Does the slim new Galaxy S25 give Samsung an Edge over Apple? Yes and no

India Today

19-05-2025

Maybe it's a little off the topic, but I'll say it anyway: to me, the new Galaxy S25 Edge feels like the first true spiritual successor to the Galaxy Note 7. It was not the first time Samsung would try to a make a slim phone, but given it was the monster Note it was trying to tame, it was a big deal. But as it turned out later, it was easier said than done. This was in 2016. It would take Samsung almost a decade to go down that road again.While the S25 Edge is no Samsung Note (those things are still high and mighty just the way nature wants it to be), it has some of the same underpinnings and values that you associate with a phone of its stature. The biggest giveaway is the hardware. The Edge is not an FE (short for Fan Edition), which is to say that it is not underpowered from any angle. Okay, maybe there are a few caveats here and there, but I am sure most people can – and should – get around them without any trouble whatsoever. What's on the platter looks delicious – but I digress.Everything about the S25 Edge screams flagship (and not the iPhone 16e-type). The simplest way to describe it is, it is a fancier Galaxy S25 Plus (or a S25 Ultra that hit the gym hard). It basically has the same screen which is 6.7-inch 2K (1440p) LTPO AMOLED with up to 120Hz refresh rate. The processor inside is the same top-of-the-line Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite which – just like it is in other S25 series phones – is also optimised for Galaxy. It has the same amount of RAM, 12GB.The secondary 12-megapixel ultrawide and 12-megapixel selfie cameras are the same as well. The S25 Edge is also IP68 rated and supports 15W wireless charging. Finally, it is getting the same love – and commitment – as the S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra when it comes to software and Galaxy AI features, with the promise of seven generations of upgrades.That said, this phone goes above and beyond the specs. Samsung is once again trying to sell us a slim flagship phone, in fact, its slimmest Galaxy S ever. And the numbers back it up well.The Edge comes in at just under 6mm (5.8mm to be precise). That is really its biggest USP (short for unique selling point). But thinness alone is not enough. For it to have the type of impact that Samsung is going for – to be able to justify it as a category-redefining product – it must also factor in the weight. It has considered that, too. The S25 Edge weighs only 163 grams.Each of these specs on their own may not seem like a big deal, but together, they amount to something that we've not seen a big-ticket brand like Samsung attempt in a long time. Even if the audience for such a product – like the Fold or Flip – is not as big as the relatively more mass-market S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra, it is important that the S25 Edge exists today. You can get some sense of why that is, here. The TL;DR version is, the smartphone market has become boring lately, and the Edge is a breath of fresh air.Samsung obviously believes that it has 'winner' written all over it. Why else will it make fat-jokes about iPhones? The real question is does the slim new Galaxy S25 give Samsung an Edge over Apple? On paper, yes.Apple seems closer to launching a 'slim' iPhone – the purported iPhone 17 Air – than it is to releasing one that folds in the middle. Samsung has clarified that the S25 Edge wasn't inspired by the iPhone 17 Air, claiming its phone was in development long before rumours of the slim iPhone started to appear on the internet. The reason why the Edge exists is that people have been asking for a Galaxy S25 Ultra-light without skimping on too many specs. The areas where Samsung had to cut some corners – battery capacity and zoom camera – have more to do with physics than anything else. If it was humanly possible, I reckon that it would have applied it.advertisementBut even with the dialled-down battery (3,900mAh) and new-age technology advancements, critics will be watching the S25 Edge very closely. People have been burnt before and as much as Samsung would want you to forget and move on from the Note 7 fiasco, the Galaxy S25 Edge's real test will be how it handles cooling and how it ages over time. I am not too concerned about the build quality, it is solid, but a part of the internet will also be anxiously waiting for the JerryRigEverything treatment to find out how the phone holds up with everyday wear and tear (things like if it bends or not). The same expectations will apply to the iPhone 17 Air as well, even more so given that it is tipped to be even thinner.Samsung may have the early-mover advantage – again – but getting something out first is no benchmark for success. The Galaxy S25 Edge looks phenomenal. But it must also deliver and prove the naysayers wrong.