The Galaxy S25 Edge Makes No Sense to Me

Samsung
Written By shane craig

Samsung did something pretty cool at their Galaxy Unpacked event for the S25 series. They had me fully convinced the show was over before pulling off an honest to god, “but wait, there’s more!” We weren’t sure whether or not we’d see the long rumored Galaxy S25 Slim at this event, with the rumored launch being later this year, but boy did we ever. Samsung showed this neat little animation that showed off some of the internal components, emphasizing the engineering that has gone into the phone.

Honestly, we got a better look at it on state than I ever expected.. I figured a passing mention might be the best we could hope for, but we basically saw the thing right then and there. What’s more, we got the official name which was not the S25 Slim.

Galaxy S25 Edge

As I had speculated days ago, this device would not use a Slim moniker, instead opting for S25 Edge. Looking at the rumored specs, this device just didn’t seem all the Slim. Measuring in at something like 6.4mm, sure it’s thinner than the other phones, but nothing so radical as to justify its existence. We also had rumors that it wouldn’t even be released in the US, reminding me a lot of the Z Fold Special edition. An interesting device with a solid triple-camera setup reminiscent of the Ultra, released in limited regions for a high price tag. That’s what I was expecting.

The problem is the earlier reports were just flat out wrong. Even reliable leakers like OnLeaks made major blunders on this one. The renders they came up with look nothing like the device that Samsung would surprisingly show on the show floor.

While the thickness and general size seems to be a decent match, the camera module is totally wrong. Rather than the rumored triple camera array of a 200MP HP5 primary, a 50MP JN5 ultra wide and a 50MP 3.5X telephoto, we have two cameras. It’s now said they’ve just dropped the telephoto, leaving the 200MP primary and 50MP ultrawide in place.

While nothing has been made official, the fact that they showed it on stage makes the PhoneArena report that it won’t launch in the US a bit hard to believe as well. With the Z Fold SE, there was no such fanfare. Would they really tease the phone at the end of the show just to not release it?

What’s the Point?

We’ve got a 6.7” phone that’s 6.4mm thick, a solid camera and ultrawide pair, something like a 3,900mAh battery, a slightly cut down for thermals Snapdragon 8 Elite and 12GB RAM. A device that firmly seats itself between the S25 Plus and the S25 Ultra, with the Plus already being the worst selling model. It’s in between the in betweener. I just keep coming back to that question: why? Why are they making this phone? Who is it for? What’s the marketing that will sell this thing? Like I said, it’s not so radically thin that your marketing can ride on that, like the rumored iPhone Air which is said to be under 6mm.

What’s the best case scenario? That it sells well, burning the people who just bought the S25 Plus? And then what? Do you keep the Plus around? Do you just end up replacing the Plus with this? Then why release both this year? The entire thing is a head scratcher for me..

Should You Wait?

Given the fact that we don’t know for sure when this device is coming or how much it’ll cost, that’s a hard question to answer. If we assume the reports of May, 2025 are accurate that’s not too long to hold out. For the price, I think it’s safe to assume it’ll at least be more than the Plus model. Given the special name and unique design, I just can’t see it being less than $999. Because of that and total lack of compelling hardware features, it’s hard not to assume the Plus model or the Ultra wouldn’t be a better purchase, should you be set on buying an S25 device.

Where to buy The S25

Galaxy S25

Galaxy S25+

Galaxy S25 Ultra

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shane craig
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