I finally used Samsung's thinnest-ever Galaxy phone – is the S25 Edge worth the money?

Thin form, big impression: Samsung's Galaxy S25 Edge is a stunner

It was back in January at Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event when that 'one more thing' moment dropped, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge was revealed, and everyone lost their minds over Samsung's thinnest-ever phone.

Well, now the Galaxy S25 Edge is actually launching to the world – not only Korea, as was rumoured – and I got to experience using the 5.8mm-thin device prior to its 30 May on-sale date.

First impressions are that it's a technological marvel – one of those rare "ooh" moments when you first get hands on it. And, no doubt, a handset that's gunning to be one of the best Android phones this year, too.

But that's also the thing: Samsung has released plenty of phones in 2025 already, with the Galaxy S25 Ultra being its flagship champion. The Galaxy S25 Edge sits below that, with an asking price to just about reflect it, but with such volumes of S25 models, is the ultra-thin S25 Edge the one to want?

In some ways, yes, in others, no. Here are five key points about the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge based on my brief time using the handset and why, for some, it'll be well worth its asking price.

Thinnest-ever design

My lead image in this piece doesn't really emphasise just how slim the S25 Edge is, hence the 'less than a finger's width' shot, above. A millimetre here or there doesn't necessarily make a phone feel ultra-trim, but the Edge really does.

The moment I plucked the phone from its stand at the preview event at Samsung's Kx in London, it just felt different. That slender build also means a low weight, at 163g, which combines for this floaty feeling when holding the handset.

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Not that I've struggled to hold the best flagship phones of recent times, mind. It's hardly like doing arm curls. But this is the S25 Edge's key point of differentiation – and it really helps it to stand apart in a world of otherwise similar phones on the market.

I don't doubt that some will stress test, prod and pull the phone to see if it's sturdy enough. I didn't have any problems in feeling it 'flex', with the titanium frame deployed here ensuring ample toughness.

It's also worth pointing out here that the S25 Edge might be Samsung's thinnest-ever phone, but it's not the thinnest phone ever. I remember going to Oppo's headquarters to see the R5, over a decade ago, which measures just 4.85mm across – but which ultimately flopped due to limited performance and battery life.

Delightful display

The other immediate take-away of handling the Galaxy S25 Edge is how prominent and lush its 6.7-inch display appears. Its 6.7-inches across, with all the latest mod cons, from 120Hz refresh to HDR10+ high dynamic range support.

It's also got a 91.2% screen-to-body ratio, meaning that edge bezel is as trim as you'll find in other S25 handsets. It means the focus is firmly on the display itself. And having come from the mid-range Google Pixel 9a, the Samsung's AMOLED display (at 2600 nits peak) is far brighter and more eye-catching.

There's another part to the toughness story here, too, as the S25 Edge is the first device to feature Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2. This is the toughest resistive glass you'll find on any phone, designed to avoid cracks upon drop impact. It was co-developed with Samsung and is another important part of the Edge story.

I like that this is a 6.7-inch device, too. That marks it as a little smaller than the 6.9-inch diagonal of the S25 Ultra model, giving the two handsets clear enough distinction – despite both using a 19.5:9 aspect ratio.

Promising battery life?

I've already highlighted above that previous slender phones, such as the Oppo R5, have raised questions about battery life longevity. True enough, it's the one big question that I have regarding the Galaxy S25 Edge, too, as I've not used the handset long enough to know how it'll last just yet.

The facts are it has a 3,786mAh battery capacity, so it's far lower than the 4,855mAh cell you'll find in the S25 Ultra. Will that translate into a quarter less usage time per charge? Supposedly not, according to Samsung, "owed to additional optimisation".

In part, that's going to be down to the hardware setup. The S25 Edge appears to run the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite as a 7-core version, not the typical 8-core one. It's not a would-be step down 'S' variant, though, which is rumoured to also be in the works.

That's still a great chip, though, one which I've already experienced in the context of the Oppo Find N5 foldable – also a thin handset that balanced its design and power ratio nicely. Samsung, plus its One UI interface, has the expertise to bring that balance in the Galaxy S25 Edge, so I'm not anticipating compromise for the sake of slenderness.

Capable cameras

The Galaxy S25 series has a trio of cameras that's become visually iconic. The S25 Edge does away with that, paring back to just a duo – and it's a pair that don't protrude too much from the phone's rear.

This is no Google Pixel 9A 'almost flush' design, though, as the S25 Edge's cameras do pertain to the device's overall thickness by popping away from the back in their little island design.

I think it makes sense though: the main is a 200-megapixel offering, just as you'll find in the Ultra, making statement that this is still a flagship handset. That's paired with a wide-angle, at 12MP, which offers macro close-up and autofocus too.

What the S25 Edge doesn't offer, of course, is proper optical zoom. There's no periscope lens here, so no telephoto, but that's all in the balance of keeping the handset's scale down. Digital zoom works nicely, though, and the app doesn't do away with any of the AI-optimised features that are part and parcel of the flagship Galaxy range.

A price that surprises

So just how much will the Galaxy S25 Edge cost? The 256GB model will go on sale at £1,099. It's the same figure in USD, too, at $1,099. Euro pricing is set at €1,249. You can pre-order today direct from Samsung.

Jump up to the 512GB model and that price increases to £1,199 / $1,219 / €1,369. There's no free capacity upgrade for pre-order customers, as was the case with the S25 Ultra direct from Samsung, but I don't think many will need that much on-board space.

There is the context to consider here, of course. As, while the S25 Ultra was £1,249/$1,199 at launch just three-or-so months ago, that's now dropped to levels that, from many sources, will undercut the Edge. Which will pose a bit of a question mark for some prospective buyers.

These are very different phones, though. The S25 Edge is all about being the thinnest and lightest. The S25 Ultra is larger, with more battery, zoom cameras, potentially more RAM and power, plus that S Pen stylus.

In some respects, I feel as though the Edge should replace Samsung's S25 Plus in the range, more akin to a 'Pro' model, leaving the base S25 to be considered a 'Mini', with the 'Ultra' remaining top of the stack.

From what I've seen so far, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge represents the company's smartphone future. It's a technological marvel that, for some, will be worth every penny of its asking price. After all, you're buying into a piece of the future, only now.