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 cellular divison towards an unsure client 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 machine begins at $1,099 and goes on sale on Could 30.
The launch comes just below 4 months after Samsung staged its annual flagship cellphone launch for the S25 series. It’s uncommon for Samsung to launch a brand new high-end machine this quickly after the January occasion with the traditional timeline usually being the center of the 12 months for the disclosing of its discount foldable telephones.
The transfer highlights the South Korean tech large’s need to capitalize on the success of the S25 vary because it faces rising competitors from Chinese language gamers and an unsure macroeconomic surroundings.
Samsung reported last month that it noticed a leap in income and revenue within the first quarter of the 12 months at its cellular division because of robust gross sales of its S25 sequence.
Nevertheless, Daniel Araujo, vp at Samsung’s cellular division, warned on an earnings name final month that smartphone demand is predicted to lower within the second quarter because of “seasonality traits” and forecasts could possibly be “adjusted” additional because of world 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 certain tech products akin to 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 get together.
Araujo mentioned that the S25 Edge might 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 develop into an obsession with smartphone makers who’re hoping these units will attraction to individuals who need the flagship expertise with out the scale of a conventional machine. 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.Ok.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
The cellphone additionally packs a twin digital camera system and Samsung’s latest AI features.
“For the second half of 2025 ‘skinny is most undoubtedly in’,” Ben Wooden, chief analyst at CCS Perception, advised CNBC.
“Samsung is first out the gate with a slim design, however Apple is predicted to observe in September, and the burgeoning Chinese language manufacturers akin to Honor and Xiaomi most likely 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 machine dubbed the iPhone 17 Air, in keeping with a Bloomberg report this 12 months.
“It’s arduous to consider this isn’t a pre-emptive strike following the widespread hypothesis that Apple could have a skinny iPhone in its subsequent line-up,” Wooden added.