Samsung Electronics has introduced its slimmest flagship smartphone ever, the S25 Edge, as the South Korean tech giant intensifies its competition with Apple for dominance in the premium device segment.
The new release, announced on Tuesday, explores surging interest among younger customers for sleeker and more portable phones while packing in next-generation artificial intelligence capabilities.
Samsung says the S25 Edge’s design responds to strong consumer demand for pocket-friendly phones that do not compromise on performance.
The S25 Edge will have a redesigned internal architecture that trims component thickness, including the printed circuit board and cooling system.
Industry analysts view the launch as a tactically timed move, just months ahead of Apple’s anticipated release of a comparably slim iPhone later in the year.
Ryu Young-ho, a senior analyst at NH Investment & Securities, noted that by releasing the new phone ahead of Apple’s own offering, Samsung will gain an early foothold into the thinner smartphone niche, which could impact Apple’s release.
The S25 Edge is scheduled for release in South Korea on May 23, with a US rollout to follow on May 30. Samsung plans to expand availability across 30 countries, including China and various European markets.
Priced from $1,099, the device features a 6.7-inch (170 mm) display encased in a frame measuring just 5.8 millimetres in thickness — slimmer than any previous flagship from Samsung and only marginally heavier than the core S25 model.
The new smartphone integrates Samsung’s most advanced AI suite to date, including multimodal features allowing users to interact with the device through both vision and voice — with on-the-fly image-based queries via its camera.
Addressing concerns about performance and thermal management in thinner devices, Samsung’s Executive Vice President Moon Sung-hoon emphasized that engineering advances, including a redesigned vapor chamber, ensure efficiency without overheating risks.
Samsung captured the number one spot in the global smartphone market in the first quarter of 2025, securing a 20% share and narrowly edging out Apple, according to Counterpoint Research. However, lingering uncertainty around tariffs could affect demand and second-quarter shipments, the company warned last month.
