The Galaxy S25 Edge should worry Apple: Samsung’s ultra-slim flagship is undeniably seductive
Samsung has slimmed the S25 Edge down to 5.8mm, and it feels like a win. Now, Apple simply has to respond, but is it up to the task?
We may earn a commission if you make a purchase from the links on this page.
If the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is Samsung’s ultimate flagship, the S25 is the compact, accessible option for most people, and the S25 Plus is a good balance between the two… where does that leave the newly announced Galaxy S25 Edge?
Samsung seems to believe there is a place for a fourth model this year – one that dials the style aspect to the max, without compromising severely with the hardware capabilities. Not that the mainstream S25 and S25 Plus aren’t elegant phones, quite the opposite. But the S25 Edge takes things way further, to the point that reminds us of phones we had 10 years ago, like the iPhone 6 or the Galaxy S6.
Back then, light, slim and elegant was the name of the game for smartphone design – a bit of a contrast with today’s more utilitarian approach which prioritizes complex hardware components like bulky camera modules, chipset heat sinks and bigger batteries.
But we may be on the brink of a new era, now that Samsung has officially launched the radically slim S25 Edge and Apple is rumored to be working on an iPhone Slim or Air model (where is it, Apple?).
Super-slim design: yes, it’s fabulous
Earlier, I mentioned the iPhone 6 and the Galaxy S6 as prime examples of the era in smartphone design when both Apple and Samsung prioritized a thin and light form-factor. However, we have to remember that the iPhone 6 was 6.9mm thin, and the Galaxy S6 was 6.8mm thin.
That begs the question: how thin is the Galaxy S25 Edge, and the answer is: just 5.8mm. It turns out, this is a radically slim phone! Not only that, but it weighs only 163 grams, which is about the same as the weight of the Galaxy S25. The thing to keep in mind here is that the base S25 has a screen of 6.2”, while the Edge comes with a 6.7” one, so this thing is meant to be used for more than calls and messaging.
Considering the sizable display and how it’s coupled with a super-slim profile, I found the Galaxy S25 Edge to have quite the futuristic look and feel. Samsung has prepared three stylish color options: silver, black, or icy blue. All look quite good in person. The difference between the silver and the icy blue one isn’t substantial – they are like different nuances of the same thing.
Performance & battery: nothing to worry about (too much)
Under the hood, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, and while it won’t be as unrestricted as on the S25 Ultra, due to lack of space for a more efficient cooling solution, I’m confident there won’t be any throttling in day-to-day situations. However, I’m also confident that scenarios such as longer gaming sessions, especially if you’re playing something more demanding like Call of Duty, will lead to at least some degree of thermal throttling. How significant this will be, remains to be seen.
The battery inside the S25 Edge is a humble, 3900 mAh one. Samsung is reassuring us this will still be enough for a full day of battery life, and this is probably true. However, no two ways about it – a smaller battery is a smaller battery, and Samsung itself is measuring video playback time with the S25 Edge at about 24 hours. For the regular S25, this figure stands at 29 hours, and for the S25 Plus, it’s up to 30 hours.
This is the biggest compromise
OK, so far so good – not too many compromises seem to have been done in the quest to slim the phone down. However, there is a big one once we get to the camera: there is no telephoto.
Where is the iPhone Air?
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is a fresh take on the modern flagship formula – one that suggests the balance could be tilted a bit more towards style and elegance.
I have nothing against it. For a while, manufacturers were forced to make phones thicker and heavier, in order to accommodate all the advanced features consumers wanted. But now, certain technologies seem to have evolved to the point where we can once again have seductively slim flagships that are still sufficiently powerful.
This could be one of the major trends in phone design throughout 2025 and 2026, with Apple also expected to be gearing for a similar release. Having played with the S25 Edge, I really think there’s something to this new form-factor. And it makes me kind of worried about Apple – when is its iPhone Slim/Air model going to launch? September? October? This will give Samsung a head start of 3–4 months on the market, which is a big deal, and once again shows that Samsung isn’t afraid to lead the way.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: