Galaxy S25 Edge: The thinnest Samsung smartphone to date
With the Galaxy S25 Edge, Samsung presents a new member of its high-end series. It still has to prove its suitability for everyday use.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
(Image: heise online / sht)
Thinner is better – Samsung has applied this motto to the new Galaxy S25 Edge. The fourth model in the high-end series is significantly slimmer and lighter than its brothers at 5.8 millimeters in height, not counting the camera hump. However, you have to make concessions elsewhere.
Although 5.8 millimetres is not a new record for flat smartphones, the Motorola Moto Z from 2016 was already thinner at 5.1 millimetres, and the Oppo Find N5 is even a little slimmer. Nevertheless, the Galaxy S25 Egde looks impressively thin and elegant the first time you try it out. The slim shape is also accompanied by a low weight: with a 6.7-inch screen diagonal, the rather large smartphone weighs just 162 grams. By comparison, a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra or a Google Pixel 9 Pro are around 60 grams heavier. You notice this in your hand and in your pocket.
At its core, the Edge is largely technically identical to its brothers. A slightly higher clocked Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite with 12 GB of RAM provides plenty of power. Internally, there is 256 or 512 GB of storage space without the option to expand. The 120 Hz OLED screen has a resolution of up to 3120 x 1440 pixels, although it is preset to a battery-saving 2340 x 1080 pixels. Android 15 and One UI 7 are pre-installed with all the familiar AI and additional functions. Even the 200-megapixel main camera of the S25 Ultra still fits in.
Where the red pencil swings
When it comes to the camera, however, the tributes to the particularly flat housing begin. In addition to the main camera, there was only room for an ultra-wide-angle lens with a 12-megapixel sensor; the Galaxy S25 Edge does not have a telephoto lens. The main camera with its high-resolution sensor is therefore responsible for zoom, which at least allows some scope for cropping. The selfie cam with 12 megapixels rounds off the camera offering.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Hands-on (14 Bilder)
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Hands-on 1
heise online / sht
)Another consequence of the thin casing is a weaker battery. The Galaxy S25 Edge only has space for a 3900 mAh battery, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra has 5000 mAh. Particularly long runtimes are therefore not to be expected, as the powerful processor and the high-resolution display do not exactly require little power. Charging is via cable with 25 watts or wirelessly with a maximum of 15 watts. The Edge supports the Qi2 standard, but magnets for docking must be retrofitted with a suitable case.
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How stable is the Galaxy S25 Edge?
On first contact with the Galaxy S25 Edge, we naturally tried to bend the smartphone. We didn't succeed, but it can be twisted noticeably under lateral load, which feels somewhat easier than other smartphones, at least more so than the very stable Galaxy S25 Ultra. We will have to see how the smartphone stands up to everyday use in the test.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge costs 1249 euros at launch. It comes with 512 GB of internal memory until May 29, compared to the standard 256 GB. Samsung will later charge 1369 euros for the 512 GB version. For comparison: The Galaxy S25 Ultra with 256 GB is currently available for around 950 euros, the Galaxy S25+ for around 800 euros.
(sht)
