Samsung’s Thinnest Flagship Ever Comes With Two Major Caveats

Samsung has officially launched the Galaxy S25 Edge, its latest flagship aimed at competing with Apple’s expected iPhone 17 Air. The focus of the device is its ultra-thin design, which comes with several trade-offs. While it includes premium materials and a high-resolution camera, some specifications may not meet expectations for a device in this price range.

Design and Display

The Galaxy S25 Edge features a 5.8 mm-thick chassis and weighs 163 grams. Its titanium frame adds structural strength, and the device is rated IP68 for water and dust resistance. The 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display supports QHD+ resolution and a 1–120 Hz adaptive refresh rate. Protection comes from Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2.

While the display offers high-end specifications, the focus on reducing thickness raises questions about long-term durability and heat dissipation in sustained performance scenarios. The S25 Edge comes in Titanium Icyblue, Titanium Silver, and Titanium black.

Internals and Software

Samsung has equipped the phone with the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, paired with 12GB of RAM. Storage options include 256GB and 512GB, but no support for expandable storage exists. The phone runs Android 15 with One UI 7.

Despite the strong processing hardware, the lack of microSD card support and the continued exclusion of a headphone jack may disappoint users expecting more flexibility from a premium device, but that is nothing unusual in flagship phones these days.

Cameras

The main camera is a 200 MP sensor with an f/1.7 aperture and optical image stabilization. Samsung advertises 2x optical-quality zoom from the primary lens but lacks a dedicated telephoto sensor, which is rather disappointing in a flagship-grade phone. The secondary 12 MP ultrawide lens supports autofocus for macro photography. A 12 MP front camera is used for selfies.

The omission of a proper telephoto lens is notable, especially when competitors at lower price points offer more versatile multi-lens systems. The reliance on digital or cropped zoom limits real-world performance for users who value camera flexibility.

Battery and Pricing

To maintain its slim profile, Samsung has included a small 3,900 mAh battery. While this is adequate for moderate use, it falls short compared to other flagships that offer 5,000 mAh or more. Charging is capped at 25W via USB-C, with an estimated 55% charge in 30 minutes, assuming the use of a Samsung charger that must be purchased separately. Wireless charging is included, but no details were provided on speed.

Given the $1,099 starting price, the relatively small battery and modest charging speed are difficult to justify, especially as several competitors offer faster charging and longer battery life at similar or lower prices. Additionally, with the recent popularity of silicon carbon-based batteries, a compact profile is no longer an excuse for smaller batteries.

Samsung S25 Edge Specifications