How Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge made me realize my iPhone 16 Pro is a tiny brick

After spending some time in the depths of online forums, reading debates on whether Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge smartphone is worth buying, I once again exchanged my iPhone for an Android to see which side is right.

At first glance, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge may seem like your average smartphone, in the sense that it checks all the “trend” boxes by costing a thousand dollars and being extremely thin, thus raising questions about its battery life.

After reading some praise from users who had just bought a Galaxy S25 Edge and those who weren’t convinced by its design, battery life, and AI features, I decided to see for myself what the smartphone has to offer and whether it will make me want to replace my current iPhone 16 Pro.

First impressions: Why did Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge make my iPhone feel like a tiny brick?

Once I, a committed iPhone user, unboxed the new Samsung, one of the first things I noticed was how slim and lightweight the smartphone is.

The difference between my iPhone 16 Pro (which weighs almost 200 grams and is 8.25 mm thick) was instantly noticeable. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge weighs 163 grams and measures 5.8 mm in thickness.

The trend of smartphones becoming bigger, yet thinner, is something we should already be getting used to, even though users often report not wanting a thinner phone due to a lower battery capacity.

Even though I’m not a fan of extremely thin smartphones, once calling the Samsung foldable a remote control due to its thinness and length, the Galaxy S25 Edge felt comfortable in my hand.

Recent speculations about the company’s next smartphone lineup, the Galaxy S26, suggest that it will be even thinner than its predecessor, so I guess we'd better get used to it.

Although, I should be honest with you when I say that I used the S25 Edge without a case or a protective screen to really feel the difference between the device and the iPhone 16 Pro.

What surprised me is that it didn’t get any scratches or scrapes, even though it would often be in the same pocket with other items, such as keys. That could be because the smartphone includes a titanium frame and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for durability. The front glass of the smartphone has a Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge battery life

One of the aspects that has many users online really thinking about whether it's worth buying the Galaxy S25 Edge is its battery life, as they believe that having a thinner phone means it would also have less battery life.

To verify this, I compared it with my iPhone 16 Pro, which is a year old. I’m quite satisfied with the battery life, as it lasts me the whole day or even longer, depending on how actively I use my phone throughout the day.

To my surprise, the iPhone 16 Pro’s battery is smaller than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, as the Apple smartphone includes a 3,582 mAh battery, while the Samsung is powered by a 3,900 mAh battery.

What does it mean in terms of everyday use? While the size of such a battery seems to be of moderate capacity, a lot depends on what the phone is used for and for how long.

For example, the battery of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge lasted me the whole day, since I wasn’t doomscrolling and only used it for communication (to reply to messages, make calls, etc.) and for searching.

One of the ways that helps me to “save” my iPhone’s battery life may be keeping Apple Intelligence disabled.

I’ll soon explain how Samsung encouraged me to use more AI in everyday search. However, when it comes to the hardware specifications of the S25 Edge, I’ve noticed that after using the smartphone for AI-powered, extensive searches while trying to download some apps in the background, it causes the phone to heat up.

So, while excessive use didn’t drain its battery life, it caused the smartphone to slightly overheat.

How Galaxy S25 Edge made me turn Gemini into my Safari

I’m not a big fan of AI, which seems to disappoint me every time I turn to it for some shopping advice or assistance.

However, I must admit that the Samsung S25 Edge prompted me to use more AI. Not its native Galaxy AI, but Google’s Gemini.

Having been in the Apple ecosystem for years now, every time I hold an Android device, it takes me a second to find things. Considering this, I decided to employ AI to help me with various tasks and answer some questions.

When using an iPhone, I always turn to Safari to look for things. This time, I used Gemini to help me with things like finding out how to care for a blazer I bought at a second-hand store and whether it's not a knock-off.

I would also turn to Gemini to ask anything related to the new smartphone setup. For example, I was curious if I could transfer my data from the Garmin app to the Samsung Health app.

While the AI was able to provide me with a detailed answer, I wasn’t so successful in achieving what I wanted.

Note to health tracking enthusiasts

I previously took some time to test Samsung Health features, as the company often adds some interesting health tracking elements a user might want to keep an eye on from time to time.

One of such features is an antioxidant index that the company presented with the latest Samsung smartwatches.

Thinking that perhaps Samsung Health could provide me with some more insights, I decided to try syncing my Garmin watch data to the Samsung Health app.

After learning that the data can only be moved through a third-party app, I decided to use the Health Sync app. Although I was warned that discrepancies might still occur even after a successful data sync, in my case, the data transfer was unsuccessful for some reason.

Does the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge have enough edge for a $1000 smartphone?

Several online discussions about the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge have focused on whether it’s worth buying, indicating that many are interested in the device.

Nevertheless, many were concerned about its design and battery life, stating that its thinness would compromise its power and longevity. In my case, as an average user, I appreciated the thin and subtle design, while being completely satisfied with the battery life.

However, one thing I noticed that could be a potential issue for those who need such a phone for longer and more intensive use is that the smartphone begins to overheat. Since I didn’t want to push the device to its limits, I took a break from using it. This could make it less appealing to spend a thousand dollars for a smartphone that may or may not become a fire hazard.

FAQ about Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge

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