Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: A sneaky new strategy?

Let’s talk about something that could be a stroke of marketing genius—Samsung introducing the Galaxy S25 Edge after its main Galaxy S25 lineup. Sounds familiar? That’s because Samsung has been playing a similar game with its Z Fold Special Edition, which is reportedly set to become the official Galaxy Z Fold 7. If this sounds like a new strategy, it’s because it is. And it could change how Samsung tests new products without shaking up its main lineup.

Another Galaxy S25?

We get it. The tech world is already oversaturated with leaks, rumors, and unboxing of phones that look disturbingly similar to their predecessors. But the Galaxy S25 Edge might be different. It could signal Samsung’s move toward experimenting with features and form factors without committing to a full-fledged global release.

According to the rumors, Samsung might not launch the Galaxy S25 Edge worldwide. Instead, it could be only available in select markets. It’s not a bad idea, though. Imagine this: Samsung has an outlandish new idea but doesn’t want to risk tanking sales of its mainstream Galaxy S25 series. Instead, it releases the Galaxy S25 Edge in select regions, treating it as a strategy to test run future devices.

Samsung will release the phone in larger markets if the market reacts well enough. If it falls on its face, Samsung will be out some money, but it wouldn’t be as bad if they had released it to the entire world. In fact, keeping it contained to select markets means that even if it does flop, you might not even know about it. Mum’s the word!

Region locking

Now, here’s where it gets tricky. Early rumors suggest that the Galaxy S25 Edge might only be available in select regions at launch. If this sounds familiar, it is because the strategy Samsung plans to employ for the Galaxy S25 Edge is similar to the one they used for the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition.

One of our main gripes about the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is that it’s too much like its predecessor. It has the same heavy and thick design. But to our surprise, Samsung had another variant in the works, which they released in a couple of markets. Now according to the rumors, it could make its worldwide debut later this year as the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

This could mean one of two things: Samsung is testing the waters to see how well the Edge concept performs before rolling it out globally, or Samsung just enjoys the chaos of making customers feel like they’re missing out. This could create a sense of FOMO that could boost sales of the device when it launches.

Samsung’s new strategy

So now the question is, is this going to be Samsung’s new strategy moving forward? Could we see more variants of flagship devices that are timed-exclusives to specific markets before they launch elsewhere?
Perhaps. You could think of it as Samsung’s “soft launch” method—like when a new restaurant opens but only lets in influencers and VIPs first. If the feedback is great, boom! It goes mainstream. If not, it just quietly fades into obscurity, and people living outside those markets may never know it existed.

In fact, there are actually plenty of smartphones that are region-specific. This could be due to a variety of reasons, such as a specific region being particularly lucrative. Or it could be due to demand, where a country with a poorer population might have greater need for cheap phones than high-end flagships.

If this limited-release approach works, Samsung might start using it more often. It’s an interesting shift, especially in a market where smartphone innovation has recently felt stagnant.

So, should you care about the Galaxy S25 Edge? According to the rumors and teasers, it could finally be the redesign of the Galaxy S-series we’ve been waiting for. If the current lineup isn’t to your liking, then perhaps holding off until the Galaxy S25 Edge launches could be a better idea.