Endurance not so bad: The Galaxy S25 Edge is simply sexy

Sometimes less is more: Compared to other large smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is a wonderfully light and thin device that's a pleasure to hold. Considering its extremely slim dimensions, the device's endurance is also surprisingly good, but unfortunately, you pay more for less.

Since the design of many smartphones hardly changes these days, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is something very special, even though it doesn't look radically different or is smaller than the other devices in the series. But at just 5.84 millimeters and 163 grams, it's extremely thin and light. This could make it attractive to many users who are tired of lugging around bulky, heavyweight devices. However, despite the radical slimming, the device must be suitable for everyday use. ntv.de tested whether this is the case.

The first impression is extremely positive, as the device feels wonderfully comfortable in the hand compared to other large smartphones. This is partly due to its slim waist, but especially to its light weight. This makes the Edge much more suitable for suit jackets, which it doesn't tilt like other bulky smartphones. The same applies to light summer trousers.

The matte titanium frame not only feels good, it's also crucial for the stability of the slim smartphone. While you can twist the device a bit with your hands, you don't have to worry about it breaking. The display and back are protected from breakage and scratches by Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 and Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and with an IP68 rating, the smartphone is also well-protected against dust and water.

Only two, but very good cameras

The 6.7-inch screen is excellent and in no way inferior to those of the other Galaxy S25 series. It offers bright, natural colors and strong contrast. The resolution is very high at QHD+, and the display offers an adaptive refresh rate of 1 to 120 Hertz.

When it comes to the cameras, however, buyers have to make compromises. Firstly, the island protrudes particularly prominently from the thin casing, and secondly, the Edge only has a main and ultra-wide-angle camera. A telephoto lens, understandably, couldn't be accommodated.

Samsung largely compensates for this by incorporating the Galaxy S25 Ultra's 200-megapixel camera into the Edge. Unsurprisingly, it delivers excellent results day and night and also produces very good videos. Thanks to its high number of pixels, it can replace the telephoto camera up to a certain magnification level—up to four times, according to test experience.

The ultra-wide-angle camera, with twelve megapixels (MP), produces beautiful photos just like the regular Galaxy S25, with edge-to-edge sharpness and consistent white balance. The 12 MP front camera also has nothing to complain about.

Powerful

Inside, Samsung has largely managed to pack equally powerful components as in the other 25-inch models. Equipped with Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and 12 gigabytes (GB) of RAM, the Edge is practically as powerful as its stablemates. Because the vapor chamber is somewhat smaller due to space constraints, it doesn't maintain peak performance as long. However, this is only noticeable—if at all—in graphically demanding games.

What was particularly interesting in the test was how long the rather small battery, with a capacity of 3900 milliampere hours (mAh), would last. Surprisingly, the battery didn't prove to be a real problem.

ntv.de forwent standard tests, but instead used the device fully configured for everyday personal and professional use. It was immediately noticeable that its endurance was lower than that of the Galaxy S25+, for example – its display is the same size, but its battery capacity is 4900 mAh. However, the Edge usually lasted effortlessly from morning until bedtime without refueling. It even usually had a small reserve of about 25 percent.

If you use it intensively, for example, taking a lot of photos and videos, the Edge will need to be plugged in occasionally. However, around 15 minutes is usually enough if the power adapter is powerful enough. Furthermore, even the thinnest Galaxy S25 can be charged inductively, increasing the options for quick refueling stops.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is a compromise many people might be willing to make. The disadvantages compared to the regular S25 or the S25+ are fewer than expected, and a large, yet extremely thin and very light device is simply sexy compared to other smartphones. But it has to be worth it, because the prices are unfortunately steep: With 256 GB of flash storage, the Edge costs just under €1,250, while Samsung wants around €1,370 for the 512 GB version.