Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Review: All Premium Just Not Pro

Confession time: Do youreallyneed a “Pro” smartphone? Let’s be honest, sometimes that Ultra or Pro label is pure aspiration. We crave the best, plain and simple. Others genuinely require that next-level camera, the zoom that snags the impossible shot. But what about the rest of us? What if a company dared to build apremiumphone without all the “Pro” baggage? A phone that’s luxurious, powerful, but…different. What would we even call it? And more importantly, in a world obsessed with “more,” would anyone actually buy it? A high-end phone that dares to be… less?

Samsung’s playing a dangerous game, and I’m here for it. Remember the foldable frenzy? They’re at it again, launching the Galaxy S25 Edge a daring move that might just steal Apple’s thunder. This phone is ridiculously thin, light as a feather. I was floored when I unboxed it; it practically vanished in my hand. But here’s the rub: Samsung shaved weight by sacrificing battery and a camera. After weeks of use, I’m not convinced this ultra-svelte phone has a future without some serious rethinking.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Design: A lightweight marvel

• Dimensions – 158.2 x 75.6 x 5.8mm
• Weight – 163g
• Durability – IP68

Skepticism is fine. But the Galaxy S25 Edge? It’s an experience you can’t dismiss. The moment it’s in your hand, that’s when it hits you. I live in a world of folding screens, obsessively chasing that impossibly thin profile. So, 5.8mm? Child’s play. Especially when titans like the rumored Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold unfold to reveal a form factor even more elegantly svelte.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge (right) versus the thickest foldable, the OnePlus Open

I’ve been showcasing the Galaxy S25 Edge, and its most striking feature – its slim profile – is getting completely overlooked. Show it to someone, young or old, and the reaction is consistent: nothing. It’s as if they’re blind to its sleekness. Only when prompted, only whentoldit’s a slim phone, do they finally offer a tepid, “Oh, it is!” Where’s the awe? The appreciation for engineering marvel? Apparently, hiding in plain sight.

The shift is palpable. Initial indifference melts away the moment it lands in their hand, replaced by a surprised “Wow.” Suddenly, specs fade into the background; the featherlight feel takes center stage. Pixel devotees, iPhone loyalists, even those accustomed to budget handsets all are united in disbelief. Its almost ethereal lightness redefines their expectations.

The Galaxy S25 Edge? More like the Galaxy S25almost-Edge. The initial impression? Underwhelming. Sure, it’s light, a featherweight contender. But the promised “slim” profile? A mirage. For many, myself included, that first glimpse falls flat. Excitement? Nowhere to be found. The unveiling feels more like a polite introduction than a grand reveal.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge (right) versus an Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max (left)

To truly turn heads, the next generation of slim smartphones needs to shave down to 5mm or less. Forget incremental improvements; we’re talking about pushing the boundaries of visual appeal. Imagine a razor-thin profile accentuated by a subtly curved “edge” display – a seamless cascade of glass that melts into the frame. This isn’t just about thinness; it’s about crafting a sensory experience. Samsung’s current boxy, flat-edged aesthetic, while striking on the standard Galaxy S25, feels jarring on an “Edge” device. It’s time to rediscover the allure of flowing lines and embrace the elegance of curvature. Let the phone’s form be as captivating as its function.

The Galaxy S25 Edge could have been a rebel, a distinct outlier in the S25 family. Instead, it’s a near-identical twin, only thinner – a missed opportunity to truly turn heads.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge’s slim and light design offers an IP68 rating and wireless charging

Samsung’s new phone boasts a titanium-infused frame and damage-resistant glass, plus the expected IP68 dust and water resistance. Translation? It can probably survive a stint in your pocket. Just remember: while it can handle splashes, don’t push your luck with a full-on swim. Water damage voids the warranty, just like every other smartphone on the market.

Even within the tight confines of its design, Samsung has packed a surprising punch. Think dust-defying durability, a cooling vapour chamber, and the convenience of wireless charging. Photography gets serious with dual rear cameras, headlined by the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s formidable 200-megapixel sensor. Immersive sound pours from stereo speakers, security is seamlessly integrated with an in-display fingerprint reader, and all of this is powered by a surprisingly spacious 3,900mAh battery. It’s an impressive feat of engineering.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Display: Top notch

• Display size – 6.7-inch, 1,440 x 3,120 pixels
• Display type – AMOLED, LTPO, 1-120Hz
• Display protection – Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2

Feast your eyes on the Galaxy S25 Edge’s display – Samsung didn’t just deliver, they crafted a visual masterpiece. Razor-thin bezels, echoing its sibling the S25+, give way to a screen that blazes with vibrant clarity, whether you’re bathed in sunlight or nestled indoors. And seamlessly integrated beneath this brilliant surface? A fingerprint reader that unlocks your world with effortless speed and precision.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge has a gorgeous QHD+ Super AMOLED display with skinny borders

The display shines, punching through sunlight like a champ… mostly. There’s a quirk: push it hard outdoors, especially snapping photos, and the screen throws in the towel, dimming unexpectedly. It’s not a weakness of the vibrant AMOLED panel; it’s the heat. The phone simply gets too hot to handle prolonged sun exposure at full brightness.

The display holds its own for a while, but be prepared to squint – especially when you’re framing shots with the camera. Inside, though? Flawless visuals across the board. No complaints here. And, true to form, HDR10+ support means streaming content explodes with vibrant color and stunning clarity.

The adaptive 1-120Hz display sips power, a clever trade-off for all-day battery life. But the real magic? A blistering 480Hz touch sampling rate that transforms twitch-based FPS games into a hyper-responsive playground. Prepare for zero-lag domination.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Software: AI all the way!

• Android version – Android 15
• Software – One UI 7
• Software commitment – 7 years OS + 7 Years SMR

Stepping up from the Galaxy A26, the Galaxy S25 Edge feels like diving into liquid silk. One UI dances across the screen, its animations fluid and the responsiveness immediate. This isn’t just software; it’s a partnership, seamlessly intertwined with the raw power humming beneath the surface.

I like the AI-enhanced weather effects wallpapers (shown above is “cloudy”) on the Galaxy S25 Edge lock screen

Samsung is betting big on AI, weaving it into the very fabric of its devices in ways you won’t find anywhere else. Forget subtle tweaks – we’re talking Galaxy AI, a bespoke intelligence that plants flags where Google’s Pixel can only dream of reaching. Take Live Translate, for instance. Imagine effortlessly conversing with someone who speaks a different language, right within a phone call, hearing their words translated in real-time. Or picture your WhatsApp chats instantly morphing into your native tongue, with translated previews nestled beneath the original text. It’s more than just translation; it’s a bridge to global connection, powered by Samsung’s unique AI vision.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge’s Now Bar is both fun and intuitive

While Now Briefs might miss the mark, Samsung’s lockscreen Now Bar is a stroke of genius, echoing Apple’s Dynamic Island but with a uniquely Samsung twist. Imagine your lockscreen transformed into a dynamic hub, bubbling with live updates from your favorite apps: the timer ticking down, your music pulsing, Google Maps guiding your way. Dismiss alerts or take action without unlocking – pure convenience. Unlike Apple’s singular focus, Samsung’s Now Bar elegantly stacks notifications, offering a user-friendly experience even when your phone’s buzzing with activity. It’s a streamlined command center right at your fingertips.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Performance: A hot-headed performer

• Processor – Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite (for Galaxy), 4.47GHz, 3nm
• RAM – 12GB (LPDDR5X)
• Storage – 256GB (UFS 4.0)

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite reigns supreme in the Android arena, a performance titan… with a fiery temper. Past phone reviews have shown this chip gets hotter than a summer sidewalk under pressure. That’s why it’s impressive – and perhaps vital – that Samsung, defying physics with the Galaxy S25 Edge’s impossibly slim design, has somehow crammed in a vapor chamber cooling system.

That initial relief potential buyers might feel? Temper it. Our tests reveal a performance cliff. The 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress test tells the tale: after just six loops, the phone’s power plummeted by 25% and stubbornly stayed there until loop twenty. Despite its vapor chamber cooling, throttling is a reality. Don’t expect the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s full fury to be unleashed consistently.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge somehow manages to accommodate a vapour chamber cooling system in its slim design

During everyday use, the phone remained cool and comfortable to hold. Even when pushed to its limits with a graphically demanding title like Call of Duty Mobile on max settings, the performance held strong. After a solid thirty minutes of intense firefights, there wasn’t a hint of lag or thermal throttling.

This phone runs cool, except when the camera’s blazing. Day or night, fire up the camera app, and within minutes, the heat is on. The frame and back become uncomfortably hot to the touch. Surprisingly, even as the device temperature climbs, the Camera and Gallery apps soldier on, seemingly unfazed. Credit goes to the vapor chamber cooling, cleverly diffusing the heat. The phone channels “This is Fine” energy. However, let’s be real: after a certain point, it’s simply too hot to hold. In 2025, a premium phone shouldn’t feel like it’s about to cook an egg.

The Galaxy S25 Edge just blazed through our benchmark tests, landing exactly where we anticipated. See for yourself how it stacks up against the competition in the head-to-head comparison below.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Cameras: Premium, not Pro

• Primary camera – 200-megapixel, f/1.7, OIS
• Ultrawide camera – 12-megapixel, f/2.2, PDAF
• Selfie camera – 12-megapixel, f/2.2, PDAF

Could Motorola’s reborn Razr 60 Ultra, burdened by its folding form and wafer-thin design, possibly rival Samsung’s champion of sleekness, the (theoretical) Galaxy S25 Edge, in camera prowess? I pitted these two titans against each other. Feast your eyes on the embedded image gallery; a sneak peek at the potential photographic muscle of the unreleased S25 Edge.

It’s Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge versus Motorola’s Razr 60 Ultra

Borrowing the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s camera DNA, this phone promised photographic prowess. And mostly, it delivered. Colours burst with life, and dynamic range stretched beautifully from sun-drenched skies to shadowy corners, day or night. Zooming in didn’t mean losing detail; its lossless telephoto held its own. Pixel peepers rejoice! The sensor greedily gobbled up data, rendering images rich in detail at its default 12MP setting. While I yearned for a touch more sharpness, the results were undeniably impressive, rewarding curious eyes with treasures hidden within each shot.

A cropped collage of camera samples captured at 12-megapixels, 50-megapixels and 200-megapixels (L to R) (tap image to expand)

Unleash the megapixels! This phone lets you capture shots at 12MP, 50MP, or a staggering 200MP. I put them all to the test (check out the evidence above!). Just like the 2x zoom, the 50MP images leaned towards the softer side, while the 12MP and 200MP options delivered razor-sharp results.

Honestly, cranking it up to 200MP in standard mode feels like overkill for everyday use. We’re talking about hefty 32MB files! The exception? If you’re a photo editing ninja. Dive into Samsung’s Expert RAW mode (a separate download) and you can truly sculpt your images – but only if you know how to wrangle all that raw data. Casual shooters, stick to the lower resolutions; your storage will thank you.

Motorola’s Razr 50 Ultra (bottom) and Samsung’s Galaxy Edge 50 Ultra (top) go head-to-head in a battle of foldable titans. While the competition is fierce, the Razr 50 Ultra carves out its niche with noticeably sharper images and a vibrant, saturated color palette that often flirts with true-to-life accuracy. (Tap images to expand for a closer look).

The Galaxy S25 Edge: Stunning visuals, lightning speed… but missing that zoom? The telephoto lens, a staple in the Pro lineup, didn’t make the cut for the Edge. (Tap image to see what you’re missing).

That colossal 200MP sensor? A daytime champion. Bathed in sunlight, it delivers crisp, quality images. But once the clouds roll in, forget about that 2x zoom. Even a touch of overcast turns your shots into soft, detail-starved disappointments.

Motorola’s Razr 60 Ultra: 2X lossless zoom transforms everyday snapshots into bokeh-licious portraits. See the stunning detail for yourself. (Tap to zoom and drool).

The Galaxy S25 Edge’s low-light 2X captures are low on resolved detail (tap image to expand)

Daylight portraits on the Galaxy S25 Edge? Stunning. Low light? Not so much. The 2X zoom struggles, leaving images soft and details muddled. And that “edge” detection? Let’s just say your hair might end up mysteriously blurred with the background. (Tap to see the messy truth)

The Razr 60 Ultra’s ultrawide lens doesn’t quite reach the photographic heights of a Galaxy S25 Ultra. Its 12MP shots deliver decent results, but lack the intricate detail found in flagship rivals at this price. (See for yourself: Galaxy S25 Edge above, Razr 60 Ultra below – tap to zoom and compare).

Even in the shadows, Motorola’s Razr 60 Ultra (bottom) outshines, its crisp details a stark contrast to the Samsung’s (top) softer, almost dreamlike, low-light rendition. (Tap to reveal the full picture).

Galaxy S25 Edge selfie cam: Almost great, but not quite. Side-by-side with the Motorola Razr 60 Ultra, sharpness and detail fall just short. Judge for yourself. (Tap to zoom and compare!)

The Galaxy S25 Edge turns daylight into a filmmaker’s dream. HDR10+ and standard 4K footage burst with detail, flow with buttery smoothness, and hold rock-steady. But when the sun dips, its video prowess dims slightly. While not reaching iPhone levels, Samsung battles low-light noise with a heavy hand, sometimes sacrificing texture. The ultrawide lens tells a different story – steady shots, yes, but with a softer touch, especially when the lights go down.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Battery: Enough for a day

• Battery capacity – 3,900mAh, lithium-ion
• Wired charging – 25W
• Wireless charging – 15W
• Charger in the box – No

This impossibly thin Samsung smartphone defies expectations, squeezing a full day’s worth of power, even under duress. Push it hard, and it’ll keep up. But here’s the rub: that’sit. Power junkies and digital nomads craving multi-day freedom, beware. Samsung had a chance to truly revolutionize the battery game with cutting-edge silicon-carbon tech, but inexplicably, they played it safe. Despite this missed opportunity, the endurance achieved within such a sleek frame remains a genuine feat of engineering.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge’s slim design creates additional restrictions on charging speeds

The Galaxy S25 Edge may be slim, but its battery life is anything but. We put it through the wringer, first with a continuous HD video loop, and it soldiered on for a remarkable 16 hours and 25 minutes before finally calling it quits. Then, we unleashed PCMark’s gauntlet of real-world tasks. Even under that pressure, the Edge refused to back down, clocking an impressive 12 hours and 17 minutes. Not bad for a phone that practically disappears in your pocket.

The Galaxy S25 Edge, juiced up with a cutting-edge 100W GaN charger, clawed its way to 41% in 30 minutes. An hour later? 84%. The finish line – a full charge – arrived after a sluggish 1 hour and 29 minutes. In a market saturated with lightning-fast charging, the S25 Edge feels like it’s stuck in slow motion.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge didn’t steal my heart, but it sparked an unexpected admiration for the art of the slim smartphone. Samsung’s engineered a feat, pushing the boundaries of sleek design. Yet, the S25 Edge, priced at a hefty Rs. 1,09,999, faces an uphill battle. Its subtly slim form might not sway buyers already eyeing the Galaxy S25+ (Rs. 99,999 onwards) or the powerhouse S25 Ultra (Rs. 1,29,999 onwards). However, for the discerning few craving a premium, featherlight Android experience, the S25 Edge emerges as a compelling, almost solitary choice in a market yearning for slender sophistication.

Think clamshell foldable, but without the chunk. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge could tempt even the most loyal flip phone fans. While book-style foldables have made strides, the everyday clamshell remains a bulky compromise. Samsung’s Edge whispers promises of a thinner profile, feather-light feel, and resilience that laughs in the face of flimsy.

Samsung needs to unleash the “wow” again. To truly captivate the premium market, the next Edge needs to be more than just curved glass. Imagine this: an impossibly slim phone concealing Pro-level power. We’re talking about a cooler-running engine, a next-gen battery pushing capacity limits, and ultrawide/telephoto cameras that redefine mobile photography.

Or, perhaps Samsung should streamline its lineup. Ditch the Galaxy S25+, pour every ounce of its innovation into a single, stunningly sleek Edge, and deliver the future in the palm of your hand.

The Galaxy S25 Edge: Half an Ultra, All the Compromises? For the price, Samsung’s S25 Edge feels like a missed opportunity. Trapped between the flagship Ultra and the superior S25+, the Edge struggles to justify its existence. Is it worth paying almost Ultra-level money for a phone that’s outshone by its slightly beefier sibling? The S25+ one-ups the Edge in almost every department, sporting similar aesthetics with tangible performance benefits that make the added heft and thickness worthwhile. In a world of compromises, the S25 Edge asks you to compromise… a lot.

With Samsung’s innovation plateau and whispers of Apple’s impossibly thin iPhone 17 Air, brace yourselves: a swarm of ultra-slim smartphones from Chinese manufacturers is about to descend. The race for wafer-thin dominance is officially on.

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