The brand new Galaxy S25 Edge is the thinnest present smartphone you should buy, however that thinness comes at a value. As I found in our Galaxy S25 Edge evaluate, Samsung’s new smartphone presents lots however struggles in battery life, and specifically, the digicam.
These struggles are primarily as a result of lack of area. Periscope cameras like those discovered within the Galaxy S25 Extremely require loads of area, and because the Galaxy S25 Edge has 33% much less volumetric area, it comes with some tradeoffs. Certainly one of these is the selection of digicam, with Samsung choosing a 200MP main sensor and a 12MP ultrawide mixture.
In my evaluate, I concluded that the Galaxy S25 Edge isn’t price shopping for if you would like the very best smartphone digicam, however how good is it total? Let’s take an in-depth have a look at what this telephone digicam can do.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge digicam: Specs in contrast
The Galaxy S25 Edge is designed to supply a mixture of the Galaxy S25 Extremely and Galaxy S25 Plus in a slimmer physique. It’s acquainted, but distinctly totally different, however how does its digicam evaluate to its key siblings?
Header Cell – Column 0 |
Galaxy S25 Edge |
Galaxy S25 Extremely |
Galaxy S25 Plus |
---|---|---|---|
Major Digicam |
200MP, f/1.7, 24mm, 0.6µm, PDAF, OIS |
200MP, f/1.7, 24mm, 0.6µm, PDAF, OIS |
50MP, f/1.8, 24mm, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS |
Ultrawide Digicam |
12MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 1.4µm, PDAF |
50MP, f/1.9, 120°, 0.7µm, PDAF |
12MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 1.4µm, PDAF |
Telephoto 1 |
– |
10MP, f/2.4, 67mm, 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS 3x optical zoom |
10MP, f/2.4, 67mm, 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS 3x optical zoom |
Telephoto 2 |
– |
50MP, f/3.4, 111mm, 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS 5x optical zoom |
Row 3 – Cell 3 |
Selfie digicam |
12MP, f/2.2, 26mm, 1.12µm, PDAF |
12MP, f/2.2, 26mm, 1.12µm, PDAF |
12MP, f/2.2, 26mm, 1.12µm, PDAF |
Whereas there are some variations in sensor dimension, the S25 Edge basically combines the 200MP main digicam from the S25 Extremely with the 12MP ultrawide from the Galaxy S25 Plus.
Is that this digicam any good? Do you want a telephoto lens? Let’s dive into it additional.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge digicam: Daytime
If you would like the digicam from the Galaxy S25 Extremely with out the related bulk, look no additional than the S25 Edge. It’s no actual shock that the first digicam takes nearly similar pictures to the Galaxy S25 Extremely, given it’s basically the identical {hardware} and software program.
The Galaxy S25 Edge main digicam presents correct shade temperature, wonderful element, and broad dynamic vary. It makes use of the identical post-processing of pictures as different Samsung telephones, leading to barely saturated photographs that pop most when seen on a telephone show.
If you would like a digicam that may take nice pictures for social media, the first digicam ticks the field, except you’re in low-light circumstances.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge digicam: Low gentle
That is the place the Galaxy S25 Edge falls significantly in need of expectations. Most flagship telephones can deal with low-light circumstances pretty properly, however the Galaxy S25 Edge is inconsistent and infrequently produces smooth, somewhat noisy pictures.
The colour copy and shade temperature are pretty correct, and though the digicam often overcompensates for highlights and shadows, it’s typically pretty correct. I’ve additionally observed some challenges with OIS, which isn’t as efficient as Samsung’s different telephones in low gentle.
Sadly, the Galaxy S25 Edge doesn’t at all times allow the devoted Evening mode, however when enabled, it does tackle a few of the key points. The Galaxy S25 Edge isn’t designed to have the very best digicam, however it does appear to be much less succesful in low gentle than the Galaxy S25 Extremely.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge digicam: Meals
Some of the widespread submit sorts on social media is said to meals, and there’s an expectation that your telephone can take nice pictures of fairly meals even in dimly lit eating places. In an Indian restaurant in Paris, the Galaxy S25 Edge took pictures that look nice at a distance, however shortly grow to be grainy or blurry while you zoom into them.
Will the Galaxy S25 Edge beat different telephone cameras in terms of taking pictures of meals? In nice lighting, it’s able to capturing nice photographs, however given that the majority eating places have difficult lighting for pictures, it doesn’t impress as a lot as you may hope.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge digicam: Zoom
The most important problem with the Galaxy S25 Edge’s digicam is its restricted zoom capabilities. Samsung presents a 2x crop in most modes (aside from Portrait mode), which is an in-sensor crop. Moreover, it makes use of a hybrid of digital zoom and AI enhancements to allow a 10x zoom.
The shortage of a devoted telephoto lens signifies that you received’t need to zoom past the 2x crop, particularly in low-light circumstances. There’s a noticeable decline within the high quality at every focal size, and whereas 10x photographs can nonetheless be considerably usable, they’re typically smooth and noisy.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge digicam: Portraits
Like each Samsung telephone, the Galaxy S25 Edge contains a robust portrait mode, and my favourite portrait mode characteristic on any telephone is Colour Level. That is designed to maintain the topic in shade whereas making certain the background is grayscale, which may end up in unimaginable pictures even at 2x zoom.
The Samsung Portrait mode options extra than simply Colour Level, as you can even select from quite a lot of choices, together with blur, a shade backdrop, and numerous lighting results. Like each Samsung telephone over the previous few years, you can even regulate the impact earlier than and after taking a photograph.
The portrait mode is proscribed to only 2x, which might be difficult for taking portrait pictures and framing massive buildings; nevertheless, it’s a really succesful portrait mode in any other case. The standard is sweet sufficient that one of many shade level pictures is turning into my social media avatar.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge digicam: Ultrawide and selfies
There may be loads of familiarity with the Galaxy S25 Edge digicam, because it shares the identical software program and lots of the identical {hardware} options because the Galaxy S25 Plus.
The 12MP ultrawide digicam is identical one used on the Galaxy S25 Plus, and it’s pretty succesful; nevertheless, it has a extra restricted dynamic vary than the first digicam. Notably, it options autofocus, which is absent on the Galaxy S25 Plus. The 120° discipline of view is barely narrower than the competitors, however total, it’s the identical expertise we’re accustomed to seeing from Samsung.
The identical might be mentioned concerning the 12MP selfie digicam, which is identical module used on a number of generations of Samsung smartphones. For essentially the most half, it produces wonderful selfies with a large dynamic vary, wealthy element, and pure colours and pores and skin tones.
In case you’ve used a latest Samsung smartphone, these two cameras will probably be pretty acquainted. Neither is the best possible, however they’re tried and examined, they usually’re ok.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge digicam: Verdict
The restricted bodily area within the Galaxy S25 Edge necessitated some tradeoffs for Samsung. Certainly one of these is identical alternative that confronted Motorola with the Razr 2025 sequence: whether or not to make use of a telephoto or ultrawide secondary lens.
In future fashions, Samsung ought to go for a wider main lens and a telephoto secondary lens, as including a 3x telephoto lens as an alternative of the ultrawide would considerably rework the Galaxy S25 Edge digicam for me.
The Galaxy S25 Edge digicam is nice in good lighting, however allows you to down in low-light or when zooming.
As a substitute, the Galaxy S25 Edge digicam could also be a dealbreaker. For me, it’s an enormous tradeoff, and since finishing the evaluate, I’ve discovered that I’m extra inclined to make use of one other digicam, particularly since I’ve many of the greatest digicam telephones handy. There’s no smartphone fairly just like the Galaxy S25 Edge, however the digicam will frustrate you.