Samsung S25 Edge is good enough to compete

Creating a very thin phone is a major chance for the settlement. If the goal is to already reduce a thin device profile, the huge camera will be one of the first things to be thrown out.

However, Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, Now it is officially announcedIt includes a 200 -megapixel angle camera (MP) F/1.7 that subscribes to the same specifications in Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra. In fact, you can say that the 200 -megapixel camera alone justifies the price of $ 1100, with the latest Android and Gemini versions as additional bonuses in a thin and light body. For the same accuracy of the camera on S25 UltraYou will need thorns more than $ 1,300 or more.

Why did Samsung choose to include a top -class feature in a phone located in the middle of the S25 lineup?

Most phones are cameras with phone features

The difference between phones in the same lineup often decreases, which each model adds to others.

the Galaxy S25 It is a completely capable phone (on the specifications of cherry selection) that runs the latest programs on A. Snapdragon 8 Elite The processor, which packs a 4000 mAh battery, has a 6.2 -inch screen and features a set of the following cameras: 50 megapixels, 12 megapixels, 10 megapixels, and a 12 -megapixel front camera. For 256 GB of storage, it costs $ 860. The 128GB basic model starts from $ 800, but I use a 256 GB version to keep storage consistent with all our examples.

Galaxy S25 Plus shares all these same features in a larger package, with a 6.7-inch screen-due to the edge of the room-a larger 4900 mAh battery. Therefore, you will pay an additional $ 140 more than S25 to get 256 GB for $ 1,000.

Then you jump $ 300 for $ 1,300 Galaxy S25 Ultra, which includes many specifications such as the main camera mentioned above, and a 50 -megapixel camera, second A 50 -megapixel phone camera with 5x optical augmentation and a slightly larger screen and 5,000 mAh battery.

Where is the Galaxy S25 Edge hole in the collection? For $ 1100, it has the same 6.7 -inch screen as S25 Plus with an additional layer of protection (it is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2), the same Snapdragon 8 processor, smaller 3900 mAh battery (expected in a thinner case) – a 200 -megapixel camera.

Although the camera subscribes to the same specifications as the specifications in the S25 Ultra, it is not yet clear whether it is The same devices. in Samsung event video The official announcement of the S25 Edge, the company described how it re -designed a 200 -megapixel camera camera. I assume that it is the same basic devices, just re -packaged to suit a smaller shape factor, but comparing direct images will be the real test.

Thin is not enough on its own

By name alone, the basic appeal of the S25 edge is its delicate design. Company Introduction video Fill in the plans and animation created by the computer for all the components of the phone that combines together in its disturbing body. And kind has a value – just see the Apple obsession by making everything skinny and light over the years, including IPhone 17 Air.

But thinness as a feature is not Add -on It is enough (to make a clear joke, it is literally reduced). Samsung could easily guarantee a 50 -megapixel camera used on the S25 and S25 Plus and focus only on the phone design to distinguish it. By including a 200 -megapixel camera from the most expensive and advanced phone, it reaches a sweet spot where the customer thinks, “I get a very thin version of the S25 but with a camera of $ 1300 S25 Ultra.”

The decent miniaturization is still possible, even without a phone camera

Another thing that distinguishes the S25 Edge far is the fact that it does not include a customized camera. Each S25 includes the last phone camera at least one to enlarge remote topics.

This additional access is usually the “consumer” and “Pro models” line. For example, and Pixel 9 And 9 a and iPhone 16 And 16e all include wide -angle cameras and superior recovery, but there is no phone. People are emerging regularly when taking pictures, so enlarging high -quality optical optics from Google and Apple as a distinct feature at the higher price levels of Pro models.

But by including a 200 -megapixel camera on the S25 Edge, Samsung can still demand the enlarging “visual quality” 2X. Technically, this is a crop in the middle of the sensor, but the high megapixel number means that there is still a lot of accuracy for high -quality images. You can still zoom in the farms further, but you are strongly tending to process images to enhance the digital image.

(An important aspect of accuracy: Keep in mind that you do not always take the pictures of 200 megapixels. The default accuracy is 12 MP, as the camera collects pixels together on the sensor to serve as a larger pixel that collects more light. A straight crop than the sensor records.)

This also enhances the fact that photography of the phone is increasingly equipped by processing image -backed from artificial intelligence. Full 200 -megapixel imaging includes a large treatment to enhance the details recorded by a small photo sensor. Even with professional phones, I see that people regularly use from zoom to zoom instead of switching between pre -quality options. (Android authority wiped readers and found that 27 % of the respondents are free to enlarge In exchange for adhering to pre -enlarged levels.)

Will customers specifically buy S25 Edge because of the camera features? Not completely, but describing the 200 -megapixel camera prominently with the new thin design gives them an additional incentive to choose it.

We look forward to the S25 Edge camera test to see how quality of its performance. Meanwhile, be sure to review the photos made by CNET Managing Editor Patrick Holland for him Galaxy S25 Ultra ReviewAnd also the pictures of Andrew Lanuxon S25 Ultra face face against iPhone 16 Pro.