Latest news with #AndroidPhones
Android Authority
2 days ago
- Business
- Android Authority
5 Android phones you should buy instead of the Galaxy S25 Edge
Ryan Haines / Android Authority The Galaxy S25 Edge is one of the most polarizing Android phones of the year. Samsung's ultra-thin smartphone boasts some truly impressive design chops, cramming a 6.7-inch display into a body that's thinner and lighter than previously thought possible. At the same time, the S25 Edge's middling battery life, lacking camera setup, and disappointing thermal performance may leave you scratching your head as to why Samsung deems the Edge worthy of its $1,100 asking price. As impressive as certain aspects of the Edge may be, I can't help but look at it and think your money is better spent elsewhere — specifically, with any one of these five Android phones you should buy instead of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. Which phone would you buy instead of the Galaxy S25 Edge? 0 votes Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus NaN % Samsung Galaxy S25 NaN % OnePlus 13 NaN % Google Pixel 9 Pro XL NaN % Motorola Razr Ultra NaN % Other (let us know in the comments) NaN % Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus Ryan Haines / Android Authority Let's start with the most obvious S25 Edge alternative: the Galaxy S25 Plus. With a retail price that's $100 cheaper than the S25 Edge, you'd expect the S25 Plus to be a worse overall phone. But in reality, the Plus either meets or beats the Edge in almost every regard. Battery capacity is perhaps the most significant difference between the two. Where the S25 Edge has a paltry 3,900mAh battery, the S25 Plus has a much more appropriately-sized 4,900mAh one. The S25 Plus doesn't have the most remarkable battery life we've ever seen, but it's enough to easily get you through a full day or a day and a half on a single charge. The S25 Edge, meanwhile, will almost certainly require a midday recharge if you use it too much. Charge speeds are also noticeably worse on the S25 Edge, which supports just 25W wired charge speeds, while the S25 Plus is capable of 45W. And as you've likely noticed by now, the S25 Edge is missing a telephoto camera compared to the S25 Plus. In real-world use, that's a difference of only having a maximum zoom length of 10x on the Edge compared to 30x on the Plus. C. Scott Brown / Android Authority What about other important aspects like display quality and performance? The Galaxy S25 Edge and S25 Plus have identical screen and chipset technology. The screens across the two are virtually indistinguishable, but while the chips are the same, the Edge's thinner body means it's much more prone to overheating and performance throttling — something we observed frequently during our testing. At the end of the day, the S25 Edge is an objectively worse version of the S25 Plus, and a more expensive one, too. Is the thin design nice? Sure. But the S25 Plus isn't a particularly heavy or uncomfortable phone, and it outperforms the Edge in so many different ways. Unless you absolutely need the S25 Edge's thin body, the S25 Plus is unquestionably the better purchase between the two. Samsung Galaxy S25 Hadlee Simons / Android Authority While the Galaxy S25 Plus is arguably the most logical direct alternative to the Galaxy S25 Edge, I also think there's a strong argument to make for the regular Galaxy S25. It has some technical downgrades compared to the S25 Plus — namely, its battery capacity and charge speeds, which are almost identical to the S25 Edge — and there's half the amount of base internal storage, too. But it still has a high-quality display, the same Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, and an identical camera setup to that of the S25 Plus. What makes the Galaxy S25 a particularly interesting S25 Edge competitor is its hardware. While not as thin as the Edge (7.2mm vs. 5.8mm), the two phones weigh almost the same. In fact, the regular S25 is a tiny bit lighter than the S25 Edge. The S25's 6.2-inch screen is much more manageable, too, allowing for easier one-handed use compared to the 6.7-inch panel on the Edge. In other words, if what you're looking for is a compact, comfortable Samsung phone, you get that with the Galaxy S25 — plus with fewer thermal issues, better battery life, and more capable cameras than the Edge. And that's not to mention the $800 retail price, which keeps an extra $300 in your pocket compared to buying the Galaxy S25 Edge. OnePlus 13 Joe Maring / Android Authority If you're comfortable looking at phones not made by Samsung, the OnePlus 13 stands out as my number one non-Samsung recommendation. Is it as thin or as lightweight as the Galaxy S25 Edge? Not even close. Instead, the OnePlus 13 is a stylish, well-made, and highly specced Android phone. On a personal level, it's my favorite of all the alternatives mentioned here. What it lacks in ultra-thinness, the OnePlus 13 more than makes up for with its attractive design. The blue leather backside looks and feels outstanding, and despite being nearly 50 grams heavier than the S25 Edge, the OnePlus 13 feels shockingly light and comfortable in the hand. OnePlus's camera package is far and away better, offering up to a ridiculous 120x zoom and delivering really lovely images with its primary and ultrawide cameras, too. The OnePlus 13's 6,000mAh battery allows for two days of use and truly puts the Galaxy S25 Edge's battery to shame, as do OnePlus's 80W wired and 50W wireless charge speeds — numbers the Galaxy S25 Edge can only dream of achieving. The OnePlus 13 is one of the most capable and well-rounded Android phones available today, and the fact that its $900 retail price comes in $200 less than the Galaxy S25 Edge is just icing on the cake. OnePlus 13 OnePlus 13 Gorgeous design • Clever AI features • Flexible cameras MSRP: $899.99 The OG flagship killer's killer flagship. The OnePlus 13 is the company's most killer flagship to date, offering a massive battery, speedy charging, and powerful cameras that give Google and Samsung something to worry about. See price at OnePlus Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Rita El Khoury / Android Authority Another good non-Samsung recommendation is the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. While it's not as good of an overall value as the OnePlus 13, it's the same price as the Galaxy S25 Edge and is a much better overall smartphone. Without a doubt, one of the most significant advantages of buying the Pixel 9 Pro XL over the S25 Edge is the camera experience. Not only does the 48MP periscope telephoto camera fill the telephoto gap found on the S25 Edge, but the overall camera package is just better. All of the camera sensors are excellent, Google's image processing is unbelievably consistent, and the suite of AI shooting/editing tricks is among the best out there. Google matches Samsung's seven-year update policy, though you'll get updates much faster on the Pixel 9 Pro XL than you ever will on the Galaxy S25 Edge. Furthermore, if you like what you've seen with Material 3 Expressive from Android 16, you're going to want a Pixel phone, as Samsung doesn't show any indication of adopting it with One UI 8. Cameras and software are the Pixel's greatest strengths, but it's also incredibly solid elsewhere. Performance is great for daily use, the display is outstanding, and Google's other AI features are among the most helpful I've used. In some cases, it might be worth waiting for the Pixel 10 Pro XL, but if you're in the market for a phone right now and have $1,100 to spend, I'd still argue the Pixel 9 Pro XL is a better use of your money than the S25 Edge. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Google Pixel 9 Pro XL The best specs in the Pixel 9 series • Gorgeous display • Seven years of software updates MSRP: $1,099.00 Pure XL-ence. Google reserves its best hardware for the largest device in the line. The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL offers a 6.8-inch display, the biggest battery we've ever seen in a Pixel phone, and 37W wired charging. Otherwise, the Pixel 9 Pro and the Pixel 9 Pro XL share almost all other hardware and software features, giving users the option between display sizes with top hardware. See price at Amazon See price at Google Store - See price at Best Buy Motorola Razr Ultra Ryan Haines / Android Authority My last pick for a Galaxy S25 Edge alternative is a bit of a wild card, but I think there's an argument to make for it. I'm talking about the Motorola Razr Ultra. Like the Galaxy S25 Edge, the Razr Ultra puts a big emphasis on style and design, yet it does that through a foldable form factor and (amazingly) with better specs, too. The S25 Edge's thin titanium design is impressive, but you know what's more impressive? A phone with a wooden back. Or one made with Alcantara, or a leather or satin-like finish. You get all of those on the Razr Ultra, and they all make the phone stand out in their own ways. The foldable nature of the Razr Ultra helps with that, too. When the phone is open, the 7-inch AMOLED panel is as good as you could ask for. And when the phone is shut, you can do almost anything and run any app you'd like on the 4-inch cover screen. The Razr Ultra may not be as thin or lightweight as the S25 Edge, but if portability is a top concern for you, the convenience of the cover screen is worth a few extra millimeters and grams. Ryan Haines / Android Authority Even more amazing is that the Razr Ultra out-classes the Galaxy S25 Edge in areas you'd expect a traditional slab phone to shine. Compared to the Edge, the Razr's battery life and charge speeds are both significantly better. Performance is also slightly improved, and the camera system is more capable, supporting up to 30x zoom and featuring a nicer 50MP ultrawide camera instead of the S25 Edge's 12MP sensor. The biggest downside to the Razr Ultra is its price; at $1,300, the phone costs $200 more than the S25 Edge. However, considering everything the Razr Ultra brings to the table — and how much more unique it is compared to Samsung's phone — it's not outrageously more expensive. If you're eyeing the Galaxy S25 Edge because you want a phone that'll stand out from the crowd, the Razr Ultra is well worth taking a close look at instead. Motorola Razr Ultra Motorola Razr Ultra Blisteringly fast charging and excellent battery life • Ultra-flagship-tier performance • Top-notch materials and eye-catching Pantone colors MSRP: $1,299.99 High-end processing power in a folding shell Adding Ultra to the name, the Motorola Razr Ultra is the first folding phone from Moto with a top-tier processor. The 7-inch folding display is paired with a half-size front display to give you both a premium experience, and a compact and portable communication device. See price at Amazon
Android Authority
27-05-2025
- Business
- Android Authority
This is the most beautiful color on any Android phone ever
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority I've always liked the color green. Growing up, my parents wanted me to wear red, pink, blue, and yellow, but I always wanted green clothes, and there was never enough choice. Or even a decent choice. So I gravitated towards other colors, but when someone asked me what my favorite one was, I always said green. This is why I feel best outdoors, I love hiking among the trees, and I'll pick emerald over ruby any day. But when it comes to phones, green has often been the bastard, forgotten, mistreated color. Even back in the 2010 Nokia days, we had gorgeous orange and blue colors for the N8, but a middling green. Many companies have continued to pick abysmal green shades for their phones. It's been tough to find a proper emerald, dense, and saturated green color on a modern Android phone. Google has been the biggest culprit of this. It started with the blue-grey Pixel 5 that was supposed to be Sorta Sage, the faded dual-tone Sorta Seafoam Pixel 6, and the similarly dull Sage Pixel 6a. After that, Google switched away from the greyish greens and went for a more minty/limey tone in general, but it kept the saturation level to a minimum. We got the desaturated Lemongrass Pixel 7, a greyish olive-toned Hazel Pixel 7 Pro, a light Mint Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, and another light Wintergreen Pixel 9. Perhaps the only time Google got adventurous enough to tune up the saturation level a bit was with the Aloe Pixel 8a. But that was it. Rita El Khoury / Android Authority Other companies have tried too. From the nearly white Jade Green Galaxy S24 Ultra to the brown Khaki Green Xperia 1 VI, passing by the many teal-shaded OnePlus phones from the eighth series onward, there's been a smorgasbord of green-but-not-really-green phones. The one that stands out the most in my mind is the Green Emerald Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge; that was the shade I liked the most, and I ended up looking for cases that emulated the same color. But what do you know, even case makers don't really like green! Green has often been the forgotten or mistreated color on Android smartphones. All of this to say that I may have finally found the perfect green shade on a modern smartphone, and it's made by realme. The just-announced GT 7 Dream Edition literally took my breath away when I unboxed its (very imposing and wasteful) box. But the phone, the color. Oh, just absolute perfection. Rita El Khoury / Android Authority Photos, including all the press materials and the images that I've taken in this post, don't do this phone justice. It's gorgeous in person. The most saturated and metallic green color I've ever seen on an Android phone, emerald under some lights, dark teal in other lighting conditions, and just perfect in every scenario. Rita El Khoury / Android Authority To say that I like this more than the Bay Pixel 8a and Peony Pixel 9a — the two most colorful phones in my possession now — would be an understatement. It's a million times more sophisticated and classy. My colleagues compared it a bit to the OnePlus 12 and 13 series, based on some photos, but those veer more towards teal than emerald, in my opinion, and are clearly darker. They lack the popping color of the GT 7 Dream Edition. Obviously, you can tell from the photos here that this is a special edition phone, made in collaboration with the Aston Martin Formula 1 team. In fact, it's the exact emblematic green shade that Aston Martin is known for. I don't follow the races anymore (I was a fan right up until Räikkönen won the World Championship, celebrated that, and then lost interest in the sport), but I know what Aston Martin's F1 car looks like. And this phone perfectly emulates that color… Rita El Khoury / Android Authority … right down to the lime green power button and chamfered edges around the camera module and every lens opening. I'd say these small details give it a more playful vibe and remind me of Google's playful power button era with the Pixel 3 and 4 series. Rita El Khoury / Android Authority Though if I'm being honest, I think the racing stripes, or 'wings' as realme calls them, with an ever-so-small bevel give this phone way more character. I was afraid they'd look gaudy when I saw the renders, but in reality, they don't. Go back up the page, and you'll notice that they aren't visible in most lights. You have to catch them at the right angle to see the thin, shiny stripes on each side. Between the fantastic green shade, lime green accents, and iconic Aston Martin badge, this phone looks and feels unique. However, the really gaudy part is the retina-searing icon theme that realme has gone for. I understand wanting to carry the phone's hardware branding throughout the software, but this feels a bit too much. Maybe Aston Martin F1 fans will love it, but to me, it was an instant turn-off. Luckily, you can easily switch back to a standard theme. Rita El Khoury / Android Authority You can tell that I'm not a fan of too much branding on my phones, so the presence of both the realme logo and iconic silver wings Aston Martin emblem feels a bit much. I'd be willing to forgive it, though, because it's done so tastefully with high-end metallic materials. It's the addition of the white, characterless 'Formula One team' engraving that irks me a bit. Could've done without it overall and I think the phone's design would've spoken for the racing and speed experience without adding this extra line. Rita El Khoury / Android Authority And look, I'm not saying the realme GT 7 Dream Edition is the best Android phone on the planet now. No, but it's a fantastic, powerful Android 15 device with a blazing processor, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, a gorgeous display, and an impressive 7,000mAh battery with 120W SUPERVOOC charging. I haven't been able to kill the battery in one day so far, despite how much I've thrown at it. For the right demographic, this is an absolute dream of a phone. For someone like me, who doesn't play too many games and just needs a clean and efficient interface, it's not the right choice. But that green color. Ah, that green color, I tell you. It's beautiful. It's stunning. It's glamorous and irresistible. It's stupendous. And I might not run out of adjectives and superlatives if I keep going. Petition to all Android brands: Make smartphones in this color. Or at least a case. I'd take a case in this shade at this point.
