Sorry, Galaxy S25 Edge — this is the thin phone I want Samsung to release instead

At this point, you can’t deny that thin phones are going to be the big trend we’ll see this year, and the Galaxy S25 Edge is poised to be one of the first to market to highlight this peculiar trait.

I’m all excited to see what we’re all in store for, as rumors indicate a proper reveal on May 13, but I would be more excited if Samsung opted to go after another trend — smaller phones.

Ten years ago Samsung released its last great small phone, the Galaxy Alpha, which I think is one of its all-time most ambitious phone designs. It’s exactly the kind of phone that deserves a comeback, largely due to how it could be modernized to be a best phone contender.

Nothing’s stopping Samsung at this point from releasing the Galaxy S25 Edge, but I don’t think making thinner versions of flagship phones is exactly the right recipe for success. I’d argue for smaller phones that could still be just as thin, especially after revisiting the decade-old Galaxy Alpha. Here’s why.

A much more hand-friendly size

The industry has bet beg on the big phone trend for years now, with Samsung continually leading the way. As much as there’s appetite for phones with large displays, I’ve come to realize how they’ve become unwieldy to handle over the years.

One of my biggest complaints I have about phones with displays over 6 inches is that it’s impossible to use them one handed — like there’s no way to reach all four corners using one hand.

When I hold the Galaxy Alpha, everything about it feels just right. Its size, thin construction, and lightweight feel make it dramatically much more maneuverable over today’s phones.

Despite flaunting a 4.7-inch screen, which by today’s standards is laughably tiny, I could see a remake with a display size of at least 5 inches by dropping the Galaxy Alpha's home button and stretching it out.

If you also look at the specs comparison above, you’ll realize that the Galaxy Alpha comes with a thinner chassis of 0.26 inches. The size difference is evident when I lay it flat on the table against both phones.

While leaked Galaxy S25 Edge specs hint at a thinness of 0.23 inches, it appears to be much heavier at a rumored weight of 5.75 ounces. In contrast, the 2014 Galaxy Alpha tipped the scales at a much lighter 4.06 ounces.

A more modern Galaxy Alpha makeover

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Did you know that the Galaxy Alpha ushered in a new design philosophy for Samsung? Prior to its release, Samsung’s phone designs leaned heavily on plastic bodies that felt incredibly fragile — which made them look and feel cheap compared to Apple’s iPhones.

But the Galaxy Alpha changed all that overnight with a fresh aluminum trim and compact size, giving it a premium touch. This new design language was ultimately the foundation for Samsung’s metal-meets-glass designs that rolled out to the Galaxy S6 the following year in 2015.

By today’s standards, the Galaxy Alpha’s design still holds up — and I think a makeover would certainly help to deliver a more modern-looking phone. Not only would I prefer for the display to grow in size, but I’d like to see the back protected by the same Gorilla Glass Victus 2 used by the Galaxy S25, all while retaining the same thinness, overall size, and weight.

And lastly, I think that a Galaxy Alpha remake could still incorporate the same dual-camera arrangement that the Galaxy S25 Edge is tipped to offer. This would mean slapping a 200MP main and 12MP ultrawide on the back of the phone, which would stick out from the body just we've seen from the S25 Edge units Samsung has shown off.

No-compromise battery life

Based on its size, one would suspect that a Galaxy Alpha makeover would sacrifice battery life. A smaller phone means a smaller battery, right?

While that would appear to be true, I don’t think a small battery would mean a big compromise to how long the phone could last on a charge. That’s because I would suspect that a makeover would include a slightly larger battery over the 1,860 mAh power pack that launched with the original Galaxy Alpha over a decade ago.

Powering the Galaxy Alpha with a Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy would help alleviate a lot of the battery concerns. We’ve already seen how this power-efficient chip has allowed phones like the OnePlus 13, Galaxy S25 Ultra, and Asus ROG 9 Pro to achieve record times in our best phone battery life list.

If engineers are somehow able to cram this makeover with a 3,000 mAh battery, which would still be smaller than the 3,900 mAh cell that is rumored for the Galaxy S25 Edge, it might still be able to deliver an all-day battery. And by pairing that battery with a speedy charger, say 45W fast charging, it would eliminate all battery worries.

Knowing all of this, I would gladly prioritize smaller phones over thinner ones. It’s really unbelievable holding the Galaxy Alpha again in my hands after all of these years because it feels and looks so alien.

I’m not saying that Samsung went after the wrong design trend. But I really hope that other phone makers see the need for smaller sized flagship phones.

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