5 reasons I think Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge has an edge on its rivals

Enter the Galaxy S25 Edge. Samsung saved its big surprise for a last second reveal during Unpacked this year, rolling credits on stage before interrupting the broadcast one final time. I even got to check out the Galaxy S25 Edge in the company’s hands-on area, though considering the crowd surrounding it, getting a good look wasn’t particularly easy. Unlike the rest of this lineup, I think the Edge is in a good spot to potentially wow customers when it launches later this year, but it certainly still has its work cut out for it.

5

It’s got a name destined to catch Samsung fans’ attention

Even if it’s pretty disconnected from the Edge lineage

I’ve spoken with fellow reporters who disagree with me — including on AP’s very own podcast — but I think Galaxy S25 Edge is a fantastic name for this device. Leading up to its unveiling at Unpacked last week, practically everyone expected something like “Galaxy S25 Slim” to match whatever product Apple’s cooking up for later this fall. Instead, the S25 Edge relies on a product name Samsung hasn’t used in nearly a decade, and if there’s one thing the last 20 years of blockbuster filmmaking has taught me, you can’t underestimate nostalgia.

Sure, there’s an argument to be made that the “Edge” brand never quite caught on, running for just a few years in the mid-2010s until Samsung adopted curved displays for the entire Galaxy S8 lineup. But the reaction throughout AP’s Slack at the name reveal tells me that, yes, there is a certain Android fan who has fond memories of decade-old Edge phones. I don’t think the new focus on thinness matters — if Samsung can recreate the excitement that those initial Edge models delivered in 2014, it’ll more than earn its right to this name.

4

Samsung’s slim chassis is eye-catching, but it could also bring function to form

It just needs a brilliant idea or two to tie it all together

If the Galaxy S25 series truly is peak glass-and-metal slab, at least the Galaxy S25 Edge takes it to an extreme we haven’t seen before. Samsung is obviously focusing on making its chassis as slim and sleek as possible, and with that reduction in sheer mass comes an equally-exciting reduction in weight. We don’t know where the exact motivation behind the S25 Edge’s look came from — you know, beyond some rumored Apple inspiration and a need to come up with anything fresh — but it’s hard to call this device unexciting.

My biggest hope, of course, is that this phone’s slim chassis actually comes with some real changes to the overall experience. A 6.7-inch display in a phone that weighs less than Samsung’s own 6.2-inch smartphone, perhaps, or a smaller physical battery than what’s in the S25 Ultra that still manages to survive through the day. Older Edge devices pushed Samsung to dream up new visual alerts, sliding shortcuts panels, and much more. Here’s to the Galaxy S25 Edge accomplishing similar, as-yet-unrevealed things.

3

The Galaxy S25 Edge could bring back Samsung’s reputation for innovation

Even if it’s coming from a place of Apple-based inspiration

Speaking of Apple, it’s hard not to see the Galaxy S25 Edge as anything but a reaction to the yet-to-launch iPhone 17 Air. Apple’s rumored ultra-slim iPhone is set to arrive sometime this fall alongside the rest of its iPhone 17 siblings, but with a rumored spring release, the Galaxy S25 Edge will beat it with months to spare. This head start is great news for Samsung, giving it the ability to get ahead of the “Samsung copies Apple” debate while simultaneously delivering a chance to really push forward in the hardware space for the first time in years.

Not since 2019’s Galaxy Fold — or, if you’re being a little more generous, 2020’s original Galaxy Z Flip — has Samsung really managed to capture the zeitgeist with its output. The Galaxy S25 Edge gives the company a chance to wow early adopters and Android enthusiasts in a way it hasn’t since, well, the pre-COVID era. I don’t want to say everything’s riding on this phone, but if Samsung wants to silence its doubters, the best way to do so would be to knock this phone right out of the park. Prove you’re still at the top of the smartphone hardware game, the way you were in the tail end of the 2010s.

2

This is the first real redesign we’ve seen for a Samsung flagship in years

Isn’t that exciting enough?

Even if the Galaxy S25 Edge ends up feeling like it’s “just” a slimmer Galaxy S25, that might be enough to get some shoppers to upgrade. Don’t get me wrong — this is undoubtedly a modern Samsung phone, for better and for worse. But the new chassis and limited lenses promise something a little unfamiliar to those looking for a new sensation. If you aren’t interested in upgrading to a folding phone — or you’re simply locked into Samsung’s ecosystem — the S25 Edge could scratch that new-look itch in a way even its most recent foldables have failed to do so.

1

The Galaxy S25 Edge moves the conversation back to what Samsung does best

No offense, One UI fans

Practically everything new about the Galaxy S25 series comes from its software. One UI 7 and this new round of Galaxy AI features are, in many ways, better than their immediate predecessors, delivering a vertical app drawer, reorganized quick settings, and tools like Now Bar and Now Brief. But basing a new hardware launch around a collection of software tricks is bound to leave some die-hard fans feeling a little disappointed, and I absolutely think this is the case here.

Frankly, Samsung’s always been best as a hardware company first. From Bixby to TouchWiz to its (ever-shrinking) collection of duplicate apps, software has simply never been this brand’s forte. The Galaxy S25 Edge — assuming it’s as impressive as Samsung’s tease implied — could move the conversation back to where the company succeeds most. While I think a true Note replacement, complete with a headphone jack, a microSD card slot, and a Bluetooth-enabled S Pen, could go a long way in making amends with some lapsed Samsung fans, maybe a super-slim smartphone can do the same.

We’re on the edge of our seats here, Samsung

Considering Samsung’s tease at the end of Unpacked, it doesn’t seem like we’ll be waiting particularly long to see the Galaxy S25 Edge in all its slim-and-sleek glory. Personally, even after getting plenty of hands-on time with the current S25 trio — including the supersized Galaxy S25 Ultra, review coming soon — I can’t help but be excited for the Edge’s eventual release. Of course, I’ll try to sit here and be a little extra patient; after all, waiting is half the fun.