Not everyone knows it, but not everyone needs a ‘Pro’ smartphone. Sometimes, you get a Pro or an Ultra smartphone because you simply want the best. Others may simply pick a Pro device because they actually need that camera performance, or the reach of the telephoto camera. There’s also another set of people who get a Pro phone because until now, no manufacturer has been gutsy enough to build a premium phone, minus the Pro goods. What would one even call such a phone? Will anyone even buy one if it is expensive and does not deliver on all fronts?
Well, this is exactly what Samsung has done. Samsung has taken a gamble just like it did with foldables, and taken a bold step
A cropped collage of camera samples captured at 12-megapixels, 50-megapixels and 200-megapixels (L to R) (tap image to expand)
Being a bigger than usual sensor, you can shoot at 12-megapixel, 50-megapixel and 200-megapixels. I tried all of them (as you can see in the collage above). And very similar to the results from the 2X lossless zoom images, the 50-megapixel scaled images appear a bit soft, while the 12 and 200 megapixel images appear tack sharp. Overall, I see no real-world benefit in shooting at the 200-megapixel resolution, unless you want to edit your masterpiece in post. In this case, you would be fiddling with Samsung’s Expert RAW mode (need to be downloaded), which will give you what you need, provided you know what to do with all that data. The standard/auto 200-megapixel shooting mode results in massive 32MB files, so it’s not advisable to shoot at this resolution if you’re a casual user.
Motorola’s Razr 50 Ultra (bottom) is on par with Samsung’s Galaxy Edge 50 Ultra (top). Still, it offers better sharpness and shoots slightly saturated images in comparison, which at times turn out to be close to accurate. (Tap images to expand)
The Galaxy S25 Edge’s main drawback compared to the Pro phones is the lack of a telephoto camera. (Tap image to expand)
There’s no getting around it, even with a massive 200-megapixel sensor and lossless capability. Samsung manages quality images in daylight, but even overcast conditions result in soft images with low detail when captured at 2X zoom.
Motorola’s Razr 60 Ultra (right) does a fantastic job with 2X lossless zoom, shooting sharp photos with some juicy bokeh backgrounds. (Tap image to expand)
The Galaxy S25 Edge’s low-light 2X captures are low on resolved detail (tap image to expand)
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge’s 2X Portrait images come out well in daylight but lack detail in low light. Edge-detection isn’t very accurate or “pro-grade” either. (Tap image to expand)
The ultrawide camera is not the one from the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and so it does not perform as well. The 12-megapixel photos are good, but they aren’t as big on detailed as most premium flagships available at this price point. Top: Galaxy S25 Edge, bottom: Razr 60 Ultra (tap images to expand)
Even Motorola’s Razr 60 Ultra (bottom) does better, even in low light, where Samsung’s (top) results appear a bit too soft. (Tap images to expand)
Samsung’s Galaxy S series phones have always been good at selfies. However, the Galaxy S25 Edge (top) does come up short in terms of sharpness and detail compared to the Motorola Razr 60 Ultra (bottom). (Tap images to expand)
As for video, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge does a phenomenal job of shooting video in daylight. Both HDR10+ and regular 4K footage show plenty of detail, have a smooth framerate and excellent stabilisation. In low light, the overall quality takes a bit of a hit. It’s not as good as an iPhone, as Samsung aggressively tries to suppress noise, resulting in flatter textures. Video from the ultrawide camera isn’t as impressive as the primary. Video recording is stabilised, but textures appear a bit soft, especially in low light.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Battery: Enough for a day
- Battery capacity – 3,900mAh, lithium-ion
- Wired charging – 25W
- Wireless charging – 15W
- Charger in the box – No
Yes, this slim and light smartphone from Samsung can last a day even with heavy usage, but nothing more. This certainly sounds like a lot for a slim phone, but power users or road warriors who need more than a day’s battery life will be disappointed. Samsung could have sweetened the deal and used the newer silicon-carbon battery technology, but for reasons best known to the brand, it did not. Still, we do have some impressive numbers, given how slim this phone is.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge’s slim design creates additional restrictions on charging speeds
In our HD video loop test, which plays a locally stored video in a loop (until the battery dies), the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge managed a decent 16 hours and 25 minutes. In our PCMark Battery Work test, which runs various real-world tasks and applications on loop, the Edge lasted 12 hours and 17 minutes, which is impressive given its battery capacity and slim form factor.
Charging the phone using a 100 GaN charger saw the Galaxy S25 Edge charge to 41 percent in 30 minutes and 84 percent in an hour, completing the charge in 1 hour and 29 minutes. This is relatively slow compared to what most smartphones at this price point are capable of.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Verdict
Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge may not have won me over, but I now have some new found respect for slim smartphones. Samsung has managed to set a new trend rolling, and it is downright impressive in terms of engineering achievements. However, given its current form factor and price (Rs. 1,09,999), which isn’t too slim, I don’t see it winning over audiences that would be heading to a store to buy a Galaxy S25+ (Rs. 99,999 onwards) or even a Galaxy S25 Ultra (Rs. 1,29,999 onwards). However, it makes a good case for itself for someone who’s particularly looking for a premium, slim and light Android smartphone, given that there are barely any options to choose from.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge may also appeal to the clamshell foldable owners. While there have been major leaps in book-style foldable designs over the past year, the more accessible clamshell-style foldables are still quite thick when folded or unfolded. Samsung’s Edge offers something that is significantly lighter, far more durable, and slimmer.
To impress the premium crowd, Samsung’s Edge needs to be slimmer but somehow pack some Pro DNA (running cooler, have high-capacity silicon carbon battery, better ultrawide and telephoto camera). By doing this, Samsung will be able to deliver the “wow factor” that is missing from its current product. Another way for Samsung to achieve this is by dropping the Galaxy S25+ altogether and incorporating all its features into a slimmer design.
As it stands, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge is nearly half the price of a Galaxy S25 Ultra, albeit with various limitations. Making things worse for the Edge is the Samsung Galaxy S25+, which outdoes it in every other way. It even looks similar with some added weight and thickness, all of which is justified given the performance gains it offers.
On a side note, with Samsung leaving room for improvement and Apple’s iPhone 17 Air on the horizon, I would not be surprised to see Chinese companies take on the slim challenge and launch super-slim smartphones in the coming months.
