As I maintain Samsung’s super-thin and lightweight Galaxy S25 Edge, the primary phrase that involves thoughts is “airy.” My subsequent thought is: If I have been the S25 Plus, I’d be apprehensive. In my early hands-on with the S25 Edge at a preview occasion in New York, I used to be struck by how a lot the brand new cellphone carries over from its S25 counterparts. It maintains the 200-megapixel huge digicam from the S25 Ultra, the 6.7-inch show from the S25 Plus and the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor you will discover throughout the opposite three S25 gadgets. But it does so inside a smooth, 5.8mm titanium body, clocking in at 163 grams. It appears like one thing I can throw in my bag or pocket and hardly discover.
This story is a part of Samsung Event, CNET’s assortment of reports, ideas and recommendation round Samsung’s hottest merchandise.
Watch this: Galaxy S25 Edge Hands-On: Samsung’s Super-Thin Phone Is Impressive
03:33 In truth, the S25 Edge strikes me as precisely what a middle-of-the-line flagship cellphone must be: a recent, elevated tackle the baseline mannequin, which pulls in premium options to justify its $1,100 value. The thrilling design, Ultra-level huge digicam and spacious show truly make this an attractive choice for anybody who needs one thing a little bit out of the odd.But that is to not say there are not any compromises in retailer, probably the most notable being the battery; extra on that later. Preorders for the Galaxy S25 Edge are open now, and the cellphone will arrive on May 30. It is available in three colours: silver, jet black and icy blue. The Galaxy S25 Edge is available in black, silver and blue. Carly Marsh/CNETWhat makes the S25 Edge stand outThe greatest query main as much as the discharge of the S25 Edge has been: Why would somebody need a thinner cellphone anyway? After spending a little bit time with the gadget, I started to see the enchantment. While the S25 Edge’s thickness will not be visually placing at first look, getting your arms on the cellphone is a distinct story. Comparing how the S25 Edge’s 5.8mm, 163g body feels to the S25 and S25 Plus, I registered simply how a lot thinner and lighter it truly is. For reference, the baseline S25 is 7.2mm thick and weighs 162g, however has a smaller 6.2-inch display. The S25 Plus has the identical 6.7-inch show because the Edge, however is 7.3mm thick and weighs 190g. It’s a noticeable distinction. The second of fact was making use of some pressure to the cellphone to see if it gave in any respect. Impressively, it felt fairly sturdy. (If not, I’d in all probability have gotten myself into some hassle with Samsung.) It touts a Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 show, together with a Gorilla Glass Victus 2 backing. My preliminary impression is that you simply should not have to fret about by accident turning the S25 Edge right into a foldable by conserving it in your again pocket, however that is definitely one thing I’ll have to check in my evaluate. The S25 Edge additionally maintains the identical IP68 ranking for mud and water resistance you will discover on the opposite S25 sequence telephones. The Galaxy S25 Edge (left) is noticeably thinner than the S25 Plus. Carly Marsh/CNETThe greatest trade-off, at the very least on paper, seems to be battery capability. The Galaxy S25 Edge’s 3,900 mAh battery pales compared to what you will get on the baseline S25 (4,000 mAh) and the S25 Plus (4,900 mAh). Samsung is not sharing what number of hours you will get out of the S25 Edge’s battery, apart from stating it’s going to final you all day. That’s one thing else I stay up for testing. The S25 Edge helps 25-watt wired charging and 15-watt wi-fi charging. With thinner telephones, digicam {hardware} will also be scaled again. But the S25 Edge boasts three cameras: a 200-megapixel huge, a 12-megapixel ultrawide and a 12-megapixel selfie digicam. Megapixels aren’t the whole lot, so I’m desperate to see how that every one interprets into real-world pictures. Samsung factors to Galaxy AI for serving to to spice up digicam high quality and for powering picture modifying options like Generative Edit. Like the S25 Plus, the S25 Edge has 12GB of RAM and 256GB and 512GB storage choices. It’ll price a little bit greater than the S25 Plus, although: $1,100 for 256GB and $1,220 for 512GB. But it is nonetheless priced decrease than the top-of-the-line $1,300 S25 Ultra. You’ll discover the identical Galaxy AI options Samsung has been touting on the remainder of its S25 telephones, like Sketch to Image and Audio Eraser. Gemini options are additionally onboard, like Gemini Live and Circle to Search. Other corporations may quickly comply with go well with and launch their very own super-thin telephones. Carly Marsh/CNETOn the sting of a brand new developmentThe launch of the Galaxy S25 Edge comes amid a thin-phone phenomenon. Earlier this 12 months, Oppo launched its super-thin Find N5 foldable, which it calls the “world’s thinnest book-style foldable,” measuring simply 8.93mm thick when closed and 4.21mm thick when opened. Apple can also be rumored to be growing a thinner “Air” model of the iPhone 17. And at MWC 2025, cellphone maker Tecno confirmed off its Spark Slim cellphone idea, which measures 5.75mm thick and weighs simply 146 grams, in response to the corporate.Depending on how customers reply, the S25 Edge could possibly be the cellphone to assist kickstart the skinny cellphone craze. If folks do not need to compromise an excessive amount of in the case of digicam, storage and battery — three of the largest concerns when shopping for a cellphone, in response to a CNET survey — they could possibly be inclined to pay up for a recent type issue. After all, telephones have turn into reasonably boring and predictable, other than a handful of foldable choices. The S25 Edge could possibly be a breath of recent air. I stay up for seeing how the S25 Edge holds up in the true world and whether or not it actually can keep its edge (I needed to do it). Galaxy S25 Edge vs. Galaxy S25 vs. Galaxy S25 Plus vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra Samsung Galaxy S25 EdgeSamsung Galaxy S25Samsung Galaxy S25 PlusSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Display dimension, tech, decision, refresh fee 6.7-inch AMOLED; 3,200×1,800 pixels; 120Hz refresh fee 6.2-inch AMOLED; 2,340×1,080 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate6.7-inch AMOLED; 3,120×1,440 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate6.8-inch AMOLED; 3,120×1,440 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh ratePixel density 548 ppi416 ppi509 ppi501 ppiDimensions (inches) 2.98 x 6.23 x 0.23 inches5.78 x 2.78 x 0.28 in.6.24 x 2.98 x 0.29 in.6.41 x 3.06 x 0.32 in.Dimensions (millimeters) 75.6 X 158.2 X 5.8mm146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2 mm158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2 mmWeight (grams, ounces) 163g (5.75 oz)162g (5.71 oz)190g (6.70 oz)218g (7.69 oz)Mobile software program Android 15Android 15Android 15Android 15Digicam 200-megapixel (huge), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)50-megapixel (huge), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto)50-megapixel (huge), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto)200-megapixel (huge), 50-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto), 50-megapixel (5x telephoto)Front-facing digicam 12-megapixel12-megapixel 12-megapixel 12-megapixel Video seize 8K8K8K8KProcessor Snapdragon 8 EliteQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for GalaxyQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for GalaxyQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for GalaxyRAM + storage 12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB12GB RAM + 128GB, 256GB12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB, 1TBExpandable storage NoNoneNoneNoneBattery 3,900 mAh4,000 mAh4,900 mAh5,000 mAhFingerprint sensor Under showUnder showUnder showUnder displayConnector USB-CUSB-CUSB-CUSB-CHeadphone jack NoneNoneNoneNoneSpecial options IP88 ranking, 5G, One UI 7, 25-watt wired charging, 15-watt wi-fi charging, Galaxy AI, Gemini, Circle to Search, Wi-Fi 7.2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and safety updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dirt resistance; wi-fi PowerShare to cost different gadgets; 25W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 72,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and safety updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dirt resistance; wi-fi PowerShare to cost different gadgets; 25W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7; ultrawidebandTitanium body, 2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and safety updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dirt resistance; wi-fi PowerShare to cost different gadgets; built-in S Pen; UWB for locating different gadgets; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7; Gorilla Glass Armor cowl glass; ultrawidebandUS value begins at $1,100$800 (128GB)$1,000 (256GB)$1,300 (256GB)UK value begins at TBA£799 (128GB)£999 (256GB)£1,249 (256GB)Australia value begins at TBAAU$1,399 (256GB)AU$1,699 (256GB)AU$2,149 (256GB)
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