Samsung had led the charge for the first foldable smartphones by releasing the Galaxy Z Fold before anyone else in 2019. Now it's back with the first ultrathin smartphone released before the others, the Galaxy S25 Edge. By ultrathin, we mean a smartphone that falls below the 6mm mark, reaching 5.8mm here. For the record, Samsung started its press presentation of the Galaxy S25 Edge by recalling the marketing campaign of the Galaxy S2, presented at the time as ultra-thin with its 8.49mm.
While the Korean firm had managed to put aside a nice lead in the field of folding, it is this time closely followed by its competitors and the lead should be short-lived, since Apple is preparing an iPhone 17 Air for the end of 2025. Still, Samsung is releasing a real product here and not a concept, which will be released on May 30 with a pre-order period until May 29 inclusive, offering double the storage.
Since we're talking about pre-orders, let's take a look at the price. You'll have to pay 1249 euros for the 256GB storage + 12GB RAM version and go up to 1369 euros to upgrade to 512GB of storage outside the pre-order period.
A smartphone that's both large and compact
A "technological work of art", a "no compromises" smartphone that incorporates "the best we know how to do in terms of technology, design, photography, etc.". That's the project, in short, which is banking heavily on its design to attract crowds. With its 5.8mm thickness and 163g on the scale, the smartphone is currently the thinnest and lightest on the market, without a doubt. And this despite its rather bulky size, since the screen measures 6.7 inches. This was the whole project of the Seoul firm, like the foldable phones that try to enlarge the screen size without sacrificing our pockets, while remaining as compact as possible.
To give you a point of comparison, the Galaxy S25, considered a compact on the market, measures 7.2mm thick and weighs 162g. But it has a much smaller diagonal of 6.2 inches. Not content with being much thinner, the Galaxy S25 Edge therefore manages to reconcile the weight of a compact with the diagonal of a large smartphone.
Without compromise…
As its name suggests, the Galaxy S25 Edge is an integral part of the S range. Even if it is presented a few months after its counterparts, this means that by purchasing it, you are entitled to expect the same level of finish as a Galaxy S25 Ultra for example. Another way of saying it might be to call it a "no-compromise" smartphone, as the brand claims. And indeed, some points on the spec sheet clearly point in this direction.
The screen, for example, isn't just large. Its 6.7-inch panel also boasts a QHD+ resolution, which provides a very comfortable 500PPI resolution. The peak brightness of 2600nits or the variable refresh rate from 1 to 120Hz, everything meets the expectations of a high-end smartphone.
The same goes for the materials chosen: on the back, the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 has proven itself. It is covered for the occasion with a matte coating highlighting the three colors black, blue and silver, all mixed with a titanium effect, to match the coating of the frame which contains it. For the front face, Samsung is introducing a new type of Corning glass, Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2, presented a few days before the smartphone. The phone is obviously waterproof since it is IP 68 certified like the rest of the range.
Heat dissipation that should be present
If there is one area where ultra-thin smartphones will be a concern, it will undoubtedly be in the performance department. It is easy to say that with such thickness, the risk of overheating is obviously greater, manufacturers benefiting from reduced space for their internal components.
To prevent these problems, with its Snapdragon 8 Elite, the most powerful chip on the Android market, the Galaxy S25 Edge is equipped with a greater heat dissipation capacity than the Galaxy S25 Plus. It will be worth checking whether the strategy worked during our tests.
Still at the forefront of no-compromises, the Galaxy S25 Edge has plenty to look forward to in terms of connectivity. Support for the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard and the very recent Bluetooth 5.3, all physically supported by a USB 3.2. Here again, it's worthy of the high-end.
...well, almost
You can see where we're coming from. If we insist so much on the absence of concessions, it's because there are concessions. In our opinion, at least.
If we take the battery, for example, Samsung has skipped the famous carbon silicon technology that its Chinese competitors are so fond of to make phones thinner or more autonomous. As a result, we end up with a frankly tiny battery for this size of phone, 3900mAh. Let's remember this as much as necessary: battery capacity is only one of the factors affecting autonomy. Optimizing the system is just as important. We will therefore have to wait for the 01lab test to conclude on this subject.
On the other hand, regarding charging, with its support for a power of 25W, we can already tell you that the Galaxy S25 Edge should not break any records. For reference, it took us 1 hour 32 minutes to charge the Galaxy S25 with its 4000mAh battery and the same charging power.
The other area where the Galaxy S25 Edge makes a significant concession is photography. As we've known from the start, it only has two cameras, compared to three generally for a high-end device. It thus abandons the telephoto lens and tries to fill this gap with a 200Mpx main sensor in which it will be possible to zoom digitally without loss up to an equivalent X2. We are therefore far from the equivalent X3 of a Galaxy S25 or S25 Plus, but the brand limits the losses, shall we say. It is the same sensor as on the Galaxy S25 Ultra which has already proven itself.
For the second camera module, it is based on an ultra-wide-angle lens associated with a 12Mpx sensor, all opening at f/2.2, with autofocus and macro mode included.
Galaxy AI on board and 7 years of updates
We're done with the hardware, let's quickly move on to the software part. To put it simply, Samsung offers the same Galaxy AI experience as on any Galaxy S25. You'll find Gemini in its improved version, instant translation, writing tools, circle to search, the Now Bar, the Now Brief, and more. The creative tools, which the Galaxy A was deprived of, are of course included. The Galaxy S25 Edge will also benefit from 7 years of major updates and security, the now standard price at Samsung.
0 Comments