I changed my Samsung S25 Extremely with the Edge mannequin for 2 weeks – here is my shopping for recommendation

The second I unboxed the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, I knew I used to be in hassle. Whereas I had already spent a couple of hours twiddling with the telephone a couple of weeks in the past, going by my on a regular basis routine with a tool that is considerably thinner and, extra importantly, lighter than every other telephone I’ve lately examined has been revolutionary.

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With the S25 Edge, it is the little issues: how the telephone’s lightness makes magnetic circumstances tougher to by accident detach from mounts, how rather more burdenless it feels to carry up a 6.8-inch display when my different hand is hanging on the subway railing, and the way the telephone hurts rather less once I drop it on my face in mattress.

If there’s one huge takeaway from testing the S25 Edge these previous two weeks, it is that skinny and lightweight telephones have spoiled me in each manner however one. Sadly for Samsung, that one disadvantage is sufficient to persuade any person to look elsewhere. Let me clarify.

Your first impression of the S25 Edge will doubtless be the identical as mine and the various others who expertise an ultra-thin telephone in 2025. It is an engineering marvel, with a light-weight (163 grams) construct encased in the identical titanium materials that retains the dearer S25 Extremely mannequin protected against bumps and scratches.

Additionally: Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge hands-on: This ultra-thin telephone made my iPhone really feel outdated

Whereas the 6.8-inch show shares the identical specs because the S25 Plus mannequin, the hand really feel is totally totally different. It virtually feels improper to not be burdened by holding a big-screen telephone, however that is the ultra-thin telephone expertise, and I’ve been bought on that facet since Day 1.

Samsung mentioned it pulled loads of design cues from its Z Fold line when designing the S25 Edge, and I imagine it. I’ve used each Samsung foldable telephone for the reason that first era in 2019, and have at all times questioned how good it will be to separate the foldable display in half however retain the slimness. The S25 Edge is successfully that, making virtually each different telephone I’ve tried to select up since testing it really feel outdated.

Additionally: I modified 12 settings on my Android telephone to dramatically enhance battery life

I am much less enthusiastic in regards to the lack of an anti-glare display, which is among the most underrated options on the S25 Extremely mannequin. Positive, the S25 Edge’s peak brightness of two,600 nits makes it simply usable in broad daylight, however the presence of glare and reflections is felt, particularly because the summer season solar begins to beat down extra typically. 

It is unlucky as a result of the S25 Edge is a telephone that is destined to be nimble and carried round. As an alternative, I typically discover myself utilizing the telephone much less when outside.

Thankfully, each time I take advantage of the telephone, it operates with grace. I am unable to pinpoint one factor for the strong efficiency, so I am going to credit score the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, the smoother animations of One UI 7, and the 12GB of RAM, which is ample for hybrid AI duties, cell gaming, and loading varied social media feeds.

Simply this weekend, I used the Gemini Reside camera-sharing characteristic to inquire about learn how to cope with a wall of poison ivy on my yard fence, whereas streaming Spotify to a Bluetooth speaker, and texting my spouse about dinner plans. This was all on LTE knowledge, by the best way, and the S25 Edge dealt with all of it with out many hiccups. I did discover the again of the telephone, the place the processor is housed close to the digital camera module, regularly getting heat to the contact.

That leads me to imagine that whereas Samsung put some effort into constructing a useful thermal cooling system within the S25 Edge, it nonetheless has too little actual property to area one thing efficient for modern-day utilization. Any energy person can simply rile this machine up.

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On the digital camera entrance, the S25 Edge comes with a 200MP wide-angle lens and a 12MP ultra-wide. I used to be initially dissatisfied that Samsung could not throw in a devoted telephoto lens — even the usual S25 mannequin has one — however in apply, I did not discover myself lacking the far-distance sensor. Generally, the 2x optical-level crop from the 200MP (as long as you flip the decision on within the viewfinder) delivered simply the correct quantity of element, colour copy, and vary that I wanted for something additional out.

Samsung says the 200MP digital camera on the S25 Edge is Extremely-level however not precisely the identical because the one discovered on the dearer flagship. That mentioned, I did not discover a dramatic distinction in picture and video high quality when evaluating the 2 telephones. Actually, there have been moments once I most popular the output from the S25 Edge, which does not oversaturate colours as a lot as I am used to from Samsung telephones. 

The most important query mark going into testing the S25 Edge, and actually for each different skinny telephone transferring ahead, is how its battery fares. From my two weeks of testing, the battery life on the S25 Edge is subpar, although that should not come as a shock to anybody. The writing was on the wall; it is a large-screen telephone (6.8-inch AMOLED) with a robust processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite) and a battery capability (3,900mAh) that is smaller than that of the smallest S25 mannequin (4,000mAh).

Suffice to say, the S25 Edge made battery anxiousness a factor for me once more, with my evaluation unit constantly dropping to 10-20% energy by late afternoon. Coming from nearly every other telephone in 2025, the dip in endurance was instantly noticeable once I first used the machine two weeks in the past. 

Additionally: One of the best flip telephones you should buy: Samsung, Motorola, and extra

Even after it is gone by a couple of cycles of studying my utilization patterns, and moments once I’d must nerf the settings to 60Hz refresh fee and activate power-saving mode, I am nonetheless nowhere close to all-day battery life. It is a deal-breaker for me, and can doubtless be for anybody else who’s typically away from an outlet or does not need to carry a transportable battery in all places they go. It does not assist that the S25 Edge caps out at 25W wired charging, falling in need of the 45W ranking on the S25 Plus.

Had Samsung been extra keen to flex its ingenuity muscle groups and embed a silicon-carbon battery — widespread amongst Asian smartphone producers for its elevated power density — it’s possible you’ll be one of many greatest telephones of 2025. As an alternative, this can be a huge case of “what if,” with the most important winner being Samsung itself, which now will get to inform Apple that they made the ultra-thin telephone first. Take that for what you’ll.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

I am going to reiterate that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is that this near being my dream telephone, with the design and {hardware} being virtually nearly as good as one can hope for at $1,099. However the lackluster battery life is the ultra-thin telephone’s Achilles’ Heel. Samsung ought to’ve been conscious of this draw back going into the manufacturing course of, and the clearest resolution (silicon-carbon batteries) has existed in the marketplace for a minimum of the previous 12 months.

Consequently, you are a futuristic telephone that is held again by an old-school downside. 

After all, for those who discover the below-average battery life to be a worthy trade-off for a light-weight but highly effective handset, then the S25 Edge is nearly as good because it will get proper now. I’ve misplaced rely of the variety of iPhone customers who purchased into the thought of a skinny telephone simply seconds after I handed them the S25 Edge. However if you’d like one thing safer, longer-lasting, and one way or the other extra succesful, contemplate the S25 Plus (discounted to $749 on the time of writing), and you will not remorse it.