Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S25 Edge – measuring only 5.8mm, it is the thinnest smartphone in years. In fact, no phone released in the 2020s has dipped under 6mm thick. This doesn’t come cheap, of course – here’s a detailed price breakdown. Is the Edge just the phone you’ve been waiting for or is Samsung trying to force a gimmick that won’t catch on?
If you’re leaning towards the former, you’ll be glad to hear that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge impresses with more than just being thin – it’s also very light. It weighs a single gram more than the vanilla Galaxy S25, despite the large disparity in screen size (6.7” vs. 6.2”). And it packs a 200MP sensor in the main camera, something previously exclusive to Ultra models.
There are downsides, of course, like the battery capacity – it’s smaller than the vanilla S25 (3,900mAh vs. 4,000mAh). And it has the same slow charging (25W wired, 15W wireless). There’s no telephoto camera, it relies on the 200MP unit for zooming in. And finally, it is expensive – even accounting for the free storage upgrade to 512GB and the £100 Samsung Credit you get with the phone.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra costs £100 less for the same amount of storage (512GB) thanks to a hefty discount. The Ultra is chunkier (8.2mm, 218g vs. 5.8mm, 163g), but it also has a larger display (6.9”) and battery (5,000mAh) with faster wired charging (45W).
And the 200MP camera isn’t alone when it comes to zooming in – there’s a 10MP 3x (67mm) medium tele and a 50MP 5x (111mm) long tele. It also has a 50MP ultra-wide camera, while the Edge has a basic 12MP unit like the vanilla and plus models.
There’s talk that the Edge will replace the Plus model in the Galaxy S lineup next year. This year, however, the Galaxy S25+ is cheaper than the Edge. Though given the current prices, we’d go for the Ultra over the Plus in a heartbeat.
But just for completeness’ sake, If you want an S25+, we’d advise to wait a week or two. The phone is bigger (7.3mm, 190g vs. 5.8mm, 163g) despite having the same screen size. However, it has 1,000mAh bigger battery (4,900mAh) and faster 45W wired charging. Instead of a 200MP camera, it has a 50MP main and a 10MP 3x (67mm) telephoto.
While it’s razor thin, the S25 Edge is still 75.6mm wide. The vanilla Samsung Galaxy S25 is 70.5mm wide and weighs the same. Which phone is “smaller” in your mind? If it’s the S25, you get pretty much the same hardware as the S25+, except for the 6.2” display and the 4,000mAh battery (essentially the same size as Edge).
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 is small in other ways – it folds down to 85.1 x 71.9 x 14.9mm and weighs 187g. It would have been great if it had a 200MP camera too, but alas, you only get a 50+12MP setup. At least the battery is bigger than on the Edge – by only 100mAh (4,000mAh capacity), but foldables are not known for their battery size. The Z Flip7 is a couple of months away, but its price will be higher than the current £900 price tag for the 2024 model.
Alternatively, you can get the Motorola Razr 60 Ultra, which costs the same as the Edge. It’s rated IP48 like the Flip and it has a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. No telephoto or 200MP cameras here either, but the 50+50MP combo offers higher resolution ultra-wide photos. And the battery is even bigger at 4,700mAh with faster charging than even the S25 Ultra – 68W wired and 30W wireless.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is another phone that competes with the Ultra rather than the Edge. It measures 8.5mm thick and weighs 221g with a 6.8” display and a 5,060mAh battery (37W/23W charging). It has a 50MP main, 48MP 5x (113mm) and 48MP ultra-wide cameras.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro is 72mm wide – not as small as the S25 and quite heavy too at 199g. But you get the same hardware as the Pro XL, except for the 6.3” display and 4,700mAh battery (27W/21W). Both Pixel Pros are on the pricey side, but they come with a free pair of Pixel Buds Pro 2, which can soften the blow if you’re in the market for new TWS buds.
The OnePlus 13 is close in size to the S25 Ultra. But it packs a large 6.82” display and a 6,000mAh battery – Samsung still hasn’t gotten above 5,000mAh. And this is with fast 100W wired and 50W wireless charging too. The cameras are a 50MP main, backed by a 50MP 3x (73mm) and 50MP ultra-wide – all this and you’ll be spending £300 less than with the Edge.
The Poco F7 Ultra costs half as much as the S25 Edge. It’s not a small phone by any means (8.4mm, 212g) but you get a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and a larger 5,300mAh battery with 120W wired and 50W wireless charging. The cameras feature a 50MP main, 50MP 2.5x (60mm) tele and a 32MP ultra-wide.
We may get a commission from qualifying sales.
