Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: A slimmer future for the Galaxy series?
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, the razer thin phone with a flagship price tag. Picture: Noel Campion.
Samsung’s Galaxy S line has long been about balancing cutting-edge innovation with broad appeal, and now, there's a new twist. Enter the Galaxy S25 Edge, a phone that aims to reduce both weight and thickness without compromising its flagship identity. It's thinner than ever before, just 5.8mm, but does this sleek new shape come with too many trade-offs?
The S25 series is all about top specs, but the S25 Edge is more about the form factor. At 5.8mm thin and weighing 163g, it feels almost impossibly light for a device with a 6.7-inch screen. You really have to hold it to appreciate its diminutive form, which is one of the most pocket-friendly flagships — a rarity in today’s world of heavy, camera-laden devices. That said, the camera bump appears more substantial than others due to the thinness of the rest of the body.
Samsung uses Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the back and wraps it in a sharp-edged titanium frame, giving the phone a sturdy, premium feel despite its ultra-slim profile. The glass and metal construction doesn’t just look good, it feels well-balanced in hand, too. It's also IP68 certified, providing proper protection against water and dust.
However, there’s a practical trade-off here: thin phones mean less internal space, and that inevitably leads to compromises.
Samsung rarely misses when it comes to screens, and the S25 Edge is no exception. The 6.7-inch QHD+ OLED panel offers sharp detail, vibrant colours, and support for HDR10+ (though still no Dolby Vision).
The bezels are minimal, and the phone uses a new Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 to protect the display. This is also an LTPO panel, meaning it can dynamically scale from 120Hz all the way down to 1Hz depending on what you’re doing, which helps conserve power.
Maximum brightness is excellent, but not class-leading, with a peak brightness of 2,600 nits, but I found it highly visible even under direct sunlight.
If you’re a media lover or binge-watch YouTube and Netflix, this display won’t disappoint.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 for Galaxy powers the S25 Edge, just like its S25 and S25 Ultra siblings. This is an overclocked chip that performs brilliantly in short bursts, handling every task I threw at it, including gaming, multitasking, and AI features, with no stutters or hiccups.
That said, the thermal management isn’t great. The ultra-thin design appears to restrict heat dissipation, and during longer gaming sessions or stress tests, performance throttling occurs quickly. Casual users may not notice this much, but power users should be aware of it.
The S25 Edge runs One UI 7 over Android 15, with Samsung’s full suite of Galaxy AI tools onboard. A neat new addition is the visual AI engine, point your camera at an object, ask a question, and it responds in real-time. It’s smart, intuitive, and hints at where on-device AI is heading.
Samsung also promises a generous seven years of OS and security updates, matching Google’s Pixel line and giving this phone real longevity.
The under-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner is stunningly fast and reliable, and a noticeable leap forward from optical readers. Storage options are 256GB or 512GB, but there’s no microSD expansion, which is a surprise for a modern flagship.
The stereo speakers are decent but not outstanding, which isn’t surprising given the thin chassis required to house them. They’re noticeably quieter and deliver less bass compared to the S25 Ultra, making it clear that the slimmer profile has had an impact. They’re perfectly fine for podcasts and casual YouTube viewing.
The most significant sacrifice comes in the form of battery size. At 3,900mAh, the cell is considerably smaller than the S25+ (4,900mAh), and unsurprisingly, it affects real-world usage.
Charging is capped at 25W for wired connections, with 15W wireless charging also supported. As is common these days, there’s no charger included in the box. A full charge takes just over an hour, which is not the slowest, but considering the battery size, I had hoped for faster refuelling. That said, I was able to get a full day's use on a single charge, although heavier use may require a top-up before bedtime.
The 200MP main sensor, shared with the S25 Ultra, captures excellent daylight shots that are full of detail, great dynamic range, and natural colours. Portraits look great, and the 2x digital crop yields decent pseudo-telephoto results, although it's worth noting that there is no dedicated zoom lens.
Low-light performance without night mode is mediocre. Shots tend to be soft and noisy, and highlights sometimes blow out. Enabling night mode significantly improves the image quality, boosting sharpness, reducing noise, and enhancing contrast.
The ultrawide camera performs well in daylight and features autofocus, making it versatile for both close-ups and group shots. Night performance also benefits from the night mode, though don’t expect miracles.
Selfies taken with the 12MP front camera (the same as other S25 models) are excellent, offering sharp, natural-looking images with a great dynamic range. It also shoots 4K video, just like the ultrawide, while the main sensor can capture up to 8K footage.
Video stabilisation is fantastic, and low-light video from the main cam is surprisingly clean, with rich contrast and well-preserved details.
The Galaxy S25 Edge is a design-first flagship that impresses with its feather-light build and slim frame. It retains core Samsung strengths, display, main camera, and software, but compromises on thermal performance, battery life, and zoom capabilities. If style and slimness matter most to you, it’s a winner. Otherwise, the S25+ is the safer bet.
From €1,270 Samsung
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