Why the Galaxy S25 Edge Has Me Rethinking What a Flagship Phone Should Be

Let me start with a confession: when I first heard about the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, I scoffed. Who, I wondered, would genuinely want a phone so thin it practically disappears in your pocket? Then I actually held it. As someone who’s always carried a chunky phone—my jacket pockets gave up long ago—this featherlight slab made me stop and question everything. Turns out, sometimes you don’t know you care about a feature until it’s literally in your hand. In this post, I’ll walk through my honest first impressions, some surprising trade-offs, and a few off-the-wall thoughts about where gossamer-thin phones like this might take us.

Ultra-Thin Appeal: When Looks Outweigh Logic

First Hands-On Feels: The Wow (and the Worry)

The first time I picked up the Galaxy S25 Edge, I actually paused. It’s just 5.8mm thin and weighs a mere 163g. That’s not just thin for a flagship. That’s thin, period. The kind of thin where you almost wonder if you’re holding a real phone or a dummy unit from the display shelf.

The floating island camera on the back catches the light in a way that’s hard to describe. And the flat sides, paired with Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 (though it skips the Ultra’s anti-reflective layer), give it a sharp, almost futuristic vibe.

But here’s the thing: as much as I was wowed, there was a little voice in my head whispering, “How long before you need to find a charger?” It’s a fair worry. Ultra-thin often means less room for battery. Still, I couldn’t help but smile.

A Brief Tangent: Why We Secretly Love Lighter Gadgets

Let’s be honest. Most of us slap a case on our phones the second we unbox them. That usually kills any thinness advantage. But with the S25 Edge, even with a slim case, it still feels lighter than most rivals—case or no case.

I remember this one morning, heading out with just the S25 Edge in my pocket. No case, no pop socket, nothing. It felt almost like carrying a notepad or a stack of receipts. There’s something freeing about that. Sure, by lunch I was eyeing the battery percentage, but for those few hours? It was fun.

• Colors: Black, silver, and a bluish silver that’s hard to capture in photos.
• Design: Flat sides, floating camera island, premium glass and metal feel.
• Weight: 163g—lighter than most flagships, even with a case.

There’s a certain group of us who quietly love gadgets that don’t weigh down our pockets or bags. Even if it means charging more often. It’s not logical, but it’s real.

Who the S25 Edge Was Probably Made For

This isn’t a phone for everyone. Samsung knows it. I know it. You probably know it too. The S25 Edge sits right between the base S25 and the S25 Ultra. It’s not the “do everything, last all day, replace your laptop” phone. It’s more like the “I want something different, something that feels special” phone.

If you’re the kind of person who obsesses over specs, battery life, or camera zoom, this might not be your next upgrade. But if you care about how a phone feels in your hand, how it slips into your pocket, or how it stands out in a sea of chunky rectangles, you’ll get it instantly.

If you can get into a store and hold it, you’ll see. But it’s one of those things that I can’t quite translate through the screen.

Honestly, that sums it up. The S25 Edge is a niche product. It’s for the person who’s been waiting for the thinnest possible version of an S25. Someone who values design and feel over raw numbers.

I can’t say it’s the most logical choice. But sometimes, logic isn’t the point.

Performance on a (Literal) Razor’s Edge

What’s Under the Skin: Power in a Slim Package

The Galaxy S25 Edge is a bit of a marvel. It packs some of the best hardware you’ll find in any phone this year, but in a body so thin it almost feels like a magic trick. We’re talking about the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, a custom NPU for smarter AI features, and 12GB of RAM. Storage? You get to pick: 256GB or 512GB. That’s a lot of muscle for a phone that’s barely thicker than a stack of credit cards.

The display is no slouch either. It’s the same 6.7-inch, 120Hz, 1440p AMOLED panel as the S25 Plus. Colors pop, scrolling is buttery smooth, and honestly, it’s hard to complain about the visuals here.

Camera-wise, you get a 200MP main sensor (yes, really) and a 12MP ultrawide. The image processing is top-tier, just like on the Ultra. But—there’s no telephoto lens. More on that in a second.

Trade-Offs: Thinness Has a Price

Here’s where things get interesting. Making a phone this thin means something’s gotta give. Samsung isn’t immune to physics. There’s just less room inside for the stuff that makes a phone “Ultra.”

• No telephoto camera. If you love zoom shots, you’ll miss it. I do, sometimes. But most days? I’m fine with the main and ultrawide.
• Battery compromise. The S25 Edge has a 3,900mAh battery. That used to sound big, but with these bright, power-hungry screens and processors, it’s… well, a bit worrying. For context, the S25 Plus (same screen size) has a 4,900mAh battery. That’s a full 1,000mAh more. You’ll probably notice the difference if you’re a heavy user.
• Possible cooling challenges. I haven’t stress-tested it yet, but I don’t expect the same heat management as chunkier flagships. Less room means less cooling hardware. It’s just how it goes.

Charging speeds are still solid: 25W wired, 15W wireless. Not the fastest, but not slow either. And yes, there’s still a physical SIM tray—kind of rare these days, and honestly, I appreciate it.

A Short Digression: What I Miss (and Don’t) from Bigger Phones

I’ll admit, there are things I miss from the chunkier flagships. The S Pen? Gone. I used it sometimes, but not enough to really mourn its absence. The anti-reflective glass on the Ultra? That’s also missing here. If you’ve never used it, you won’t care. If you have, you might notice.

But there’s a flip side. This phone is light. Officially, it’s 163 grams—basically the same as the small base S25. Holding a phone this big that’s this light is…strange, in a good way. It’s one of those things you have to feel in person. I was skeptical until I held it. Now? I get it.

The design is another win. Flat sides, titanium rails from the Ultra, and a floating camera island that’s honestly my favorite in the S25 lineup. It looks modern, almost futuristic. And with no case, it just feels right in the hand.

So, you can think of this S25 Edge here as basically an S25 Ultra light, if that makes sense.

Quick Recap: What You’re Getting

• Snapdragon 8 Elite, 12GB RAM
• 256GB or 512GB storage
• 6.7″ 120Hz 1440p AMOLED display
• 200MP main + 12MP ultrawide cameras
• 3900mAh battery, 25W wired, 15W wireless charging
• Titanium rails, physical SIM tray, no S Pen
• Price: $1099

The S25 Edge sits between the base S25/Plus and the Ultra. It’s got Ultra-level internals but skips the telephoto and S Pen. The battery is small for the screen and power—a clear side effect of thinness. Still, there’s something about this razor-thin design that’s hard to ignore.

Who’s This For, Really? And the Rise of Ultra Thin (Wild Speculation Time)

Thinness: The New Battleground?

Let’s be honest. Not everyone is begging for a thinner phone. In fact, most people are asking for a slightly thicker phone to get more battery life, and this is the opposite. I’ve heard it from friends, read it in forums, and seen it in the comments. People want their phones to last all day, maybe even two. Thinner? That’s usually way down the wish list.

I had a chat with a friend recently—he flat-out refuses to buy any phone with less than a 5000mAh battery. “Why would I trade hours of battery for a few millimeters?” he asked. I didn’t have a great answer. And yet, here comes the Galaxy S25 Edge, clocking in at just 3900mAh. For reference, the S25 Plus offers 4900mAh. That’s a big gap, especially for power users.

Who’s Actually Buying This?

So, who’s the S25 Edge for? I think it’s a small, specific crowd. Maybe you’re someone who loves the Ultra’s camera and performance, but you just can’t stand the bulk. You want top-tier specs, but you don’t want to lug around a brick. Or maybe you just like the idea of something shiny, new, and—let’s face it—different.

At $1099, the Edge sits right between the Plus and Ultra. It’s not cheap. But it does keep some premium features: the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, a physical SIM tray, and an ultrawide camera. That’s more than what some competitors are rumored to offer in their ultra-thin models. Still, you’re giving up battery and a few extras.

Samsung vs. Apple: The Thinness War?

Here’s where things get interesting. Samsung’s move comes just as rumors swirl about an iPhone 17 Air—another ultra-thin flagship. Is this the start of a new arms race? Who can make the slimmest, lightest phone, no matter the cost to battery life or practicality?

It’s a weird kind of competition. Most users still put a case on their phones, which adds bulk right back. So, does the thinness even matter? Maybe. If the phone is really thin and light, it might still feel different, even with a case or skin. But for most people, the trade-off is hard to justify.

What If Everything Goes Ultra-Thin?

Let’s imagine a future where every premium phone is razor-thin. Would we all just carry tiny power banks everywhere? Would battery anxiety become the new normal? It’s not impossible. I can picture it: a world where design wins, but practicality takes a back seat. Some people might love it. Others (like my friend) would be furious.

The S25 Edge isn’t for everyone. It’s for a niche—those who care about design, who want something light and sleek, and who are willing to live with less battery and a few fewer features. Samsung got there before Apple, but both will have to wrestle with the same question: how much thinness is too much?

I’m not sure where this trend goes next. Maybe it fizzles out. Maybe it becomes the new standard. For now, the S25 Edge has me rethinking what a flagship phone should be. Is it about specs and endurance? Or is it about style and feel in the hand? Maybe, just maybe, it’s a little of both. But I can’t shake the feeling that, for most of us, a bit more battery is still worth a few extra grams.

TL;DR: The Galaxy S25 Edge is the oddball in the S25 family: painfully thin, surprisingly powerful, and clearly not for everyone. If you crave something different (and lighter), it might just be worth a look—just be prepared for a few quirks.