Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Which one is better?
Thin is in
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is finally official making it one of the slimmest flagships in the world. It’s also extremely light, packs the main 200MP camera from the S25 Ultra, and features a flagship Qualcomm SoC for the best gaming experience. Some obvious compromises have been made like a much smaller battery with last-gen charging speeds and only two rear cameras. It’s also quite expensive starting at above $1,000.
Pros
- Insanely slim and light
- Same flagship SoC and main camera as the S25 Ultra
- IP68 rating
- Seven years of software updates
- Sharp and bright display
Cons
- Expensive
- Smallest battery in the series
- No telephoto camera
- Performance could throttle quicker than Ultra
The absolute best
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is everything you could ever hope for from a flagship phone and more. It has the best display, battery life, cameras, and performance, along with a useful built-in stylus and many years of software support. Cramming all this into one device has its downsides like a large and heavy footprint, something the S25 Edge addresses in spades.
Pros
- Arguably the most powerful phone available
- Incredible display (if you aren’t affected by PWM)
- Camera versatility is much appreciated
- AI features are promising
Cons
- S Pen loses Bluetooth features
- Very expensive
- Still no magnets
- Large and bulky
Let’s face it, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is a phone no one really asked for but Samsung felt the need that it should exist, so here we are. It’s essentially a mix of the Galaxy S25 Plus and Ultra but put in an extremely thin and light chassis. On its own, it’s a great little flagship option for anyone looking for something super-thin and light. The problem is with its pricing. It starts at a little over $1,000, which is about $200 shy of the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
The Ultra is Samsung’s hero product so anyone spending this sort of money on the S25 Edge really needs to think hard about one thing — wouldn’t it make sense to spend a bit more and get a much better product? While the Galaxy S25 Edge doesn’t really compete with the S25 Ultra directly, from a buyer’s perspective, doing a comparative analysis is crucial in order to make the right decision.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Design and display
The most stark difference between the Galaxy S25 Edge and the S25 Ultra is the design. The Edge is ridiculously thin at just 5.8mm and extremely light at just 163 grams. The frame is Armor Aluminum and there’s Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 over the display. The rear panel gets Gorilla Glass Victus. The corners of the S25 Edge have softer curves which actually feel nice to hold, based on our hour-long hands-on with the phone.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is boxier, heavier, and thicker than the S25 Edge. This is only amplified if you decide to use a case on it. The Ultra can be a bit cumbersome to hold for long with one hand or carry around in a pocket, due to its weight and awkward size. It’s extremely well-built though and sturdy thanks to the titanium frame. Its display also gets a special anti-reflective treatment which the S25 Edge lacks.
Both phones have extremely high-resolution displays that look absolutely fantastic. The Galaxy S25 Edge has a 6.7-inch LTPO Super AMOLED 2X panel, with a 120Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 3,120×1,440 pixels. Incidentally, it has the same 2,600 nits of peak brightness as the S25 Ultra, so sunlight legibility should be on par. The bezels are extremely slim and the hole-punch for the front camera isn’t distracting.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra has a larger 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED display but with the same resolution, which means the pixel count is lower. It’s still well above 450 ppi so you won’t really notice this even when viewing the same content on both phones side by side. The anti-reflective coating on the Ultra is a game-changer when viewing the display under sunlight or with artificial lighting behind you, and it’s a shame that the Edge misses out on it.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Hardware and specs
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge starts at $1,099.99 for 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, and the 512GB variant is priced at $1,219.99. If you buy from Samsung.com, you can get the top-end variant for the price of the base as part of the launch offers. The Edge comes in three colors, Titanium Icyblue, Titanium Silver, and Titanium Jetblack. The finishes look good but the colors are exactly exciting.
Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra starts at $1,299.99 for 256GB storage and 12GB RAM, but Samsung is offering the 512GB variant at this price if you buy directly from its website. The Ultra also has a 1TB storage variant for $1,419.99. The S25 Ultra comes in four colors and this is not including the three exclusive shades that are only available through Samsung.com.
|
Category |
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge |
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
|
OS |
One UI 7 (up to seven OS upgrades) |
One UI 7 (up to seven OS upgrades) |
|
Display |
6.7-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz LTPO, up to 2,600 nits peak brightness |
6.9-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz LTPO, up to 2,600 nits peak brightness |
|
Processor |
Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy |
Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy |
|
RAM |
12GB |
12GB |
|
Storage |
256GB, 512GB |
256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
|
Cameras |
200MP main + 12MP ultrawide; 12MP selfie |
200MP main + 50MP ultrawide + 10 telephoto (3x) + 50MP telephoto (5x); 12MP selfie |
|
Speakers |
Stereo speakers |
Stereo speakers |
|
Protection |
IP68 |
IP68 |
|
Battery |
3,900mAh |
5,000mAh |
|
Charging |
25W |
45W |
|
Connectivity |
Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, 5G, USB-C (3.2) |
Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, 5G, USB-C (3.2) |
|
Size |
158.2 x 75.6 x 5.8 mm |
162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2 mm |
|
Weight |
163g |
218g |
|
Colors |
Titanium Icyblue, Titanium Silver, Titanium Jetblack |
Titanium Silver Blue, Titanium Black, Titanium White Silver, Titanium Gray, (Samsung.com exclusive: Titanium Jade Green, Titanium Jet Black, Titanium Pink Gold) |
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge and Gaalxy S25 Ultra use the same custom ‘Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy’ chip, so performance should be identical. We are yet to review the S25 Edge and we’ll have a full report for you on its performance, but till then you can read out detailed S25 Ultra review to know what to expect. I suspect the Edge could have lower thermal thresholds due to its slim size, which could throttle performance of the SoC a lot quicker than the Ultra. This is so that the phone doesn’t get excessively hot to hold. It’s just an assumption right now as we’ll know for certain once we review it.
Another compromise area is the cameras. The Galaxy S25 Edge only has two rear camera, one of which is the same 200MP main sensor from the Ultra. Samsung also talks about a 2x optical zoom which essentially uses an in-sensor crop to achieve it. The ultrawide is sadly just a 12MP sensor and not a 50MP module from the Ultra. The Galaxy S25 Ultra has two additional rear cameras for zoom, one 3x telephoto and a 50MP periscope-style telephoto with 5x optical zoom. If you need long-range photography, stick to the Ultra.
Finally, battery life is one area where the Galaxy S25 Ultra should easily beat the S25 Edge. We’re talking a 5,000mAh capacity vs. 3,900mAh. With mindful usage, you should be able to squeeze out a full day’s worth of use from the S25 Edge but I wouldn’t expect anything beyond that. Heavy app and camera use could knock down battery life even quicker. The S25 Ultra should easily sail through one full day and more on a single charge as no amount of software optimization can compensate for a physically larger battery.
Charging speeds are also better on the Ultra. You get 45W fast charging here, compared to just 25W on the Edge. Given the smaller size of the battery, 25W should still be decently quick but not as quick as the Ultra. Wireless charging is the same 15W on both phones.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Software
The Galaxy S25 Edge and Galaxy S25 Ultra should have identical software. Both phones run One UI 7 which is based on Android 15, and should be getting all future updates roughly around the same time. Both will be getting seven years of OS upgrades and security patches. With Android 16 right around the corner, we should see the One UI 8 update pop up for both pretty soon, once the new Galaxy foldables are launched.
One UI 7 is Samsung’s best software update yet. The new visual design is very pleasing, you can finally switch the app drawer to vertical scrolling without being forced to install a third-party launcher, there’s much better customizability, and plenty of AI-focused add-ons. Among the many Galaxy AI features, some of the standout ones include Photo Assist, Transcript Assist, and Now Brief.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Which phone should you buy?
As much as I love a thin and light phone, I cannot justify recommending the S25 Edge at its current price over the Galaxy S25 Ultra. I’d rather pay the $200 premium and get the complete flagship experience, and this is what I’d suggest you do too. In the long run, I think the heft and bulk of the Ultra is something you’ll get used to, but not having certain features like telephoto cameras and a larger battery could end up being nagging issues.
The Galaxy S25 Edge needs to be cheaper in order for it to be a real, viable option. Even a die-hard Samsung fan will have to really think twice before spending $1,000+ on it. It’s a fantastic little flagship, no doubt, but it offers poor value for money at its current price.
The one to get
If you can get past the size and weight of the S25 Ultra, it’s easily the better phone to get over the S25 Edge. The larger battery and better cameras alone make up for slight premium over the Edge.
Not great value
The Galaxy S25 Edge eats the Ultra for breakfast when it comes to ergonomics, but this comes at a huge cost of battery life and camera capabilities. It’s a sacrifice I don’t see many buyers willing to make, including loyal Samsung fans.
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