That final half is the issue with the Edge: It has a paltry 3,900-mAh battery capability. That is the smallest of the Galaxy S25 collection, 100 mAh smaller than the compact Galaxy S25. Samsung has made some sensible optimizations to maximise the battery lifetime of this small cell, however there’s solely a lot it will probably do. The Galaxy S25 Edge’s battery life will not be ok for a $1,100 cellphone.
Over the past week, I have been touring with the Edge to cowl Google I/O, and I’ve needed to bear in mind to cost it within the afternoon on most days. Once I was away from a charger, I consciously determined to keep away from utilizing the cellphone in order to not drain the battery. I’ve usually solely had 4 hours of screen-on time by the top of the day earlier than the machine hits 15 %. Thoughts you, with mild to common use, this handset can final nearly a day. Then once more, in case your wants are mild, you hardly have to spend $1,100 to get a fantastic cellphone.
In my 10 years of reviewing telephones, I’ve regularly heard grumbles from the individuals round me when corporations introduce thinner telephones with smaller batteries. I’ve additionally heard complaints that telephones are getting too large. The S25 Edge continues to be large—people with smaller paws than me will nonetheless discover it exhausting to achieve the highest of the display—however the greater measurement does not deliver the advantage of a much bigger battery. It begs the query, who is that this for?
{Photograph}: Julian Chokkattu
If you happen to’ve bemoaned the identical issues, the clear winner for you is a folding flip cellphone. Gadgets just like the Motorola Razr Extremely and the Galaxy Z Flip6 will match, if not provide barely higher battery life than the Edge, however you may fold them up and stow them in a pocket or purse much more properly. No have to sacrifice display measurement. Or simply get the good and compact Galaxy S25, which is able to final a smidge longer than the Edge.
Fringe Value
Samsung is positioning the Galaxy S25 Edge as a cellphone for energy customers who need most of the capabilities of the Galaxy S25 Extremely with out the huge display and weight. However the Edge has extra compromises than simply having the worst battery life: it expenses extra slowly, there is no S Pen stylus, and there is no telephoto zoom digicam. It does have a number of perks over the cheaper S25 and S25+, although, similar to the flexibility to seize 4K video at 120 frames per second.
The outcomes from the 200-MP main digicam and 12-MP ultrawide cameras are sharp and colourful. You will not discover an excessive amount of to complain about. Nonetheless, I stored attempting to zoom in on numerous photographs, and whereas the 2x digital zoom has first rate high quality, issues deteriorate fairly shortly at additional zoom choices. It is uncommon to discover a $1,000+ smartphone at present and not using a 3x or 5x optical zoom digicam, and it is sorely missed right here.
