'It's still in our portfolio. We're not end of life the product': Samsung exec on why the Galaxy S25 Edge is so important and here to stay | Tech Radar

Overview

'It's still in our portfolio. We're not end of life the product': Samsung exec on why the Galaxy S25 Edge is so important and here to stay

It's early days for this super-thin and influential Galaxy phone

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Think back to the January 2026 Unpacked and one moment stands out above all others: the big Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge tease. The ultra-thin and light S25 Edge arrived alongside its Galaxy S25 smartphone siblings, but it was still in the development oven.

We could see the 5.8mm thick phone but not touch it. It would take another five months for the Galaxy S25 Edge to arrive in our and consumers' hands. It was the thinnest Galaxy phone ever, until just a few months later, we met the insanely slim Galaxy Z Fold 7 (just 4.2mm thick when unfolded).

If I'm being honest, that incredible frame trumped the S25 Edge's dimensions, so much so that I was left wondering why the Edge didn't start closer to 5mm. Even the i Phone Air, which launched in September 2026, was just 5.64mm thick.

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Since that launch, we gave a just-okay review (lower battery life, fewer cameras), and questions have swirled about Galaxy S25 Edge sales numbers and even its survival. Then came yesterday's big Galaxy Unpacked February 2026 event, where we got a brand new Galaxy S26 lineup, including the base model, an S26 Plus, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra flagship. Some exciting phones with lots of AI, a world-first privacy screen (on the Ultra), and even a new design language.

Nowhere insight, though, was the S26 Edge. It wasn't mentioned, and now its future seems uncertain.

The Galaxy S25 Edge is more important than you think

"It's still in the portfolio today," Samsung SVP of Mobile Product Management Drew Blackard told me this week when I asked about the "missing" Edge product.

"We're not like 'end of the life' of the product, we're still selling out... with all of our major partners, etc," Blackard added.

It could be argued, in fact, that the S25 Edge played a pivotal role in the new S26 lineup. First of all, there is now a rather consistent, familiar design language across the three Android 16 phones, reminiscent of the Edge. What's more, this is the thinnest Ultra ever; now down to 7.9mm, despite still including the S-Pen.

Blackard agreed with my assessment, "It has certainly influenced, I would say, in design – and you saw it even on Fold 7 last year – to really kind of push the boundaries of what is possible in terms of slimness. It was a really great step forward for us that we were able to then bring into Fold 7, and to your point, the influence I think on the S series this year with, even slimmer form factor on S26 Ultra."

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It has certainly influenced, I would say, in design...to really kind of push the boundaries of what is possible in terms of slimness. Samsung's Drew Blackard

It has certainly influenced, I would say, in design...to really kind of push the boundaries of what is possible in terms of slimness.

It's not just the influence, though. Blackard encouraged me to think about product cadence. "[The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge] hasn't even really lived a full life cycle in Samsung terms," he told me. Which is true.

A January 2025 tease, May release, and we're only in February. It's not likely Samsung would release a product refresh less than a year after shipping the original S25 Edge.

All that said, there's still something, well, uncertain about the way Blackard characterized when we'll see another Edge.

"We're still determining what the right life cycle length is for a product like that. So we don't have any updates on what might be coming there."

That's not to say the future is uncertain overall. Thin phones are still in for Samsung, and Blackard made it clear that Samsung is simply pondering the next slim steps. "It's still a category we're really interested in, and we're just kind of figuring out what the right timing for what's next might be."

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A 38-year industry veteran and award-winning journalist, Lance has covered technology since PCs were the size of suitcases and “on line” meant “waiting.” He’s a former Lifewire Editor-in-Chief, Mashable Editor-in-Chief, and, before that, Editor in Chief of PCMag.com and Senior Vice President of Content for Ziff Davis, Inc. He also wrote a popular, weekly tech column for Medium called The Upgrade.

Lance Ulanoff makes frequent appearances on national, international, and local news programs including Live with Kelly and Mark, the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNBC, CNN, and the BBC.

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Key Takeaways

• 'It's still in our portfolio

• It's early days for this super-thin and influential Galaxy phone

• When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission

• Think back to the January 2026 Unpacked and one moment stands out above all others: the big Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge tease