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• Trade-offs Between Design and Performance in the Galaxy S25 Edge

• Apple's Upcoming Thin Smartphone May Soon Rival Samsung

• Potential Solutions to the Galaxy S25 Edge's Battery Woes

• Is the Air Model More Cost-Effective Than the Galaxy S25 Edge?

• Slim Smartphones Could Gain Significant Popularity

Summary - Samsung holds the lead in the ultra-thin high-end smartphone market, a sector still unproven in terms of success. However, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge faces two significant challenges:

• The device reportedly suffers from subpar battery longevity, which Apple’s anticipated iPhone 17 Air might resolve with its energy-efficient processor and modem, combined with superior hardware-software integration.
• The iPhone 17 Air could also offer a more attractive price point than the Galaxy S25 Edge, creating a clear distinction from the iPhone 17 Pro models.

Samsung has achieved an impressive feat with the Galaxy S25 Edge, which combines a 5.8mm titanium frame with flagship-level specifications. However, prioritizing a slim design with premium materials leads to two major concerns: battery endurance and pricing.

Apple’s rumored iPhone 17 Air might tackle these issues if it chooses to do so. Let’s explore how.

Galaxy S25 Edge's Design vs. Functionality Balance

It’s impressive how Samsung has introduced a super-thin smartphone that maintains its flagship status. Despite being 5.8mm thick—thinner than all other Galaxy S25 models—the S25 Edge offers top-notch hardware and software. Apple is reportedly planning to release the iPhone 17 Air based on a similar concept later this year.

For example, the device sports a 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, just as sharp and vibrant as the Galaxy S25 . Like the rest of the lineup, it uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite (3nm) chip for outstanding CPU and GPU performance. Photographers will appreciate the 200MP Samsung HP2 sensor borrowed from the S25 Ultra (though with a more compact lens design).

Lastly, you get access to all the latest Galaxy AI features, plus Samsung’s industry-leading commitment to providing seven years of Android and security updates. Despite some drawbacks, this represents the core blueprint for an Android flagship in 2025, and Samsung deserves praise for fitting all these components into a phone that’s 29% thinner than the S25 Ultra.

Nevertheless, in striving to create the thinnest modern smartphone (Motorola released a 5.2mm model in 2016), Samsung appears to have overlooked one of the most critical aspects of a flagship experience: worry-free battery life. Early reviews indicate the Galaxy S25 Edge offers less-than-ideal battery longevity, especially for moderate to heavy users or gamers.

Additionally, flagship phones are expected to deliver the best specs for their price, but the S25 Edge falls short. Although its spec sheet is shorter than the Galaxy S25 or S25 Ultra, the phone currently costs more than the discounted Galaxy S25 Ultra. This pricing dilemma poses another challenge for potential buyers.

Apple’s Entry into the Ultra-Thin Market

While Samsung’s S25 Edge is already available, the iPhone 17 Air is expected to launch alongside other iPhone 17 models—namely the base iPhone 17, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max—this September. Yes, the rumored Air is said to replace the Plus variant that has been around for three generations.

According to renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and supply chain leaker @yeux1122 (as reported by 9to5Mac), Apple’s super-thin iPhone, the iPhone 17 Air, might feature an even slimmer frame measuring 5.5mm at its thinnest (compared to 5.8mm on the S25 Edge). It is expected to weigh just 145 grams, 18 grams lighter than the S25 Edge.

The iPhone 17 Air could include a 6.6-inch OLED ProMotion panel, a rectangular camera module (similar to Google’s Pixel flagships, positioned at the upper edge of the rear panel), the rumored A19 chip, and MagSafe charging. Among these, the A19 chipset stands out for delivering superior raw performance and thermal efficiency.

Its downsides may include a single 48MP rear camera (no ultrawide or telephoto lens), a mono-speaker configuration (versus the S25 Edge’s hybrid stereo speakers), and the absence of mmWave 5G (thanks to Apple’s in-house C1 modem introduced with the iPhone 16e). Nonetheless, the iPhone 17 Air could resolve two major issues with the S25 Edge—if Apple decides to address them.

How Apple Could Improve the S25 Edge's Battery Life

Previously, we’ve observed how iPhones with smaller batteries often match the battery life of Android phones with much larger batteries.

For instance, the iPhone 16 Pro Max, equipped with a 4,685mAh battery, lasts approximately 8 hours and 30 minutes in Phone Arena’s battery test, 30 minutes longer than the Galaxy S25 Ultra with a 5,000mAh battery. Similarly, the iPhone 16 Plus, with a 4,674mAh battery, lasts seven hours and 31 minutes, five minutes fewer than the S25 with a 4,900mAh battery.

By establishing a mathematical correlation between these examples, an iPhone typically matches an Android flagship with a five to six percent smaller battery. Of course, this is a simplification, as numerous variables influence battery life.

If Apple can equip its ultra-thin handset with a comparable battery (around 3,900mAh) or install a smaller but higher-density battery (as several Chinese manufacturers have done), it could address the fundamental issue with Samsung’s thinnest smartphone.

Conversely, a recent report from The Information suggests otherwise. The iPhone 17 Air may be thinner than the S25 Edge but reportedly features an even smaller battery (2,800mAh), potentially limiting users to just 60-70% of a full day’s use between charges. These figures likely apply to light users or those using the iPhone as a secondary device.

Looking back, the iPhone 12 had a 2,815mAh battery, lasting around five hours in Phone Arena’s tests. However, the combination of improved chip efficiency and software optimization could allow the slim iPhone to extract more screen-on time from the battery. This trend has been evident across generations of iPhones, which is what I anticipate for the iPhone 17 Air.

Optimistically, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman stated, “The model [iPhone 17 Air] will have a battery life comparable to current iPhones.” Factors such as the power-efficient A19 chip and C1 modem, a higher-density battery with silicon anodes, an AI-driven battery conservation feature in iOS 19, and a ProMotion screen could enhance the iPhone 17 Air’s battery life to standard iPhone levels.

Could the Air Be More Cost-Effective Than the S25 Edge?

In March, Gurman reported that the ultra-thin iPhone could retail for $899, similar to the starting price of the iPhone 16 Plus. This could position the Air between the basic iPhone 17 (with a smaller screen) and the iPhone 17 Pro (featuring a triple-camera setup and a faster chip).

If true, the 256GB variant might cost around $999, $100 less than the current U.S. price of the Galaxy S25 Edge. However, the exact pricing for the upcoming iPhones remains uncertain due to the potential imposition of tariffs on iPhones manufactured outside the U.S., complicating predictions.

On one hand, imposing tariffs on iPhones made abroad could raise the cost of importing devices from regions like China and India. On the other hand, producing iPhones domestically could increase assembly expenses to approximately $390 per unit in the U.S., versus $

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