Price
This one's pretty easy. The S25 Edge costs $1,099.99 for the base 256GB model and $1,219.99 for the 512GB model. The S25+ costs $100 less for both models ($999.99 and $1,119.99, respectively). If you're weighing the rest of the lineup, the S25 starts at $799.99 and the S25 Ultra starts at $1,299.99.
Winner: Galaxy S25+
Design
You'll be forgiven if you can't tell the S25 Edge from the S25+. Hardly anything on the outside sets them apart. As noted, the two-camera array on the rear of the S25 Edge, compared with the three-camera module of the S25+, is the most obvious visual clue as to which is which.
The Edge measures 6.23 by 2.98 by 0.23 inches (HWD) and weighs 5.75 ounces, while the S25+ measures 6.24 by 2.98 by 0.29 inches and weighs 6.70 ounces. The difference in thickness, just 0.06 inches, is scant on paper. It's more obvious when you hold the two phones next to one another. The lighter weight of the Edge is even more impressive in comparison. It practically disappears in your pocket. Many of today's big flagship phones weigh 8 ounces or more, so a phone that tips the scale below 6 ounces is a remarkable achievement. But it's not just the size that gives the Edge its design appeal.
Samsung says the phone has a new type of protective layer called Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2. It's more drop and scratch resistant than the previous generation while remaining thin and light. The phone's rear panel is covered by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The S25+ has Victus 2 protecting the front and back surfaces. Further, the Edge has a stronger titanium frame compared with the aluminum frame of the S25+, though both have the same IP68 rating for protection against dust and water (as do the S25 and S25 Ultra).
In terms of colors, the Edge comes in Titanium IcyBlue, Titanium JetBlack, or Titanium Silver, while the S25+ comes in Icyblue, Mint, Navy, or Silver Shadow. I have to say, the Titanium Silver is quite eye-catching.
Winner: Galaxy S25 Edge
Displays
We've got a near statistical tie here. In terms of specs, the two screens are almost feature-for-feature identical. Both Dynamic AMOLED 2X screens measure 6.7 inches, have 3,120 by 1,440 pixels (513ppi), and have dynamic 120Hz refresh rates with vision booster and adaptive color tone. They look phenomenal.
We know the Edge has stronger glass, but Samsung says it doesn't have the anti-reflective coating that the S25+ glass does. That means the Edge display may be harder to see in some lighting conditions. We also don't have a brightness rating for the Edge (Samsung hasn't shared it yet). The S25+ screen has a brightness of up to 2,600 nits. Though the basics are about the same, these two small differences might have an impact on visibility in certain circumstances. Until we know for sure, we're calling it a tie.
Winner: Tie
Power
Performance is a dead heat since both devices rely on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor. They each also share 12GB of LPDDR5x RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage in the base model. Samsung says the S25 Edge has a larger vapor chamber (thinner but broader) than the one in the base S25, and is somehow 11% larger than S25+'s vapor chamber. According to our benchmarks, the Edge and the S25+ are virtually identical in performance.
The S25 Edge has the same connectivity package as the other S25 devices. like sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, ultra-wideband, and Wi-Fi 7. These two devices are evenly matched.
Winner: Tie
Recommended by Our Editors
Battery Life
The S25 Edge's lithium-ion cell has a capacity of 3,900mAh, which is 1,000mAh less than the capacity of the S25+ battery (4,900mAh). Samsung says in its battery tests that the S25 Edge lasts longer than the base S24 model (13 hours and 6 minutes in our testing) but not quite as long as the base S25 model (14 hours and 15 minutes). We found that the Edge lasted beyond Samsung's claims and went for a remarkable 16 hours and 15 minutes. For comparison, the S25+ lasted about 14 hours and 40 minutes in testing.
The Edge supports decent wired (25W) and wireless (15W) charging rates, though it doesn't match the 45W wired rate of the S25+ and doesn't ship with a charging brick (none of the S25s ship with a charger).
Given the longer battery life, the S25 Edge gets the nod.
Winner: Galaxy S25 Edge
Cameras
Samsung giveth and Samsung taketh away. The S25 Edge gains a 200MP main camera like that of the S25 Ultra. In fact, it has all the same features of the Ultra's main camera, which include 2x "optical quality" zoom and 10x AI zoom, as well as Nightography, Audio Eraser, and Drawing Assist. Samsung says the phone has the same ProVisual Engine (image signal processing software) as the rest of the S25 family and is just as adept at capturing photos. A 12MP ultra-wide camera joins the main camera, and it can snap macro shots if you like. The S25+ has a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, a 10MP telephoto camera, and a 12MP selfie camera.
If you noticed something missing along the way, you'd be right. The S25 Edge loses the 10MP optical zoom telephoto camera of the S25+. This is critical when you want to grab shots of far-away subjects like your favorite artist at an arena show. Without optical zoom, S25 Edge owners will have to rely on the big 200MP main sensor and AI to help sharpen up their snaps. Hopefully, the phone is up to it.
The Edge does match its S25 family when it comes to video. It can record 8K at 30fps, as well as 4K at up to 120fps for smooth slow motion, as well as Log video for color grading in post production.
Winner: Tie
Software and Galaxy AI
Samsung made it abundantly clear that the Galaxy S25 Edge has all the same software and AI capabilities as the rest of the S25 family. That means the phone ships with Android 15 and Samsung One UI 7 and will receive seven years of OS and security upgrades.
AI features include Cross App actions for merging tasks between apps, natural language search for better voice queries, improved search in the gallery app, and photo features like Best Face, Audio Eraser, Circle to Search, and Portrait Studio.
Winner: Tie
Which Galaxy S25 Is Right for You?
The Galaxy S25 Edge and S25+ share most features. They have the same screen, processor, memory and storage options, radios, software, and key components, like the ultra-wide and selfie cameras. However, a few major specs set them apart, and they make all the difference. Here are our early recommendations:
- If you value a modern, thin-and-light design, the S25 Edge is the phone to get. It is thinner, weighs less, and is easier to hold and carry around without compromising durability.
- If battery life is essential, the S25 Edge outlasts the Galaxy S25+ by over two hours.
- If camera features matter, get the S25+. It has an additional telephoto optical zoom lens, which gives it more creative flexibility than the S25 Edge.
The Galaxy S25 Edge is available for preorder now and comes out May 30. For more information on the S25 Edge, including how it fared against the other S25 models, check out our S25 Edge review.