Child, maybe I need to hold the Samsung Slim in person because when I take my iPhone 16 out of its case I feel like they aren't a far cry apart in thinness.
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Testing Samsung's Super Thin Galaxy S25 Edge
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I trust Dan’s opinion, so if I had to get a replacement phone today, I’d have no problem choosing this one. 🤷♂️
Agree. But yet it’s also silly imho to not use a case on a modern iPhone that’s more jewelry than robust device.
A gimmick phone just like the 16e and upcoming slim iPhone. Really, if anyone must have a small, slim and affordable phone with basic features, just grab a reconditioned iPhone SE2 with 100% battery for $100 USD or whatever they go for now. They run an iPhone 11 or 12 processor, last all day, handle iOS 18.5 no problem and appear to be on the list for iOS 26 later this year. My youngest daughter has one currently and loves it.
Blame the MR editorial that left out that example when trying so very hard to justify the inevitable battery compromises with this new form factor.
We’re about to find out. Those infamous 4 words…”Built for Apple Intelligence”.
Incidentally, 12 mini on original battery? Let me guess, you use it to make calls and the occasional text only.
These very thin phones are going backwards in technology not forward because the one thing that has been the biggest bug bear of mobile phone users is battery life. Mobile phone years have always asked/requested/demanded that mobile phone manufacturers improve the life of the battery and it has shown that mobile phones that have a long battery life is the phone that wins out. Users have got fed up of having to charge their phone ever few hours and with the advances in mobile phone technology, the battery life of mobile phones have increased year on year. Now manufacturers are going to sacrifice the one thing that annoys mobile phone users the most and that is battery life just so they can make a very thin mobile phone. What makes mobile manufacturers think users are going to go back to charging their phone ever 1 to 2 hrs. because the thin phone battery has gone flat due to heavy use.
I can see why the manufacturers are thinking like this because a number of places provide charging points, a lot of public transport does, many cafe's do as well but that is about it, certainly not enough to warrant people buying a very thin mobile phone. Plus it would mean a person would have to carry a usb charging cable with them at all times. Well there will be some people who will do that, the majority of people will not.
Very thin mobile phones are a gimmick and it's low performance battery life is will what kill them off.
I can see why the manufacturers are thinking like this because a number of places provide charging points, a lot of public transport does, many cafe's do as well but that is about it, certainly not enough to warrant people buying a very thin mobile phone. Plus it would mean a person would have to carry a usb charging cable with them at all times. Well there will be some people who will do that, the majority of people will not.
Very thin mobile phones are a gimmick and it's low performance battery life is will what kill them off.
I don't think thats how it works, but i hope you’re right as that would improve things. The rough maths right now is pointing to battery life similar to the 13 Mini, which is average for me, but would be poor battery life for many people.
I’m a very light phone user, so I would gladly trade battery life for thinness and lightness (I would also prefer smallness). It’s pretty rare when I do need to use my phone heavily without access to charging for long stretches, and I almost always know ahead of time, so I’m very ok bringing a MagSafe battery on those days. With my current iPhone I carry around way too much battery and weight and thickness for no real reason. And yes even with a case, I would still appreciate the thinness and lightness, because a thick heavy phone would just be that much thicker and heavier with the case.
The camera though is what I’m very hesitant to trade off.
The camera though is what I’m very hesitant to trade off.
The difference is operating system, there's a piece of paper between Apple and Samsung when it comes to everything else. If anything Samsung has stagnated because Apple has, which is why the best new phone tech comes from China (Xiaomi, Honor, Oppo, OnePlus etc) rather than the two dominant firms.
This exactly mirrors my experience and thoughts. The last time I traded a "regular" phone for a better form factor, I found myself with a Z Flip4 that was a middling overall experience, especially in the camera department.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite chip is on par with the A18 (Apple silicon), its just that Android give you more options/customisation options (especially gaming phones), its always been like this. The best you will get on iOS is low power mode.
I pre-ordered myself the S25 Edge and have had now for a week, finding the phone to be quite good though obvious trade-offs associated with the form factor. Battery life is as I had expected, though most days I am not attached to my device endlessly so it lasts the day, but on heavier days I have found myself reaching for the battery pack to extend things. I think perhaps the biggest limitation is the camera optics, no telephoto lens means relying upon digital which we all know lacks quality. That said, the optical lenses are great.
Speed of the phone and apps is great, I've actually noticed apps felt more speedy by comparison to the iPhone 16 Pro I was using (and still have), Edge particularly feels smoother when surfing.
The thin profile of the Edge and reduced weight compared to the 16 Pro has certainly been noticed, more than expected.
Speed of the phone and apps is great, I've actually noticed apps felt more speedy by comparison to the iPhone 16 Pro I was using (and still have), Edge particularly feels smoother when surfing.
The thin profile of the Edge and reduced weight compared to the 16 Pro has certainly been noticed, more than expected.
Not original battery. I replaced it about 6 months ago
Mostly streaming music and podcasts, maps, scanning documents, texts, email, web, wallet
Id say it gets fairly heavy use but not much video or gaming and macrumors forums are my only social media
All of that is to say: your guess is completely wrong
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Regarding the S25 Edge’s battery life, it seems it’s not that bad. In fact, in at least one test scenario, it’s the best in the S25 line. This, from PC Magazine:
“In our battery test, in which we stream HD video over Wi-Fi from YouTube with the screen at full brightness, the Edge lasted 16 hours and 15 minutes. That's better than the S25 (14 hours and 15 minutes), the S25+ (14 hours and 40 minutes), and the S25 Ultra (14 hours and 15 minutes). However, the S25 Edge+ falls short of the Pixel 9 Pro’s 17 hours and 25 minutes and the iPhone 16 Pro’s impressive 20 hours and 33 minutes. We asked Samsung if it's using any special software in the S25 Edge to assist with battery life, but we did not hear back at press time.”
“In our battery test, in which we stream HD video over Wi-Fi from YouTube with the screen at full brightness, the Edge lasted 16 hours and 15 minutes. That's better than the S25 (14 hours and 15 minutes), the S25+ (14 hours and 40 minutes), and the S25 Ultra (14 hours and 15 minutes). However, the S25 Edge+ falls short of the Pixel 9 Pro’s 17 hours and 25 minutes and the iPhone 16 Pro’s impressive 20 hours and 33 minutes. We asked Samsung if it's using any special software in the S25 Edge to assist with battery life, but we did not hear back at press time.”
That is exactly how it works and the rough maths are pointing to battery life similar to iPhone 16 (but not 16 Plus), which is why I posted it.
