Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: A slimmer future for the Galaxy series?
Samsung's Galaxy S line has long been about balancing cutting-edge innovation with broad appeal, and now, there's a new twist. Enter the Galaxy S25 Edge, a phone that aims to reduce both weight and thickness without compromising its flagship identity. It's thinner than ever before, just 5.8mm, but does this sleek new shape come with too many trade-offs?
Design and build
The S25 series is all about top specs, but the S25 Edge is more about the form factor. At 5.8mm thin and weighing 163g, it feels almost impossibly light for a device with a 6.7-inch screen. You really have to hold it to appreciate its diminutive form, which is one of the most pocket-friendly flagships — a rarity in today's world of heavy, camera-laden devices. That said, the camera bump appears more substantial than others due to the thinness of the rest of the body.
Samsung uses Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the back and wraps it in a sharp-edged titanium frame, giving the phone a sturdy, premium feel despite its ultra-slim profile. The glass and metal construction doesn't just look good, it feels well-balanced in hand, too. It's also IP68 certified, providing proper protection against water and dust.
However, there's a practical trade-off here: thin phones mean less internal space, and that inevitably leads to compromises.
Display
Samsung rarely misses when it comes to screens, and the S25 Edge is no exception. The 6.7-inch QHD+ OLED panel offers sharp detail, vibrant colours, and support for HDR10+ (though still no Dolby Vision).
The bezels are minimal, and the phone uses a new Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 to protect the display. This is also an LTPO panel, meaning it can dynamically scale from 120Hz all the way down to 1Hz depending on what you're doing, which helps conserve power.
Maximum brightness is excellent, but not class-leading, with a peak brightness of 2,600 nits, but I found it highly visible even under direct sunlight.
If you're a media lover or binge-watch YouTube and Netflix, this display won't disappoint.
Performance and software
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 for Galaxy powers the S25 Edge, just like its S25 and S25 Ultra siblings. This is an overclocked chip that performs brilliantly in short bursts, handling every task I threw at it, including gaming, multitasking, and AI features, with no stutters or hiccups.
That said, the thermal management isn't great. The ultra-thin design appears to restrict heat dissipation, and during longer gaming sessions or stress tests, performance throttling occurs quickly. Casual users may not notice this much, but power users should be aware of it.
The S25 Edge runs One UI 7 over Android 15, with Samsung's full suite of Galaxy AI tools onboard. A neat new addition is the visual AI engine, point your camera at an object, ask a question, and it responds in real-time. It's smart, intuitive, and hints at where on-device AI is heading.
Samsung also promises a generous seven years of OS and security updates, matching Google's Pixel line and giving this phone real longevity.
Features and Audio
The under-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner is stunningly fast and reliable, and a noticeable leap forward from optical readers. Storage options are 256GB or 512GB, but there's no microSD expansion, which is a surprise for a modern flagship.
The stereo speakers are decent but not outstanding, which isn't surprising given the thin chassis required to house them. They're noticeably quieter and deliver less bass compared to the S25 Ultra, making it clear that the slimmer profile has had an impact. They're perfectly fine for podcasts and casual YouTube viewing.
Battery life and charging
The most significant sacrifice comes in the form of battery size. At 3,900mAh, the cell is considerably smaller than the S25+ (4,900mAh), and unsurprisingly, it affects real-world usage.
Charging is capped at 25W for wired connections, with 15W wireless charging also supported. As is common these days, there's no charger included in the box. A full charge takes just over an hour, which is not the slowest, but considering the battery size, I had hoped for faster refuelling. That said, I was able to get a full day's use on a single charge, although heavier use may require a top-up before bedtime.
Cameras
The 200MP main sensor, shared with the S25 Ultra, captures excellent daylight shots that are full of detail, great dynamic range, and natural colours. Portraits look great, and the 2x digital crop yields decent pseudo-telephoto results, although it's worth noting that there is no dedicated zoom lens.
Low-light performance without night mode is mediocre. Shots tend to be soft and noisy, and highlights sometimes blow out. Enabling night mode significantly improves the image quality, boosting sharpness, reducing noise, and enhancing contrast.
The ultrawide camera performs well in daylight and features autofocus, making it versatile for both close-ups and group shots. Night performance also benefits from the night mode, though don't expect miracles.
Selfies taken with the 12MP front camera (the same as other S25 models) are excellent, offering sharp, natural-looking images with a great dynamic range. It also shoots 4K video, just like the ultrawide, while the main sensor can capture up to 8K footage.
Video stabilisation is fantastic, and low-light video from the main cam is surprisingly clean, with rich contrast and well-preserved details.
Verdict
The Galaxy S25 Edge is a design-first flagship that impresses with its feather-light build and slim frame. It retains core Samsung strengths, display, main camera, and software, but compromises on thermal performance, battery life, and zoom capabilities. If style and slimness matter most to you, it's a winner. Otherwise, the S25+ is the safer bet.
From €1,270 Samsung/url]
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Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
‘The mask is off in tech. You're getting fired if you speak out'
William Fitzgerald has a lot on his mind. It's on the button of 2pm in Dublin when the WhatsApp call notification appears, making it barely 6am where he is, on the Pacific coast of the United States . What's it like in that part of the world? 'That's a big question,' the Waterford -born founder of The Worker Agency says, answering what was meant to be a light starter question about the weather. 'It's kind of surreal. I lived in Hong Kong when the students [in 2012] protested against the curriculum being changed. I was working for Google at the time, and I attended some of the protests, but I wasn't involved [directly]. Now I'm kind of directly involved in trying to stop what Trump is doing with the support of corporate America.' READ MORE The Irishman isn't exaggerating his current situation. Fitzgerald founded The Worker Agency in 2018. This was shortly after he did the unthinkable for many people in his position: abandoning a 10-year climb up the corporate career ladder in Google and quitting his job in the tech giant's public policy unit. The idea for The Worker Agency, which he describes as an advocacy firm, was born out of Fitzgerald's convictions and the work he did with Google that put him into the orbit of activists around the globe. Providing public relations services to campaign groups and trade unions in the US, the agency began as a one-man operation but now employs 10 people at its offices in Berkeley in the San Francisco Bay Area. 'We help people design their strategies,' Fitzgerald explains, 'and then we help them execute on the tactics, whether that's helping pitch stories, helping to do the social media.' His clients have included everything from racial justice campaigns to workers trying to form a union within Google parent Alphabet , as well as the likes of Radices, a Texas-based non-profit promoting migrant rights. [ Why Donald Trump is only beginning his pursuit of the 'enemy within' Opens in new window ] In the immediate aftermath of Trump's election victory last November, Fitzgerald sat down with The Irish Times for a brief interview on the fringes of the Web Summit in Lisbon. 'Tech is really in bed with the bad stuff,' he said at the time, whether that's defence contracts or surveillance on behalf of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice). He warned that the next few years could be great for big tech but bleak for almost everyone else if Trump's policies matched his increasingly authoritarian rhetoric. I think actually the formative part of my youth was my mum basically saying: 'Go out and live your best life and do whatever the f*** you want' Some seven months later, it seemed like a good time to sit down with him again, given what has happened in the interim. Whether it's the deployment of the California National Guard to quell protests in Los Angeles, the deportation of people to a prison in El Salvador or the litany of other developments in American public life, the Trump administration's ability to execute its plans has surpassed the expectations of many of its most vocal critics. 'Since I moved to America,' Fitzgerald says, 'it has operated, for better or for worse, as a place where anyone could just say whatever the heck they wanted. It feels to me now like they're trying to turn America into a place like Singapore or somewhere, where, literally, that just doesn't happen any more. Now, I don't know if they're going to be able to do it, but they're definitely trying.' Even in the face of these outrages, the slavishness of the tech barons – not just Elon Musk – to the administration has been notable. It's also novel, given Silicon Valley's previous outwardly liberal gloss that at least ticked the necessary cultural boxes. What changed? 'They stopped pretending,' Fitzgerald says. 'The mask is off. You're getting fired if you speak out. Back in the day, [tech employees] used to be even asking questions [of their employer] in the comments on company chat boards.' In 2025, however, avenues for dissent have been barricaded up and a 'culture of fear' is very much in effect, he says. That sense of precarity has at least something to do with the massive rounds of lay-offs big tech embarked upon a couple of years ago, Fitzgerald explained in Lisbon last November. 'The software engineers making big money in Silicon Valley, they don't know if they're going to wake up tomorrow and they're gone. So, the culture within the companies has also changed.' Little surprise, then, that Fitzgerald says the last six months have been the busiest ever for his firm. 'I have back-to-back calls, meetings', he says, describing what a typical day looks like for him. 'Sometimes, I almost have to do what you do as a reporter, meeting sources, meeting people in tech companies, trying to build relationships.' Berkeley, where Fitzgerald lives with his wife and daughter, has a special place in the history of American dissent. The birthplace of the US Free Speech Movement in the mid-1960s, the city was a hotbed of activism during the period of the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement. That heritage remains a strong part of the culture there. 'A lot of our neighbours came up during that era,' Fitzgerald says. 'There's a lot of people – some would call them boomers – of the older generation who are really annoyed, really sad but really determined […] They're trying to do everything they can to actually not let [Trump] do it.' [ Finn McRedmond: It's no wonder people my age are miserable. Everyone keeps telling them they're totally screwed Opens in new window ] That sense of outrage and the desire to resist is one of the reasons The Worker Agency has been so busy, according to Fitzgerald. 'I'm kind of impressed because people aren't just letting it happen. People are resolute.' 'Resolute' is also an adjective that fits Fitzgerald. His decision to leave Google two years into the first Trump administration was born, to some extent, out of his frustrations with the company. In previous media outings he has described his dismay at the search engine giant's initial unwillingness to make a strong statement about the 45th president's mooted 'Muslim ban'. Although it eventually came out against it, Fitzgerald, who was head of policy communications at the time, has said it was a key turning point in his relationship with the company. Fitzgerald was born in An Sean Phobal in the Gaeltacht area of Waterford. His father, a local insurance man, died when William was four. That left his mother to raise six children on her own. 'It was an interesting journey,' Fitzgerald says. 'In that my dad had done well by buying property in Dublin in the 1980s when it was tough to do that. So, he had put money aside.' That money allowed the six children to go to boarding school. Fitzgerald's sisters went to King's Hospital in Dublin while Fitzgerald went to Clongowes Wood College in Co Kildare. 'Each year, I was in school with the richest boys in Ireland but at home, there was literally nothing.' Surely this must have influenced his activist bent? Only to an extent, suggests Fitzgerald. 'I have five siblings and we're all 100 per cent different. Even at a young age, I was kind of wanting to volunteer and stuff, so I think your surroundings are one part of it.' More important in those years was his mother's parenting style, he says. 'I think actually the formative part of my youth was my mum basically saying: 'Go out and live your best life and do whatever the f*** you want'. Like, we were getting arrested as teenagers and the police were trying to tell her we were juvenile delinquents. She was shouting at the police: 'How dare you!'' But 'no matter what', Fitzgerald says, 'she supported us and loved us' and let her six children find their own light. His siblings have gone on to do 'incredible things', he says, not least his brother Richard, who founded Augustus Media, the brand behind Lovin Dubai and other lifestyle websites in the Middle East. Fitzgerald's work with Google, which he joined while completing a business and politics degree in Trinity College Dublin, brought him around the globe and helped shape his worldview. 'One of the first jobs I had,' he recalls, 'was flying around Asia giving out two-factor security keys to activists. I met my wife. She was one of the free speech activists in Pakistan. It was a place that kind of encouraged me to live and breathe my values in a real way.' The job eventually took him to California, where he says he involved himself in 'Black Lives Matter stuff' and other campaigns. 'My evenings were spent during those 10 years at Google kind of providing free communications services to organisations,' he says. Starting The Worker Agency, the first task was to find some of those groups 'that might be willing to pay for this as a service'. On this side of the pond, the public and political conversation about Trump and big tech has centred mostly on tariffs and the economic fallout. Fitzgerald is realistic about the reasons for that. 'Foreign direct investment is so important to Ireland,' he says, and the tax base's reliance on just a handful of American multinationals is always going to create a cautious atmosphere in Government when it comes to talking about tech. 'I remember when I was at Google, the joke was: 'Oh, if we just sneeze, Enda Kenny will run down.' I do understand how difficult it is.' But tech's Trump-ward turn is going to highlight some glaring contradictions in the Government's positions. One such tension is the Coalition's messaging on Israel and its war in Gaza , which Taoiseach Micheál Martin has described as genocide. Big tech's dealings with Israel and its military are increasingly being criticised and highlighted by current and former workers at the world's most powerful companies, such as Microsoft, where the No Azure for Apartheid campaign is looking to end the group's cloud and AI contracts with the Israeli military. Fitzgerald's former employer, Google, is facing similar pressure. Last December, the New York Times reported that lawyers at the tech giant had warned senior executives in 2021 that its cloud computing services deal with Israel, Project Nimbus, could be 'used for, or linked to, the facilitation of human rights abuses' in the West Bank . The Nimbus issue has been 'a lightning rod for arguments' inside Google since the start of the war in Gaza, the newspaper reported at the time. For its part, the company has denied that its technology is 'directed at highly sensitive, classified or military workloads'. 'It's going to get harder for the kind of Irish mainstream establishment to continue taking nice pictures with these tech executives,' says Fitzgerald. 'It's also things like immigration and the Irish [in the US]. We are impacted by that. I know there are Irish-Americans who are really struggling. I just think it will get harder [for Irish politicians] as you see more stuff happening. And it's still very early in the administration. We're not even a year in.' What the next three years bring is anyone's guess. For Fitzgerald's part, he wants to bring The Worker Agency to Ireland in some capacity. Last week, he incorporated a company called The Worker Agency Ireland Ltd with the Companies Registration Office . Can we expect to see the firm open a Dublin – or Waterford – office in the near future? 'I have a real ambition [to do that],' he says. 'I feel like there are things in Ireland and the European Union that we work on from afar that we'd be much better at if we had a physical presence in Ireland. But will we have a team of three in Dublin in six months? God, I'd love that. But I can't say for sure.' CV Age : 39 Family : Married to Sana, one child (Zaina) and another on the way Lives : Berkeley, California Something you might expect : 'Every year, I find myself both surprised and disappointed when Waterford fall short of winning the All-Ireland hurling final.' Something that might surprise : 'Most days I either swim or surf somewhere around the San Francisco Bay, convincing myself it's warmer than Clonea Beach back in Dungarvan, Co Waterford'
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro review: A stylish Apple Watch alternative for Android users
The recently launched Watch Fit 4 Pro is the first Huawei device I've reviewed in several years. While the Chinese company remains on the US sanctions list and doesn't support Google or its services, its wearables continue to impress with stunning features and sleek design. The Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro combines flagship smartwatch features with a slimmer, lighter design, making it perfect for all-day wear, including sleep tracking. Design and build The Watch Fit 4 Pro feels great on the wrist, thanks to its premium materials, slim profile, and lightweight design. Picture: Noel Campion. The Watch Fit 4 Pro weighs only 30.4 grams (without the strap) and is just 9.3mm thick; it's even slimmer than the standard Fit 4 model. At a glance, you'd be forgiven for thinking this is an Apple Watch Ultra. However, when placed side by side, the differences become much more noticeable. For someone like me, who has mostly worn the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for the past year, the Fit 4 Pro feels slimmer and lighter, especially at night. In everyday use, I hardly notice it on my wrist. The rotating crown matches the band colour perfectly, a clever design detail. Picture: Noel Campion Huawei offers the Pro model in black, blue, and green. I tested the green version with nylon strap, which not only stays secure during activities but also impressively resists sweat and moisture. This is a beautiful watch that both looks and feels premium. It's the small details that make a difference, like the matching green accent on the rotating crown, the lightweight metal body, and the sapphire glass screen, which I found to be impressively resistant to scratches. Display The 1.82-inch AMOLED display features a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, is protected by sapphire glass, and a titanium alloy bezel. Picture: Huawei. The Watch Fit 4 Pro boasts a 1.82-inch AMOLED display with a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, which is 50% brighter than the non-Pro version. Visibility is flawless outdoors, even in direct sunlight. In the recent sunny weather, I keep brightness maxed out and always-on display enabled, and it still holds up well on battery. The screen is sharp and vivid, and interacting with it feels smooth. Navigation is aided by a responsive rotating crown that lets you scroll without needing to swipe on the screen. The lower side button acts as a quick shortcut to apps like activities, and is customisable. Features and battery life Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro. Picture: Noel Campion. Huawei's HarmonyOS 5.1 powers the watch and will feel familiar to anyone who's used a recent Huawei wearable. You can swipe to access widgets, scroll through apps in either list or grid view, and choose from hundreds of watch faces, including animated or custom photo options. Battery life is solid. Huawei claims up to 10 days of battery life with light use, and I've averaged 4–5 days with the always-on display and maximum brightness, plus around 30 minutes of daily activity. The 400mAh battery takes about 60 minutes to fully charge. The new magnetic dock is a significant improvement over the old pogo-pin system, offering greater security and user-friendliness. The wireless charging is Qi-compatible, although I found it a bit tricky to locate the sweet spot on a standard wireless charging pad. Activity and smart features The Watch Fit 4 Pro is EN 13319 certified, with 40-metre dive-grade water resistance and an IP6X dustproof rating. Picture: Noel Campion. The watch offers a comprehensive suite of health and fitness tracking. It includes Huawei's new TruSeen 5.5+ system for heart rate and SpO2 monitoring, with added support for ECG and Heart Rate Variability (HRV). The latter offers insights into stress and cardiovascular health. The Fit 4 Pro provided me with a detailed breakdown of light, deep, and REM sleep, along with practical recommendations for improving my sleep quality. Thanks to its lightweight design, I've worn it nightly without issue. Compared to the Apple Watch Ultra 2, Huawei's sleep analysis tends to report higher amounts of deep sleep, although both devices generally agree on the total time spent asleep. The Watch Fit 4 Pro features a five-system GNSS setup, providing enhanced positioning accuracy that Huawei claims is 30% better than the Fit 3. It supports trail running with offline contour maps, diving mode up to 50m (5 ATM), and even golf tracking, with support for over 15,000 courses globally. I used the watch to track my cycling trips, and while it accurately recorded the route, I noticed it also counted steps while I was cycling. On a 10km ride, it logged around 3,500 steps, which suggests the step tracking isn't fully optimised for cycling activity. Water sports mode tracks speed, heart rate, and route, making it suitable for swimmers or kayakers. And for everyday users, there's support for over 100 workout types. The bottom button quickly launches workouts, or you can use voice control to start one using AI voice. The Watch Fit 4 Pro is equipped with a range of sensors, including an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, optical heart rate sensor, barometer, temperature sensor, ECG sensor, and depth sensor. Picture: Noel Campion. Unfortunately, although the watch features NFC, the Wallet app isn't available under the Devices tab in the Huawei Health app, and it doesn't appear to support contactless payments in this region. I'm a huge fan of using my watch for payments and love the convenience it offers, so the lack of support for contactless payments is a noticeable drawback. I suspect this missing feature could be a deal-breaker for some users. When paired with an Android device, you also get access to a full keyboard for quick replies. However, voice dictation is only available if you're using a Huawei smartphone. The Watch Fit 4 Pro works great with Android and iOS. I was able to switch between Android and iOS phones, and the Health app syncs everything, including sleep and activity data, across platforms. There are a few minor feature gaps on iPhone (e.g. no full keyboard or Petal Maps), but nothing deal-breaking. Verdict The Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro combines flagship health and fitness features with a sleek, comfortable design that feels more like a fitness band than a bulky smartwatch. It's the perfect hybrid for serious tracking and everyday comfort. €249 Currys
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Scary' Android change sparks fears as Google warns mystery AI will ‘control' WhatsApp and other apps even if it's OFF
ANDROID users have been left puzzled and concerned after Google announced plans to ramp up how AI works with their smartphone apps. And there appears to be some confusion about how to turn it all off. 1 Google is integrating AI into more of its apps Credit: Google The tech giant has been increasingly pushing its new Users have received an email informing them that Google has "made it easier for Gemini to interact with your device". "Gemini will soon be able to help you use Phone, Messages, WhatsApp and Utilities on your phone, whether your Gemini Apps Activity is on or off," the message reads. It goes on to say "if you don't want to use these features, you can turn them off in the Apps settings page" but doesn't explain specific steps or provide a link on how to do this. Read more about Android "If you have already turned these features off, they will remain off," they add. The vague wording has raised concerns online of Gemini "getting more control", one X user wrote. Another commented on a forum: "How scary is that? What could possibly go wrong? "I don't want anyone or anything interacting with my phone, unless your calling me or sending an email or text message." Most read in Tech A third added: "Google is desperate to get us to use their AI before we get used to another one." Google's email states that the changes will start to appear from July 7. WHAT CAN YOU USE GOOGLE GEMINI FOR? Here's the official tip list from Google... Go Live with Gemini to brainstorm ideas, simplify complex topics, and rehearse for important moments. Connect with your favourite Google apps like Search, Youtube, Google Maps, Gmail, and more Study smarter and explore any topic with interactive visuals and real-world examples Unlock a world of expertise and get tailored information about any topic Plan trips better and faster Create AI-generated images in seconds Get summaries, deep dives, and source links, all in one place Brainstorm new ideas, or improve existing ones Picture Credit: Google / The Sun
