The ultra-slim Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is here, but how does it compare to Samsung’s compact Galaxy S25?
While the Galaxy S25 Edge is indeed the thinner of the two devices, the smaller and cheaper Galaxy S25 outdoes its premium sibling in key areas – and that could sway your buying decision one way or the other.
Should you buy the Galaxy S25 now or wait for the release of the Galaxy S25 Edge at the end of May? We’ve compared the two devices and highlighted five key differences right here.
Pricing & availability
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is the more expensive of the two flagship smartphones, coming in at £1099/$1,199 with 256GB of storage, while 512GB will set you back £1199/$1,219. It’s available to pre-order now ahead of release on 30 May.
The Galaxy S25 is relatively cheap in comparison, starting at £799/$799 with 128GB of storage, though you can get 256GB or 512GB of storage for £859/$859 and £959, respectively. The phone was released in January 2025 and is readily available to buy at retailers worldwide.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is thinner
Somewhat obviously given the focus of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, it’s much thinner than the Samsung Galaxy S25 – an impressive feat considering Samsung’s entry-level flagship measures in at 7.2mm thick.
The S25 Edge, meanwhile, clocks in at a slimline 5.8mm thick – the same as a stack of just seven credit cards. An odd comparison, yes, but one that’ll make it much easier to convey just how thin the flagship is.
Despite its slimline dimensions, it packs a titanium frame and glass rear, complete with the same IP68 dust and water resistance as the regular Galaxy S25. The Galaxy S25 misses out on the titanium frame, instead sporting an aluminium frame to help keep weight down.
Speaking of…
The Samsung Galaxy S25 is lighter – but not by much
Despite the Galaxy S25 Edge being marketed as being thinner and lighter than regular smartphones, the Galaxy S25 is actually lighter – albeit by a single gram. The S25 Edge weighs 163g, while the S25 tips the scales at 162g.
However, it’s worth pointing out that the Galaxy S25 has a much smaller 6.2-inch display than the 6.7-inch panel of the S25 Edge, helping explain the weight discrepancy. Compared to other big-screen smartphones, the S25 Edge is much lighter, by as much as 64g when compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
That does help provide a point of comparison for those who have used the Galaxy S25, as it’ll be near-identical in terms of weight.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 has a dedicated zoom lens
For the Galaxy S25 Edge to achieve such a slimline design, sacrifices had to be made. That’s notable in the camera department where, despite costing much more than the Galaxy S25, it has fewer cameras.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 sports a main 50MP snapper, accompanied by a 12MP ultrawide and a 10MP telephoto lens. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, on the other hand, sports 200MP main and 12MP ultrawide lenses, with no telephoto in sight.
It’s not a huge surprise given that telephoto lenses need physical space to help achieve the desired magnification – something at a premium in such a slimline device – but it’ll no doubt be disappointing to some.
Instead, Samsung relies on the high-res 200MP camera to fill that gap using digital zoom. It should do a solid job at lower magnifications, but it won’t beat a dedicated telephoto or periscope lens at higher levels of zoom.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge has a bigger, higher-res screen
We’ve already mentioned that the Galaxy S25 Edge has a bigger 6.7-inch screen than the compact 6.2-inch screen of the Galaxy S25, but there’s much more to it than that.
In fact, the Galaxy S25 Edge screen is near-identical to that of the Galaxy S25 Plus, sporting the same pixel-packed QHD+ resolution. The regular Galaxy S25, given its smaller size, caps out at FHD+, meaning the S25 Edge should deliver crisper, sharper images overall – but we’ll have to wait and see for now.
Aside from size and resolution, the two screens are fairly similar; both AMOLED panels have slim bezels, an LTPO-enabled 120Hz refresh rate and support for HDR10+ content.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 has a larger battery
Despite the fact that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge has a larger screen with way more pixels to power, the smaller Galaxy S25 has the bigger battery of the two.
There isn’t much in it, but the Galaxy S25’s 4000mAh cell is slightly larger than the 3900mAh cell in the S25 Edge – another key sacrifice of having such a slimline design.
Samsung claims it can deliver 24 hours of video playback, but whether that translates to all-day use in real-world conditions is yet to be seen.
Early thoughts
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is a marvel of engineering, offering a super-slim and impressively lightweight smartphone with flagship-level flair – but it’s clear to see that sacrifices had to be made to achieve the lofty aim.
As such, despite costing £300/$300 less than the Galaxy S25 Edge, the Galaxy S25 comes with a dedicated telephoto lens. It also has the larger battery of the two, even though its 6.2-inch screen is much smaller than the S25 Edge’s 6.7-inch panel, leading to possible concerns over battery life.
Still, if you want a big-screen phone that’s as slim and light as possible, the S25 Edge looks to tick that box – though we’ll save our final verdict for once we’ve spent more time with the new flagship.
