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The Galaxy S25 Edge's biggest selling point becomes pointless the moment you buy it

By Tsveta Ermenkova

Published: Mar 11, 2025, 10:11 AM

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A photo of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge displayed during a tech event.

This year is all about slim smartphones. Manufacturers are putting their upcoming devices on a serious diet, shaving off every possible millimeter. Samsung, for example, is already teasing the Galaxy S25 Edge and while the company is keeping specs under wraps, one thing's clear: it will be thinner than the rest of the S25 lineup.

But slimming down comes with trade-offs (because, let's be real, a perfect body always has its sacrifices). Not only will the Edge reportedly cost more than the Galaxy S25 Plus – meaning a price tag north of $1,000 – but it will pack just two cameras and possibly a smaller battery.

Now, I'm not here to debate whether the Edge is worth its price – my colleague has that covered. What I want to dive into is this growing obsession with ultra-slim phones. Is it actually worth it? Or is it kind of pointless when, at the end of the day, most of us are just going to slap a case on it anyway?

Is the battle for the thinnest phone even worth it?

The Galaxy S25 Edge is indeed thinner than the rest of the Galaxy S25 family. | Image credit – PhoneArena

Some tech battles just don't seem necessary and I'd argue that the race to make the slimmest phone is one of them. Yet, here we are. Samsung is gearing up to launch the Galaxy S25 Edge, likely in May and Apple is rumored to introduce an iPhone 17 Air (or Slim) instead of a Plus model this fall.

A photo of the iPhone 17 Air in black color.

This is how the rumored iPhone 17 Air might look like. | Image credit – Majin Bu

The numbers? The S25 Edge is said to be around 5.84 mm thick, while Apple's contender could be even slimmer at roughly 5.5 mm. But can you really notice the difference? I think probably not, especially once you throw on a case to protect your $1000+ investment.

After all, even the slimmest cases add a few millimeters back, effectively undoing the extreme dieting these brands put their devices through, often at the cost of other specs.

Still, slim is more than the new black

There is no denying that making thinner phones is a technical achievement. Cramming all the necessary hardware into an ultra-slim body isn't easy, even if it means some trade-offs like smaller batteries.

Although, to be fair, battery life doesn't have to be a sacrifice – Samsung and Apple just haven't embraced silicon carbon batteries yet, which could let them pack a larger battery into a thin body.

Take Oppo, for example. It recently launched the world's thinnest foldable phone (for now, anyway – Honor is hot on its heels), which is just 4.21 mm (unfolded), yet it packs a massive 5600 mAh battery. How?

Oppo Find N5 Review: The foldable king is back!

Silicon-carbon batteries replace the traditional graphite anode with a silicon-carbon composite, which can store way more energy in the same space. It is a game-changer, and honestly, Samsung and Apple should be paying attention.

Now, back to my point. Thinner phones from Apple and Samsung are exciting in a way because they represent something fresh. Do we need them? Probably not. But some people might really appreciate having an ultra-thin phone, flaunting it without a case just to enjoy how light and sleek it feels.

Render of Galaxy S25 in a red silicon case.

A silicon case sure does put a few extra millimeters on the phone. | Image credit – Samsung

Personally, I'm all for smaller phones – think iPhone 13 mini small – but I am not too fussed about slimness. Just imagine forgetting your phone is in your back pocket and sitting on it. Ouch! Sure, Samsung claims the Galaxy S25 Edge will be super durable, but we will have to wait and see how that pans out when it is actually in our hands.

Now, as I said, this year, it is all about how thin a phone can get, but maybe next year, manufacturers should shift focus to making phones smaller again. I know Apple ditched the mini models due to lack of interest and Asus has also stopped making the smaller Zenfone in favor of the Ultra version, but maybe the issue wasn’t the size. Perhaps it was the fact that these smaller phones lacked the same power as their bigger siblings.

But if tech companies put real effort into creating smaller phones with truly flagship-level specs – huge batteries (again, think silicon carbon here) and better cameras – they might actually see more demand. After all, wouldn’t people rather have a compact powerhouse instead of a thin 6.7-inch phone that still skimps on the most high-end features (cough S25 Edge cough)?

Overall, I think the thin phone competition might be more hype than substance. After all, 79% of us use phone cases (at least that's what stats say). So, does it really matter how slim the phone is? For the few who don't use cases, sure, it's a nice wow factor. But for the rest of us, I believe it is all about the specs. What do you think – are you into the slim trend, or do other features matter more to you?

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Tsveta, a passionate technology enthusiast and accomplished playwright, combines her love for mobile technologies and writing to explore and reveal the transformative power of tech. From being an early follower of PhoneArena to relying exclusively on her smartphone for photography, she embraces the immense capabilities of compact devices in our daily lives. With a Journalism degree and an explorative spirit, Tsveta not only provides expert insights into the world of gadgets and smartphones but also shares a unique perspective shaped by her diverse interests in travel, culture, and visual storytelling.