On Tuesday, Apple announced the incredibly thin iPhone Air, measuring 5.6mm thin, making it one of, if not the, thinnest device on the smartphone market. However, Apple isn’t the only company that launched a futuristically thin phone, as Samsung launched the Galaxy S25 Edge in May.
While Bennett is reviewing Apple’s latest flagships, lets put the Galaxy S25 Edge and iPhone Air against one another, to see which company released the best slim boy, at least on paper.
6.5-inch, Super Retina XDR, OLED True Tone display, 1260 x 2736 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision, 120Hz refresh rate
6.7-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite
48-megapixel (f/1.6, OIS, wide angle)
200-megapixel, f/1.7, 24mm (wide) + 12-megapixel (ultra-wide)
Face Unlock, accelerometor, gyro, proximity, compass
Fingerprint (in-display), accelerometor, gyro, proximity, compass
Colours: Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, Sky Blue
Colours: Titanium Black, Titanium Silver
6.5-inch, Super Retina XDR, OLED True Tone display, 1260 x 2736 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision, 120Hz refresh rate
6.7-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite
48-megapixel (f/1.6, OIS, wide angle)
200-megapixel, f/1.7, 24mm (wide) + 12-megapixel (ultra-wide)
Face Unlock, accelerometor, gyro, proximity, compass
Fingerprint (in-display), accelerometor, gyro, proximity, compass
Colours: Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, Sky Blue
Colours: Titanium Black, Titanium Silver
First, the iPhone Air is thinner than the S25 Edge by 0.2mm, which isn’t a lot, but when talking about how slim we can make a smartphone, every millimetre counts. Since every millimetre counts, so does every gram, and Samsung wins this by being 163g, which is 2g lighter than the iPhone Air, which weighs 165g.
Samsung’s S25 Edge is a bigger package, as it’s not only thicker but also 0.2mm taller and 0.1mm wider. However, with the bigger phone, you get a 6.7-inch display with better resolution versus the iPhone Air’s 6.5-inch screen.
Camera-wise, Samsung looks like it’s doing well, with a 200-megapixel primary shooter and a 12-megapixel ultrawide. The iPhone Air only has a single 48-megapixel camera; however, it’s a larger sensor, meaning it should allow more light. Definitely, on paper, Samsung seems to be the winner here, especially given it has the extra ultrawide shooter. Although, a bigger megapixel number doesn’t always mean better — but we’ll give the win to Samsung here.
However, flipping to the front the Air has a 18-megapixel camera that can dynamically change from landscape to portrait, and this is definitely the win versus Samsung’s 12-megapixel shooter.
Both phones start with 256GB of storage, and according to GSMArena, the iPhone Air has 12GB of RAM, which is the same as the S25 Edge.
GSMArena also indicates that the S25 Edge has a bigger 3,900mAh battery compared to the 3,149mAh power cell in the iPhone Air. (Apple’s documentation doesn’t include actual battery specs, so we’re trusting the very-often-correct GSMArena.)
A bigger number here could mean better performance; however, battery life also depends on a whole bunch of other things like the processor, the screen size and more. It’s possible the bigger 6.7-inch display with a higher resolution was more of a detriment to the S25 Edge’s battery. The A19 Pro chipset might be better at conserving energy than the S25 Edge, and thermals also matter. Apple also seemed to get some nice battery gains out of its C1 modem, so the Air could also get a nice boost. However, on paper, the S25 Edge is the winner here too.
However, pricing is another matter. The Galaxy S25 Edge costs $1,678.99, whereas Apple’s device is $1,449, much more affordable than Samsung’s. Apple is the clear winner here.
On paper, Samsung’s bigger screen, battery, and cameras make it the clear winner, but Apple’s pricing is nicer for your pocket. Without a full review and a side-by-side comparison, it’s hard to say which phone is better.
Let us know in the comments below, which do you think is the better buy.
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