Not to sound like a spoilt brat, however it’s laborious to get enthusiastic about new telephones while you get at the very least 50 of them throughout your desk in any given yr.
These days, probably the most instantly attention-grabbing gadgets to us right here at TechRadar are those who a) convey one thing really new to the desk (see the Huawei Mate XT) or b) provide distinctive worth for cash (see the Nothing 3a Pro) – and let me inform you, in an age when smartphones have gotten more and more homogenous, such merchandise do not come round all that always.
I didn’t suppose that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge could be one in every of these ‘sit up and take discover’ telephones. Sure, I knew it could be skinny, however we’ve seen skinny telephones earlier than, and its 5.8mm thickness doesn’t sound all that spectacular while you already know that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 measures 5.6mm at its thinnest level.
At $1,099.99 / £1,099 / AU$1,850, the Edge additionally isn’t successful any prizes for worth, which means it meets neither of my ordinary ‘get excited’ standards and may due to this fact be a primary goal for a slew of unfavorable headlines.
But as with all issues, the proof of the pudding is within the consuming, and all it took was some hands-on time with the Galaxy S25 Edge and my iPhone 16 Pro to make me understand that there will be a marketplace for this ridiculous, overpriced, fairly good telephone.
This actually is a product it’s important to deal with in individual to completely recognize. Yes, on paper, the Edge’s 5.8mm thickness isn’t record-breaking (even by Samsung’s personal requirements), however it feels really spectacular in a 6.7-inch machine with energy and principal digital camera capabilities to rival each the Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro.
To be sincere, I used to be much more shocked by the Edge’s 163g weight, which makes the a lot smaller 6.3-inch iPhone 16 Pro really feel brick-like by comparability (the latter weighs 199g).
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Of course, Apple’s greatest iPhone gives issues that the S25 Edge doesn’t – I’m not able to lose its telephoto lens, as an example, and the iPhone’s 6.3-inch measurement is ideal for my arms.
It’s additionally not totally truthful to match the Galaxy S25 Edge to any iPhone proper now, for the reason that former is the primary in a brand new smartphone class that Apple will certainly enter later this yr with the iPhone 17 Air. Apples and oranges, and all that.
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However, I’m undoubtedly able to admit that the Galaxy S25 Edge isn’t the marketing-friendly gimmick I believed it could be.
There is one thing to be stated for a big-screened, wafer-thin telephone that feels nearly weightless within the hand, and people who care about model and portability above all else will discover heaps to like about Samsung’s newest mannequin.
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So, my recommendation: attempt the Edge earlier than you slam it. Samsung says the telephone can be hooked up to lighter safety brackets in shops the world over, so you need to be capable of get an actual sense of its USP towards the principle S25 line.
No, it’s not an ideal telephone, and I received’t be shopping for one given what I personally worth in a smartphone. But the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is certainly price at the very least some of the hype. Do you agree? Let me know within the feedback.
