See how Samsung’s thin phone fares in S25 Edge drop test

Pretty much everything about a smartphone is a compromise. That may sound like a bit of a negative position to be coming from, but it really does make all the sense in the world when you stop to think about it: Bigger screens are easier to see, but more awkward to carry around. Or giant batteries offer the endurance we want, but quickly get heavy. Every time a manufacturer is balancing concerns like these, it’s making compromises — and that’s fine. More than fine, it’s necessary. Today, though, we’re taking a close look at the fallout from what’s arguably one of the biggest compromises that’s been at the forefront of a recent handset’s design.

This year, Samsung expanded its flagship Android lineup with the introduction of a new, thinner alternative: the Galaxy S25 Edge. And almost immediately, the phone found itself surrounded by controversy.

With the S25 Edge, Samsung’s compromises exist front and center: You get a very thin phone, granted, at the expense of battery life — to say nothing of the very real extra cost associated with its premium price tag. At least, that’s the obvious trade-off when you look at the hardware’s specs, but thin phones just don’t spell less room for a battery. Being thin also makes it a lot more difficult for a phone to be built tough.

Physical resiliency comes easily to big, bulky phones, but more delicate hardware has its work cut out for it. We just saw Zack Nelson put the S25 Edge through some damage tests, and Samsung’s phone actually resisted bending admirably well. But how does it handle a few drops?

Over on YouTube, PBKreviews puts the S25 Edge to just such a trial, and the results aren’t great. Dropped face-down from about as high as you’d be holding the phone on a call, we immediately get a cracked screen, despite the Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 protection.

After a couple more drops, this time intentionally trying to get the phone to land on its back, the Victus 2 rear glass also began showing signs of damage. While a slightly lower drop on the phone’s edge continues to ding up the frame, the glass damage doesn’t really get a whole lot worse, and the screen remains operational throughout. Ultimately, it could have gone a whole lot worse, but considering Samsung’s build quality on the mainstream S25 line, this isn’t particularly impressive, either.

Do tests like these make you reconsider picking up a Galaxy S25 Edge? Or is that thin build just too sleek to pass up? Make your case for this controversial phone down in the comments.