Samsung Galaxy Phones

The Galaxy S25 FE has all the looks of the Galaxy S25 Plus, but none of the snap

12:40 am | December 4, 2025

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: One-minute review

Samsung Galaxy S25 FE in hand with long green leaves behind — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Fan Edition range, now dubbed FE, offers a premium flagship experience at a more affordable price, but this is naturally achieved through compromises on the specs sheet. This year’s Galaxy S25 FE tries to be a lower-cost Galaxy S25 Plus, and toward this goal, Samsung has completely delivered.

The Galaxy S25 FE features a solid specs sheet and an experience that’s mostly akin to its more expensive siblings, but some of the tradeoffs result in an experience that’s hard to recommend. The Galaxy S25 FE delivers the same battery life and charging speeds, the same great display, and two of the three cameras are also identical. Yet, the reduction in RAM to 8GB and the switch to last year’s Exynos 2400 processor resulted in performance I found considerably wanting.

A key challenge is the competition - rivals are proving that Samsung may need to tweak its approach to the Fan Edition to deliver on its value. If you’re in the US, the Galaxy S25 FE is much easier to recommend at its starting price of $650, but even then, the OnePlus 13R is a worthy alternative.

In the UK, the Galaxy S25 FE is much harder to recommend. It's starting price is still £649, but there are competitors in this price range that you won't find in the states, like the Honor 400 Pro and Poco F7 Ultra, which both offer more powerful chipsets, better cameras, faster charging, and longer battery life.

That ultimately sums up the biggest challenge for the Galaxy S25 FE. It offers a solid, yet unremarkable experience that doesn’t excel in any particular area and struggles to stand out against its rivals, whether from Samsung or others. It’s a good phone that’ll keep you mostly happy, but there are better choices out there.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Price and availability

Starts at $649 / £649 / AU$1,099 for 128GB/8GB configuration
That’s $350 / £350 / AU$600 less than S25 Plus, although this has double the storage.

Samsung Galaxy S25 FE Blue in the hand — (Image credit: Nirave Gondhia)

The US and UK launch prices for the Galaxy S25 FE are competitive, especially as they’ll likely reduce further with sales, and Samsung is offering incentives such as a free Watch 7 and Buds in the UK. It’s worth noting that this pricing applies to the 128GB storage option; the 256GB model costs an extra $50, £50, or €50. If you want the top 512GB model, it’ll cost you a further $100, £100, or €100; at $799 in the US, other devices offer a true flagship experience and also come with similar amounts of storage.

At $649, the Galaxy S25 FE offers considerable value for US audiences and fills an emerging market need. Still, Samsung could do more to deliver a truly competitive experience at this price point.

Storage	US price	UK price	AU price
128GB	$649	£649	AU$1,099
256GB	$699	£699	AU$1,199
512GB	$799	£799	AU$1,399

Value score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 FE review: Specs

The Galaxy S25 FE is effectively a pared-back version of the Galaxy S25 Plus at a lower price. It weighs the same, has the same-sized screen, the same battery life and charging speeds, and two of the three cameras are also identical.

To achieve this, Samsung chose to cut down on the RAM (from 12GB to 8GB), reduce the peak brightness of the screen to 1,900 nits, and drop the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor for its own Exynos 2400 processor. The periscope camera is lower resolution and has a longer focal length, but it still offers the same 3x optical zoom.

The 4,900 mAh battery is identical to the Galaxy S25 Plus, as is the 45W charging, which is faster than the 25W included in the more expensive Galaxy S25. There’s also 15W wireless charging and Qi2-Ready cases that add magnetic wireless charging support. As it launches with Android 16 and One UI 8 out of the box, the Galaxy S25 FE will receive one more software update than its namesake siblings.

	Samsung Galaxy S25 FE
Dimensions	161.3 x 76.6 x 7.4 mm
Weight	190g
OS	OneUI 8, Android 16, up to 7 major Android upgrades promised
Display	6.7-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, 1,900 nits peak brightness
Chipset	Exynos 2400 (4nm)
RAM	8GB
Storage	128GB / 256GB / 512GB
Battery	4,900mAh
Rear cameras	50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 8MP telephoto
Front camera	12MP
Charging	45W wired, 15W wireless
Colors	Icyblue, Jetblack, Navy, White

Samsung Galaxy S25 FE review: Design

The same familiar design as the rest of the Galaxy S25 lineup
The rear finish is less prone to scratching than the S25 Plus

Put the Galaxy S25 FE and Galaxy S25 Plus next to each other, and by design, they’re virtually indistinguishable. The Galaxy S25 FE offers most of the Galaxy S25 Plus experience at a lower price by retaining the same design language as the rest of the Galaxy S25 series.

The exception to this is in the rear glass finish. Almost a year after the Galaxy S25 Plus, the Galaxy S25 FE solves one of my key problems with the Plus's navy finish: it scratches extremely easily. Although there’s no notable change to this finish, during my time with the Galaxy S25 FE, I’ve found that the rear finish is more durable than the Galaxy S25 Plus, which is a welcome improvement that wasn’t even applied to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 a few months ago.

Beyond this, the build is virtually identical to the Galaxy S25 Plus, right down to the same 190 grams weight. By virtue of larger bezels — more on that below — the Galaxy S25 FE is almost 3 mm taller and 1 millimeter wider than the Galaxy S25 Plus, but this doesn’t have a large impact on daily usage. Instead, it feels just like the Galaxy S25 Plus does.

If you’ve seen a recent Samsung phone, the design of the Galaxy S25 FE will feel instantly familiar. However, I hope that, in future versions, Samsung aims to differentiate it somewhat so it feels unique, in much the same way that the Galaxy S25 Edge feels familiar yet unique within the rest of the Galaxy S25 family.

Design score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Display

Large, vibrant display that's on par with the Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 Plus
Just as capable as the best Samsung phones.

The key selling point for the Galaxy S25 FE is that it offers a display of the same size and quality as the flagship Galaxy S25 Plus, but at a more affordable price. In this vein, the 6.7-inch screen on the FE absolutely delivers, and it’s one of my favorite features on this phone.

A peak brightness of 1,900 nits is lower than the Galaxy S25 Plus (which reaches 2,600 nits) and lower than key rivals such as the Pixel 10 (up to 3,000 nits) and OnePlus 13R (up to 4,500 nits). Yet, under the bright sunshine in Bali over the past few days, I’ve had zero issues with this lower brightness and it’s proven to be just as capable as its siblings in direct sunlight. There’s also the same 1-120Hz dynamic refresh rate and HDR10+ support, although it lacks the Dolby Vision support that some non-Samsung rivals continue to offer.

Although the screen size is the same, the bezels around the Galaxy S25 FE display are slightly larger than on the Galaxy S25 Plus, but this doesn’t affect daily usage. Similarly, the drop from Gorilla Glass Victus 2 to Gorilla Glass Victus+ on both the front and rear hasn’t led to any reduction in protection, at least in the time I’ve been using it, especially since both feature the same Mohs hardness rating for durability.

Samsung consistently makes my favorite smartphone screens, and the Galaxy S25 FE screen is up there with the best Samsung phones. If you want a large, vibrant, and colorful display, this one hits the mark!

Display score: 5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Software

Seven years of Android and security updates
Slower AI performance thanks to more reliance on the cloud

The Galaxy S25 FE runs One UI 8 on top of Android 16 out of the box, and comes with the same seven-year commitment towards software and security updates as the rest of the family. By launching with the latest Android version out of the box, the seven-year commitment means it will support up to Android 23, whereas the rest of the Galaxy S25 is only guaranteed to support up to Android 22.

Samsung has proven to be quite adept at rolling out updates quite quickly — a stark contrast to its past history of being amongst the slowest — so it’s likely that the Galaxy S25 FE will receive updates in a timely way like the rest of the lineup.

One UI 8 remains one of the most polished Android experiences you can find, and the Galaxy S25 FE does nothing out of the ordinary that you won’t find on the rest of the lineup. However, the lower RAM and change in processor — more on that below — also mean AI performance is far weaker, with more tasks requiring cloud assistance rather than being performed on-device.

Samsung’s Galaxy AI suite has all the features you’d expect from an AI suite on a flagship smartphone, but the lack of performant capabilities means you are less likely to use these. That’s a shame as Writing Tools, editing in the Gallery app, and Circle-to-Search are all features I use quite often. On the Galaxy S25 FE, I’ve found I use them less often simply because there’s a notable delay in responses and completing requests.

Beyond this, you’ll find that the Galaxy S25 FE feels just like any other Samsung smartphone. It’s designed to be instantly familiar to anyone who has used a modern Samsung smartphone, and it delivers the same experience and interface as the One UI 8 update for the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy S25 Edge, and Galaxy S25 Plus.

Software score: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Cameras

A nearly identical experience to the Galaxy S25 Plus camera
A poorer telephoto camera, that's even farther behind the competition

Look at the Galaxy S25 Plus camera and the Galaxy S25 FE camera, and you'll notice that they're virtually the same. This is both a blessing and a curse, as it's easy for Samsung to use this camera system again — it's been the same in many recent Samsung phones — but it continually struggles against the competition.

However, dive deeper, and you'll notice that while the 50MP main and 12MP ultrawide cameras are the same as the Galaxy S25 Plus, the 8MP telephoto is a step lower than the 12MP telephoto in the Galaxy S25 Plus. As a result, average telephoto performance on the Plus is even worse on the Galaxy S25 FE.

The net result is that while this camera is mostly as capable as the rest of the Galaxy S25 family — save for the flagship Galaxy S25 Ultra — it's not a true flagship camera. Instead, the main and ultrawide cameras are slightly above average at best, while the telephoto is below average, especially compared to the competition.

Despite this, the Galaxy S25 FE does retain one of my favorite camera features on any smartphone camera: color point in portrait mode.

Samsung's portrait mode has proven more versatile than the competition, with a variety of options that can be adjusted before or after taking a photo.

Color Point is the most unique feature on a phone. It lets you keep a subject in color while turning the background grayscale. While performance is less capable on the Galaxy S25 FE than on other Samsung phones, it still lets you capture unique photos that no other phone can natively.

Then there's the 12MP selfie camera, and this delivers the same performance as the rest of the lineup, which uses the same selfie camera. I've found that images are a little soft and lacking in detail, but this is true of most of its siblings.

That mostly summarizes the entire Galaxy S25 FE camera experience: it's virtually identical to the Galaxy S25 Plus, but this isn't necessarily a positive, especially as the Galaxy S25 Plus camera is slightly above average at best. However, the Galaxy S25 FE offering this at a lower price does mean it's better than most phones at this price point.

Camera score: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Camera samples

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Camera sample captured on the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE — (Image credit: Nirave Gondhia)

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Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Performance

Average performance from the Exynos 2400 processor in daily tasks
Below average performance under heavy usage, or when using AI features.

If there's one area where the Galaxy S25 FE has proven disappointing, it's performance.

Samsung managed to reduce the price of the Galaxy S25 FE (compared to the Galaxy S25 Plus) by switching from Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy to last year's Samsung Exynos 2400. While this is acceptable for daily use, it has a marked impact on performance under gaming, heavy loads, and AI.

Simply put, the Galaxy S25 FE begins to struggle under heavy loads, especially since the lower RAM means it's often bumping up against the edge of available memory. This is also readily apparent in the camera app, where image processing takes considerably longer than on the Galaxy S25 Plus.

In most daily tasks, the Galaxy S25 FE delivers flagship-level performance, but if you're a heavy user, you will likely find it wanting. Similarly, the fingerprint sensor remains one of the worst on a smartphone to date — just like the rest of the Galaxy S25 family — and Samsung needs to improve it considerably in future phones, especially as the competition is significantly better.

Performance score: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Battery

Solid battery life that delivers a day of use with a little to spare.
45W charging is also a welcome improvement

Samsung Galaxy S25 FE charging — (Image credit: Max Delaney / Future)

The Galaxy S25 FE features the same 4,900 mAh battery as the Galaxy S25 Plus, and as such, it delivers mostly the same battery life.

During my time with it, it has mostly lasted a full day of use with around 5-6 hours of screen time, but it doesn't achieve much more than that. With heavy usage, this slips to just under five hours, and the battery needs recharging by the end of the day, but this is mostly when using the camera extensively or gaming heavily.

When you need to recharge the battery, charging speeds have improved from 25W to 45W, reducing overall charging time to around an hour.

However, like the rest of Samsung's lineup, achieving the top speeds requires using Samsung's own 45W charger, or another higher-rated PPS charger. When plugged into my trusty Nomad wall charger — which can deliver up to 100W for most phones — or my Anker power bank, I've experienced charging speeds closer to 30W, and overall charging time dropped to around an hour and 20 minutes.

Then there are two different occasions where the Galaxy S25 FE decided to trickle charge and took over 3 hours to charge to full. When I next charged it with the same charger, it had suddenly returned to the fast charging speeds, and even restarting the phone didn't help when it had entered this trickle charging mode. There's no specific reason this should have happened, and I've yet to replicate it beyond those two occasions, but it's puzzling and a little concerning.

Overall battery life is more than good enough for most people, but the charging situation remains somewhat puzzling. It can deliver a fast charge in an hour, but it can also take much longer, and there seems to be little rhyme or reason for it.

Battery score: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge score card
Value	If you want a Galaxy S25 Plus at a more affordable price, the Galaxy S25 FE delivers. However, rivals stand out for key reasons in ways that the Galaxy S25 FE just can't.	4/5
Design	An improved rear finish over the Galaxy S25 Plus, but otherwise this is virtually indistinguishable from the rest of the Samsung's lineup. I wish Samsung had found a way to make it stand out.	4/5
Display	The same great display I saw on the Galaxy S25 Plus (with the same below-average fingerprint scanner). It’s vibrant and sharp, even in direct light despite the lower peak brightness, but it remains one of the best screens on a phone.	4/5
Software	Samsung’s One UI looks as good as ever, though the lack of performance means the AI features are less useful than ever. Thankfully, this phone still gets seven years of updates so is a solid buy for long-term support.	3/5
Cameras	The cameras are virtually identical to the Galaxy S25 Plus, meaning you get the same above-average camera experience. Yet, this is the same camera system found on Samsung phones for years, and doesn't stand out in any way, especially when rivals offer better zoom performance.	3/5
Performance	The Exynos 2400 is a key difference to the rest of the Galaxy S25 family, and also a source of disappointment for overall performance, but especially on-device AI features. An older Snapdragon chipset would likely have performed better here.	3/5
Battery	Solid but unremarkable battery life, that's just shy of the battery found on the Galaxy S25 Plus.. The 45W charging is a welcome improvement, but doesn't markedly change overall charging times and neither stands out against the competition.	3/5

Buy it if...

You want a cheaper Galaxy S25 Plus
The Galaxy S25 FE is effectively a more affordable Galaxy S25 Plus, so if your budget doesn't stretch that far, or deals aren't as widely available, you should consider the Galaxy S25 FE.

The camera isn't as important to you. If you don't take many photos or don't care about the best camera, the Galaxy S25 FE is worth considering.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best phone.
If you want the best phone, look elsewhere. The Galaxy S25 FE is fine, but there are better phones you can buy at a similar price.

You want a camera that doesn’t disappoint.
The Galaxy S25 FE's camera can be disappointing if you want the best or if you take a lot of photos.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Also consider

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus
The Galaxy S25 Plus is a better version of the Galaxy S25 FE, and is often available at a similar price, especially outside the US. If it's between these two, the Galaxy S25 Plus is a much better purchase.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
If you want the best Samsung phone you can buy, this is it, as it comes with an S Pen, anti-glare screen, two zoom lenses, incredible battery life, and up to 1TB of storage. The only problem? It's twice the price.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge

I used the phone as my primary phone for a week, and as a secondary phone for another two weeks.
I took over 100 photos and videos in a variety of lighting conditions
I played games and watched movies
I checked my email, posted on social media and worked in Slack
I used AI features extensively

I've been using the Galaxy S25 FE for over two months since its launch in early September.

Before posting this review, I used it extensively in the US, UK, and Bali for a week, complete with two active SIM cards. I tested all of the AI features on both Wi-Fi and mobile data connections, as well as

Future Labs tests phones using a mix of third-party benchmark software and proprietary, real-world tests. We use Geekbench, CrossMark, JetStream, WebXPRT, Mobile XPRT, and 3DMark for performance testing. We test a phone's performance on video tasks using Adobe Premiere Rush. We also measure display color output and brightness.

For battery testing, we perform proprietary tests that are the same for every phone, which enable us to determine how long it takes for the battery to run down.

Samsung Galaxy S25 FE hands-on: Price and availability

To understand the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE, you need to know two things. First, it’s a phone for Samsung fans, even if Samsung no longer says FE stands for Fan Edition. Second, it costs only $50 / £50 (AU $TBD) more than the Apple iPhone 16e, but it gives you so much more that it might be a much better value. There are still questions to be answered (Exynos, really?), but the Galaxy S25 FE makes a lot of sense.

I spent an afternoon with the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE – and the new Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra and Tab S11 tablets – and got a feel for what Samsung is cooking with this new bargain model. Actually, it’s only a bargain if you were wishing for a Galaxy S25. It still costs $649 / £649 (Australia price TBD), and Samsung also sells less expensive Galaxy A-series models like the Galaxy A56.

Samsung Galaxy S25 FE hands-on: Galaxy S features

Why pine over a Galaxy S25 when the Galaxy A56 is within reach? First of all, the Galaxy S phones have more advanced software. They will usually get OneUI and Android updates first, and they pack more features, especially Samsung DeX, one of my favorite tricks that Samsung phones can pull.

Enter the Galaxy S25 FE! Like the Galaxy S25, it runs the latest software, and it will even be the debut device for Samsung’s new OneUI 8 version of Android 16. If you’re a Samsung fan, you can check out the latest interface design first on the S25 FE.

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Like the Galaxy S24 FE, the S25 FE can also run DeX. That means you can connect the phone to a USB-C hub with a monitor, keyboard and mouse attached and it will turn into a sort of desktop environment, with multiple windows and a real taskbar like you’d expect from a Google Chromebook.

Of course, I didn’t have a monitor and keyboard on hand during my time with the new phones; I mostly got to check out the latest OneUI 8 and the overall design. The Galaxy S25 FE is really more like a Galaxy S25 Plus. The screen is the same size, and this year so is the battery within: a 4,900 mAh cell that should provide excellent longevity. I’ll know more once I’ve reviewed the phone and Future Labs has tested it.

Samsung Galaxy S25 FE hands-on: Design

The Galaxy S25 FE and S25 Plus aren’t exactly the same. The FE is slightly chunkier in every direction, but not so much bigger that it’s cumbersome. It’s only a tenth of a millimeter thicker, according to Samsung. My calipers aren’t so precise.

The colors are… boring. Very, very boring. There is blue, black, blue, and white. Seriously, there are two blue colors: Icyblue and Navy blue. I remember when the FE phones used to be more colorful, but this year’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 FE is glossy black and white, and the flat S25 FE only adds dark and light shades of blue. Sigh.

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The Galaxy S25 FE is a nice step down for folks who want to save money on a real Galaxy S device, and it’s also an incredible competitor stacked up against Apple’s latest bargain model, the iPhone 16e. If the iPhone 16e seemed a bit dowdy before, the Galaxy S25 FE puts to rest any question that the iPhone isn’t a serious device.

For just a bit more money, the Galaxy S25 FE gives you a much bigger display – 6.7-inches versus 6.1-inches. The Galaxy display has a higher peak brightness, and it can refresh up to 120Hz. Of course, there’s also a much larger battery inside.

Samsung Galaxy S25 FE hands-on: Cameras and specs

The Galaxy S25 FE gives you three cameras instead of the questionable single-camera setup on the iPhone 16e, and that includes a real telephoto zoom lens with 3X optical zoom. More importantly, the main 50MP camera uses a sensor that is much larger than the paltry sensor on the iPhone 16e’s 48MP camera.

The Galaxy S25 FE charges as fast as the Galaxy S25 Plus – up to 45W wired if you have the right charger. That’s much faster than the iPhone 16e. Usually, an iPhone has an advantage with magnetic wireless charging, but Apple oddly omitted the magnets from the bargain iPhone, so it doesn’t have the MagSafe leg up on Android phones.

The biggest letdown on the Galaxy S25 FE is the processor. It uses a Samsung Exynos 2400 chipset, which isn’t even the latest Exynos processor. I asked Samsung reps why it doesn’t use the Exynos 2500, but they didn’t have a substantive answer.

There’s a big difference between the Exynos 2400 in the Galaxy S25 FE and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset in the Galaxy S25. Even the newer Exynos 2500 doesn’t come close to measuring up. The Snapdragon 8 Elite is more than 50% faster than the Exynos 2400, based on single core test results in Future Labs benchmark testing.

Samsung Galaxy S25 FE: The Exynos question

In battery testing, a phone like the Galaxy S25 Edge with the Snapdragon inside lasted much longer than a phone like the Galaxy Z Flip 7 with an Exynos 2500 inside, even though the S25 Edge has a smaller battery.

The difference between the Apple A18 chipset in the iPhone 16e and the Exynos 2400 in the Galaxy S25 FE is even more stark. In our benchmark tests, the iPhone completely blows away the Exynos in every test – including single- and multi-core processing, graphics, and real-world tasks.

Does that mean the iPhone 16e will be better for gaming and other processor-intensive tasks than the Galaxy S25 FE? Maybe, but I’ll need to spend more time with the phone to compare it against the iPhone’s performance head-to-head. I’m sure Samsung’s phone will be able to run the latest games, but I may need to dial down graphics settings to achieve the highest frame rate and take advantage of the 120Hz display.

I’ll know more soon once I’ve had more time with this phone, but it still feels like Samsung is making the Galaxy S25 FE for its biggest fans. The phone gets the latest OneUI interface and all of Samsung’s best software features. It has a big display and more cameras than the competition. It’s even more colorful – though that’s not a big win when the competition is literally black and white.

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Weeks testing the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 convinced me flip phones are the best phones – and I won’t be going back to flat

7:25 pm | July 23, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones Samsung Galaxy Phones | Tags: Samsung Galaxy | Comments: Off

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: Two-minute review

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue in hand showing basic widget info. onthe cover display — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 is a great flip phone that gives you the best of Samsung’s mobile might in a package that’s innovative and polished. To say it’s an improvement over past Galaxy Flip phones would be an understatement – this is the Flip I’ve been asking Samsung to make for years.

It’s not quite the best flip phone you can buy, but that’s because flip phones have gotten really good; and the Galaxy Z Flip 7 makes a perfect argument for why flip phones may be today’s best form factor.

Think about it, what’s better than a flip foldable? The Galaxy Z Flip 7 has a huge screen – the same 6.9 inches as the mighty Galaxy S25 Ultra – but it’s smaller and lighter in every way, even before you fold it in half. And instead of the Ultra’s questionable S Pen, the Flip 7 gives you a whole second screen to use. On top of that, it costs $200 / £200 / AU$550 less than an Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue open at a 3/4 angle showing the back — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Flip phones just make too much sense, so what’s stopping them from being more popular? First, there’s the durability question. The seventh generation of Samsung’s flip phones still can’t keep dust out, though it can handle being dunked in water thanks to its IP48 rating.

Second, there are sacrifices required to make a folding phone, and the cameras are a downgrade from other Galaxy phones. This year’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 got a 200MP main camera, but the Flip 7 keeps its 50MP cameras on the back. There’s no zoom, only wide and ultra-wide. A 200MP sensor would have alleviated the disappointment of not having a 3x telephoto lens or better.

Finally, the battery takes a hit with the Galaxy Z Flip 7 – maybe too big of a hit. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 doesn’t last long enough. I think this is more of a Samsung problem than a flip phone problem, because the Moto Razr Ultra offers great battery life, though it is marginally thicker and heavier than the Flip 7.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue next to a Moto Razr Ultra botrh showing TechRadar.com on the cover display — A Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 (left) and Galaxy Z Flip 7 (right) with TechRadar on the cover displays (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

It’s impossible to avoid comparing the Flip 7 to the Motorola Razr Ultra / Razr 60 Ultra, which is its biggest competitor (for now, Apple?). Samsung should be thrashing the Razr, but Motorola has been consistently eating Samsung’s lunch in the flip phone café.

With the Flip 7, Samsung finally catches up to Motorola on the cover display. Its cover display doesn’t just fill the front of the phone, it features the thinnest bezels Samsung has ever used on a Galaxy phone screen.

The Flip 7 can also, albeit with some difficulty, use every app on the cover display. You can navigate with AllTrails maps, watch some TikTok, and play Vampire Survivors without opening the phone.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue with Vampire Survivors on the cover display — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Still, as Samsung takes a big leap forward, Motorola continues its slow and steady pace as the flip-phone frontrunner. Today’s Razr Ultra is faster than the Galaxy Flip 7 in every way. The processor is faster; games run faster; the screen refreshes faster; the battery even charges faster.

Does all of that speed matter? Yes, but some folks will appreciate Samsung’s deep feature set and customization options more than a bit of extra speed.

Samsung’s One UI 8 is a powerhouse, especially if you mix business and pleasure on your smartphone. The Flip 7 also ships with Android 16, and this is the first time Samsung foldable buyers haven’t had to wait for an upgrade to the latest version of Android.

Samsung promises seven years of major Android updates and security patches, more than any competitor except Google. It has a good track record of delivering on such promises, while many Motorola fans are still waiting for promised updates for past Razr phones.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue partially open showing TechRadar.com on the display — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Is it time to consider a flip phone? Absolutely. As you’ve probably noticed, I’m a fan of flip foldables, and the Flip 7, with its versatile cover display, rock-solid design, and hefty set of features, offers more value than the sum of its parts.

In fact, I think most people would appreciate the Flip 7, with its unique benefits, more than other phones that don’t make the same sacrifices.

Ask yourself, does your phone need that tiny zoom camera? Wouldn’t you rather have a phone you can slap shut and slip in your front pocket? And I use the cover display on my Galaxy Z Flip 7 far more than I use the S Pen on my Galaxy S25 Ultra.

I’m rooting for flip phones – and the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is an exceptional flip for serious smartphone users.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 review: Price and availability

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 on display with numerous devices showing New York City scenes on the cover display — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Starts at $1,099 / £1,049 / AU$1,799 for 256GB of storage
The best color – Mint – is a Samsung online exclusive

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 starts at $1,099 / £1,049 / AU$1,799, which is the same price as last year’s Z Flip 6. The price seems reasonable to me, considering that you’re getting two displays for the price of one, plus glass that bends in half like a dang magic trick.

Galaxy Z Flip phones used to seem pricey, but the rest of the phone world has slowly crept up to meet Samsung, and now $1,099 / £1,049 / AU$1,799 actually seems fair, especially if you’re getting this phone from your carrier with a steep discount (most US carriers offer it for free with a new contract).

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 costs more than an iPhone 16 Pro (except in Australia, where it’s the same price), and less than an iPhone 16 Pro Max. It costs the same as a Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, or Samsung’s new and thin Galaxy S25 Edge.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue next. toa Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 in wood — The Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 (left) is more expensive than the Galaxy Z Flip 7 (right) (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Most importantly, the Flip 7 costs less than the new Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 in the US, where the Razr Ultra starts at $1,299. In the UK, the Razr 60 Ultra costs the same: £1,099. Motorola claims it has been outselling Samsung in flip phones, and its cheapest flip, the Razr 2023, is available for $349 in the US.

At launch, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 only comes in four colors, while last year’s Flip 6 was available in seven hues. Mint and Coralred are exciting (the former is a Samsung web store exclusive); Jetblack and Blue Shadow are more staid. I wish Samsung would try something unique with its materials and finish, but it likes to dress the entire product family in the same sweater for holiday portraits, so all the Galaxy phones look alike finish-wise.

Value score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 review: Specification

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue showing the Quick Setting drop down menu — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

When Samsung admitted that the Galaxy Z Flip 7 would use its own Exynos 2500 processor instead of the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy found in every other flagship Galaxy phone this year, it was like a record scratch moment from a comedy show. Rumors suggest this could have been the CPU inside every Galaxy S25 phone, but Samsung changed its plans late in the game on those phones. Instead, this new Samsung chip debuts in the Galaxy Z Flip 7.

Samsung claims the Exynos 2500 is more powerful than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy that’s in last year’s Flip 6, and this lets the Flip 7 use Samsung DeX, a feature that was oddly omitted from last year’s Flip. I don’t buy it. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 had the same processor and the same RAM, and the Fold 6 could run DeX. Heck, even the Galaxy S24 FE with its mid-range Exynos 2400e chipset could run DeX. I’m calling shenanigans on this claim.

The display is bigger this year, up to 6.9 inches for the internal display from 6.7 inches last year, and the phone is 4mm wider to accommodate this. Otherwise, the specs are mostly unchanged from the Flip 6 – 12GB of RAM; a 50MP wide camera and a 12MP ultra-wide; Wi-Fi 7; Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the back cover. The battery is larger this year, but maybe not as big as it needs to be.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 specs
	Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7
Dimensions (folded):	85.5 x 75.2 x 13.7mm
Dimensions (unfolded):	166.7 x 75.2 x 6.5mm
Weight:	188g
Main display:	6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED 1080 x 2520 pixels 1~120Hz adaptive refresh 2,600 nits peak brightness
Cover display::	4.1-inch Super AMOLED 948 x 1048 pixels
Chipset:	Samsung Exynos 2500 (3nm)
RAM:	12GB
Storage:	256GB / 512GB
OS:	Android 16 / One UI 8
Primary camera:	50MP f1.8
Ultrawide camera:	12MP f2.2
Selfie Camera:	10MP f2.2
Battery:	4,300mAh
Charging:	25W wired; 15W wireless
Colors:	Blue Shadow, Jetblack, Coralred, Mint

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 review: Design

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue folded like a tent — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Big and beautiful cover display with ultra-slim bezels
Nice colors, but design is a bit bland for a flip phone

After years of me complaining that the Galaxy Z Flip wasn’t using enough of its cover space for the front screen, Samsung finally listened (I’d like to think). The 4.1-inch screen on the front of the Galaxy Z Flip 7 takes up every possible inch – Samsung says it has the thinnest bezel ever on a Galaxy phone.

The Flip 7’s cover screen looks like the future of phone displays, and I’m excited for the internal screen to catch up, with a bezel this slim.

Otherwise, the phone is a standard 2025 Galaxy model. It has flat sides, with the power and volume buttons on the right. The power key acts as an effective fingerprint scanner, though it’s more recessed than the power button on other Galaxy phones, and it was hard to find in the dark.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue close up on the hinge and bending glass — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue showing a close up of the cover display bezels and camera lenses with a dirty filthy dog named Beesly on the display — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue close up of the two camera lenses — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

My review sample is Blue Shadow, and the blue certainly has a nice depth to it, though I still wish the color had more pop – there’s not much room for color on a flip phone. Only one half of one side of the phone is actually blue; the rest is all display. Three quarters of the phone is a screen. Is that worrisome? Maybe it should be.

I’ve had the Galaxy Z Flip 7 a week and I’ve been using it extensively. I throw it into my bag with my car keys, and let it bang around with my cameras and other phones in my pockets.

I don’t have a case on it, but some friends at UAG are sending an armored case my way. It may be too late. My back glass – a Gorilla Glass Victus 2 panel – already has noticeable scuffs and scratches marring the shadowy blue. I don’t see any nicks on the screens, so that’s a plus, but I should have gotten that case before I started using this phone. Consider yourself advised.

Design score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: Displays

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue in hand showing four widgets on the cover display including weather, now brief, calendar, and health monitor — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Big inner display is super-bright and clear
Cover screen is a showstopper – it’s the future of displays

I could rave about the new cover display again, but I’ll start with the impressive inner screen, because the Galaxy Z Flip 7 has been very satisfying to use thanks to this exceptionally bright and clear AMOLED. It was always a joy to open, even in bright outdoor light.

Don’t worry about the crease on the inner screen. It’s completely invisible when you’re using the phone, and it never bothered my fingers when I was swiping across the screen. After all these years it still feels like a magic trick to fold a piece of glass in half, and it still shocks friends who haven’t seen a flip foldable in person before.

The Galaxy Z Flip 7’s cover display is, as I’ve mentioned, also spectacular. The ultra-thin bezels make it seem to disappear, and you get plenty of room to work with apps and widgets on the 4.1-inch space. It’s a great improvement to the Flip line, and one I’ve been impatiently waiting to see.

Displays score: 5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: Software

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue at a 3/4 angle showing a home screen panel with the Edge Panels on screen — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The best flip for getting things done
Maybe too focused on productivity, not enough on fun

If you want a smartphone you can tweak and customize to your heart’s content, get a Samsung phone. If you prefer something simpler, you can still grit your teeth and ignore most of the settings, the pop-up features, and the extra steps required to make things work.

How bad is Samsung’s software? Take the cover display, for example. On the Motorola Razr, when you’re using an app and you close the phone, the app shows up on the cover display. That’s simple and intuitive. On the Galaxy Z Flip 7? Not even close.

To use an app on the front screen, you have to find the setting to enable apps on the cover display. This isn’t in the Cover Display settings menu; it’s in a menu called Advanced Settings, and then Labs.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue with a finger pointing at the Advanced Features Labs setting — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Labs. Can you imagine a more frightening way to hide a crucial feature? Why not just call it Dungeon?

And once you find Labs, you’ve only gotten started. You can enable a few pre-selected apps to work on the cover display – Maps, Messages, Netflix – or you can download another widget called Multistar from the Samsung Galaxy App Store.

Multistar creates a home screen that lives on your cover display, and on that screen you can add any app on your phone. On the cover, you swipe to the Multistar screen and tap the app you want to open.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue close up of the app icons on the cover display — Multistar on the Galaxy Z Flip 7 cover display (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Unfortunately, you can’t set any of this up on the cover display itself. You can’t even add widgets to the cover display without opening the phone. It feels like Samsung is still getting the hang of this whole cover-display thing, but the Flip7 is its best effort yet.

This complex procedure exemplifies Samsung’s software ‘philosophy,’ if it has one. The phone has lots of features, and they all work… somehow. Finding those features and making them work can feel like an endless chore, and then features work in a way that seems slapped together and haphazard.

I don’t want to open an app twice, on two different home screens, after loading a specialized widget hidden under three layers of settings. I just want to open an app, close my flip phone, and see the same app on the cover. Easy peasy.

Aside from those issues, I have many questions about Samsung’s AI strategy. The company has a habit of talking up features that never materialize. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 was supposed to have a special version of Google Gemini that could talk to me live while the flip screen was half closed, but I haven’t been able to find a mode that works that way.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue showing the Now Brief screen that says Wishing You Well Have a Special Day — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Samsung’s Now Brief home screen widget and app is also a key selling point for its AI features, but it’s truly a useless bit of software. It never offers me more than the weather and the first few appointments on my company calendar, which are always people who scheduled a day off.

Samsung promised that this Now Brief and its Galaxy AI features would offer highly personalized information as the AI gets to know you through your Samsung devices and usage behavior. I carry multiple Samsung phones and wear a Galaxy Watch Ultra, and I’ve never seen anything personalized for my interests or habits.

Software score: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: Cameras

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue with cover display showing me taking a photo of myself — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Very good cameras with fun and useful features
Samsung is clearly tuning its cameras for more realistic photos

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 has a good set of cameras that took photos I enjoyed sharing. Images taken with Samsung cameras usually pop with bright colors and a highly-sharpened look, but I’ve noticed on the last couple of phones (this one and the Galaxy S25 Edge) that Samsung has been toning down this artificial look for a more natural photography style, closer to what the iPhone produces. I’m all for it.

Don’t worry, Samsung fans, you still get photos that look great, especially if you opt for Samsung’s specialized modes.

Samsung’s Portrait mode is probably the best on any smartphone. It isolated my subject neatly and blurred the background for a gorgeous look. Samsung’s Food mode is by far the best camera phone mode for taking food photos – I reach for my Galaxy phone whenever I bake something tasty and I want to share it.

Samsung’s AI editing features are also the best I’ve used on any smartphone. When you cut an unwanted person or object out of your photo, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 does a perfect job of filling in the gaps. If there are floor boards or vertical blinds behind them, it fills these in seamlessly.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue in hand showing the camera app interface — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Of course, the Galaxy Z Flip 7’s coolest camera trick is letting you use the cover display as your viewfinder for photos. You can take selfies at the full 50MP resolution when you point the main camera at yourself and use the cover display. You can also set the phone in an interesting position – way down low or hanging from up high – and then take shots with voice commands or by signaling the camera with a wave.

My only complaint is the lack of a real zoom lens. I have a kid who plays sports, and the digital zoom isn’t good enough to capture him on the field. If you take photos from far away often, you’ll miss the lack of real zoom. Maybe Samsung should try a zoom camera instead of an ultra-wide on the Flip 8.

Cameras: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: Performance

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue in hand showing Vampire Survivors Game Over screen — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Performance is adequate, but not superlative
Exynos is not going to win over any fans from Snapdragon

In my real-world tests, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 performed well. I used it for a variety of complex tasks, including running two apps with one at the top and the other at the bottom of the inner screen, and plugged the phone into my monitor for the full Samsung DeX treatment.

I like Samsung DeX because I have all of my work accounts for email, Slack, and Google Drive on my phone, so when I use my phone I don’t need to log in again, as I do when I use my laptop. I just plug my phone into my USB-C laptop dock and get a little bit of work done, then unplug and go. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 was great at this, and I’m happy to see DeX on the Flip 7 after missing it on last year’s Flip 6.

That said, in benchmark tests it’s clear that the Samsung Exynos 2500 lags behind the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, and it’s a shame that the Flip 7 and Galaxy Z Fold 7 run on different platforms.

In Future Labs tests, the Exynos 2500 did not beat the Galaxy S25’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy platform in a single test – not processor speed, graphics performance, web browsing, AI and machine learning tests, nor any other benchmark we run. In every way, the Exynos 2500 is inferior to the Snapdragon 8 Elite.

Worst of all may be the chip’s power consumption, which I’ll get to in the next section. Samsung isn’t doing itself any favors by ditching one of the best mobile platforms I’ve ever used – the Snapdragon 8 Elite – and I hope it doesn’t ever make the same mistake again.

Performance: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: Battery

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue lying flat facing the USB-C port on the bottom — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Battery life is unimpressive and charging should be faster
Could the Exynos platform be to blame?

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 usually lasted a full day in my testing, unless I used it extensively for taking and editing photos or playing games. On camera testing days, I needed to charge up to keep it going until bed time.

It could have been worse, but I wonder if the cover display makes a difference. After all, there were plenty of times when I used the cover when I might have used the full screen on a normal phone, and the inner screen certainly draws more power than the half-sized cover display.

The reason I was pessimistic about the battery life was the Galaxy Z Flip 7’s poor showing in Future Labs battery testing. The Z Flip 7 has a battery that’s 300mAh larger than the cell in the Z Flip 6, but it only delivers about 90 minutes more runtime in our rundown tests.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue folded with the always-on display showing the time on the cover display — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Compare that to the Motorola Razr Ultra, which uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. The Razr Ultra has a battery that’s 400mAh larger than the Galaxy Z Flip 7’s, but in our tests it lasted almost 6.5 hours longer than the Z Flip 7! The Z Flip 7 died in just under 12.5 hours in our lab tests, while the Razr Ultra lasted almost 19 hours.

I have to assume the Snapdragon is sipping power compared to Samsung’s Exynos chip, and that’s why the Razr Ultra lasts so much longer with only a slightly larger battery. Motorola’s displays are just as bright, and actually pack more pixels, which means they could draw more power. If it isn’t the display saving electricity, it must be the chipset.

Battery: 3 / 5

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7?

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue in hand showing a firefly wallpaper that was generated by AI — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 score card
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	Solid value considering you get two displays for the price of one, plus all of the technology Samsung packs inside. There are cheaper flip phones, but none that can do as much as the Flip 7.	4 / 5
Design	A nice design that will be familiar to Samsung fans. I still wish it were more exciting, and some scuffs during my review time left me more concerned about durability than before.	4 / 5
Display	Excellent displays inside and out. The inner display is bright and clear and a joy to use. The cover screen has the smallest bezels ever, and it's more useful than before.	5 / 5
Performance	The Flip 7 can do more than ever, but Samsung doesn’t make it easy. Expect hidden features, extra steps, and hacked-together solutions. Also, the AI features don’t seem fully baked.	3 / 5
Software	Nice cameras that tone down the saturation for a more realistic look. The best camera modes in the biz, including great portraits and appetizing food shots. Solid AI editing tools remove artifacts flawlessly. I wish it had zoom.	4 / 5
Cameras	Disappointing performance all round thanks to the Exynos 2500. I’m being extra harsh so Samsung doesn’t make this mistake again and use an inferior Exynos chip when the Snapdragon is obviously superior. This phone should be faster.	3 / 5
Battery	Battery life isn’t terrible, but it’s disappointing considering other phones have seen huge advancements thanks to new battery tech and more efficient (Snapdragon) platforms. It still lasts a full day, most of the time.	3 / 5

Buy it if...

You want more phone in your phone
The Galaxy Z Flip 7 lives up to the flip-phone promise, giving you more than the sum of its parts. It’s two devices in one.

You can find a great deal on this phone
The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is priced well, but Samsung phones see great discounts from wireless carriers and bonus offers for a good trade.

You want a flip but you’re a serious person
The Motorola Razr may be shiny and colorful, but it doesn’t have Samsung DeX or the full suite of software Samsung offers to get things done.

Don't buy it if...

You want simpler software
The Motorola Razr hews closer to Google’s Pixel version of Android, while Samsung’s One UI is feature-packed, but overcomplicated.View Deal

You don’t like the Samsung Galaxy look
The Flip 7 should have been a cooler-looking flip phone, but instead it looks like every other Galaxy, bent in half.View Deal

You hang out in very dusty places
The Galaxy Z Flip 7 has an impressive level of water resistance, but it can’t keep out dust smaller than a big piece of lint, so be careful.View Deal

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 review: Also consider

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue next to a Moto Razr Ultra from back mostly closed — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Motorola Razr Ultra
The Razr Ultra is more expensive, but it beats the Z Flip 7 on almost every metric, including processor speed and battery life.

Read our in-depth Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 review

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus
It costs $100 / £50 / AU$100 less and blows the Z Flip 7 away for battery life and performance, plus it comes with a 3x telephoto zoom lens.

Read our in-depth Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review

	Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7	Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 / Razr 60 Ultra	Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus
Price	$1,099 / £1,049 / AU$1,799	$1,299 / £1,099	$999 / £999 / AU$1,699
Processor	Samsung Exynos 2500	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
Cameras	50MP main; 12MP ultra-wide; 10MP selfie	50MP main; 50MP ultra-wide; 50MP selfie	50MP main; 12MP ultra-wide; 10MP telephoto (3x zoom); 12MP selfie
Future Labs Battery Test (HH:MM:SS)	12:24:30	18:57:12	18:46:04

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7

Review test period: two weeks
Testing included: everyday use, including web browsing, social media, photography, gaming, streaming video, and music playback
Tools used: Geekbench 6, and Nit-brightness-testing system

I tested the Galaxy Z Flip 7 for two week before writing this review, using it as my primary work phone for that entire period. I tested the phone using a T-Mobile account provided by Samsung for my review period.

I used the phone extensively for communicating with colleagues, using apps including Slack, Google Meet, Airtable, Gmail and more. I played games including Vampire Survivor and Call of Duty Mobile, and I connected the phone to an Xbox Wireless Controller for games.

I used Android Auto with the Flip 7 in my car, a Kia EV6, for navigation, listening to music and audiobooks, and sending messages using voice input.

I connected the Flip 7 to my Galaxy Buds Pro 3 earbuds, Moto Buds Loop, a Galaxy Watch Ultra smartwatch, and Ray-Ban Meta smartglasses. I used the phone for fitness tracking, snore and sleep apnea detection with the Galaxy Watch Ultra, and other health and fitness activities.

Future Labs tests phones using a mix of third-party benchmark software and proprietary, real-world tests. We use Geekbench, CrossMark, JetStream, WebXPRT and Mobile XPRT, and 3DMark for performance testing. We test a phone's performance on video tasks using Adobe Premiere Rush. We also measure display color output and brightness.

For battery testing we perform proprietary tests that are the same for every phone, which enable us to determine how long it takes for the battery to run down.

First reviewed July 2025

I opened the case file on the new Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, and it was all black and white

8:39 pm | July 9, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones Samsung Galaxy Phones | Tags: FE | Comments: Off

The day was a real cooker as I approached the Brooklyn Navy Yard, site of the Samsung Unpacked event that would feature the new Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7, and the latest addition to the foldable family, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE.

I’d heard whispers about the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE; rumblings from the street, you might say. We knew it would be a cheaper version of the Galaxy Z Flip 7, but how was Samsung going to pull it off? What corners would be cut? What features would get left out in the cold?

I couldn’t concentrate on cold; it was too hot outside. I waited through the Galaxy Z Fold 7 announcement. Did the suit on stage really misspeak and say it would cost $199.99? I guess some prices are too high even for Samsung’s own people to swallow.

I sat through the Galaxy Z Flip 7 announcement, thinking I’d made a huge mistake. I put my partners on the trail of the Flip 7 and the even more expensive Fold 7. I figured my time slumming it with Motorola’s base model Razr would make me the right gumshoe to sniff out the details on the cheap new Flip FE.

Then I saw the bezel on the Galaxy Z Flip 7 cover display and I felt the green monster — jealousy — breathing down my neck.

Fine, I thought, you can’t have every phone. Sometimes you have to let the good ones go if it means saving a buck or two. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 has looks, sure, but those come at a high price: $1,099.99. That’s too rich for my blood.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review: price and specs

Two Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE devices one partially closed one fully closed both showing the Calendar app — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Starts at $899 / £849 / AU$1,499 for 8GB RAM / 128GB storage
Cheaper than Galaxy Z Flip 6, but still very pricey

Finally, the moment of truth arrived. The Samsung rep faked a retreat then stepped back to the front of the stage with that old chestnut: and one more thing… it was the Galaxy 7 Flip FE. My quarry. I finally had my eyes on the prize. But what exactly was I seeing?

Samsung laid it out in black and white – literally. That was the first thing I noticed about the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE. It came in black or white. Shiny, glossy, like 88 ivories ready to be played. No other colors.

I grabbed my notebook. This couldn’t be right, could it? For a Galaxy FE? I flipped back a few months to the Galaxy Tab S10 FE, Samsung’s iPad Air competitor. Didn’t that tablet come in blue? The blood drained from my head. The room started to go dark.

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE phones in blue, mint, graphite and yellow — The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE in rich colors (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

I flipped back even further to the Galaxy S24 FE. Mint! I have it in mint, and I know there was a blue. Was this a dream? Some sawbones once told me that dreams are often in black and white, but I don’t pay much attention to doctors.

Why would the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE be available only in black and white? I may have a long memory for Samsung’s favorite hues, but Samsung only has its eye on one dame… the Apple iPhone 16e.

Samsung used to show up at the bargain table wearing bright colors like it was Easter Sunday. Then Apple reminded the world that every day can be a funeral, and the iPhone 16e launched in black and white – the first monochromatic iPhone I can recall since the iPhone 3GS.

If I had to guess, I’d say that’s why Samsung changed its FE look. I would also guess that the overpriced iPhone 16e is the reason Samsung priced the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE like a premium flagship, not a bargain phone. The Flip 7 FE will start at $899.99. I gasped when Samsung flashed the number.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE showing Galaxy AI settings — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 specs
	Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 FE	Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6	Motorola Razr 2025
Price at launch:	$899 / £849 / AU$1,499	$1,099.99 / £1,049 / AU$1,799	$699.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,199
Dimensions (folded):	85.1 x 71.9 x 14.9mm	85.1 x 71.9 x 14.9mm	88.1 x 74 x 15.9
Dimensions (unfolded):	165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9mm	165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9mm	171.3 x 74 x 7.3mm
Weight:	187g	187g	188g
Main display:	6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED (1080 x 2640), 120Hz refresh rate, 2,600 nits peak brightness	6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED (1080 x 2640), 120Hz refresh rate, 2,600 nits peak brightness	6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED (1080 x 2640), 1-120Hz refresh rate, 3,000 nits peak brightness
Cover display::	3.4-inch Super AMOLED (720 x 748), 60Hz refresh rate, 2,600 nits peak brightness	3.4-inch Super AMOLED (720 x 748), 60Hz refresh rate, 1,600 nits peak brightness	3.6-inch AMOLED (1056 x 1066), 90Hz refresh rate, 1,700 nits peak brightness
Chipset:	Samsung Exynos 2400	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy	Mediatek Dimensity 7400X
RAM:	8GB	12GB	8GB
Storage:	128GB / 256GB / 512GB	128GB / 256GB / 512GB	256GB / 512GB
OS:	Android 16 / OneUI 8	Android 15 / OneUI 7	Android 15
Primary camera:	50MP f/1.8	50MP f/1.8	50MP f/1.7
Ultrawide camera:	12MP f2.2	12MP f2.2	13MP f/2.2
Inner Camera	10MP f2.2	10MP f/2.2	32MP f/2.4
Battery:	4,000 mAh	4,000 mAh	4,500 mAh
Charging:	25W wired, 15W wireless	25W wired, 15W wireless	30W wired, 15W wireless
Colors:	White, Black	Yellow, Silver Shadow, Mint, Blue, Black, White, Peach	Pantone's Gibraltar Sea, Spring Bud, Lightest Sky, Parfait Pink

@techradar
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review: design

Two Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE devices open and closed both shown from the side — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Same dimensions and weight as Galaxy Z Flip 6
Only comes in black and white

I headed to the hands-on tables and sidled up next to Lance, who was parked in front of the gorgeous, mint green Galaxy Z Fold 7. The room was filled with tables and shmoes like me, looking for a scoop.

All I saw were bright colors, but my target had none of that. I was looking for the colorless suspect in the center of it all: the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE.

The massive warehouse was decked out in more color than I could comprehend. There was bright graffiti covering one corner. OLED TVs showed off Samsung’s commitment to ecology in bright green and poison-dart frog orange.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 with NYC on the cover display showing the statue of liberty — A more colorful Galaxy Z Flip 7 (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

After a tour of the gigantic space, I found my FE back near where I started. There were three on a table: two black and one white. These were the only Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE phones in the room.

Clearly, Samsung didn't expect a big crowd for its so-called bargain.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE from side — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE open held from the side — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE from bottom showing USB-C port — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE in white with a black cover display — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE closed with widgets on the cover screen and open showing the back of a black Flip 7 FE — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE in black closed with time on the cover display and open with the Now Brief screen showing — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: display

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE in black with a color photo of a pug wearing heart shaped glasses on the cover display — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

You'll be jealous when you see the Flip 7's cover display
Inner screen is large but not as big as a Moto Razr or Flip 7

Frankly, I don't blame them. It's hard to work up a sweat over a cheap phone that costs $900, even on a hot day like today. With a good sale happening, I can get two Motorola Razr phones for the same price – one for work and another for the weekend.

After a few minutes with the Flip 7 FE I’m onto Samsung’s jig. The FE is the exact same size and weight as the Galaxy Z Flip 6. It’s got the same screens, inside and out, down to the pixel.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE partially open — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

To be fair, the Flip 7 FE can get brighter, but that’s according to Samsung. I’ll let my folks in Future Labs run tests at the clubhouse before I declare this phone the winner.

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE almost seems designed to disappoint. No colors. No big cover screen. No Snapdragon inside – this phone runs on the Exynos 2400 that flummoxed Galaxy S24 buyers who weren't in the US. It even has less RAM than the Galaxy Z Flip 7: eight gigabytes instead of 12.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: cameras

Two Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE with the cover display on one showing the camera screen with the author taking his own photo — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

50MP main camera, 12MP ultra wide
Same camera specs as Galaxy Z Flip 7 (and Flip 6)

I check out the cameras – not bad? At least it keeps the same shooters as the normal Flip7. There’s a 50MP wide cam that’s a solid option for selfies, and I can see my kisser in the cover screen with the Flip 7 FE closed.

At least the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE doesn't seem to be a downgrade in that department. I'll need to take it for a spin to be sure, but the cameras look identical to what the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is packing.

Two Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE devices stacked closed and shown from the side — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: final word

Two closed Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 devices in white and black on top of each other showing Samsung logo on hinge

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Why not just keep the Galaxy Z Flip 6 around at a discount? Samsung feeds me a line and I chew on it, but I don't swallow. It said the Z Flip 6 couldn't run DeX, but the Exynos in the Z Flip 7 will make it happen. A likely story, since the Flip 6 and the Galaxy S24 had the same chips.

But what about the Flip 7 FE? It's unclear what it can and can't do.

I can't imagine anyone picking the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE over a Galaxy Z Flip 7, except by accident. I'll need to spend some quality time with this phone before I can write its full review story, but my gut tells me if last year's phone gets a discount, steer folks toward an older, more colorful Flip 6 before sending them after this black-and-white 'bargain.'

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 might just be the perfect foldable, and sets a standard for others to follow

5:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones Samsung Galaxy Phones | Tags: AI, Google Pixel, RAM | Comments: Off

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: One-minute review

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 REVIEW — (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the closest thing to a tech inflection point we have at the moment. It's by far the best large-screen foldable ever made – super-thin, super-light, exquisitely made, undeniably powerful, and full of AI smarts – and goes straight to the top of our list of the best foldable phones you can buy.

It's Samsung's first foldable to almost entirely not underdeliver on cameras, featuring the line's first-ever 200-megapixel camera. This feels like more than progress; it's a folding phone revolution.

I like it so much that I find myself frantically searching for weaknesses. I probe each part looking for a place where Samsung may have miscalculated and, with very few exceptions, I can't find any weaknesses.

If I had to pinpoint where Samsung trips up, it would be in two areas: the removal of the digitizing layer, which leaves the Galaxy Z Fold 7 unable to work with the S Pen, and the price, which now flirts with $2,000 in the US. That's a lot to spend for any phone, though in fairness this really is like two devices in one – a flagship phone and 8-inch tablet – and so you might be able to justify the outlay.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review: price and specs

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 starts at $1,999.99 / £1,799 / AU$2,899, which is $100 more than the previous model in the US, and AU$150 more in Australia – there's no price hike for buyers in the UK. The base model comes with 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM. At the time of writing, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is on preorder now, and ships from July 25. It's available in Blue Shadow, Silver Shadow, and Jetblack, plus a Samsung online-exclusive Mint.

Those prices make the Galaxy Z Fold 7 one of the most expensive foldables you can buy – in the US it now costs $100 more than a similarly configured Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, for instance. There will be deals, especially for trade-ins, so look out for those.

I agree, this is a lot to pay for a smartphone, but the Z Fold 7 is not just a phone. It's also a tablet, yet so thin and light that someone glancing at it in your hand might have no idea it's a two-in-one. The question is, are you willing to pay more for something that is truly special?

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 specs
	Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
Dimensions (folded):	72.8 x 158.4 x 8.9mm
Dimensions (unfolded):	143.2 x 158.4 x 4.2mm
Weight:	215g
Main display:	8-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED (2184 x 1968), 120Hz adaptive refresh rate (1~120Hz)
Cover display::	6.5-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display(2520 x 1080, 21:9), 120Hz adaptive refresh rate (1~120Hz)
Chipset:	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Mobile Platform for Galaxy
RAM:	12GB / 16GB (1TB only)
Storage:	256GB / 512GB / 1TB
OS:	Android 16 / One UI 8
Primary camera:	200MP f1.7
Ultrawide camera:	12MP f2.2
Telephoto	3x 10MP f2.4
Cover Camera:	10MP f2.2
Inner Camera:	10MP f2.2
Battery:	4,400mAh
Charging:	30 mins with 25W adapter (wired)
Colors:	Blue Shadow, Silver Shadow and Jetblack [Samsung.com Exclusive] Mint

Value score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review: design

Super-thin unfolded, and almost as thin as a standard smartphone when folded
Weighs less than the single-screen Galaxy S25 Ultra
Excellent materials and construction
Hinge mechanism is pleasingly stiff and strong

If you think the pace of smartphone and flagship innovation feels somewhat ho-hum, you probably haven't seen or touched the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

This is one of the best design upgrades I've seen in a while, not because it's radically different to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 that came before it, because it isn't, but because it's so much better in all the ways that truly matter.

I'll start with the physical specs, because they're the most remarkable thing about of this new handset, especially when compared with the Z Fold 6 and, yes, even the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Unfolded, the Z Fold 7 is just 4.2mm thick – that's 1.4mm thinner than the Z Fold 6. Folded, the Z Fold 7 is 8.9mm, 3.2mm thinner than the Z Fold 6 and only 0.7mm thicker than the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Think about that: this foldable, which when folded is hiding a gorgeous 8-inch display, is almost imperceptibly thicker than a single-screen flagship device.

Even the weight is impressive. Between versions, Samsung shed a whopping 24 grams, and the Fold 7 is even 3 grams lighter than the S25 Ultra. Yep – two screens, and it's still lighter than the flagship.

Perhaps that shouldn't be so surprising. When I hold the Z Fold 7 up to the S25 ultra, the foldable is smaller than the Ultra, which is 162.8mm x 77.6mm, while the Z Fold 7, when folded, is 158.4mm x 72.8mm.

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Carrying the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is now like holding a secret. At a glance, it looks like a standard, 6.5-inch smartphone. It's not until you take a closer look that you notice the seam down one edge and the hinge on the opposite side.

Size and weight aside, the phone feels good in my hand because of the excellent materials. Its Armor Aluminum frame is covered, front and back, with Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2. A substantial, pill-shaped three-camera array sticks out of the back. Whenever I put the phone down camera-side-first, it tips at an awkward angle. I guess that's the price I have to pay for a better imaging system.

On the top edges when you're holding the phone (there are two when it's folded) are a pair of microphone holes, a vent, and a SIM slot (yes, this phone still uses a nanoSIM card, along with a multi-eSIM option).

The bottom edges feature more microphone holes, a speaker slot (its stereo pair are along the top edge of the cover screen), and the USB-C data and charging port. The tolerances here are quite something – the USB port appears to just barely fit in the space.

The only buttons are the long volume rocker and the power / fingerprint reader / Gemini button.

The foldable screen hinge, which has been shrinking over each Z Fold generation, is the thickness of an average No. 2 pencil, and its subtlety and unobtrusiveness further help it pull off the 'standard flagship' masquerade.

Samsung has reengineered the hinge, and it's noticeable. The phone is firmly closed when folded (magnets inside help with that) and has considerable, but not overly resistant, tension as you open it and it snaps into position as a fully flat 8-inch tablet.

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Unfolding the phone you're greeted with a flexible display surrounded by a roughly 2mm, forgiving raised border that keeps the Fold 7 from making a metallic snapping sound when you close it.

There's still a crease, but it's far less pronounced than what you see on the Z Fold 6. That's due in part to the new teardrop-shaped screen fold hidden in the redesigned hinge, meaning the thin, flexible screen curves into a perhaps more forgiving teardrop shape when the phone is folded. This is likely what accounts for how it can more easily unfold to a nearly perfectly flat plane. I can only see whatever minimal crease remains at certain odd angles, and more so when the screen is off. To the touch, it's barely perceptible.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is IP48-rated, which means it can handle a sustained dunk in fresh water (not salt water!), but I would keep it away from dust and sand. I ran my device under a tap with no ill effects.

Design score: 5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: displays

The main display is now 8 inches
There's a noticeable punch hole for the camera
The cover display is also larger

A wider and taller Z Fold means not one, but two bigger screens. The cover display is now a 6.5-inch 21:9 display that is finally indistinguishable from a standard flagship phone display.

Where the Z Fold 6 has a 968 x 2376 resolution, the Z Fold 7 cover screen is an expansive 2520 x 1080, 422ppi, 1-to-120Hz AMOLED 2X screen. It has a punch-hole for the 10MP selfie camera, but it does not feature an under-the-screen fingerprint reader – that's integrated with the power button (and works quite nicely, as does unlocking with your face).

It's a lovely, bright screen that's now wide enough to more easily accommodate a more usable virtual keyboard, and fully serviceable when you don't want to unfold and use the main display.

Like the cover display, the main display is larger this year. It's now an 8-inch display, up from the Z Fold 6's 7.6 inches. It's also got more pixels, jumping from 2160 x 1856 to 2184 x 1968. It's still QXGA+ and supports the dynamic 1-to-120Hz refresh rate.

While that display size now matches Apple's iPad mini, the sixth-generation mini's 8-inch screen has an aspect ratio of 3:2, while the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is now 5:6. This makes the Z Fold 7 more of a square as compared to the iPad's slightly rectangular display.

In practice, this means that on the Z Fold 7 some videos and games may have larger black borders at the top and bottom. It doesn't bother me, but you might want to see what Netflix looks like on the phone before placing your order.

The main screen is big, bright, and responsive. It was useful in bright sunlight, and all motion looked fluid and smooth. I left it on the default setting, which lets the system adjust the refresh rate on the fly, up to 120Hz and down to 1Hz, which is not as energy efficient as locking in at 60Hz. Both screens are rated for a max brightness of 2,500 nits.

In Future Labs testing and with HDR enabled we got up to 2,245 nits on the main screen and 2,060 nits on the cover screen. Those are admirable numbers, and mean you shouldn't have any trouble viewing these displays in direct sunlight.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 — There's no digitizing layer in the foldable display, but you can still use an analog capacitive stylus to draw on and navigate the screen (Image credit: Future)

To achieve the 4.2mm thickness, Samsung made some changes to the panel configuration, most notably dropping the digitizing layer that, in the Z Fold 6, offered support for specially tipped S Pens. I was initially pretty upset about this, but I did find that I could still draw with my finger – it's not as precise, but it's not terrible, and I can still use my finger to mark up images for Generative Editing and Sketch to Image. My doodles for the latter are not as good as those drawn with an S Pen, but the screen had no trouble interpreting my rough sketch and transforming it into a very realistic mouse.

I can report, though, that while the S Pen or any digitizing stylus will not work, a classic dumb, capacitive-compliant stylus – one you can buy for six bucks on Amazon – does work with the display. It won't record pressure or angle, but it makes it a lot easier to draw.

The other thing you might notice on this new Galaxy Fold 7 display is the noticeably larger camera punch hole. It's not only bigger in order to accommodate a better, 10MP camera (it was just 4MP on the Fold 6); the hole is also no longer covered with pixels, so it remains visible at all times. It's positioned a tiny bit more centrally along the top edge than the punch hole on the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold's flexible display, on which the equally large hole is positioned towards the far-right corner and is maybe a bit more out of sight.

These things aside, I love this big, multi-tasking screen, which has room for a couple of apps, or larger-screen views of favorite apps like Weather and Maps. It's also a nice canvas for Gemini Live, which makes the most of the larger space.

I also enjoyed drawing on it, streaming shows on Netflix, and playing action games.

The benefit of a flexible screen is that the Galaxy Fold 7 doesn't have to be only flat or folded – it can also be 'L' shaped, which I found useful when I was checking over an interview transcription, which I recorded and used AI to transcribe on the Fold. A 90-degree fold also proved useful for watching videos on one half of the screen while the rest of the Fold served as a steady base.

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Displays score: 4.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: cameras

200MP sensor is the upgrade the Fold line needed
Main-display camera is no longer an afterthought
The cameras are capable of some beautiful photography

There was nothing much wrong with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6's camera array. It has a nice 50MP lens, a 10MP, and a 3x optical zoom 10MP, but I was very aware that this was a flagship-class phone with a flagship-level price, and it bothered me that the best camera array was reserved for Samsung's Ultra line.

That is no longer the case. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 has a new camera system, with two notable upgrades and one disappointment.

Here's the full camera system:

200MP wide
12MP ultra-wide
10MP 3x telephoto
10MP cover-screen
10MP main-screen

The big news here is the new 200MP sensor that, while similar to what's found in the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, has been reengineered to fit into the Z Fold 7's super-slim frame.

Like most high-megapixel smartphone cameras, this one defaults to a 12MP shot, combining (or pixel-binning) the information from multiple pixels for better clarity, contrast, and colors. It does a nice job, but there is a very good reason to shoot at the full 200MP (it's easy to do – you just select between 12MP, 50MP, or 200MP): doing so lets you crop into almost any picture detail without losing clarity.

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You can see some of my sample photos above. While the detail is excellent, I did notice that I probably need to stand a bit more still if I plan to crop in on these huge, full-resolution images. No matter what, though, I love that this sensor, with all the versatility it affords, is included.

While there's now closer parity between the Galaxy Ultra and this Galaxy Fold, the latter can perform a trick that's impossible with the S25 Ultra: you can shoot selfies with the main camera using the 'Cover Screen Preview' setting. This means that if you unfold the phone and choose that option in the camera app, you can use the cover screen as a viewfinder and control for the main, wide-angle, and telephoto lenses. I used the setting to take a 200MP selfie – I would show it to you, but the clarity is so good it's horrifying.

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I'm also pleased that the main-screen camera is now a full 10MP – 4MP for selfies and even video calls seemed a bit anemic. The tradeoff for that better camera is a bigger punch-hole in the flexible display, and one that isn't covered with pixels when not in use. I think future Z Folds should shift this camera closer to one of the bezels.

The 12MP wide-angle has a solid 120-degree field of view, enough for some truly dramatic shots, but I think its macro capabilities are far more impressive. Look at the detail in the flowers below. Leave aside the excellent color accuracy – just look at the drama inside these blossoms, and in particular the ants transiting the petals. Well done on this lens, Samsung.

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I'm less impressed with the zoom lens; not because it's bad, but it remains underpowered for a flagship. While the S25 Ultra has a nice 10MP 5x optical zoom, the now more ultra-y Fold 7 only gets a 10MP 3x optical zoom. Yes, I am fully aware of the Space Zoom options that go up to 30x, but that's a digital assist, and drags in way too much artificial information for my tastes. When I want zoom, I like it to be optical all the way.

The 3x optical zoom does a nice job, and it's definitely useful, just not as strong as I had hoped. In situations where you want to get closer to a subject you might instead choose to shoot with the 200MP main camera at full resolution and then crop in on the detail you want – at least you know the visual information will all be real, and not partially digitally generated.

I was also pleased with low-light photography and videography. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 shoots high-quality video up to 8K 30fps, though many video editors still can't handle that video resolution.

Overall, I think this is a great camera system, especially because Samsung's ProVisual Engine is finally doing a decent job of maintaining visual fidelity (unless you choose less-real presets).

The colors in all my shots are good and accurate – I'm impressed with how the cameras handle challenging Manhattan street shots that are so full of detail and riotous colors.

They also did well with backlit shots where a bright Manhattan sky might have overwhelmed the foreground – I think the Z Fold 7 found a decent balance. When I tapped on the sky to adjust the exposure in favor of the sky I got better cloud detail, but also surprisingly accurate blue sky color. Nothing is too saturated, and this I consider a victory.

Portrait mode does a nice job on people and objects, such as in my image of planter in the main gallery above, where it had a lot of detail to handle and acquitted itself nicely. It’s not perfect – some small leaves got lost – but I’m still pleased with the result.

Cameras score: 4.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: Software and AI

The phone will ship with Android 16
There's deeper Google Gemini integration
Gemini Live fills the main screen

In the software space, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a harbinger of releases to come. It's the first flagship to release with Android 16, well ahead of the next big Pixel launches – including, we expect, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold – on August 20, and it also has the latest Samsung software in the form of One UI 8.

That former landmark is by Google design, with the tech giant rearranging its development flow to ensure that its big partners have these new releases in time for their latest flagship phones. As for the latter, Samsung just seems to be getting faster and more efficient at updating and improving its own Android overlay.

Both platforms are also infused with AI in the form of Samsung's Galaxy AI and Google's Gemini, though where one ends and the other begins may not always be obvious.

Broadly, Android is now as polished and useful as Apple's iOS. It has many of the same features, including Live Updates in widgets, Quick Share (so much like AirDrop), and endless customization. It's also a fantastic partner for the Fold because the platform is optimized for the larger 8-inch screen, so things like mail, weather, and maps all appear built for the flexible display. Even Google Gemini Live is right at home on the Galaxy Z Fold 7's main display.

One UI 8 brings things like the Now Bar and Now Brief, a compendium of all the things you need to know at any point in the day. It's well designed, accessible, and relatively useful. I check it because the Now Bar is always greeting me on my lock screen with a "Good morning!", "Good afternoon!" or "Good evening!" and it almost seems rude not to acknowledge it by digging into the details of my Brief.

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When I tap to open it, I see a weather forecast, a calendar of events, news of interest, and music. I can choose to add more elements from my phone, which I assume might make the Brief more useful.

There is, of course, a lot of AI on this phone. Google handles the Circle to Search and Gemini side, and the rest of the AI found on the phone is Samsung Galaxy AI.

At any point I can long-press the home-screen button to launch a Circle to Search task. After the press, I use my finger to circle something on the screen that Google Search can look at and offer results related to.

New here is the ability for Circle to Search to work in games. I used it while playing the racing game Asphalt 9 and PUBG. It works, but it's not necessarily intuitive to bring up the home button and press it during gameplay. On the other hand, I do appreciate not having to leave the game or even capture a screenshot. I just long-press, circle, and Google Search does the rest. When I'm done, I return to the race.

Gemini is summoned by a long press of the power button. It has all the strength of Gemini 2.5 Flash on the web, and also Gemini Live. Gemini Live works in full-screen mode on the large main display, but I find it more useful when you share your screen with Gemini Live and it then operates in the background, offering insights based on what it can see on-screen and the questions you ask it.

You can also just have Gemini look through the camera and see your world, and ask it what it sees – unless you want everyone to hear your Gemini Live conversation, this would be a good time to invest in some Galaxy Buds Pro 3 headphones if you plan to be out and about with the Z Fold 7.

Other Galaxy AI-powered features remain, and are little changed from the last time I tested them on a Fold. I can use Sketch to Image to instantly add photo-realistic elements to existing photos – I added a mouse to my coffee table, although as I've mentioned it's a bit harder to sketch the right image idea without an S Pen.

It's also easy to remove unwanted objects from images and replace them with the right background. This, depending on the size of the object, is generally effective, though there do seem to be more steps than in Apple's Clean Up. On the Fold, I scribble on what I want to remove (it can be multiple objects), hit the erase icon, and the phone removes them, but I also have to hit 'Generate' to replace the background. My iPhone 16 Pro Max does both in one step.

Drawing Assist, which lets you turn rough doodles into much higher-quality artwork and is another feature that benefited from S Pen support, also still works, and may come in even more handy now that you'll likely be forced to use your fingertip to make your rough sketch.

Galaxy AI's reach extends to video, and I used Audio Eraser to clean up the sound on a video shot in the heart of New York City's Times Square. The capabilities more or less match those in Apple's Audio Mix tool, although how the tools pinpoint which extraneous sounds to target differs quite a bit. Audio Eraser focuses on crowd noise, voices, and wind, and the results were good, though my voice did end up sounding just a tiny bit robotic, although not dissimilar from the results I got with Audio Mix the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max.

I am, naturally, only scratching the surface of Android 16, One UI, and their AI capabilities, which also include things like Live Translation, Text Translation, and Chat Assist. Overall, though, this is a platform I could easily love. If you're already an Android fan, Android 16 will be a welcome upgrade. If you've used a Galaxy before, One UI will be instantly familiar but also improved. The AI is deeply embedded but never intrusive. It looks and feels the way I thought Apple Intelligence would on an iPhone, and how I hope it will look and feel when Apple eventually delivers the updated Siri.

Software and AI score: 4.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: Performance and Battery

Custom Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor
Plenty of RAM and strong overall performance
Battery is still 4,400mAh, but all-day battery life is real

Not only does the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 pack Qualcomm's best silicon, it's a customized chip produced just for Samsung's latest foldable: the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Samsung. The difference between the standard Elite and the Samsung version is small but notable: most reports put the 8 Elite's max clock speed on its 2-core cluster at 4.32GHz. On the Galaxy Z Fold 7, according to Geekbench 6, it's running at 4.47GHz. The six-core cluster is running at 3.53Ghz, which is the same speed as the standard 8 Elite.

Samsung backs this powerful, AI-ready silicon with 12GB of RAM for the 256GB Z Fold 7. The 1 TB model gets 16GB of memory.

I ran Geekbench 6 three times for both the CPU and GPU, and the numbers are impressive. This is the first time in memory that an Android phone's multicore performance has beaten the latest flagship iPhone; in this case the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Here are my average numbers:

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
Single-core Avg: 2,512
Multi-core Avg: 8,986.67
OpenCL: 17,391

iPhone 16 Pro Max
Single-core: 2,892
Multi-core: 8,327
GPU Metal Score 33,001

Yes, Samsung (really Qualcomm) beat Apple on the multi-core scores. It may look like Apple handily beat Qualcomm on the GPU side, but those numbers (OpenCL versus Metal) are not directly comparable. What matters here, though, is the performance, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 has power to spare.

I found it fast and fun for everything from web browsing to video games and video editing.

I tried stressing out the system by opening 51 tabs in Chrome and Gemini Live, which is probably a more resource-intensive operation. A funny side note here: when I allowed Gemini Live to view my screen and asked it how many browser tabs I had open, it said "10." I tried to guide it to the number listed next to the microphone icon, and it said "11". When I pointed out its error, Gemini Live apologized and said it had no idea why it made that mistake.

I wasn't done pushing the system, so I also launched PUBG. The game opened without issue, I started to play (quickly, to my delight, finding an ultralight aircraft to fly around the island) and the phone never skipped a beat (the back got a little warm). I even used Circle to Search to learn more about a car I found.

Put another way, this is a thin, light, and very powerful system, and it's ready to multitask like the private productivity wonder it is. Plus, there's now true differentiation between the Fold 7 and its little sibling, the Galaxy Flip 7, which runs the ostensibly less powerful Samsung Exynos 2500 processor. That's a fun little foldable phone with a full-screen cover that can accommodate Gemini Live, but it's not about getting things done. And that's the beauty of the Z Fold 7: with its now standard flagship-sized cover screen and even larger 8-inch main screen, it's the perfect blend of pocket-sized power and portability.

Audio performance out of the stereo speakers is loud but also clear. Do not expect booming bass, but if you want the Fold 7 to power a party via your Spotify playlist – which, yes, you can summon through Gemini – the Fold 7 has you covered.

Battery life for the 4,400mAh battery is rated by Samsung at 24 hours of video playback. However, in mixed use, battery life is anecdotally between 12 and 18 hours in my tests. Future Labs, which runs a more rigorous and intense web-browsing rundown, got just under 11 hours. This is a case where your mileage will vary, but I think you can expect a full workday of battery life.

The Qi wireless charging is supported, and while the phone only ships with a charging cable and not the adapter, I was able to charge the phone to 50% in 30 minutes using a 45W charger.

Connectivity on the T-Mobile 5G network was solid, and, in my neighborhood, better than what I get from Verizon. I'm also happy to report that the phone supports WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.

Performance and Battery score: 5 / 5

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7?

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 score card
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	The most expensive foldable out there, but it might also be worth it	4 / 5
Design	Excellent, slim and light design that still feels elegant and solid.	5 / 5
Display	Two fantastic and now larger screens. The crease is almost gone, but so is support for an S Pen.	4.5 / 5
Performance	Better than the best Qualcomm chip on other Androids, and the performance knocked our socks off.	5 / 5
Software	Android 16! One UI 8! So much AI. It may sound like a lot, but it's a winning combination.	4.5 / 5
Cameras	The 200MP sensor is a major upgrade, and overall photography is excellent. We would have liked a 5x optical zoom.	4.5 / 5
Battery	Really good battery life	4.5 / 5

Buy it if...

You want a powerful yet gorgeous foldable
There are other super-thin foldables out there, but not all are globally available. Samsung has led the way with the form factor, and really defines foldable design for the modern era.

You wanted a foldable and the best camera
Samsung has finally put an Ultra-level camera in its best foldable, and it will make a difference in your photography.

You want a foldable that looks like a regular phone
When it's folded you get to stare at the Galaxy Z Fold 7's lovely 6.5-inch 2:19 cover screen, which is indistinguishable from a standard smartphone.

You want productivity-ready power
The Z Fold 7's Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Samsung is faster than any other 8 Elite out there. It's ready for anything.

You want Android 16 now
You don't have to wait for the next Pixel to get Android 16 – the Z Fold 7 is more up-to-date than most other Android handsets.

Don't buy it if...

You want a cheap foldable phone
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is one of the most expensive smartphones on the market.View Deal

You want a tough phone
Even with refinements in design, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 isn't a phone to weather the elements. View Deal

You want the best telephoto camera
A 3x zoom is fine but it can't stand up to the 5x optical zoom of the Galaxy S25 Ultra. View Deal

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review: Also consider

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is, to my mind, the best, most widely available folding phone on the market, but it may not satisfy your foldable itch in every aspect. Here are some other worthy choices.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
If Samsung's One UI software has never appealed to you, then consider Google's Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which has the most Android-y Android software available. It also boasts a bigger main display and a fetching flat-sided design.

Read our Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold review

OnePlus Open
The OnePlus Open offers a slightly different foldable phone experience, with a cover display that looks more like a normal smartphone, yet yields a sizable inner display. A solid specs sheet completes the package, though the phone is getting a little long in the tooth.

Read our full OnePlus Open review

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 specs
	Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold	OnePlus Open
Price at a launch:	$1,899 / £1,749 / AU$1,199	$1,699 / £1,599
Dimensions (unfolded):	155.2 x 150.2 x 5.1mm (unfolded), 155.2 x 77.1 x 10.5mm (folded)	153.4 x 143.1 x 5.8mm (unfolded), 153.4 x 73.3 x 11.7mm (folded)
Weight:	257g	239g (black); 245g (green)
Main display:	8-inch Super Actua display 2076 x 2152 / 1080 x 2424 pixels	7.82 inches (2440 x 2268)
Cover display::	6.3-inch Actua display	6.31 inches (2484 x 1116)
Chipset:	Google Tensor G4	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
RAM:	16GB	16GB LPDDR5X
Storage:	256GB / 512GB	512GB UFS 4.0
OS:	Android 14	Android 14 with Oxygen OS 13.2
Primary camera:	48MP main	48MP (wide)
Ultrawide camera:	10.5MP ultrawide	48MP (ultrawide 114°)
Telephoto	10.8MP 5X zoom	64MP (3x telephoto)
Cover Camera:	10MP	20MP; 32MP
Inner Camera	8MP f/2.0
Battery:	4,650mAh	4,805mAh
Charging:	30W (wired)	67W SUPERVOOC (proprietary)
Colors:	Porcelain, Obsidian	Emerald Dusk (green); Voyager Black

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7

Review test period: one week
Testing included: everyday use, including web browsing, social media, photography, gaming, streaming video, and music playback
Tools used: Geekbench 6, and Nit-brightness-testing system

I carried the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 with me everywhere and used it as often as possible for everyday productivity, entertainment, and creativity tasks.

I spent a lot of time with the UI and with all the AI, as well as myriad systems and third-party apps.

I played games like Asphalt 9 and PUBG, and watched streaming video content.

I handled it with as much care as I give any other smartphone, but did also purposely ran it under water.

I did my own battery performance testing, but also relied on Future Labs for its lab-based results.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Two-minute review

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge showing the home screen and AI wallpaper with black lights and an Android figurine blurred in the background — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Samsung understood the assignment with the Galaxy S25 Edge, but it didn’t strive for extra credit. The goal was to make a Galaxy S25 Plus that’s easier to hold, but Samsung did not set out to make the thinnest phone possible – in fact the Galaxy S25 Edge isn’t even the thinnest phone Samsung makes today. Instead, it did what Samsung does best: it gave us a little more inside a little less.

The Galaxy S25 Edge is a very good phone, and it feels like something unique compared to every other phone I’ve reviewed. The difference is noticeable; it’s much slimmer and lighter than almost everything else, even when wearing a case. Still, the S25 Edge isn’t a revolutionary new design, and I can’t help but anticipate the competition it’s going to face from Apple in the shape of the rumored iPhone 17 Air.

This is the thinnest Galaxy S device Samsung has ever crafted. It’s 1.5mm thinner than the Galaxy S25 Plus, and almost 2.5mm thinner than the Galaxy S25 UItra.

Could I feel that millimeter in my hand? I’m not sure, but between the thinness and the weight reduction – it’s almost a full ounce lighter than the Plus and two ounces lighter than the Ultra – the Galaxy S25 Edge is undoubtedly a standout.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra all lying side-by-side — Front to back: Galaxy S25 Edge, Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, Galaxy S25 Ultra (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Galaxy S25 Edge isn’t the phone for you if you want the thinnest phone possible. It’s the phone for you if you want a Galaxy S25 Plus, but wish it were easier to hold. It’s the Galaxy S25 Ultra, minus the extra bits that you wouldn’t use, like the S Pen stylus. It’s not something totally new, but it’s a better option for the right buyer.

But why didn’t Samsung go for broke? Why not make the Edge the absolute thinnest smartphone ever? The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is 5.6mm thin when it’s unfolded. Had it shaved another 0.3mm off the Edge, Samsung could have at least said that this is the thinnest Samsung phone you can buy.

The answer, of course, is battery life. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is super thin, but the battery is split between the two halves. Each half of the Z Fold 6 packs only about 2,200mAh of battery life (for 4,400mAh total), which is a lot less than the 3,800mAh the Galaxy S25 Edge offers.

A thinner Galaxy S25 Edge would have meant a smaller battery, and based on my testing, the S25 Edge is using the smallest battery it can get away with.

The Edge had trouble lasting past dinner time in my testing period. If Samsung had made the Edge the thinnest phone ever!, it probably wouldn’t last through my lunch break. I have no doubt Samsung could build such a phone, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

That makes the S25 Edge a pleasantly thin phone that is simply not very special. There are no special features that set it apart from the rest of the Galaxy S25 family. There’s nothing new here. It’s a well-crafted device that delivers exactly what I expected; no more and no less. That’s not a bad thing! It’s just… predictable.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge and S25 Ultra with an iPhone 16 Pro Max in between — Front to back: Galaxy S25 Edge, iPhone 16 Pro Max, Galaxy S25 Ultra (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The big problem is that Samsung is competing against a specter. The iPhone 17 Air could arrive later this year, and it’s hard not to see the Galaxy S25 Edge as a preemptive attack by Samsung on Apple’s next design concept. Because make no mistake, Apple is going to make a big deal out of going thin.

Apple is going to pretend it invented the millimeter. If and when Apple launches an iPhone Air in September, it will act like thinness is the biggest design innovation since the capacitive touchscreen. All other specs be damned! And I think Apple will be willing to shrink the battery and cut back on cameras even more severely than Samsung.

If that happens, the iPhone 17 Air will probably be less capable than the Galaxy S25 Edge in many ways, but it will give Apple the all-important bragging rights. Apple could use the dual-OLED display found on the iPad Pro, and recent rumors suggest the rumored phone will be around 5.5mm, making it thinner than any phone Samsung currently sells.

In a way, this takes the pressure off Samsung. The Galaxy S25 Edge is a very nice phone, and it fits neatly into Samsung’s price ladder as a little nicer than the Galaxy S25 Plus, but not as feature-packed as the Galaxy S25 Ultra. It doesn’t need to prove anything – the Galaxy S25 Edge does fine with less, without trying to be the most.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Price and availability

Starts at $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,849 for 256GB/12GB configuration
That’s $100 / £100 / AU$500 more than S25 Plus, $200 / £150 less than the Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra all standing side-by-side — Left to right: Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy S25 Edge, Galaxy S25 Plus, Galaxy S25 (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Galaxy S25 Edge slots in neatly between the Galaxy S25 Plus and S25 Ultra in Samsung’s lineup. It’s closer to the Plus, which makes sense because it lacks more of the Ultra features than it possesses – there’s no S Pen, no telescopic zoom lens, and no big battery inside, for instance, although it is, like the S25 Ultra, built from titanium.

Otherwise, you get most of what you’d expect from the Galaxy S25 Plus, minus the zoom camera. It packs a sensor with a lot of megapixels, and that sensor is actually larger than the main sensor on the Galaxy S25 Plus. Both cameras use sensors that are smaller than the main 200MP sensor on the mighty Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Now I need a moment with my Australian friends, because something very odd is happening down under. The Galaxy S25 Ultra has come down in price by AU$400 since launch, which means it costs less than the Galaxy S25 Edge by AU$100. Also, the S25 Edge seems priced a bit high in Australia compared to the rest of the world – it’s AU$500 more than the Galaxy S25 Plus?! That seems like a mistake, but it’s the real price for now, so I would wait until Samsung offers a discount to buy the Edge.

Storage	US price	UK price	AU price
256GB	$1,099	£1,099	AU$1,849
512GB	$1,219	£1,199	AU$2,049

Value score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Specs

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge and S25 Plus standing side-by-side — Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge (left) and Galaxy S25 Plus (right) are very similar inside (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Like the rest of the Galaxy S25 family, the S25 Edge gets 12GB of RAM to support the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset inside. This platform has proven powerful and very efficient in my reviews of the best Android phones this year.

The 6.7-inch display on the S25 Edge seems to be identical to that on the S25 Plus. The main camera uses a new 200MP sensor that we haven’t seen before, which is a bit smaller than the 200MP sensor on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but larger than the 50MP sensor on the Galaxy S25 Plus. There’s no telephoto lens, but the Edge seems to use the same 12MP ultrawide camera as the S25 Plus.

The Galaxy S25 Edge comes with a 3,900mAh battery under its display, which is even smaller than the 4,000mAh battery beneath the Galaxy S25’s 6.2-inch screen. That’s what you sacrifice when you make a phone thin.

	Samsung Galaxy S25
Dimensions	158.2 x 75.6 x 5.8mm
Weight	163g
OS	OneUI 7, Android 15. 7 major Android upgrades promised.
Display	6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
RAM	12GB
Storage	256GB / 512GB
Battery	3,900mAh
Rear cameras	200MP main, 12MP ultra-wide
Front camera	12MP
Charging	25W wired, 15W wireless
Colors	Titanium Silver, Titanium Icyblue, Titanium Jetblack

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Design

Feels exceptionally light when you hold it
Even with a case, it’s a very thin phone

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge from the other side with black lights blurred in the background — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The real selling point for the Galaxy S25 Edge isn’t the thinness, it’s the lightness. You have to hold this phone to appreciate it; you can’t just look at the S25 Edge if you want to experience how thin and light it is. Photos don’t do justice to the remarkably light weight, and that’s a big part of the experience.

If you get pinky-finger fatigue from balancing your phone, the S25 Edge might be the phone that will save your favorite digit. Even though it has a huge 6.7-inch display, the Galaxy S25 Edge is lighter than the iPhone 16 (6.1-inch screen, 170g), or the Pixel 9 (6.3-inch screen, 198g). It’s only one gram heavier than the 6.2-inch Galaxy S25, but it feels lighter since it’s less dense.

I almost always use a case with my phone, and since Samsung did not have cases ready for my review period, I asked my friends at Casetify to send over their thinnest cases for the Galaxy S25 Edge. Even with a case on the phone, it still feels remarkably thin and light, especially considering that huge screen size. My S25 Edge in a protective Casetify shell is still lighter than my Galaxy S25 Ultra with no case.

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Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge in Casetify cases from back and sides — The Galaxy S25 Ultra is almost as thick as the Galaxy S25 Edge in a case, including the camera bump (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

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The design overall looks nearly identical to that of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but on very close inspection things are less impressive. Frankly, the build quality of the Galaxy S25 Edge seems messy compared to the Ultra or to any Apple iPhone.

There are gaps between the frame and the back glass. The SIM card tray doesn’t line up perfectly. There’s a gap between the camera bump and the back of the phone that I worried would pick up dirt – and by the end of my review period, that was the dingiest part of the phone.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge from the top with black lights blurred in the background — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

This phone could have been special. Samsung could have tried something new, like capacitive buttons on the side – a trick that rumors say Apple is considering. It could have had super-fast charging to go with that slim battery. It could have had unique colors or a unique finish.

Instead, it’s just a slimmer version of a phone we got six months ago, and it’s not even a really nice version at that.

Design score: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Display

More Galaxy S25 Plus than Ultra, but that’s pretty great
Fingerprint scanner was totally unreliable

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge showing TechRadar.com with black lights and an Android figuring blurred in the background — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Galaxy S25 Edge, like the Galaxy S25 Plus, is sort of a hidden gem in Samsung’s lineup when it comes to display quality. While the S25 Ultra has a slightly-larger 6.9-inch screen, all three phones all have the same resolution. When you pack the same pixels into a smaller display, you get a screen that’s technically sharper, in terms of pixel density.

Which is to say the Galaxy S25 Edge has a fantastic screen, one of the best you can find on any phone. It is plenty bright, even in bright sunlight, though the Ultra does beat the Edge thanks to the addition of the remarkable coating that Samsung has been using for a couple of years to eliminate glare on its flagship flat phone.

The display can refresh at up to 120Hz – take that iPhone 16 Plus – and thanks to LTPO tech you can even get a full-color always-on display that refreshes as slowly as 1Hz to save power.

I’ve never had great luck with Samsung’s fingerprint scanners, and the S25 Edge didn’t recognize me any faster than other Galaxy phones, and unlocking failed more often than not. I know I have fingerprints because my OnePlus 13 sees them with 99% accuracy, so I assume this is a Samsung problem, not a me problem.

Display score: 5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Software

OneUI 7 is well built, but doesn’t add much to the Edge experience
AI features can be useful, but many feel like even more bloat

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge showing the Samsung Edge Panel with black lights and an Android figurine blurred in the background — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

For better and for worse, the Galaxy S25 Edge uses the same One UI 7 interface as the rest of the Galaxy S25 family, with Android 15 serving as the engine. Samsung and Google seem to be locked in a perpetual struggle to control Samsung’s phones, so you’ll get two web browsers, two photo gallery apps, even two wallets and two different password managers.

It’s getting to be a bit much. I’m the first to insist that Samsung’s software – like its Internet web browser – performs better than Google’s alternative. But nobody wants two of everything; you don’t get an extra steering wheel when you buy a car. It’s time for Samsung to end the duplicate-apps project.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge showing settings and controls with black lights and an Android figuring blurred in the background — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

There are plenty of Galaxy AI features on the phone, and it comes with Google Gemini preloaded and ready to take over the power button at your beck and call.

I think we may have already hit the wall with AI features. Samsung has been touting its Now Brief widget and app since the Galaxy S25 launched, and it’s a completely useless piece of software. It’s supposed to learn things about me and then offer information tailored to my needs, but nothing like that happens.

I’ve been wearing a Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro while using the S25 Edge for weeks. The Now Brief offers no more than today’s weather, a missive that feels creepy coming from an AI (‘Wishing you well’?!), and the first few events on my work calendar, which are usually the first three people who took the day off and logged it properly.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge showing the Now Brief app with black lights and an Android figuring blurred in the background — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

At worst, Now Brief offers me partisan political news. I filter out most politics from my social feeds, and I don’t talk about politics in my text messages, so I’m not sure why Now Brief thinks politics are what interests me. It’s inescapable.

Thankfully, Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy S25 Edge will get seven years of major Android and security updates, so it should last through Android 22, just like the rest of the Galaxy S25 family.

Software score: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Cameras

Exactly what I expected based on the specs
Samsung’s processing can be fun, or inconsistent

When I heard that the Galaxy S25 Edge would use fewer cameras than its S25 stablemates, with one big 200MP main sensor and a supporting ultra-wide, I was excited at the prospect. After all, one of Leica’s most popular cameras, the Leica Q3, uses a single large sensor and a wide lens, and fakes all of the zoom with digital cropping. If anybody can pull off the same trick on a camera phone, it’s Samsung.

Nope. I’m disappointed to say the cameras are fine, but not groundbreaking. I was hoping the Edge would be a trendsetter. Instead, it runs down the middle of the road without faltering. It does a great job at the things Samsung camera phones do well, but it can’t handle the all-in-one duties of the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

There are no surprises with the Galaxy S25 Edge cameras. The main camera uses a 200MP sensor with a wide lens, and that sensor is a bit smaller than the 200MP sensor on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. No surprise then that the Ultra is still the best Samsung camera phone, in more ways than one.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge showing the camera app focused on black lights and an Android figurine blurred in the background — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The main camera produces images that are a bit fuzzier than what I got from the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and I was surprised to find the colors dialed back a bit as well. The Edge’s cameras don’t seem to be tuned to pop colors as much as the Ultra cameras do. It still managed to take excellent food photos and warm portraits, like I expect from Samsung.

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A close up of flowers — Taken with Galaxy S25 Edge (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Galaxy S25 Edge 100% crop

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Galaxy S25 Ultra 100% crop

If you need a zoom lens, the S25 Edge isn’t going to satisfy you. The digital zoom doesn’t come close to providing the detail and quality I get with optical zoom on the Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max. A heron across the river looked like a white, featherless blob when I snapped a pic with the Edge. The iPhone and Galaxy Ultra images revealed a beak and some plumage.

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Sample photo taken with Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge — Taken with the Galaxy S25 Edge (Image credit: Philip BerneFuture)

Galaxy S25 Edge 10X digital zoom

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Heron — Taken with the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

iPhone 16 Pro Max 5X optical zoom, enhanced to 10X

If you take a lot of photos outdoors, the S25 Ultra has a coating on the display to reduce glare, and it makes a big difference even compared to the S25 Edge, which has a nearly-identical display otherwise. The Edge can get bright, but it’s much easier to see the Ultra’s screen if the sun is shining directly on you.

Camera score: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Camera samples

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Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Performance

Excellent performance from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite
The Edge stayed very cool under conditions that break other phones

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge showing the Galaxy AI settings with black lights and an Android figurine blurred in the background — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

I was expecting excellent performance from the Galaxy S25 Edge, and this phone delivered beyond my expectations. It was plenty fast, with that overclocked Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset providing a bit more boost than you’ll get on a non-Samsung Snapdragon phone. Samsung has also done a remarkable job of keeping the phone cool, even when you push the performance to the limit.

I perform a stress test where I run multiple mapping apps on a phone, and play music over Bluetooth, then sit the phone above my car dashboard in the sunshine. Most phones take less than an hour of this punishment before they shut down due to overheating.

The S25 Edge never quit, managing to stay cool enough to function for as long as I needed. That’s incredible – every iPhone, Pixel phone, and Galaxy phone I’ve tested has failed this endurance test. The Edge really lives up to Samsung’s claims of much better cooling – that 10% larger vapor chamber clearly makes a real difference.

This makes the Galaxy S25 Edge an easy contender for a best gaming phone ranking. It offers great performance and superior cooling – everything a gaming phone needs.

I also had fun playing games with the Galaxy S25 Edge clipped onto my Xbox wireless controller using a cheap third-party attachment from Amazon. The phone is so lightweight that gaming for long periods was a breeze – it’s a nice way to kill time while I wait for my Switch 2 to arrive.

Performance score: 5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Battery

Good battery for the thin size, but not great
Couldn’t last a full day if I used it aggressively

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge from the bottom with black lights blurred in the background — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

As I said above, Samsung could have made a thinner Galaxy S25 Edge, but the battery life would be terrible – as it is, during my review period the S25 Edge often needed a recharge while I was eating dinner, especially if I played games, took a lot of photos, or otherwise taxed the phone heavily.

If I scrolled my social feeds and listened to music on the train into work, I would be concerned about whether the battery would last until the train ride home.

It’s too bad Samsung didn’t use the latest silicon carbon battery technology found in the OnePlus 13, which might have helped it to pack in more power. I also wish this phone charged faster than other Galaxy S25 models, not slower – if it had 80W charging like the latest OnePlus phones I wouldn’t be worried about having to top up throughout the day, because that top-up would take less than 15 minutes.

As it stands, 15 minutes of charging got me just past 25%, and a full charge took about an hour. That’s pretty slow by today’s standards, especially considering that this battery is smaller than any other inside a Galaxy S25 phone.

Samsung might also be exaggerating its battery claims. It told us to expect the Edge to offer longevity somewhere between the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S25, but in our lab benchmark tests the S25 Edge lasted for less than 13 hours of constant use where the Galaxy S24 lasted more than 13 hours, and the Galaxy S25 topped 15 hours.

If you really need good battery life the Galaxy S25 Plus is the Samsung champ, delivering almost 19 hours of screen time in our rundown test. But it’s not the Edge’s lack of battery life as such that bugs me; it’s how long it takes to top the phone up.

Battery score: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge score card
Value	Not a bad price for the svelte design and pocketability. You know what you’re getting, there are no surprises, so it seems like a fair upgrade from the Galaxy S25 Plus (or is it a downgrade from the Ultra?)	4/5
Design	A bit thinner and much lighter than any other flat phone you’ve tried. You can’t tell by looking; you have to pick it up to feel the difference. The finish is a bit shoddy, but the design might still satisfy buyers with a sore pinky.	3/5
Display	The same great display I saw on the Galaxy S25 Plus (with the same lousy fingerprint scanner). It’s super sharp and very bright, though if you’ll often be in bright sunshine the Ultra has a better anti-glare coating that makes it worth a look.	5/5
Software	Samsung’s One UI looks as good as ever, though the AI features are starting to wane in terms of their usefulness. Thankfully, this phone gets seven years of updates, so it will have no problem running your favorite apps and hopefully improving in the years to come.	3/5
Cameras	You get fewer cameras on a thinner phone, but the main camera still takes fantastic shots, albeit ones that are a bit subdued by normal Samsung standards. They don’t pack the same detail as the Ultra, but food photos and portraits are especially gorgeous.	3/5
Performance	Fantastic performance from the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy is paired with some of the most impressive cooling I’ve experienced on a smartphone. I couldn’t get the Edge to fry itself, no matter how much I pushed past its performance limits.	5/5
Battery	Battery life isn’t terrible considering the weight reduction, but I wish the smaller battery came with faster charging to make me forget how long I need to wait. I had to charge the phone most nights after dinner, unless I was careful.	3/5

Buy it if...

The Galaxy S25 Plus would be perfect if it were easier to hold
The Galaxy S25 Edge is the Galaxy S25 Plus minus millimeters and ounces, so it’s easier to grab and easier to hold for longer.

You want the second-thinnest Samsung phone
The Galaxy S25 Edge is the thinnest Galaxy S phone, and if you don’t like foldable phones it’s the thinnest Samsung phone you care about.

Don't buy it if...

You thought it would be the thinnest
The Galaxy S25 Edge isn’t really the thinnest anything, but it is very light, and that might be more important when you’re holding it for a long time.

You’re taking photos in bright sunlight… from far away
The Galaxy S25 Ultra remains the Samsung camera champ, with its anti-glare screen coating that helps in bright light plus its real optical zoom lenses… plural.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Also consider

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus
The Galaxy S25 Plus isn’t as thin as the Galaxy S25 Edge, but it has the same specs with much, much longer battery life. It even gives you a real zoom camera.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
If you don’t need an S Pen, or anti-glare, or two zoom lenses, or incredible battery life and faster charging, or up to 1TB of storage, you don’t need the Ultra, but you want it.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review

	Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge	Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus	Galaxy S25 Ultra
Price:	$1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,849	$999 / £999 / AU$1,699	$1,299 / £1,249 / AU$2,149
Display:	6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED	6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED	6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED
Cameras:	200MP main, 12MP ultra-wide	50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP 3x telephoto	200MP main, 50MP ultra-wide, 10MP 3x telephoto, 50MP 5x telephoto
Battery Life HH:MM (Future Labs test):	12:45	18:46	18:35

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge

I tested the phone for two weeks
I took dozens of photos
I played games and watched movies
I checked email and worked in Slack
I used AI features extensively
Benchmark testing is for comparison, not scoring purposes

I tested the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge for more than two weeks before posting this review. I received the Edge before I traveled to Google I/O, and I took the phone along as my primary work device and for entertainment on flights.

When I got back from Google I/O I had Covid, so the Galaxy S25 Edge was my primary couch companion, and my source of entertainment and contact with the world. I used it to play games, watch movies, and listen to audiobooks.

When I’d recovered, I took the S25 Edge car shopping and connected it to a number of different cars to test. I used the phone to take photos, research cars, and more. I even asked for help from Google Gemini and Samsung’s Galaxy AI to do research, answer calls, and respond to solicitors.

I connected the Galaxy S25 Edge to a Galaxy Watch Ultra, Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, and an Xbox Wireless controller, among numerous other devices.

For battery testing we perform proprietary tests that are the same for every phone, which enable us to determine how long it takes for the battery to run down.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Two-minute review

The Galaxy S25 Edge is the phone for Samsung fans who like to complain. Does your Galaxy S25 Plus feel too thick for your tight jeans and small hands? Is the Galaxy S25 Ultra too heavy for your bag? The Galaxy S25 Edge is precisely the phone you want, nothing more and nothing less.

The Galaxy S25 Edge is the solution to a very simple formula. Take a Galaxy S25 Plus. Shave 1.5mm off the thickness by removing the zoom camera and shrinking the battery. Add a 200MP camera sensor. Wrap it in titanium. Voila: Galaxy S25 Edge!

Seriously, that’s it; that’s the whole phone. The Galaxy S25 Edge has the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset inside, with the same 12GB of RAM as the Galaxy S25 Plus. There’s a bigger vapor chamber for improved cooling, but we’re talking about a minuscule space made slightly less so.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge in black, blue, and silver — The Galaxy S25 Edge is only 5.8mm thin, the thinnest Galaxy S ever (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Even though it’s thin, this isn’t a phone you should experience on paper. You need to get your hands on a device to see just how thin and light it feels. I spent a couple of hours with Samsung to get hands-on time with the new Galaxy S25 Edge, so I can tell you what to expect: expect a little bit.

It feels a little bit thinner and a little bit lighter than other phones I’ve used. Just a little bit. It’s not the thinnest phone ever. Even Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 is thinner when it’s open; it’s just the thinnest ever Galaxy S phone.

It’s not even close to the thinnest flat smartphone ever. The Vivo X5 Max from 2014 was more than 1mm thinner than the Galaxy S25 Edge at less than 4.75mm.

The Galaxy S25 Edge won’t spark a revolution. It won't make your current phone look fat. There will be other thin phones – Apple’s long-anticipated iPhone 17 Air is expected to launch later this year. But I don’t expect a Pixel Edge, or a OnePlus Edge.

Holding the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge immediately put me in mind of past Samsung phones. Foremost, the ancient Samsung SGH-U100 Ultra 5.9, an incredibly thin phone Samsung launched in 2007 at the sunset of feature phones. That was the last time I remember Samsung making a phone whose main feature was being thin.

That phone shocked onlookers. Nobody could believe Samsung could make such a thin phone. You wondered how there was space for the buttons to move; it felt so thin.

That’s not true of the Galaxy S25 Edge. It’s very thin, but nobody is going to be shocked. I expect the reaction will be more like ‘huh, that’s pretty thin,’ and not ‘WOW, what a THIN PHONE!’

That’s ok, because the Galaxy S25 Edge is priced right for a subdued reaction. The phone is a bit more expensive than the Galaxy S25 Plus. You lose some battery and some zoom, but you gain a much better camera. Plus, you have the thinnest Galaxy S!

What’s the benefit? Samsung says the Galaxy S25 Edge is easier to hold than the Galaxy S25 Plus. I had an iPhone 16 Pro Max in my pocket to compare, and the Edge was definitely much thinner and lighter than the biggest iPhone. Easier to hold? Maybe a little, but I keep my phone in a case anyway.

All eyes now turn to Apple to see if it can deliver an even thinner iPhone 17 Air to beat the Galaxy S25 Edge. With a 5.1mm iPad Pro on the market, it seems likely that Apple will launch an even thinner phone, but if it packs cheaper cameras or lacks flagship features, it won’t match the thin new Galaxy.

Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (2024) — The iPad Pro is only 5.1mm, will the iPhone 17 Air be just as thin? (Image credit: Future)

Which brings me to some big concerns about the Galaxy S25 Edge – everybody is going to put this phone in a case. Samsung is offering its own thin cases, but any case will add bulk. The phone is durable, but it’s not military standard rugged.

With a benefit of only a millimeter or so, you’re already paying more for less battery life and fewer cameras. If you slap a case on it, can you still feel how thin it is? Not as much.

My second concern is that this is the slimmest Galaxy S phone… today. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is thinner, so we know that even thinner phones are possible. Will tomorrow's Galaxy S26 be just as thin as today’s Galaxy S25 Edge? Is a 5.8mm phone impressively thin in the long run? If you’re going to keep this phone through years of updates, I doubt it’s going to feel as thin as it does today in two years.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge in black against a blue background with two white vases — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

With that in mind, the Galaxy S25 Edge doesn’t stand out. It’s thin, but it isn’t going to blow anybody away. It’s the thinnest Galaxy S today, but not the thinnest phone ever, and not even the thinnest phone Samsung makes right now.

However, it scratches an itch. If you were considering the Galaxy S25 Plus, you can spend a bit more and get a thinner, arguably cooler phone. But coolness, like being thin, doesn’t last forever.

I wish there was something unique to this phone to make it stand out from the rest of the Galaxy lineup, but I’m not sure what that should be. Even a new theme or some Edge-related widgets would have been a nice addition. It just feels like otherwise this phone launch is all about giving us the perfect compromise, with no new benefits.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge hands-on: Price and availability

Starts at $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,849 for 256GB and 12GB of RAM
That’s $100 / £100 / AU$100 more than the Galaxy S25 Plus

The Galaxy S25 Edge is available for pre-order now, and it should be in hands by May 30, assuming the current global economic climate causes no delays. That was a question I heard Samsung folks discussing, but they don’t anticipate any problems.

The phone will come in three colors: black, blue, and silver. You can get it with 256GB or 512GB of storage, and Samsung will have a deal at launch to double the storage for free. Both models include 12GB of RAM inside.

The Galaxy S25 Edge slots in nicely between the Galaxy S25 Plus and the Galaxy S25 Ultra on Samsung’s price ladder. It also costs more than an iPhone 16 Pro, but less than an iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Storage	US Price	UK Price	AU Price
256GB	$1,099	£1,099	AU$ 1,849
512GB	$1,219	£1,199	AU$ 2,049

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge hands-on: Specifications

The Galaxy S25 Edge has most of the same specs as the Galaxy S25 Plus, with some Ultra inspiration thrown in. It has the important Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor that made the Galaxy S25 Ultra such a winner.

The camera is a 200MP sensor, but Samsung said it is not the exact same sensor found on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Megapixels don’t mean anything, it’s the sensor size that really matters, so I’m assuming there is a smaller sensor in this phone than its bigger Samsung brethren.

The Galaxy S25 Edge has a 3,900mAh battery, which is much smaller than the 4,900mAh cell in the Galaxy S25 Plus. Samsung says we should expect better battery life than the Galaxy S24, but not as much longevity as the Galaxy S25 provides.

For charging, the Galaxy S25 Edge tops out at 25W, slower than the 45W charging that the rest of the Galaxy S25 family can use. There is wireless charging, at least, along with reverse wireless power sharing.

	Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
Dimensions	75.6 X 158.2 X 5.8mm
Weight	163g
OS	OneUI 7, Android 15. 7 major Android upgrades promised.
Display	6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
RAM	12GB
Storage	256GB / 512GB
Battery	3,900mAh
Rear cameras	200MP main, 12MP ultra-wide with macro
Front camera	12MP
Charging	25W wired, 15W wireless

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge hands-on: Design

Thinnest Galaxy S ever, thinner than any iPhone
More Galaxy Ultra than Galaxy Plus

Samsung might be selling the Galaxy S25 Edge short by comparing it freely to the Galaxy S25 Plus. In fact, with its titanium frame and muted color options, it feels more like a waifish Galaxy S25 Ultra. In any case, the phone is clearly a current-generation Samsung device, while veering just a bit from the formula.

The camera bump looks, frankly, more like the leaked design of the iPhone 17 than the current Galaxy S25 family. It’s not small portholes, it’s an entire bar that seems to be attached to the back of the phone.

The look is decidedly less polished and clean than the similar round bar that holds the Google Pixel 9 cameras. Google’s phone seems to be a single block of metal, while the Galaxy S25 Edge looks like pieces stuck together.

The USB-C port on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge — The Galaxy S25 Edge is not symmetrical, and the pieces don't seem to fit perfectly (Image credit: Future)

The phone is not very symmetrical, and it doesn’t seem to have the same fit and finish as the Galaxy S25 Ultra. On the bottom, USB-C port is centered, but the speaker port and the SIM card slot are both haphazardly aligned. The SIM card holder doesn’t even seem to fit perfectly flush with the phone on some of the units I saw, as you can see in my photo below.

I worry about this phone. I worry that it will bend easily, even with a titanium frame. I worry that the protruding camera will make the lens glass more vulnerable in a fall. I worry the gap between the camera bump and the back of the phone will gather unsightly dust and grime.

I’ll feel better if our review unit proves solid, so check back soon once we’ve had an opportunity to run this phone through a thorough battery of tests.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge hands-on: Software

All of the Galaxy software you know...
Nothing special to the Edge, but plenty of Galaxy AI

Samsung’s OneUI 7 is looking good on the Galaxy S25 Edge, running on top of Android 15. All of Samsung’s software tricks are here, including the Edge panels, which now sport some AI selection tools. You can even hook this phone up to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse and use the Samsung DeX desktop environment.

I’m a big fan of DeX, so I was thrilled to see it wasn’t left off. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 inexplicably lacks DeX, so I was worried it would be sacrificed for thinness. Nope, DeX is here, along with all of Samsung’s software features. The endless layers of Settings menus. The massive flotilla of bloatware.

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That latter is probably just a regional choice, because not every Galaxy S25 Edge I saw had the same software preloaded, but some of the devices were jam-packed with junk. There were tons of garbage games, along with carrier software, additions from Microsoft and Google, and then the Samsung folder of apps.

There was a brief time when it seemed like Samsung was pulling back its software bloat, but those days have been washed away with the tide.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge hands-on: Cameras

200MP main camera, but not the same as the Ultra
12MP wide lens with macro capabilities

The camera on the Galaxy S25 Edge is just what I was hoping to see… I hope. We knew that Samsung would be reducing its camera load from the triple-lens system on pretty much every other Galaxy phone besides the Galaxy Z Flip series. I was hoping for one big main camera with a big sensor, and that could be what we got with the 200MP sensor on the Edge.

I don’t expect quality on par with the Galaxy S25 Ultra and its 200MP main camera. Samsung says the sensor is not the same, and it would not tell us what sensor it's using or the size of the sensor.

A tiny sensor cut into 200 million pieces will not produce high-quality images. Megapixels don’t matter, what really matters is the size of the sensor, and it’s likely the Edge sacrifices some sensor size compared to the Ultra.

The marketing might say this phone has 2X 'optical quality zoom,' but in fact Samsung is using the 200MP sensor to simulate a variety of zoom lengths, and then enhancing the results with AI.

I kind of wish more phones would use this technique, paired with a larger sensor, because I think we’d get better photos than we do from today’s 5X zoom lenses mated to teeny-tiny sensors.

We’ll see if Samsung can pull off a satisfying camera with only two lenses instead of three. It can’t be too good, of course, or else you won’t want to buy the Galaxy S25 Ultra, still the most expensive in the Galaxy S family.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge hands-on: Battery

3,9000mAh battery is smaller than even the Galaxy S25
Battery life won’t be great, and charging will be slower

The Galaxy S25 Edge packs a 3,900mAh battery inside. That’s much smaller than the 4,900mAh cell in the Galaxy S25 Plus – it’s closer to the smaller Galaxy S25, which uses a 4,000mAh battery inside.

In fact, Samsung says battery life will fall somewhere between the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S25, and you'll be able to get a full day of normal use out of this phone. So, it won’t be great for a phone this big, but it will be acceptable. That’s an expected trade-off for a much thinner phone.

@techradar
♬ stellar (Sped Up) - .diedlonely & énouement

What I didn’t expect was slower charging. I was hoping for a charging miracle, maybe even faster charging speeds than the Galaxy S25 to make up for the smaller battery.

If I could charge this phone to full in 30 minutes, I wouldn’t mind that it can’t last all day on a single charge. But with only 25W charging, Samsung says 30 minutes will get me just over halfway, to 55% charged.

We’ll know just how long the phone can last after we’ve tested it in Future Labs and given it a full review. For now, don’t buy this phone expecting great battery life. Buy it for the style.

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After 3 weeks with Samsung’s Galaxy A56, I’m closer than ever to ditching my iPhone for Android

6:55 am | April 3, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones Samsung Galaxy Phones | Tags: Australia, Clash Royale, UK, US | Comments: Off

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: Two-minute review

Mid-range and budget smartphones are growing in popularity as flagship devices increasingly come with heftier price tags. That doesn’t mean the best cheap phones are slower, less durable versions of their high-end counterparts – in fact, they offer unique value to budget-conscious buyers. In this category, the Samsung Galaxy A series is perhaps the best example, and the A56 carries on the tradition.

Having launched alongside the A36 and A26, the Galaxy A56 is the most premium of the trio, boasting more RAM and better cameras. That doesn’t mean it’s expensive – far from it as it’s priced at just $499 / £499 / AU$699. The three siblings, however, share key features, like a 120Hz refresh rate, a 5,000mAh battery and an IP67 water- and dust-resistance rating.

The Samsung Galaxy A56 is the ideal smartphone for the average user, offering seriously fantastic showings across its cameras, display, design and battery.

The Galaxy A56 exudes class with its metal and glass design, feeling just as premium in hand and on the eyes, with a finish reminiscent of high-end devices like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 or the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but at a fraction of the cost.

I received the Awesome Olive model for this review – though I must admit, I had my eyes on the pink variant. Regardless of color choice, the A56’s build quality is undeniable. Improving upon the already impressive Galaxy A55 in every way, Samsung's mid-range marvel is bigger, thinner and lighter.

Featuring a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED panel, its display delivers vibrant colors, deep blacks, and smooth visuals thanks to its 120Hz refresh rate. As someone who values high-quality screens for watching content, I was genuinely impressed.

Samsung Galaxy A56 side buttons, metal frame, and cameras — Every inch of the Galaxy A56 looks and feels premium (Image credit: Future)

This quality continues in its battery life. It sports the same 5,000mAh battery as its predecessor, but that's still an impressive capacity in a budget phone – and my experience backs up Samsung's claim of up to 29 hours of video playback. The Samsung Galaxy A56 has also seen an upgrade from 25W to 45W charging, making top-ups faster and more convenient for most users, with a charging speed now equal to that of the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Both serious and casual photographers will be happy too, as the Galaxy A56 rivals the Motorola Edge 50 Pro for the title of best budget camera phone, though it's still far away from competing with the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The setup includes a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, a 5MP macro camera and a 12MP front-facing shooter. Whether you're capturing night shots, macro details or everyday moments, the A56 delivers sharp, well-balanced images with a variety of useful features.

Speaking of useful features, Samsung's famous Galaxy AI isn't present in its budget line of phones. However, the sprinkling of AI features Samsung does provide – like AI photo editing, note-taking, Google Gemini functionality and more – add a tasteful amount of flair without overwhelming users who may not want AI integration.

I played Fortnite on the Galaxy A56 and it struggled (Image credit: Future)

Ironically, the one area in which the A56 isn't up to scratch – even compared to similarly priced phones – is its power. Don't get me wrong: it's still perfectly suited to the average user who wants to call, text, video chat, scroll socials, watch the best streaming services and play games like Clash Royale, but I think it could do with a touch more grunt under the hood. It's simply not the phone to buy if you need power from your handset. When playing Fortnite, for example, gameplay was seriously choppy even at low graphics settings and the minimum 20FPS.

That’s not a deal breaker, though. At its price point, the Samsung Galaxy A56 is a fantastic choice for the cost-conscious user who wants a well-balanced phone that looks and feels premium.

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: price and availability

Launch price: $499 / £499 / AU$699
Released March 19 in the UK and March 27 in Australia
Landing in the US later in 2025

The Samsung Galaxy A56 is one of the best budget phones on the market in terms of value, offering a seriously good experience for a truly wallet-friendly $499 /£499 / AU$699 price, with other phones either performing better at higher price points, or offering lesser experiences at a similar price.

Unlike the Samsung Galaxy A55, which never made it to the US market, Samsung officially confirmed on March 1 that the A56 would debut in the US "later this year", while the A36 and A26 became available on March 28 and 26 respectively.

Australians enjoy the same price on the Samsung Galaxy A56 as they did with its predecessor. However, potential owners in the UK will have to fork out an extra £60 compared to last year, with the A55 releasing for only £439.

The Samsung Galaxy A56 is only available in the 8GB RAM, 256GB storage configuration in the UK, and comes in Awesome Olive, Awesome Graphite, Awesome Lightgrey and Awesome Pink.

Importantly, while Australians only get two color options – olive and graphite – they also get two storage options, with a 128GB model priced at AU$699, and the 256GB model costing AU$799. There is also a 12GB RAM model available in select regions.

The only other comparable phone in terms of price versus performance is the near-flagship Google Pixel 9a, releasing soon at $499 / £499 / AU$849. We haven't reviewed the Pixel 9a yet, but if it continues the success of its predecessor, it makes the A56 harder to recommend in the US and UK given they are the same price.

Value score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: specs

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: display

120Hz refresh rate
1,900-nit peak outdoors
6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display

Watching a nature documentary on the Galaxy A56 is a lovely experience (Image credit: Future)

I already loved the 6.6-inch display on the A55 – it struck a perfect balance between being comfortable to hold and offering an upgraded viewing experience over my 6.1-inch iPhone 15.

Samsung has taken that a step further with the A56, making it even more comfortable in hand while increasing the screen size to 6.7 inches for an even better entertainment experience. Whether I was watching videos, reading, gaming or video calling, the 1080 x 2340 Super AMOLED display provided one of the best viewing experiences I’ve had on a budget smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy A56 home screen outdoors — Peak brightness is fine on the Galaxy A56 home screen, but it could be better (Image credit: Future)

The only noticeable cost-cutting comes in the display’s peak brightness. While I never struggled to see the screen, its 1,200-nit brightness is lower than I’d like to see in 2025 – though it does bump up to 1,900 in direct sunlight. While this improves on the Galaxy A55’s 1,000-nit peak, it falls short of competitors like the Google Pixel 9a (2,700 nits) and the Poco F6 Pro (4,000 nits).

In every other aspect, though, the A56’s display feels truly premium. It’s even protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, adding durability against scratches and drops. While I didn’t test a full 2m drop onto concrete, a few accidental drops left it completely unscathed.

Display score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: design

Thinner and lighter than the Galaxy A55
Gorilla Glass Victus
IP67 water and dustproof rating

Samsung Galaxy A56 back design — The Samsung Galaxy A56 in the Olive looks quite good even though it's my least favorite color (Image credit: Future)

I loved the Samsung Galaxy A55, particularly its design – a blend of metal and glass that gave it a supremely premium feel at a truly budget price. The A56 improves on that in every way – refining an already impressive formula. I received the Awesome Olive colorway, which was probably my least favorite of the four options, yet I was still thoroughly impressed by how good it looks.

The A56 features a slightly larger 6.7-inch display (up from 6.6 inches) and is about a millimeter taller and wider to accommodate the bigger screen. Bigger may not always be better, but Samsung has offset the increased size with a 0.8mm reduction in thickness and a significant 15g drop in weight – making an exceptional design near perfect.

Or perhaps just perfect. Not only does the metal frame enhance the phone’s premium feel and sturdy build, but Samsung has also added subtle ridges to the frame – something I don’t recall seeing or feeling on the A55 when I reviewed it. The ridges didn’t necessarily improve the grip for me, but they served as a satisfying fidget point when I ran my fingers across them.

Samsung Galaxy A56 back cover and side design ridges — The slightly ridged chassis edges don't necessarily improve grip, but I don't mind it at all (Image credit: Future)

That’s about all the superlatives I can give the A56’s design. It’s everything you want a phone to look and feel like, regardless of its price. It’s also protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, offering excellent resistance against scratches and drops.

As with avoiding the 2m drop test, I didn’t throw the IP67-rated Galaxy A56 in the bath; however, my colleagues and I have spent plenty of time with Gorilla Glass to know how good the durability can be – and I had absolutely no issue the few times I did get the phone wet while doing the dishes and walking in the rain.

Big, beautiful, lightweight, and impressively durable, the A56 is an exceptionally designed piece of technology. The fact that it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg makes it all the more impressive.

Design score: 5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: software

No full Galaxy AI suite, but some “Awesome Intelligence” features are available
Six years of software and security support
Plenty of UI customizations with new Now Bar feature

Galaxy A56 software — The software package on Samsung's cheaper phones are as good as that on the flagships (Image credit: Future)

From a software perspective, the Samsung Galaxy A56 might be the most impressive budget-focused phone I’ve personally used. And that’s despite my colleagues praising the Google Pixel 8a for bringing Google’s AI tools to a wider audience. That’s not to say the A56 misses out entirely on AI features – it has a smattering of useful ones that won’t overwhelm the average user – but if AI is your top priority, you’ll need to shell out for the Samsung Galaxy S25 or wait for the Pixel 9a.

The AI-powered tools in the A56 aren’t being called Galaxy AI, instead appearing under the branding “Awesome Intelligence”, although similarities abound.

Samsung lays these features out neatly within the Settings menu and includes tools that let you remove objects from photos, capture the perfect group photo and receive AI-powered suggestions for improving images during editing.

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AI image remastering on the Galaxy A56 — A screenshot of the Galaxy A56's AI remastering tool (Image credit: Future)

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AI object removal Galaxy A56 — Removing objects with the object eraser – see the next image for results (Image credit: Future)

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That's far from it, though. Within the camera app, you can create Custom Filters based on mood and style, quickly edit videos with Auto Trim or even translate real-world text when in foreign lands with Bixby Vision. AI Select provides suggested actions when you highlight something on-screen, Read Aloud will read articles or passages aloud for you, and you even get Google's Circle to Search tool.

That’s about it for AI, but there's plenty more to love about the Galaxy A56's software. For starters, you get an exceptionally clean user experience with minimal pre-installed bloatware.

Customization options are also extensive. On the wallpaper front, there are featured selections, interesting graphic designs and a variety of colors with different personalization options within. You can also set a dynamic lock screen that changes wallpapers every time you unlock the device, with five categories to choose from.

And that’s just the beginning. Once you settle on a wallpaper color, you can customize the system-wide color palette to match – or opt for basic colors instead. If that’s not enough, you can buy a full theme from the Galaxy Themes store to overhaul your device's entire aesthetic.

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Personalisation software within the Galaxy A56 — Wallpaper customization options galore! (Image credit: Future)

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You can choose between a traditional home screen or one with a separate app drawer, adjust icon sizes, and independently tweak the grid layout for the home screen, app drawer and folders.

One of my favorite additions, though, is the Now Bar. Originally a flagship feature in One UI 7, I was surprised (and delighted) to see it make its way to Samsung’s budget line.

It may seem like a small addition, but it can be an incredibly useful tool. Acting much like Apple’s Dynamic Island, the Now Bar sits at the bottom of the lock screen, working as a media manager that displays your current song or countdown timer, or displaying live notifications for specific apps like Maps, Samsung Health, Clock, Voice Recorder, Samsung Notes and Emergency Sharing.

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Samsung Galaxy A56 Now bar — The new Now Bar feature is nice to have on a budget phone (Image credit: Future)

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With flagship-level features and a remarkably clean UI, the Samsung Galaxy A56 delivers an outstanding user experience for a budget phone. It also strikes a perfect balance with AI – offering just enough functionality to be useful for those who want it, while remaining unobtrusive for those who don’t.

And, more than just the cherry on top, especially for penny-pinching buyers, is the fact that the Galaxy A56 will see six years of security support and software updates – letting you enjoy its value for years to come.

Software score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: cameras

Rear camera trio with 50MP main
12MP front camera
Helpful AI tools like Best Face

Unless you have a specific need – like top-tier gaming performance or a battery that can handle marathon sessions – a smartphone’s camera is arguably one of its most important features. From a parent wanting to capture family moments, a hobbyist hiker aiming for the perfect summit selfie, to a serious photographer looking for a reliable backup, any phone worth considering needs to nail its camera. And the Samsung Galaxy A56 does just that.

Simply put, the Galaxy A56 takes some seriously good photos – at any distance.

Its rear camera array includes a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 5MP macro lens. While a higher megapixel count is great, it’s the phone’s image processing that determines the results.

The Galaxy A55 struggled with this: while it produced crisp, well-defined shots, many mid-range and budget phones tend to over-process images, making colors look too saturated and unnatural. The A56 avoids both extremes. While photos come out slightly cooler than I’d prefer, they’re impressively natural, detailed and well balanced.

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Camera samples — Skyscraper with the 50MP main camera (Image credit: Future)

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Samsung Galaxy A56 camera samples — A kookaburra sitting with the 12MP ultra-wide (Image credit: Future)

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The camera app includes several modes: Fun (which applies Snapchat-like filters), Portrait, Photo, and Video. It also allows easy toggling between the 12MP and 50MP lenses, quick filter application, aspect-ratio adjustments, and motion-photo settings.

For video, you can enable Super Steady mode to counteract shaky hands or turn it off to adjust frame rates: Space-saving HD at 30fps, Full HD at up to 60p, and Ultra HD at 30fps. Auto Framing keeps subjects centered automatically.

That’s not all – Samsung delivers a feature-rich camera experience on a budget here. Tapping ‘More’ unlocks additional modes, including Pro, Pro Video, Night, Food, Panorama, Macro, Slow Motion, Hyperlapse, Dual Rec, and Single Take.

When it comes to macro and night photography, the A56 is one of the more impressive budget phones I’ve used. Macro shots are often incredibly difficult to get right, especially if your subject isn't still, but I had no issue with the A56. And while taking photos in the middle of the night might not be common practice, the A56 performed impressively in low-light environments – taking clear snaps even with almost zero light present.

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Photos taken using the Galaxy A56's macro lens — The Galaxy A56's macro lens gets good results even when the subject is swaying in the wind or slowly crawling (Image credit: Future)

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Samsung Galaxy A56 low-light photography — Bluey and Bingo captured in night mode (Image credit: Future)

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The Samsung Galaxy A56 isn’t the best camera phone I’ve ever used, nor is it necessarily the best camera phone I've used in this price range – that battle is fought between the Pixel 8a and Motorola Edge 50 Pro – but it continues the A56’s overarching theme: consistent, excellent performance across the board.

Camera score: 4/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: performance

Performs well under long periods of stress
Not built for gaming

Fortnite home page on the Galaxy A56 — While Fortnite looks good on the Galaxy A56, the phone struggles with high-intensity tasks (Image credit: Future)

The Samsung Galaxy A56's weakest feature is without a doubt its performance. That’s not to say it’s bad – as I’ve previously mentioned, it’s more than enough for the average user. But to keep prices down, concessions have to be made. For some cheap phones, it's a lower-quality display or increased fragility. In the case of the Galaxy A56 and its Exynos 1580 chipset, it was how it performed under heavier loads – like mobile gaming.

In our Geekbench benchmark tests – which measure the phone's CPU performance in everyday tasks and GPU performance in real-world applications, the A56 performed well – beating the gaming-powered Poco F6 Pro, and only falling a few hundred points short of the Pixel 9.

However, in our two 3DMark benchmarks – Wild Life and Wild Life Extreme – that test the overall graphics performance and how the phone deals with both high performance in short bursts, it didn't look so good.

Its numbers aren't necessarily bad. In fact, it showed a massive improvement over the A55 in both. However, its single and multi-core scores of 1,330 and 3,759 weren't too far ahead of the Motorola Edge 50 Pro (1,132 / 3,076) – which isn't known for its gaming power. The A56 was also thoroughly beaten by the Poco F6 Pro (1,375 / 4,733), and both phones can easily be found for around the same price or less.

In terms of sustained performance though, the A56 was impressive. In the Wild Life Extreme Stress Test – a 20-minute benchmark that assesses stability under heavy loads – it scored a top loop of 4,907, a low of 4,649, an impressive 94.9% stability and remained cool temperature-wise. For reference, I've seen the S25 Ultra score higher peaks, but also show less stability in this test, dropping to a loop score of less than 3,000.

As good as some of those numbers look on paper, it was a different experience during real-world use, with the A56 struggling when I played games like Fortnite Mobile – it failed to maintain even 20FPS, frequently stuttering on the lowest graphics settings. For comparison, the similarly priced Poco F6 Pro easily sustains 60fps at high settings for hours.

Fortnite frames per second on the Galaxy A56 — 11FPS while playing Fortnite on the Galaxy A56 was the best I could do (Image credit: Future)

That said, these results still mark a significant improvement over the A55, a phone I loved when I tested it last year. The benchmark numbers may not impress, but they don’t take away from the A56’s status as an excellent budget phone for the average user, and I can attest that it holds up really well for the daily duties you’d want from a smartphone.

Performance score: 3.5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: battery

5,000 mAh battery that easily sees you through the day
45W wired charging

Samsung Galaxy A56 charging — It's not groundbreaking, but the battery life is quite impressive (Image credit: Future)

Keeping in line with its display, design, performance and cameras, the battery of the Samsung Galaxy A56 is perfectly suited to the average user.

My daily testing routine started at 5:30am, with an hour-long podcast while I walked the dog, followed by a quick music-fueled workout accompanied by music before getting ready for work. Then there was about an hour of scrolling and listening during my commute, before I arrived at the office, where I’d use it for background music via a set of Bluetooth headphones.

Naturally, I needed a phone that could keep up, and the A56’s 5,000mAh battery delivered. Samsung claims the device offers up to 29 hours of video playback, so I put it to the test. Watching a YouTube video at 50% brightness, I picked up the phone 18 hours later to find it still had 39% battery remaining.

As another test, I played The Dark Knight Rises twice back-to-back (totaling 5 hours, 30 minutes) at 50% brightness, and the phone lost just 27% battery. Though these tests were conducted in different environments and with varying starting percentages, the results reinforced one thing: the A56 can go the distance.

For everyday use – texting, calling, video chatting, scrolling social media, checking emails and some light gaming – the A56 is more than up to the task, easily lasting a full day.

As for charging, you won’t get ultra-fast speeds like 120W or even 67W, but the A56 does offer 45W fast charging – an upgrade from the middling 25W speed of the Galaxy A55. That puts the new budget phone on par with its Galaxy S25 Ultra cousin.

Using a 67W wall charger, the A56 gained:

• 8% in 5 minutes
• Just under 30% in 15 minutes
• A little over 55% in 30 minutes
• A full charge in around 85 minutes

A 5,000mAh battery is far from an astounding inclusion in a specs list in 2025, but it’s still a notable positive. Paired with moderately fast charging, the A56’s battery – like the rest of the phone – is great.

And while 120W or even 67W charging is a helpful addition when you have it, it's far from necessary – and 55% battery in a quick 30-minute charge is plenty if you forget to plug it in overnight on the rare occasion.

Battery score: 4/5

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy A56?

Buy it if...

You want a large display without spending top dollar

The Samsung Galaxy A56's 6.7-inch display is an expansive screen that improves upon its predecessor, rivals the S25 series, and produces a vibrant and immersive experience.

You want a jack-of-all-trades handset
The A56 excels as an all-around performer, balancing design, display, camera and battery life in a way that caters to a wide range of needs. It handles daily tasks like texting, social media and video calls seamlessly, making it a great choice for anyone looking for a reliable, versatile phone.

You're shopping for value on a budget
If you’re after a phone that offers impressive features without breaking the bank, the A56 is a standout option. With a solid camera, long-lasting battery and smooth performance, it provides excellent value for those seeking a capable device without spending a fortune.

Don't buy it if...

You're a serious mobile gamer
While the A56 can handle light gaming, it’s not built for heavy gaming sessions or more intense games. If you're looking for a phone that can deliver high frame rates and smooth performance in graphically intense games, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

You want the best AI tools
The A56 offers basic AI features, but if you’re after the cutting-edge AI tools, you’ll need to shell out more for the likes of the Galaxy S25 or the Pixel 9 flagships.

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: also consider

Google Pixel 9a
We loved the Google Pixel 8a, and we're expecting five big upgrades from the Pixel 9a – namely a wealth of AI features alongside possibly the best camera on the market at its price and a 5,100mAh battery. Easily the biggest competitor to the Galaxy A56, if you want AI and cameras, it might be the better choice.

Xiaomi Poco F6 Pro
If you have more of a mobile gaming focus, but still want a phone that offers solid all-round performance and 120W charging, consider the Poco F6 Pro. Its bloatware will be confronting for first-time users, but once you get past that, it's a very good smartphone at this price range.
Read our full Poco F6 Pro review

Apple iPhone 16e
Android devices offer a greater amount of value compared to iPhones, with even older Apple devices still asking for a considerable price. However, the iPhone 16e offers Apple Intelligence, smooth performance and seamless Apple integration at a much more affordable price than the mainline iPhone 16 family.
Read our full Apple iPhone 16e review

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy A56

Review test period: 3 weeks
Testing included: Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
Tools used: Geekbench 6, 3DMark, native Android stats

The Samsung Galaxy A56 was my sole mobile device for the three weeks I spent with it, and I frankly wish I didn't have to return it after my testing period. As my regular daily device, I used it to listen to podcasts, check social media, watch YouTube and text, with some light reading thrown in. Oh, and a whole heap of dog photos.

Of course, I also put the Galaxy A56 through its paces with Geekbench 6 and 3DMark benchmark tests to see how the phone would handle activities that I may not use in my regular daily use, but someone else might. I did these tests several times, in different environments and different battery stages to ensure accurate results.

Why you can trust TechRadar

☑️ 100s of smartphones reviewed
☑️ 15 years of product testing
☑️ Over 16,000 products reviewed in total
☑️ Nearly 200,000 hours testing tech

This leads me to my gaming tests. It's always nice when you can make playing games part of your job, but I'm far from a mobile gamer. I love Marvel Snap, enjoy a few rounds of Clash Royale and dabble in some Wordle and Connections every now and then, but that's it. As part of my testing, I did play – or attempt to play – more serious mobile games like Fortnite on my Galaxy A56 to see how it would handle the life of a mobile gamer.

Given my experience testing other budget phones, including the Samsung Galaxy A55, I was equipped with the knowledge to make good comparisons with the A56.

Read more about how we test

[First reviewed April 2025]

After 3 weeks with Samsung’s Galaxy A56, I’m closer than ever to ditching my iPhone for Android

6:55 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones Samsung Galaxy Phones | Tags: Australia, Clash Royale, UK, US | Comments: Off

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: Two-minute review

Mid-range and budget smartphones are growing in popularity as flagship devices increasingly come with heftier price tags. That doesn’t mean the best cheap phones are slower, less durable versions of their high-end counterparts – in fact, they offer unique value to budget-conscious buyers. In this category, the Samsung Galaxy A5X series is perhaps the best example, and the A56 carries on the tradition.

The Samsung Galaxy A56 is the ideal smartphone for the average user, offering seriously fantastic showings across its cameras, display, design and battery.

That’s not a deal breaker, though. At its price point, the Samsung Galaxy A56 is a fantastic choice for the cost-conscious user who wants a well-balanced phone that looks and feels premium.

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: price and availability

Launch price: $499 / £499 / AU$699
Released March 19 in the UK and March 27 in Australia
Landing in the US later in 2025

The Samsung Galaxy A56 is only available in the 8GB RAM, 256GB storage configuration in the UK, and comes in Awesome Olive, Awesome Graphite, Awesome Lightgrey and Awesome Pink.

Value score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: specs

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: design

120Hz refresh rate
1,900-nit peak outdoors
6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display

I already loved the 6.6-inch display on the A55 – it struck a perfect balance between being comfortable to hold and offering an upgraded viewing experience over my 6.1-inch iPhone 15.

In every other aspect, though, the A56’s display feels truly premium. It’s even protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Invictus, adding durability against scratches and drops. While I didn’t test a full 2m drop onto concrete, a few accidental drops left it completely unscathed.

Display score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: design

Thinner and lighter than the Galaxy A55
Gorilla Glass Invictus
IP67 water and dustproof rating

The A56 features a slightly larger 6.7-inch display (up from 6.6 inches) and is about a millimeter taller and wider to accommodate the bigger screen. Bigger may not always be better, but Samsung has offset the increased size with a 1.2mm reduction in thickness and a significant 15g drop in weight – making an exceptional design near perfect.

Big, beautiful, lightweight, and impressively durable, the A56 is an exceptionally designed piece of technology. The fact that it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg makes it all the more impressive.

Design score: 5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: software

No full Galaxy AI suite, but some “Awesome Intelligence” features are available
Six years of software and security support
Plenty of UI customizations with new Now Bar feature

The AI-powered tools in the A56 aren’t being called Galaxy AI, instead appearing under the branding “Awesome Intelligence”, although similarities abound.

Image 1 of 3

Image 2 of 3

Image 3 of 3

That’s about it for AI, but there's plenty more to love about the Galaxy A56's software. For starters, you get an exceptionally clean user experience with minimal pre-installed bloatware.

Image 1 of 2

Image 2 of 2

You can choose between a traditional home screen or one with a separate app drawer, adjust icon sizes, and independently tweak the grid layout for the home screen, app drawer and folders.

One of my favorite additions, though, is the Now Bar. Originally a flagship feature in One UI 7, I was surprised (and delighted) to see it make its way to Samsung’s budget line.

Image 1 of 2

Image 2 of 2

Software score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: cameras

Rear camera trio with 50MP main
12MP front camera
Helpful AI tools like Best Face

Simply put, the Galaxy A56 takes some seriously good photos – at any distance.

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Image 4 of 9

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The Samsung Galaxy A56 isn’t the best camera phone I’ve ever used, nor is it necessarily the camera phone I've used in this price range – that battle is fought between the Pixel 8a and Motorola Edge 50 Pro – but it continues the A56’s overarching theme: consistent, excellent performance across the board.

Camera score: 4/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: performance

Performs well under long periods of stress
Not built for gaming

Its numbers aren't necessarily bad. In fact, it showed a massive improvement over the A55 in both. However, its single and multi-core scores of 1,330 and 3,759 weren't too far ahead of the Motorola Edge 50 Pro (1,132 / 3,076) – which isn't known for its gaming power. The A56 was also thoroughly beaten by the Poco F6 Pro (1,375 / 4733), and both phones can easily be found for around the same price or less.

Performance score: 3.5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: battery

5,000 mAh battery that easily sees you through the day
45W wired charging

Keeping in line with its display, design, performance and cameras, the battery of the Samsung Galaxy A56 is perfectly suited to the average user.

My daily testing routine started at 5:30am, with an hour-long podcast while I walked the dog, followed by a quick music-fuelled workout accompanied by music before getting ready for work. Then there was about an hour of scrolling and listening during my commute, before I arrived at the office, where I’d use it for background music via a set of Bluetooth headphones.

For everyday use – texting, calling, video chatting, scrolling social media, checking emails and some light gaming – the A56 is more than up to the task, easily lasting a full day.

Using a 67W wall charger, the A56 gained:

• 8% in 5 minutes
• Just under 30% in 15 minutes
• A little over 55% in 30 minutes
• A full charge in around 85 minutes

Battery score: 4/5

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy A56?

Buy it if...

You want a large display without spending top dollar

The Samsung Galaxy A56's 6.7-inch display is an expansive screen that improves upon its predecessor, rivals the S25 series, and produces a vibrant and immersive experience.

Don't buy it if...

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: also consider

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy A56

Review test period: 3 weeks
Testing included: Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
Tools used: Geekbench 6, 3DMark, native Android stats

Why you can trust TechRadar

☑️ 100s of smartphones reviewed
☑️ 15 years of product testing
☑️ Over 16,000 products reviewed in total
☑️ Nearly 200,000 hours testing tech

Given my experience testing other budget phones, including the Samsung Galaxy A55, I was equipped with the knowledge to make good comparisons with the A56.

Read more about how we test

[First reviewed April 2025]

After 3 weeks with Samsung’s Galaxy A56, I’m closer than ever to ditching my iPhone for Android

6:55 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones Samsung Galaxy Phones | Tags: Australia, Clash Royale, UK, US | Comments: Off

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: Two-minute review

Mid-range and budget smartphones are growing in popularity as flagship devices increasingly come with heftier price tags. That doesn’t mean the best cheap phones are slower, less durable versions of their high-end counterparts – in fact, they offer unique value to budget-conscious buyers. In this category, the Samsung Galaxy A5X series is perhaps the best example, and the A56 carries on the tradition.

The Samsung Galaxy A56 is the ideal smartphone for the average user, offering seriously fantastic showings across its cameras, display, design and battery.

That’s not a deal breaker, though. At its price point, the Samsung Galaxy A56 is a fantastic choice for the cost-conscious user who wants a well-balanced phone that looks and feels premium.

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: price and availability

Launch price: $499 / £499 / AU$699
Released March 19 in the UK and March 27 in Australia
Landing in the US later in 2025

The Samsung Galaxy A56 is only available in the 8GB RAM, 256GB storage configuration in the UK, and comes in Awesome Olive, Awesome Graphite, Awesome Lightgrey and Awesome Pink.

Value score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: specs

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: design

120Hz refresh rate
1,900-nit peak outdoors
6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display

I already loved the 6.6-inch display on the A55 – it struck a perfect balance between being comfortable to hold and offering an upgraded viewing experience over my 6.1-inch iPhone 15.

Display score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: design

Thinner and lighter than the Galaxy A55
Gorilla Glass Invictus
IP67 water and dustproof rating

The A56 features a slightly larger 6.7-inch display (up from 6.6 inches) and is about a millimeter taller and wider to accommodate the bigger screen. Bigger may not always be better, but Samsung has offset the increased size with a 1.2mm reduction in thickness and a significant 15g drop in weight – making an exceptional design near perfect.

Big, beautiful, lightweight, and impressively durable, the A56 is an exceptionally designed piece of technology. The fact that it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg makes it all the more impressive.

Design score: 5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: software

No full Galaxy AI suite, but some “Awesome Intelligence” features are available
Six years of software and security support
Plenty of UI customizations with new Now Bar feature

The AI-powered tools in the A56 aren’t being called Galaxy AI, instead appearing under the branding “Awesome Intelligence”, although similarities abound.

Image 1 of 3

Image 2 of 3

Image 3 of 3

That’s about it for AI, but there's plenty more to love about the Galaxy A56's software. For starters, you get an exceptionally clean user experience with minimal pre-installed bloatware.

Image 1 of 2

Image 2 of 2

You can choose between a traditional home screen or one with a separate app drawer, adjust icon sizes, and independently tweak the grid layout for the home screen, app drawer and folders.

One of my favorite additions, though, is the Now Bar. Originally a flagship feature in One UI 7, I was surprised (and delighted) to see it make its way to Samsung’s budget line.

Image 1 of 2

Image 2 of 2

Software score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: cameras

Rear camera trio with 50MP main
12MP front camera
Helpful AI tools like Best Face

Simply put, the Galaxy A56 takes some seriously good photos – at any distance.

Image 1 of 9

Image 2 of 9

Image 3 of 9

Image 4 of 9

Image 5 of 9

Image 6 of 9

Image 7 of 9

Image 8 of 9

Image 9 of 9

Image 1 of 4

Image 2 of 4

Image 3 of 4

Image 4 of 4

Camera score: 4/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: performance

Performs well under long periods of stress
Not built for gaming

Its numbers aren't necessarily bad. In fact, it showed a massive improvement over the A55 in both. However, its single and multi-core scores of 1,330 and 3,759 weren't too far ahead of the Motorola Edge 50 Pro (1,132 / 3,076) – which isn't known for its gaming power. The A56 was also thoroughly beaten by the Poco F6 Pro (1,375 / 4733), and both phones can easily be found for around the same price or less.

Performance score: 3.5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: battery

5,000 mAh battery that easily sees you through the day
45W wired charging

Keeping in line with its display, design, performance and cameras, the battery of the Samsung Galaxy A56 is perfectly suited to the average user.

For everyday use – texting, calling, video chatting, scrolling social media, checking emails and some light gaming – the A56 is more than up to the task, easily lasting a full day.

Using a 67W wall charger, the A56 gained:

• 8% in 5 minutes
• Just under 30% in 15 minutes
• A little over 55% in 30 minutes
• A full charge in around 85 minutes

Battery score: 4/5

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy A56?

Buy it if...

You want a large display without spending top dollar

The Samsung Galaxy A56's 6.7-inch display is an expansive screen that improves upon its predecessor, rivals the S25 series, and produces a vibrant and immersive experience.

Don't buy it if...

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: also consider

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy A56

Review test period: 3 weeks
Testing included: Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
Tools used: Geekbench 6, 3DMark, native Android stats

Why you can trust TechRadar

☑️ 100s of smartphones reviewed
☑️ 15 years of product testing
☑️ Over 16,000 products reviewed in total
☑️ Nearly 200,000 hours testing tech

Given my experience testing other budget phones, including the Samsung Galaxy A55, I was equipped with the knowledge to make good comparisons with the A56.

Read more about how we test

[First reviewed April 2025]