look at. That is not horrible, however it’s three and a half hours lower than what we acquired from the S25 Extremely (29:27) and two hours worse than a typical S25. For many who care lots about longevity, you have got been warned.

Fortunately, the S25 Edge nonetheless has assist for wi-fi charging at an appropriate 15 watts, although its wired speeds are simply common at 25 watts. Nevertheless, because the cellphone is merely “Qi2 ready,” anybody who needs to make use of appropriate magnetic wi-fi equipment might want to purchase a case or an adhesive mount with a built-in magnet, as a result of there is not one contained in the cellphone itself.

Wrap-up

The S25 Edge is a divisive cellphone. I nonetheless do not totally grasp the need to make fashionable telephones thinner than they already are. Notably should you’re like most folk and also you throw the factor in a case as quickly as you get it (even when accounting for Samsung’s new super slim option). Shaving off an additional 1.5mm over the usual S25 does not actually make a tangible distinction in how you employ it, except you take into account the cellphone’s lowered battery life an excellent factor.

However as an alternative choice to the humdrum S25+, all of the sudden issues get much more fascinating. Samsung’s earlier center youngster prices considerably greater than a base S25, nevertheless it does not have the flamboyant options like a brilliant high-res foremost digital camera or a titanium body such as you get on the S25 Extremely. Actually, the S25+’s most engaging function is a nicely-sized 6.7-inch display screen.

Now here is the place the Galaxy S25 Edge is available in. It has all of these issues alongside a brilliant skinny and splendidly crafted chassis for a similar $1,100 beginning worth because the S25+. Sure, Samsung sacrificed some battery capability and the cellphone’s devoted zoom to get right here, however these aren’t straight-up dealbreakers. That is as a result of with the Edge, the brand new in-between member of Samsung’s flagship cellular household is extra than simply skinny — it has a trendy id that may stand by itself.