Android & Chill
One of the longest-standing tech columns online, Android & Chill invites you to engage in discussions about Android, Google, and all things tech every Saturday.
Are you in the market for a phone that’s over-priced, features a mediocre camera, has a small battery, and lacks durability? If so, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge could be just the phone for you.
This phone is undoubtedly a major flop. Samsung made significant compromises because someone at the company decided consumers wanted a slimmer design and were prepared to pay a hefty price for it. It almost sounds like a plot twist from a sitcom.
Unfortunately, it’s not. This is just another example of Samsung experimenting to see what consumers can be persuaded to buy, but this time, it missed the mark. Thankfully, Samsung has the financial resilience to absorb such risks.
The phone isn’t performing well in sales, but that’s not surprising. Samsung’s decision to push ahead with this idea, despite its flaws, is also unsurprising. The company has a history of such moves, some of which have been successful. You truly only know if an idea is viable after giving it a shot.
Samsung’s readiness to take risks brought us the Galaxy Note. If you’re a fan of using your Apple Pencil, you can thank Samsung for showing us that sometimes your finger simply won’t suffice. When the first Galaxy Note launched, it too was deemed a failure. T-Mobile even canceled its variant after it was announced and delivered to reviewers—I happen to know because I received one. Creating a large phone with a stylus seemed absurd at the time.
No one is making that claim now; the Galaxy Note has evolved into Samsung’s finest smartphone to date. Challenge me on that. The company is set to repeat this with book-style foldables and has already piqued interest simply by saying “YOLO” and going for it. I admire this boldness in Samsung and hope they continue. It’s worth trading ten bad ideas for one brilliant hit.
This is why the company is striving for thinner phones. Eventually, they’ll find a way to achieve this without the drawbacks posed by today’s technology. My take? Pushing for a design this slim necessitates advancements in battery technology. A thin phone that flops is the first step toward creating a battery that is smaller, safer, and more durable.
That said— and I genuinely mean all of it— I understand the rationale behind creating this phone. Let’s evaluate what we received: a device that nobody asked for and one that no one should purchase.
Sure, it’s thin. While it may not be the slimmest phone available, it’s undoubtedly thinner than any other non-foldable device on the market. However, this thinness comes at the cost of essential features that contribute to a smartphone’s quality.
I foresaw this back in January when I stated that making a phone incredibly thin with the current technology would necessitate some sacrifices in battery life. I underestimated how much it would also impact camera quality, performance, and durability. But chiefly, battery life.
The batteries are currently in pristine condition, and users may claim they nearly last throughout the day or will do so if managed properly. However, in 90 days, you’ll be saying, “I can squeeze by until dinner,” and in 180 days, users will find themselves charging even more frequently. That’s just the reality of battery usage; the more they’re utilized, the less they can provide.
As someone who relied on a Pixel 4 for a year, I assure you it only deteriorates from here. A smartphone is rendered ineffective with a depleted battery.
Surprisingly, sheer thinness isn’t enough to doom a phone upon release. It will attract buyers because of its sleek design and the ability to recharge via cable. However, what really sank the S25 Edge was its price tag of over $1,000.
Samsung can feign ignorance about the compromises made to achieve such slimness, but even those defending it are aware of the reality. This device serves as a prototype for the next big leap forward, and for it to improve, building and iterating is essential. If it sticks around, there’s potential for it to transform into something we’ll all appreciate.