Galaxy Unpacked has been and gone, however we’re nonetheless basking within the glow of the Samsung Galaxy S25 lineup – try our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S25 evaluate, hands-on Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus evaluate, and full Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely evaluate for our first impressions of all three new gadgets.
There was, in fact, a brand new addition to the three-phone lineup we’ve come to anticipate from Samsung – the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, which revives a moniker the corporate beforehand used for gadgets with edge-to-edge shows. Now, the ‘Edge’ designation is seemingly a reference to this new telephone’s thinness.
And a skinny telephone it’s. Although Samsung has but to disclose any official specs in regards to the Galaxy S25 Edge, the gadget is of such a svelte building that its twin cameras must relaxation on a raised protrusion – after which stick out additional nonetheless – in an effort to match onto the polished rear panel. The Galaxy S25 Edge is visibly slimmer than the already spectacular S25 Plus, its closest sibling within the pre-existing lineup.
TechRadar’s Senior Information Editor Mark Wilson is not satisfied in regards to the new telephone’s design, writing in a latest function that the Galaxy S25 Edge represents “the laziest interpretation of telephone innovation.” I, nonetheless, assume the S25 Edge deserves an opportunity to show itself – although I share a few of my esteemed colleague’s hesitation.
The S25 Edge would require some compromises. We merely can’t anticipate Samsung to suit the uncooked {hardware} energy of its bulkier flagships right into a telephone that’s rumored to be simply 6.4mm thick. All I’m actually hoping for is that Samsung makes the appropriate selections; that it focuses on effectivity in order that the essentially smaller battery isn’t too closely taxed, ensures the sturdiness holds up, and – this one’s a attain – opts for a telephoto digicam for the second of the 2 rear-mounted snappers.
Nonetheless, I’d be completely satisfied to see the S25 Edge make it to manufacturing with any mixture of specs. The explanation I’m already being so forgiving is that this new Galaxy telephone jogs my memory of the very first Samsung Galaxy Fold in 2019, which launched the folding telephone business regardless of being visibly unpolished. I’m optimistically excited that Samsung is likely to be about to launch one other area of interest phase of the telephone market with the S25 Edge.
Flashback, or full-on revival?
It may appear laborious to imagine in right this moment’s world of cumbersome, heavy, highly effective flagships just like the S25 Extremely, iPhone 16 Professional Max, and OnePlus 13, but it surely wasn’t way back that thinness was a significant precedence for telephone makers. The primary smartphones have been positively rotund by right this moment’s requirements, and within the first ten years of the business’s lifespan, you’d discover keynote audio system speaking at size in regards to the millimeters shaved with every subsequent launch.
This wasn’t with out its downsides, although – Apple famously overstepped with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which shipped with flimsy designs that bent simply, a phenomenon termed “bendgate” by the frenzied media. These skinny telephones couldn’t maintain very giant batteries, both, and had restricted choices for cooling.
I believe we’re a full-on revival of skinny, ergonomically-led smartphones that exist in their very own lane.
It’s no shock that we noticed a reversal of the development within the following years, which accelerated into the 2020s as telephone {hardware} started taking some actual leaps within the energy, longevity, and multitasking departments. The present design language of flagship telephones helps this – boxy shapes with loads of room for cutting-edge internals.
The S25 Edge could possibly be a one-off callback to those earlier instances, however as I discussed in my latest have a look at the hinted Samsung multi-fold telephone, Samsung is a big tech model that doesn’t are inclined to introduce single-generation merchandise. Until the S25 Edge bombs laborious, we’re prone to see an S26 Edge and S27 Edge within the years to return.
And if the sage sources of the rumor mill are to be believed, Apple can also be engaged on a slimmed-down model of the iPhone 17, tentatively titled the iPhone 17 Air. I believe we’re a full-on revival of skinny, ergonomically-led smartphones that exist in their very own lane, in an offshoot of the mainstream telephone market just like folding telephones.
Skinny telephones are good, really
At this level, you could be questioning why this can be a good factor – I believe it comes down to 2 predominant elements. Firstly, trendy telephones are, usually, giant and considerably heavy gadgets, so it’s no dangerous factor to have a telephone coming into the market that has a big show, presumably trendy internals, and can also be targeted on a thin-and-light design. Although giant handsets just like the iPhone 16 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely are lighter in comparison with their predecessors, they’re nonetheless noticeably hefty – the S25 Edge may provide some aid.
We may quickly see a cut up between ergonomics and efficiency, with main good points made in each classes in consequence.
In fact, a few of the weight of recent flagships is in service of higher efficiency, which results in my second level. By spinning off ergonomics-focused telephones into their very own class, telephone makers will likely be freer to specialize their flagships for energy and slim telephones for portability. We noticed an analogous factor occur with folding telephones and multitasking – most slab gadgets don’t give attention to the power to run a number of apps regardless of having loads of display area, as that is dealt with higher by booklet-style foldables. We may quickly see a cut up between ergonomics and efficiency, with main good points made in each classes in consequence.
The explanations I’ve defined above may imply extra to the consumer expertise, however I additionally commend Samsung for merely doing one thing completely different. From a private perspective, I similar to it when telephone makers get bizarre. We’re in a time of design hegemony; every telephone is a rounded rectangle with an excellent show, cameras, battery – the works. The S25 Edge harkens again to the times of the unique Oppo Discover X, with its pop-out digicam, the swivel-screened LG Wing, and even the colourful iPhone 5c, by simply being a bit uncommon.
So, there we’ve it. The S25 Edge is likely to be somewhat tough across the, effectively, edges when it launches, however with sufficient shopper assist, I believe it may springboard new improvements for the smartphone market. I’m not giving Samsung carte blanche to place out a lackluster telephone – I’d relatively see the Edge acquire a spot on our listing of the greatest Samsung telephones – however I’m prepared to forgive a misstep or two if it means witnessing the beginning of one thing genuinely new.