Samsung launched the Galaxy S25 Edge, a thinner model of its flagship smartphone.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
Samsung on Tuesday unveiled a skinny model of its flagship smartphone in an unusually timed launch because it appears to take care of momentum in its cell divison towards an unsure shopper backdrop and U.S. tariff coverage.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is simply 5.8 millimeters skinny and weighs 163 grams, making it one of many thinnest smartphones in the marketplace.
Samsung mentioned the system begins at $1,099 and goes on sale on Might 30.
The launch comes just below 4 months after Samsung staged its annual flagship cellphone launch for the S25 sequence. It’s uncommon for Samsung to launch a brand new high-end system this quickly after the January occasion with the traditional timeline typically being the center of the 12 months for the revealing of its newest foldable telephones.
The transfer highlights the South Korean tech big’s want to capitalize on the success of the S25 vary because it faces rising competitors from Chinese language gamers and an unsure macroeconomic atmosphere.
Samsung reported final month that it noticed a leap in income and revenue within the first quarter of the 12 months at its cell division due to robust gross sales of its S25 sequence.
Nevertheless, Daniel Araujo, vice chairman at Samsung’s cell division, warned on an earnings name final month that smartphone demand is anticipated to lower within the second quarter resulting from “seasonality developments” and forecasts might be “adjusted” additional resulting from international tariff coverage.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs took impact in April although they had been paused shortly after. The White Home exempted sure tech merchandise resembling smartphones and chips, offering some reprieve for firms like Samsung and Apple. The U.S. and China in the meantime agreed on Monday to pause most of their tariffs on every occasion.
Araujo mentioned that the S25 Edge may assist “maintain flagship-centric gross sales,” underscoring why Samsung has determined to launch the cellphone now.
Apple reportedly engaged on skinny iPhone
Thinner telephones have turn out to be an obsession with smartphone makers who’re hoping these gadgets will enchantment to individuals who need the flagship expertise with out the scale of a standard system. Samsung’s S25 Edge has a 6.7-inch show, the identical because the Galaxy S25+, however it’s thinner and lighter.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge on show throughout a briefing on the Samsung KX retailer in London, U.Okay.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
The cellphone additionally packs a twin digicam system and Samsung’s newest AI options.
“For the second half of 2025 ‘skinny is most undoubtedly in’,” Ben Wooden, chief analyst at CCS Perception, instructed CNBC.
“Samsung is first out the gate with a slim design, however Apple is anticipated to comply with in September, and the burgeoning Chinese language manufacturers resembling Honor and Xiaomi in all probability will not be far behind.”
Samsung could also be making an attempt to get forward of its closest rival Apple, which is gearing as much as launch a skinny model of its flagship system dubbed the iPhone 17 Air, in accordance with a Bloomberg report this 12 months.
“It’s laborious to imagine this isn’t a pre-emptive strike following the widespread hypothesis that Apple may have a skinny iPhone in its subsequent line-up,” Wooden added.
