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Samsung is taking preorders for the Galaxy S25 (£799), Galaxy S25+ (£999), and Galaxy S25 Ultra (£1,249) announced during its Galaxy Unpacked event in San Jose, California this week. But there's one new smartphone that was — very briefly — shown on-stage that isn't available to buy.
At the end of its keynote, Samsung shocked attendees at its first major launch event of the year with a surprise reveal — an ultra-slim Galaxy S25 Edge smartphone that will sit alongside its main lineup. The tease came at the close of the San Jose event, where Samsung had already introduced its three new entries into the popular Galaxy S lineup and a slew of new Galaxy AI features.
Samsung has confirmed that its mysterious ultra-thing smartphone will launch in the first half of this year
REUTERS
Samsung hasn't told us what its new slimline Galaxy S25 Edge is capable of, but we'd expect the handset to be on-par with the rest of the lineup — despite its paper-thin frame
REUTERS
For the finale, Samsung showed a brief video with the internal components of a sleek new device coming together, culminating in a glimpse of what appears to be Samsung's thinnest flagship smartphone to date.
The teaser marked Samsung's first venture into the ultra-slim phone category, which it described as "a culmination of our most innovative technology, packed into a form that's sleek, powerful and unlike anything you've seen before."
Galaxy Unpacked attendees were able to glimpse the Galaxy S25 Edge in person.
The handset appears to follow the same design language as other Galaxy S25 devices, featuring flat sides and rounded corners. Unlike the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+, which all feature three cameras on the back of the handset, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which has a quadruple set-up, the Galaxy S25 Edge appears to only have two cameras stacked vertically.
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If you want to upgrade to the brand-new Galaxy S25 Ultra ahead of the UK release date on February 7 — whatever you do, make sure to use discount code S25LIVE at checkout. This code — which isn't publicised on the Samsung Store — adds a pair of Galaxy Buds3 wireless earbuds to your basket free of charge. Galaxy S25 Ultra preorders also come with double the storage at no extra cost and 30% off protective cases
Samsung hasn't shared any details about the camera system that will be included with the Galaxy S25 Edge, so it's not clear whether this new ultra-slim smartphone will be able to measure up to the other devices in the lineup.
The Galaxy S25 Edge on display at the event wasn't switched on, so attendees were unable to check details like the operating system, internal components, camera lenses, or anything else.
However, those in attendance were able to see the remarkably slim profile compared to conventional smartphones.
This surprise new entry into the Galaxy S25 lineup maintains thin bezels and includes standard lock buttons and volume controls on its right side, with an antenna gap visible on the left.
US mobile network AT&T has already confirmed it will carry the new model, with a spokesperson stating: "We're excited to announce that AT&T will be carrying the latest Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge model, a new addition to the Galaxy S25 lineup."
Samsung mobile devices chief TM Roh confirmed in an interview with Bloomberg News that the Galaxy S25 Edge will launch in the United States and other markets by mid-year. The new model will be priced below the £1,299 starting point of the S25 Ultra, making it more accessible to a broader customer base, the Samsung exec confirmed in the exclusive chat.
“We’ve been trying to combine all the advantages of the S25 Ultra in a slimmer form factor,” he said.
TM Roh explained that the Edge name was chosen to reflect both the slim design and cutting-edge technology it will feature, reviving a brand Samsung previously used for phones with curved-edge displays.
During a brief teaser for the handset, Samsnu
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The South Korean company aims to integrate the benefits of the S25 Ultra into a more compact form, with Roh noting that customers want "the best performance, the best camera features, the best AI" alongside a distinctive form factor.
According to rumours cited by industry sources, the Galaxy S25 Edge is expected to feature a 6.7-inch screen and Snapdragon 8 Elite For Galaxy chip. The device is said to come with 12GB of RAM and 256GB storage.
The ultra-slim form factor, reportedly measuring just 6.4mm in thickness, would make it nearly 25% thinner than the S25 Ultra.
Samsung's early 2025 launch timeline positions the S25 Edge ahead of Apple's much-rumoured iPhone 17 Air, which is expected to be unveiled later in the year alongside the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro. According to whispers, this slimline model will take the spot of an iPhone 16 Plus successor in the lineup. If accurate, that means Apple would be looking to target a £899 price tag in the UK.
Provided that Apple sticks with its usual release schedule, we won't see the next iPhone model until September. Analysts note that battery capacity could be constrained inside these new ultra-slim profile smartphones, although exact specifications remain unconfirmed.
