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 may do. The Galaxy S25 Edge’s battery life isn’t adequate for a $1,100 telephone.
During the last week, I have been touring with the Edge to cowl Google I/O, and I’ve needed to keep in mind to cost it within the afternoon on most days. After I was away from a charger, I consciously determined to keep away from utilizing the telephone in order to not drain the battery. I’ve typically solely had 4 hours of screen-on time by the top of the day earlier than the machine hits 15 %. Thoughts you, with gentle to common use, this handset can final nearly a day. Then once more, in case your wants are gentle, you hardly need to spend $1,100 to get a great phone.
In my 10 years of reviewing telephones, I’ve ceaselessly heard grumbles from the individuals round me when firms introduce thinner telephones with smaller batteries. I’ve additionally heard complaints that telephones are getting too massive. The S25 Edge continues to be massive—people with smaller paws than me will nonetheless discover it exhausting to succeed in the highest of the display—however the greater measurement does not convey the advantage of a much bigger battery. It begs the query, who is that this for?
{Photograph}: Julian Chokkattu
When you’ve bemoaned the identical issues, the clear winner for you is a folding flip phone. Gadgets just like the Motorola Razr Ultra and the Galaxy Z Flip6 will match, if not supply 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 must sacrifice display measurement. Or simply get the good and compact Galaxy S25, which is able to final a smidge longer than the Edge.
Fringe Worth
Samsung is positioning the Galaxy S25 Edge as a telephone for energy customers who need most of the capabilities of the Galaxy S25 Ultra 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 couple of perks over the cheaper S25 and S25+, although, equivalent to the power 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. Nevertheless, I saved making an attempt 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 the moment with out a 3x or 5x optical zoom digicam, and it is sorely missed right here.