Technologies

My Hands-On With the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Has Me Reconsidering a Thin Phone

This slim phone is similar to other S25 series phones, but the thin design leaves more of an impression than I expected.

I’ve used plenty of different phones in several form factors: large ones, small ones, phones that fold in ways that seem too fragile to work. But as I hold Samsung’s super-thin and light — yet surprisingly sturdy — Galaxy S25 Edge, the first word that comes to mind is «airy.» My next thought is: If I were the S25 Plus, I’d be worried.

In my early hands-on with the S25 Edge at a preview event in New York, I was struck by how much the new phone carries over from its S25 counterparts. It maintains the 200-megapixel wide camera from the S25 Ultra, the 6.7-inch display from the S25 Plus and the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor you’ll find across the other three S25 devices. But it does so within a sleek, 5.8mm titanium frame, clocking in at 163 grams. It feels like something I can throw in my bag or pocket and hardly notice.

In fact, the S25 Edge strikes me as exactly what a middle-of-the-line flagship phone should be: a fresh, elevated take on the baseline model, which pulls in premium features to justify its $1,100 price. The exciting design, Ultra-level wide camera and spacious display actually make this an enticing option for anyone who wants something a little out of the ordinary.

But that’s not to say there aren’t any compromises in store, the most notable being the battery; more on that later.

Preorders for the Galaxy S25 Edge are open now, and the phone will arrive on May 30. It comes in three colors: silver, jet black and icy blue.

What makes the S25 Edge stand out

The biggest question leading up to the release of the S25 Edge has been: Why would someone want a thinner phone anyway? After spending a little time with the device, I began to see the appeal.

While the S25 Edge’s thickness may not be visually striking at first glance, getting your hands on the phone is a different story. Comparing how the S25 Edge’s 5.8mm, 163g frame feels to the S25 and S25 Plus, I registered just how much thinner and lighter it really is. For reference, the baseline S25 is 7.2mm thick and weighs 162g, but has a smaller 6.2-inch screen. The S25 Plus has the same 6.7-inch display as the Edge, but is 7.3mm thick and weighs 190g. It’s a noticeable difference.

The moment of truth was applying some force to the phone to see if it gave at all. Impressively, it felt quite sturdy. (If not, I’d probably have gotten myself into some trouble with Samsung.) It touts a Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 display, along with a Gorilla Glass Victus 2 backing. My initial impression is that you shouldn’t have to worry about accidentally turning the S25 Edge into a foldable by keeping it in your back pocket, but that’s certainly something I’ll have to test in my review. The S25 Edge also maintains the same IP68 rating for dust and water resistance you’ll find on the other S25 series phones.

The biggest trade-off, at least on paper, appears to be battery capacity. The Galaxy S25 Edge’s 3,900 mAh battery pales in comparison to what you’ll get on the baseline S25 (4,000 mAh) and the S25 Plus (4,900 mAh). Samsung isn’t sharing how many hours you’ll get out of the S25 Edge’s battery, other than stating it’ll last you all day. That’s something else I look forward to testing. The S25 Edge supports 25-watt wired charging and 15-watt wireless charging.

With thinner phones, camera hardware can also be scaled back. But the S25 Edge boasts three cameras: a 200-megapixel wide, a 12-megapixel ultrawide and a 12-megapixel selfie camera. Megapixels aren’t everything, so I’m eager to see how that all translates into real-world photography. Samsung points to Galaxy AI for helping to boost camera quality and for powering photo editing features like Generative Edit.

Like the S25 Plus, the S25 Edge has 12GB of RAM and 256GB and 512GB storage options. It’ll cost a little more than the S25 Plus, though: $1,100 for 256GB and $1,220 for 512GB. But it’s still priced lower than the top-of-the-line $1,300 S25 Ultra.

You’ll find the same Galaxy AI features Samsung has been touting on the rest of its S25 phones, like Sketch to Image and Audio Eraser. Gemini features are also onboard, like Gemini Live and Circle to Search.

On the edge of a new trend

The launch of the Galaxy S25 Edge comes amid a thin-phone phenomenon. Earlier this year, Oppo released its super-thin Find N5 foldable, which it calls the «world’s thinnest book-style foldable,» measuring just 8.93mm thick when closed and 4.21mm thick when opened. Apple is also rumored to be developing a thinner «Air» version of the iPhone 17. And at MWC 2025, phone maker Tecno showed off its Spark Slim phone concept, which measures 5.75mm thick and weighs just 146 grams, according to the company.

Depending on how consumers respond, the S25 Edge could be the phone to help kickstart the thin phone craze. If people don’t have to compromise too much when it comes to camera, storage and battery — three of the biggest considerations when buying a phone, according to a CNET survey — they could be inclined to pay up for a fresh form factor. After all, phones have become rather boring and predictable, apart from a handful of foldable options. The S25 Edge could be a breath of fresh air.

I look forward to seeing how the S25 Edge holds up in the real world and whether it truly can maintain its edge (I had to do it).

Galaxy S25 Edge vs. Galaxy S25 vs. Galaxy S25 Plus vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra

	Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge	Samsung Galaxy S25	Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus	Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate	6.7-inch AMOLED; 3,200×1,800 pixels; 120Hz refresh rate	6.2-inch AMOLED; 2,340×1,080 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate	6.7-inch AMOLED; 3,120×1,440 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate	6.8-inch AMOLED; 3,120×1,440 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate
Pixel density	548 ppi	416 ppi	509 ppi	501 ppi
Dimensions (inches)	2.98 x 6.23 x 0.23 inches	5.78 x 2.78 x 0.28 in.	6.24 x 2.98 x 0.29 in.	6.41 x 3.06 x 0.32 in.
Dimensions (millimeters)	75.6 X 158.2 X 5.8mm	146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2 mm	158.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm	162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2 mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	163g (5.75 oz)	162g (5.71 oz)	190g (6.70 oz)	218g (7.69 oz)
Mobile software	Android 15	Android 15	Android 15	Android 15
Camera	200-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)	50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto)	50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto)	200-megapixel (wide), 50-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto), 50-megapixel (5x telephoto)
Front-facing camera	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel
Video capture	8K	8K	8K	8K
Processor	Snapdragon 8 Elite	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
RAM + storage	12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB	12GB RAM + 128GB, 256GB	12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB	12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Expandable storage	No	None	None	None
Battery	3,900 mAh	4,000 mAh	4,900 mAh	5,000 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	Under display	Under display	Under display	Under display
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	None	None	None	None
Special features	IP88 rating, 5G, One UI 7, 25-watt wired charging, 15-watt wireless charging, Galaxy AI, Gemini, Circle to Search, Wi-Fi 7.	2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dust resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; 25W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7	2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dust resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; 25W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7; ultrawideband	Titanium frame, 2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dust resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; integrated S Pen; UWB for finding other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7; Gorilla Glass Armor cover glass; ultrawideband
US price starts at	$1,100	$800 (128GB)	$1,000 (256GB)	$1,300 (256GB)
UK price starts at	TBA	£799 (128GB)	£999 (256GB)	£1,249 (256GB)
Australia price starts at	TBA	AU$1,399 (256GB)	AU$1,699 (256GB)	AU$2,149 (256GB)

Technologies

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Technologies

My Camera Test: Comparing the $499 Pixel 10A With the Galaxy S25 FE, Motorola Edge

The Pixel 10A’s cameras are similar to those on the 9A, but it still performs quite well compared to other phones in its price range.

Google’s $499 Pixel 10A uses nearly the same cameras as last year’s Pixel 9A, but I wanted to see how its photos directly match up to its midrange Android rivals: the $650 Samsung Galaxy S25 FE and the $550 Motorola Edge.

I traveled with all three phones around St. Petersburg, Florida, checking how flexible each was in different environments, from bright outdoor settings to an indoor coffee shop and an evening brewery. All three environments can be challenging for the small image sensors on each phone.

While I find the cameras on all three phones to have different strengths and weaknesses depending on the setting, I’m quite impressed with how the Pixel 10A keeps up. In my tests, the photos include lots of detail, even though certain settings appear to involve a lot of processing to improve them.

Wide and telephoto cameras

Starting with photos taken on the sidewalk in downtown St. Petersburg, I notice that all three phones handle bright sunlight slightly differently, especially how it’s depicted on the street.

For the Pixel 10A, the sun provides a slight exposure mark over the Bay First sign at the top of the frame, but it remains fairly cordoned off to focus on the rest of the streetscape. Zooming in, you can see the Century 21 location, but the street is captured in the most detail, with the phone’s camera maintaining its natural gray color.

For both the Galaxy S25 FE and the Motorola Edge, the sun has a more pronounced effect on the rest of the image. The pavement’s color is notably brighter. I also find both the S25 FE and the Edge have slightly more clarity on the business signs on the Bay First building, including the aforementioned Century 21 logo.

Since the S25 FE and the Edge each include a telephoto camera that supports 3x optical zoom, I took a photo at that zoom with each phone. The Pixel 10A uses digital zoom on the phone’s 48-megapixel wide camera, but a lot of the scene’s detail remains preserved.

The Pixel’s zoom photo provides a clear view of the 7th St N sign, the trees and the plants. However, if you look further back at the next intersection, you’ll notice that the 7th St S sign and the Colony Grill are much harder to see. It’s those smaller details that are captured by the S25 FE and the Edge, both aided by telephoto cameras, making them more visible.

Of the three zoom photo examples, I feel like the S25 FE has the best color reproduction while also retaining details like the signs further back. Even though the photo was taken with the S25 FE’s 8-megapixel telephoto camera rather than its 50-megapixel wide camera, the colors remain complementary when comparing the 1x to the 3x. Meanwhile, the Edge’s 10-megapixel telephoto camera looks quite a bit different from the 50-megapixel wide camera — the whole image has a more yellowish hue.

Ultrawide cameras

Moving inside the Southern Grounds coffee shop, I decided to use the ultrawide cameras to capture my sausage, egg and cheese on toast. The three photos came out wildly different.

The Pixel 10A’s 13-megapixel ultrawide and S25 FE’s 12-megapixel ultrawide have a more balanced set of colors and details, in my opinion. The wheat toast appears lighter in the Pixel’s photo than in the darker hues captured by both the S25 FE and the Edge.

When zooming into my notebook, however, the Pixel and S25 FE captured more of the page markings, details that blur together more in the photo taken by the Edge. While the Edge’s 50-megapixel ultrawide camera is a higher-spec number, I noticed it had a harder time distinguishing toast levels, giving more of it a darker look. If I hadn’t eaten it myself, I’d have thought it was burned based on the Edge’s photo.

Night photography

Moving over to a nighttime setting, I used the three phones to take photos outside of 3 Daughters Brewing. I felt like all three did a decent job at producing the colors of the building, but they differ in how they handle light sources.

Both the Pixel and the S25 FE tone back the glare produced by the various lighting fixtures. Meanwhile, the Edge’s photos show noticeable streaks that dominate the sky. When inspecting the photos more closely, I find that the Galaxy captured a sharper view of the furniture, like in the Connect 4 set next to the blue chairs in the center of the frame. The same details are visible in the Pixel’s and the Edge’s depictions of the scene, but they appear smudgy by comparison.

This type of scene needs to take advantage of a phone’s processing power in order to iron out visibility issues, and I do find that the Edge appears to come up short here in this regard, with a lot of noticeable image noise.

Selfies

Each phone takes selfies with noticeable differences in style and color choices. For this test example, I’m in a well-lit daytime room with natural light from a window. The 12-megapixel front-facing camera on Google’s Pixel 10A brightened up my face as if there was a light in front of me, and captured a decent amount of the details of my hair and face.

The front-facing camera on Samsung’s Galaxy S25 FE shows a noticeably darker color tone, but it still captures a similar shade of orange on the wall behind me. Of the three photos, I felt like the S25 captures the most details, including strands of hair, and defaulted to a closer crop than the other two.

The photos taken by the 50-megapixel selfie camera on the Motorola Edge feel a bit smoothed out. The orange color on the wall is noticeably different from the Pixel and the S25 FE, though it does capture a lot of my face details, from hair strands to the fabric textures on my shirt.

The $499 Pixel 10A camera keeps up and, in some cases, exceeds the detail captured by the slightly more expensive $550 Motorola Edge and $650 Galaxy S25 FE. I’m quite impressed by how the Pixel camera handles colors and low-light environments, but the phone’s processing work sometimes makes scenes appear brighter than they are in real life.

The Galaxy S25 FE is no slouch either, with a third telephoto lens for capturing more detail farther away. While I did find the Motorola Edge to struggle in low light, it is one of the lowest-cost phone options currently available for someone who must have a 3x optical telephoto camera.

But if you can live without the telephoto lens, the Pixel 10A’s low cost and photography abilities will likely be a good fit for most people.

Google’s Pixel 10A Looks Stylish for a Low-Cost Flagship Phone

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for March 14 #741

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for March 14, No. 741.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Does today’s date seem memorable to you? If so, today’s NYT Strands puzzle might be easy. Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: A math teacher’s favorite dessert.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: 3.14

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

RITE, SPIT, TIPS, STAT, STATE, GIVE, RUST, FINE, LAZE, SURE, PEAL

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

VENT, CRUST, FRUIT, EDGES, GLAZE, FILLING, LATTICE

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is HAPPYPIDAY. To find it, start with the H that’s six rows down and three to the right from the upper-left corner, and make — well, a pie shape.