Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review – Wonderfully light, but it comes at a price

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Would I recommend the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge?

I don't want to be overly critical because I do see the appeal of the S25 Edge.

There's a niche group of people who might be willing to pay top dollar for a sleek, ultra-thin build while being okay with the trade-offs, such as battery life that might not comfortably last a full day or the lack of a zoom lens.

But if the weight of a phone isn't something you deeply consider, then the S25 Plus, with its significantly better battery life, would likely be a better choice, or even the S25 Ultra, which I really, really like.

Considering the S25 Edge is the second most expensive model in the lineup, the compromises for me personally are harder to overlook.

Design that won't weigh you down

Samsung nailed the brief when it comes to first impressions. The moment I picked up the S25 Edge, I actually did a double take - it's that light and thin even though the screen is big.

For some perspective: the S25 Edge is 55 grams lighter than the S25 Ultra and 23 grams lighter than the S25 Plus. It's been refreshing to test out the phone without feeling my wrists start to tire from excessive phone use.

I haven't worried about it breaking in half (okay, I'm exaggerating, but you get the idea, it's a thin phone, after all!). Its Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 back and Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 display have helped put those concerns to rest.

The S25 Edge also carries the same sleek and premium design as the rest of the S25 series, so you're definitely getting your money's worth when it comes to design and durability.

Good enough camera setup, unless you like to zoom

To make the S25 Edge the thinnest S Series phone to date, Samsung had to make some compromises, and the camera setup is one of them.

Unlike the rest of the S25 lineup, the Edge skips the telephoto (zoom) lens. Instead, you get a 200MP main sensor (similar to the one in the S25 Ultra), a 12MP ultrawide, and a 12MP selfie camera.

The 2x and 4x digital zoom from the main lens might be fine for the occasional shots, but don't expect the clarity you'd get from a dedicated optical zoom. Details tend to get a bit smudgey, and it's especially noticeable when cropping or zooming in after the fact.

That said, if you don't rely on zoom, the overall image quality is pretty good. The photos are sharp, vibrant and detailed. The night shots are a bit lacking though. For example the skies looked a little overexposed in my tests but that's a very minor red flag.

Image: Mariam Gabaji/Finder

Image: Mariam Gabaji/Finder

Image: Mariam Gabaji/Finder

Image: Mariam Gabaji/Finder

Image: Mariam Gabaji/Finder

Image: Mariam Gabaji/Finder

Image: Mariam Gabaji/Finder

Image: Mariam Gabaji/Finder

Battery life falls short

I'm by no means a heavy phone user, but I definitely have days where I'm doing 10 times more than usual - streaming video for a couple of hours, doomscrolling, catching up on group chats I normally avoid, some gaming, and even trying to video chat my dog back home.

One of my biggest annoyances with phones over the years has been not making it to the end of the day without needing to charge.

And on those busier days, the S25 Edge didn't make it to dinner, and slow charging didn't help either.

On lighter days, it got me through to bedtime just fine, which felt a lot more acceptable.

So yes, battery life might be a dealbreaker for me, but maybe not for you.

Final musings

The last section might've ended on a slightly bleak note, but I don't want that to take away from what Samsung has achieved here.

The S25 Edge is a bold attempt to do something different, and for the most part, it pulls it off. Samsung made it clear at launch that this phone isn't meant to appeal to everyone.

It's built for those who care more about design, feel, and form factor.

You also get great performance and a nice, bright display (although not quite as good as the S25 Ultra), and while I wish it had anti-glare protection, it’s otherwise solid. And of course, you get the usual slew of AI features like Live Translate, Note Brief and Gemini Live.

If you fall into that category, there's a lot to like here. But for anyone who prioritises all-day power or pro-level zoom, it's worth looking at the S25 Plus or Ultra instead.

How to buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge on a phone plan

You can sign up for a 12-, 24-, or 36-month phone repayment plan with Optus, Telstra or Vodafone.

How to buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge outright

Price

RRP: $1,849.00

Where to buy

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