Portrait mode is also excellent, and macro can hand in impressive results, though I had to turn the automatic focus enhancer off because it was kicking in far too soon. Night mode has the opposite issue and I tended to need to turn it on manually, but results are great. And no complaints about the video recording either; given plenty of light you can get 4K 60fps with image stabilisation, and it looks great.
The iPhone 16 (7.8mm thick), Pixel 9a (8.9mm) and Galaxy S25 Edge (5.8mm).Credit: Tim Biggs
The main downside is the lack of a telephoto lens, as it limits you to a 2x maximum zoom before things get noticeably blurry.
Inside, the Edge is powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip as the S25 Ultra, meaning far more raw power than you’re likely to need. But if you do really try to push the phone’s capabilities (for example, with resource-intensive 3D gaming or modelling), you’ll find that the performance tapers off a lot more quickly than it does on the big phone, and I assume that’s because there’s no room for cooling in that tiny chassis.
The other thing you’ll notice is that the battery does not last nearly as long. The 3900 mAh battery in the Edge is small by 2025 flagship standards, and tiny next to the 5000 mAh in the Ultra. In fairness, the battery has been lasting a lot longer than I expected, but my expectations were low. It did consistently make it through the day, but where I would expect an iPhone or S25 Ultra to still have 30 per cent or more left by bed time, the Edge would be in the red zone at around 15. Charging speed also isn’t phenomenal, at 25W max. But Samsung did manage to fit a wireless coil in there somehow so it’s easy to top up if you have Qi chargers around.
Software-wise this is the same OneUI Android as on the other S25 phones, which I personally think is the best Samsung’s operating system has been in a long time, even if it is filled to the brim with assorted AI thingamajigs.
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The upshot here is that the Galaxy S25 Edge falls somewhere between the S25+ and the S25 Ultra in terms of capabilities, making it an incredible phone. And while it has a unique selling point in that very light and skinny frame, it also has the downsides of no zoom, shorter battery and fewer frames for hardcore gamers.
At $1850 it’s between those phones in price too, but it won’t be long before resellers have the Ultra for less than that, so the Edge really only makes sense if you love that svelte look.
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