Hands-On With the Ultra-Thin Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge

Samsung looks to trim some fat and return to an age when smartphones can be unapologetically thin again. That’s the Galaxy S25 Edge in a nutshell. Samsung’s latest premium device is the lightest it has made in years.

Samsung largely kept this phone under wraps since teasing it upon launching the Galaxy S25 Series of devices in January 2025. The only obvious point then was that it would be a thin device. Now that all’s been revealed, it’s clear the design is the primary focus.

A Slim Statement

Samsung is positioning the S25 Edge as a premium model between the Galaxy S25+ and S25 Ultra. Why it didn’t just launch the Edge instead of the S25+ is unclear, especially since it starts at $1,200 for the 256GB variant ($1,350 for the 512GB). Given that you can find the S25+ for under $1,000 — or even $900 — the price increase is even more noticeable, though it’s also unclear if tariffs have anything to do with it. The rest of the S25 series is manufactured in India, and it’s likely this one will be, too.

Holding the Galaxy S25 Edge, its lightweight build is obvious. Weighing in at 163 grams, it’s only one gram heavier than the Galaxy S25, the smallest of the series. This, despite using the same 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x screen as the S25+. One difference is that it features Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 protection, a new type of reinforced glass ceramic material not available on any of Samsung’s other devices. The back retains the same Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection seen in the rest of the S25 series.

The rest of the dimensions basically mirror the S25+, save for the thinner profile. By shaving it down from 7.3mm to 5.8mm, the S25 Edge cuts a slim figure, but the slightly raised camera bump adds a little extra. The 5.8mm metric is based on how deep the rest of the body is. Titanium edges help keep the weight down, this time taking cues from the S25 Ultra. The body also shares the same IP68 protection as the others.

Storage is the only real difference from a hardware perspective. Otherwise, it’s 12GB of RAM, along with the same Snapdragon 8 Elite processor under the hood. Functionally, you can expect the same biometrics, from facial recognition to the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. There is no S Pen support, unfortunately, so it falls more in line with the S25+ that way.

On the software side, nothing really changes, either. Samsung guarantees seven years of Android and security updates, aligning with the rest of the S25 lineup.

Cutting Things Down to Size

Making the S25 Edge requires sacrifice, and the most obvious is removing the telephoto lens. By going with a dual rear camera setup, this phone has more in common with affordable and mid-range models in that regard. To offset the loss, Samsung equips the Edge with the 200-megapixel main camera from the S25 Ultra and 12-megapixel ultra-wide from the S25+. The company figures that shooting at full resolution — or even 50 megapixels — delivers cropped photos good enough to make up for the lack of any optical zoom.

While I had hands-on time with the device in a studio space, there was nothing I could capture to test out the cameras. A full review will follow in PetaPixel to truly gauge output. As is, we can glean insight from what the other phones are capable of, so it’s not all that likely the S25 Edge will take better photos in comparison. You can shoot at 50-megapixels or pixel-binned 12-megapixels using the main sensor. Expert RAW is available, as are the additional modes in the camera app, so Samsung isn’t introducing anything new from that standpoint.

Not surprisingly, AI features figure more prominently here, albeit with nothing debuting on this device. Everything the other S25 models can do applies here, including the photo editing and generative AI content.

The other major cut stems from the battery. Where the S25+ and S25 Ultra have 4900mAh and 5000mAh batteries, respectively, the S25 Edge has a considerably smaller 3900mAh battery. That’s closer to the Galaxy Z Flip 6 (4000mAh), though without the unique split formation used to accommodate its flip design. I make the comparison because battery life isn’t great on that device, and since the Edge has a higher-resolution display, it will be interesting to see how it plays out here.

The phone still supports Qi2 wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, so nothing changes there. It does, however, max out at 25W wired charging, which is a downgrade from the 45W the rest of the lineup can handle.

Walking Along the Edge

The Galaxy S25 Edge comes in two colors: Titanium Jetblack and Titanium Silver. The finish on both is mostly matte but has enough of a sheen to make either one susceptible to fingerprints. Still, there’s a tasteful design here that gives this phone a distinct look.

What looms larger is who it’s ultimately for. Perhaps Samsung’s market research shows a demand for something thinner and lighter, except bringing it in this way adds some confusion to an already crowded situation. Where a Galaxy FE phone tends to cobble together components for a value alternative, the Edge is doing it for a premium. There are already three S25 flagship variants to begin with.

The last time Samsung used the “Edge” moniker for anything was when it introduced curved displays a decade ago. Those are no longer in vogue, and phones have only gotten thicker since then because tougher glass, better image sensors, lenses, bigger batteries, and more sophisticated internals necessitate it.

It remains to be seen if this is starting a trend of “thin and light” phones standing out as a sub-category. Certain models from overseas brands are also testing out the same concept, like the Techno Spark Slim I saw at Mobile World Congress, which measured an even thinner 5.75mm. What impressed me most was it managed to squeeze in a 5200mAh battery with 45W charging into the smaller frame — while using the same size screen. Meanwhile, Realme has a prototype phone measuring 8.5mm thin with a massive 10000mAh battery inside. They remain concepts for now, but that could change in time.

Proper testing will also indicate how the S25 Edge’s thinner body handles heat and cooling. Running a high-end chipset like the Snapdragon 8 Elite draws power, and it has been known to run warmer than previous chips. My hands-on time didn’t include serious testing that way, as no third-party apps were installed.

Pricing and Availability

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is available to preorder now and will be available on May 30. The smartphone starts at $1,099 for the 256GB version. There is also an additional color in the U.S. market: Titanium IcyBlue.

Image credits: Photos by Ted Kritsonis