As if you didn’t have enough choices when purchasing a new Android smartphone, Samsung has added yet another option to its bestselling Galaxy S25 series — the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. What makes this phone stand out is the thinness of its armor aluminum frame: It’s a mere 5.8mm thick and the phone itself weighs just 6.7 ounces. Yet, users still get a beautiful, 6.7-inch, QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x touchscreen display, plus a plethora of other impressive features.
Like all of the smartphones in the Galaxy S25 lineup, the Edge fully integrates Galaxy AI into the Android operating system and most of the apps that come preinstalled on the device, including all of the Google apps and services. These AI features can transform the way people use their phone by streamlining common tasks, anticipating the user’s needs, and making information even more readily available when it’s needed.
While its camera setup is not as robust as Samsung’s top-of-the-line Galaxy S25 Ultra, the Edge boasts two rear-facing cameras — a 200MP camera with a wide-angle lens and a 12MP camera with an ultra-wide lens. You also get a front-facing 12MP ultra-wide camera, plus the advanced, AI-driven photography and videography features built into the Camera and Gallery apps that come preinstalled on the device.
The folks at AT&T Wireless generously provided me with a review unit of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge 10 days before its official release date (May 30, 2025). This gave me the chance to test out the new smartphone and compare it to other popular Android phones, including the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Keep reading this review to discover how well the S25 Edge performs and the types of users this Android phone will appeal to. Also, be sure to check out my in-depth, hands-on review of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Smartphone
Specifications
MSRP: $1,099.99 (256GB); $1,219.99 (512GB).
Operating System: Android 15 (or later).
Chipset: Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy.
Display Type: QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x.
Display Size: 6.7 inches.
Display Resolution: 3,120 x 1,440 pixels.
Display Brightness: Up to 2,600 nits.
Display Refresh Rate: Up to 120Hz (Adaptive).
RAM: 12GB.
Storage Capacity Options: 256GB or 512GB.
Battery: 3,900mAh.
Average Battery Life: 24 hours.
Front-Facing Camera: 12MP.
Rear-Facing Cameras: 12MP (Ultra-Wide), 200MP (Wide).
Dimensions: 6.23 inches tall x 2.98 inches wide x 0.23 inches thick.
Weight: 5.75 ounces.
Waterproof Rating: IP68.
Stylus: Samsung S Pen (Supported, but not included).
Housing Color Options: Titanium silver, titanium jet black, or titanium icy blue.
Pros
- It’s extremely thin (just 0.23 inches).
- Powerful 200MP main rear-facing camera.
- Integrated Galaxy AI functionality.
- Up to 24 hour battery life.
- Syncs and works with all devices in the Galaxy ecosystem.
Cons
- It’s expensive.
- The S Pen stylus is not included.
- No rear-facing telephoto lens (like the Galaxy S25 Ultra).
- Maximum internal storage is 512GB.
Who Should Buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge?
Based on my experience, this phone is ideal for someone who needs a powerful communications and productivity tool that’s extra thin and lightweight, making it easier to hold and carry around. It’s a nicely equipped phone for business users, students, and those looking for a sleek entertainment device.
Feature-for-feature, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is not quite as powerful as the Samsung Galaxy S25, but it does run using the same chipset, operating system, and Galaxy AI functionality. This means the phone can still appeal to “power” users, especially those not as interested in the advanced digital photography and videography features built into the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
What I like most about this phone is how easy it is to personalize so many aspects of the user experience and take full advantage of Galaxy AI to streamline common tasks. These are tools just about anyone can take advantage of in ways that cater to their personal habits or work flow.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: When They Say Thin, They Mean It
From a technological standpoint, the Samsung Galaxy Edge relies on many of the same components and offers similar features to the higher-end Galaxy S25 Ultra, but as you’ll discover shortly, the two phones are not identical.
The Edge is a slightly scaled down, thinner, lighter weight, and less expensive option. Like almost all Android phones, this one can be purchased unlocked, so it works with any cellular service provider. Within the United States, you can also purchase it pre-activated on AT&T Wireless, Verizon, T-Mobile, or USCellular.
Each of these service providers offer a variety of trade-in deals and other promotions for the phone, so it can typically be purchased for significantly less than its suggested retail price. For me, the phone’s biggest standout features are its thinness, durability, and how comfortably it can be held for extended periods.
Sure, you’ll need to make a few sacrifices using this phone when compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but the Galaxy S25 Edge is still considered a higher-end, premium quality smartphone that offers cutting-edge capabilities.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: Integrated Galaxy AI Functionality
Google has taken the adoption of artificial intelligence into its Android mobile devices very seriously. Not only do you get access to many cutting-edge tools that work exactly as described, but updates are released several times per year that add new features and improve the overall performance of the AI.
Samsung has adapted AI tools developed by Google and incorporated them into Galaxy AI, while also providing access to Google Gemini. As a result, you can now talk to your phone in plain English (or your native language) to accomplish tasks, ask questions, or issue commands. But, as I found out, that’s just the beginning.
The AI tools built into the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge can help you compose, edit, and proofread text related to documents, emails, or text messages. It can even translate content between languages. Or, if you record a meeting, class, phone call, or in-person conversation, the AI can create a text-based transcript, along with a bulleted summary of the recording. This summary tool also works with documents, emails, and voicemail messages. Of course, I tried each of these features and was pleasantly surprised at the responsiveness and accuracy of the transcriptions, translations, and summaries generated.
Advanced AI is also integrated into the Camera and Gallery apps, which provide many new and powerful photo and video enhancement and editing tools, some of which work automatically. Others are manually controlled, but very simple to use.
Since the goal of AI is to make someone’s life easier and more productive, you’ll find this phone can now auto-create appointments in your calendar based on incoming text messages or emails. In addition, AI can make your daily planning more efficient using the Now Brief feature, which gathers content from numerous apps and showcases important tasks and meetings in one centralized place.
If you already use Google Health to track health and fitness-related data collected by your smartphone, Galaxy Ring, and Galaxy Watch, AI is used to provide personalized insights and guidance based on the data that’s collected from these and other compatible devices.
I’ve also become a huge fan of the Browsing Assist feature. It can be used to quickly summarize web pages, provide highlights from articles, and streamline any web surfing experience.
Because so many new and updated AI tools and features have been incorporated into the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, I found there’s a learning curve when it comes to getting acquainted with what’s possible, and also for discovering how to get the most out of these new and evolving tools.
What exactly is Galaxy AI?
In a nutshell, Galaxy AI is a collection of tools and AI-driven features that are now integrated into almost every function and app people typically use their Samsung Galaxy smartphone for. The goal of this technology is to streamline everyday tasks and make users more productive, while providing a more personalized experience. In some cases, the AI is used to anticipate the user’s wants and needs, allowing the phone to provide the right information exactly when and where you need it.
I found these tools work exceptionally well when it comes to composing, proofreading, summarizing, or translating text-based content, or transcribing and summarizing audio-based content.
All of the latest Samsung Galaxy smartphones now utilize Galaxy AI, but if you want the fastest performance from these tools, using them with the Galaxy S25 Edge or Galaxy S25 Ultra gives you several advantages when it comes to speed and the way data is shared between apps, for example.
Discover New Things Using the ‘Circle to Search’ Feature
Whether you’re surfing the web, looking through photos, using social media, or performing other everyday tasks, one AI-driven feature that’s extremely useful and rather impressive is called Circle to Search. By pressing and holding the Home button for a second or two, and then drawing a circle around any object displayed on the screen, you can quickly learn more about that object. I discovered this tool has many uses.
For example, if you’re looking at a photo that contains a product or object you’re interested in, and you want to know what it is, how much it costs, and where to purchase it, simply circle that item and let Google find it for you in seconds. Or, if you’re looking at an image of an animal, the Circle to Search feature can identify that creature and share all sorts of details about it. This also works for products, plants, locations, pieces of artwork, or just about anything else.
What I like best about this feature is that it works from within almost any app, such as Gallery, the Chrome web browser, Mail, or when using the app for a popular social media service, like Instagram.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: Photography and Videography Features
The camera setup within the Galaxy S25 Edge is not as robust as what you get from Samsung’s most powerful smartphone. The Galaxy S25 Edge offers one rear-facing 12MP ultra-wide camera and a main (rear-facing), 200MP wide-angle camera.
By comparison, the rear-facing camera setup built into the Galaxy S25 Ultra includes cameras with a 50MP ultra-wide, 200MP (wide), 50MP telephone, and 10MP telephoto lens. With the Galaxy S25 Edge, the zooming capabilities are not as powerful as the higher-end phone, but both models have a 12MP front-facing camera.
Two things that Samsung has perfected (with the help of Google, the company that created the Android operating system) are the Camera and Gallery apps. Together, these preinstalled apps provide a complete photography and videography toolkit. They allow everyday users to capture visually stunning photos and videos — indoors or outdoors — in almost any lighting situation.
While you can rely on the Camera app and integrated AI to adjust the camera’s settings to ensure the best possible results and even recommend how to best frame your shots, the app also gives you a tremendous level of creative control while shooting. It’s the Gallery app, however, that puts in your hands some extremely cutting-edge editing and enhancement tools that are also surprisingly simple to use.
With a few on-screen taps, you can transform just a so-so image into a visually stunning photo that looks as if it were taken by a pro. The process typically takes less than a minute or two.
As you’ll see from the following sample images, the Galaxy S25 Edge’s 200MP camera, for example, does a remarkable job accurately capturing color and detail. While I personally prefer having the more advanced camera setup offered by the Galaxy S25 Ultra at my disposal, the average user will be more than satisfied by the performance of the cameras built into the Galaxy S25 Edge.
The Galaxy S25 Edge’s Generative Edit Tool Is Remarkable
When it comes to photo editing using the Gallery app, one of the best features, in my opinion, is Generative Edit. It allows users to quickly and seamlessly move or remove objects from within an image. When viewing a photo, simply tap on the AI icon, and then using your finger, draw a circle around the object(s) you want to move or delete.
After selecting the desired image within the Gallery app (shown on the extreme left in the below example), I first selected the Generative Edit feature. Next, I used my finger to draw a circle around each of the three objects I wanted removed. The AI then automatically created an outline around those objects.
I then tapped on the eraser icon that appeared near the top-center of the image being edited. Within a few seconds after tapping the Generate button, the selected objects were removed.
Once I tapped on the Save Copy button, I then launched the Google Gemini app and uploaded the newly edited image. As a prompt, I typed, “Make the sky blue with a few puffy white clouds”. Again, after a few seconds, the AI replaced the sky and the final photo now appears as if it was taken on a bright and sunny day. This whole process took me less than one minute and the steps are demonstrated in the five screenshots displayed below.
This is just one of the sleek and useful ways AI has been integrated into the Gallery app to make it easy to edit, enhance, organize, view, print, and share your favorite images. The Galaxy S25 Edge version of the Gallery app includes editing tools not found on even the top-of-the-line Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max. It’s these tools that make it easy to capture and edit images and videos in a way that consistently generates visually impressive results with just a little bit of practice.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge versus Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: What’s the Difference?
While there are many similarities between the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge and Galaxy S25 Ultra, there are a few key differences, too. Understanding these differences will help you choose the smartphone that best meets your needs and budget.
The rechargeable battery built into the S25 Edge has a 3,900mAh capacity, which offers up to 24 hours of usage between charges. The S25 Ultra has a 5,000mAh capacity battery that keeps the phone operational for up to 31 hours.
Both phone models rely on the same Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor and run the same version of Android and Galaxy AI. While the maximum display brightness and refresh rates are also the same, the S25 Edge features a 6.7-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x display, compared to the 6.9-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x found on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. As a result, the more advanced phone is slightly larger and heavier (by 1.94 ounces).
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge measures 6.23 inches tall by 2.98 inches wide by 0.23 inches thick, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra measures 6.41 inches tall by 3.06 inches wide by 0.32 inches thick. Another notable difference is that both phones support the Samsung S Pen stylus, which allows users to handwrite, draw, or annotate directly on the display.
Only the Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with the stylus and has a built in slot to store it within the phone handset. If you purchase the S25 Edge and want to use it with a stylus, the S Pen costs an additional $49.99.
From a durability standpoint, both models rely on a titanium frame with Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 on the front display and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the back panel. Both models are rated IP68 for dust, dirt, and water resistance.
When purchasing the Galaxy S25 Edge, you can choose between 256GB or 512GB of internal storage, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra also offers a 1TB option. None of the Galaxy phones have a built-in microSD memory card slot used for expanding internal storage, although these phones do rely heavily on cloud-based storage to conserve internal storage space. Since both phone models run the same version of Android and Galaxy AI, the user interface and customization options built into both phones are basically identical.
Both phones also offer Samsung’s Now Bar, allow for the use of widgets, and can generate personalized notifications. The phones also come with the same collection of preinstalled apps. And, of course, both offer access to the Google Play Store, where millions of optional apps can be acquired and used with either phone to further expand its capabilities.
My Final Thoughts: Is the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Worth It?
Especially if you opt to have the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge pre-activated with your cellular service provider (such as AT&T Wireless) at the time of purchase, when you take it out of the box for the first time, setting up the phone is much faster and more straightforward than most other mobile devices. I got it up and running in under 10 minutes.
In fact, if you already have a free Google account, during the setup and activation process, the S25 Edge automatically downloads and syncs all related data, documents, files, and photos stored in the cloud with the new phone. It also syncs the customization options and app selection set up and installed on your older Android phone. There’s also a utility for switching from an iPhone to this phone and have content transferred automatically.
Having used the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and now the Galaxy S25 Edge rather extensively, I’d recommend the higher-end Galaxy S25 Ultra to anyone with a strong interest in photography or videography.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Smartphone
However, if you’re more interested in carrying around and using a thinner, lighter, and less expensive device, the Galaxy S25 Edge manages to blow away much of the Android phone competition (based on its features, functions, design, and technical specifications).
I am a big fan of the Galaxy S25 Edge’s display’s size, brightness, clarity, and responsiveness. I found the phone easily fits in a shirt or jacket pocket, and is ready to tackle the everyday tasks people use their smartphone for, but it can also handle so much more.
If you can snag a great trade-in deal or special offer from a popular cellular service provider (or even Samsung directly), the Galaxy S25 Edge offers a good value for the money. I’d definitely recommend using it with a nice pair of noise cancelling earbuds, such as the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8s or Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, and perhaps adding the S Pen stylus if you want the ability to handwrite or draw directly on the screen.
