![\"Samsung](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Samsung-Galaxy-S25-Edge-lying-down-hero.jpg\"\/ "\\"Samsung")
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Ryan Haines \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n
When I handed in my review of the Galaxy S25 Edge with a less-than-stellar score, I hoped that would be it. I wanted the ultra-thin trend to end before it started, even though I knew that wouldn\u2019t happen. There\u2019s not enough room for, well, anything to exist within the confines of a 5mm phone.<\/p>\n
And yet, here we are, with a shiny iPhone Air<\/a> hot off the presses, making what I think are all the same mistakes that Samsung made. Maybe Apple\u2019s top-to-bottom optimization will prove me wrong, but I\u2019ll be disappointed if the iPhone Air starts falling into familiar traps. Here\u2019s why I\u2019m worried \u2014 and why you should be too.<\/p>\n For what it\u2019s worth, durability should be fine<\/p>\n Alright, the one thing I thought would initially worry me about the rise of ultra-thin phones, durability, is not that big of a deal. When I first started using the Galaxy S25 Edge<\/a>, I expected it to bend or flex or otherwise warp over time, like a few generations of iPad Pro had done. It hasn\u2019t done so, not even a little bit.<\/p>\n In hindsight, I hadn\u2019t considered that the phone-sized body simply has less room to flex. The reason those iPads bent and buckled in the way that they did is that they had so much space within their frames, allowing for more force on one side or the other. My Galaxy S25 Edge? All it has had to do is survive life in my pocket. And, because it\u2019s been summertime, I\u2019ve been wearing looser pockets that keep the pressure off.<\/p>\n Despite my original fears, a thin titanium frame will be more than enough.<\/p>\n I would expect the iPhone Air to hold up in the same way. It sports a Grade 5 titanium frame, so I imagine it will offer similar rigidity to its closest rival. Besides, both phones are IP68 certified<\/a> against water and dust, so any slips or falls at the beach should be just fine \u2014 I hope. At least, I hope that\u2019s enough peace of mind, as I\u2019m worried Apple\u2019s new camera peninsula might make the iPhone Air just top-heavy enough that it\u2019ll want to slip out of my pocket if I\u2019m sitting on the beach.<\/p>\n Perhaps the one thing Apple has going for it ahead of Samsung is that its iPhone Air has a smaller display. That\u2019s not something I\u2019d always root for, but I think a smaller display means less room for damage, especially while getting used to a 5.6mm frame with barely there buttons.<\/p>\n Despite Apple\u2019s claims, battery life will be a weak spot<\/p>\n C. Scott Brown \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n And then, there\u2019s the real worry: Battery life. You knew it was coming \u2014 a thin frame means a thin battery and limited space for cooling technology. Once again, I have to hope that Apple\u2019s excellent optimization means the iPhone Air will pull some magic out of, well, thin air, but I\u2019m not sure. Apple has already stated that its Air should achieve just three hours less than the standard iPhone 17, but I\u2019m worried that number will stretch over time.<\/p>\n Once again, my expectations come from the Galaxy S25 Edge, which means they come from our objective testing. We put Samsung\u2019s super-thin flagship through the same standardized testing as the rest of its Galaxy S25 lineup<\/a>, and we found that it came up short \u2014 very short. Its tiny 3,900mAh battery fell behind the smallest Galaxy S25, and never really made up ground. Well, it lasted the longest in snapping photos, but that\u2019s only one small part of a balanced day.<\/p>\n Maybe the iPhone Air will be fine at first \u2014 most phones are. It\u2019ll probably make it through a day, or even just past a day, like Apple claims. However, as the software updates roll in, it\u2019ll probably slow down. I updated my iPhone 16 to the iOS 26<\/a> public beta, and it\u2019s done a number on my battery life, so I\u2019d be more than willing to guess the same could happen to an iPhone Air. If nothing else, it\u2019s a good enough reason not to tap into Apple\u2019s beta program.<\/p>\n One camera just isn\u2019t enough for $1,000<\/p>\n Last but certainly not least, there\u2019s the cameras \u2014 er, camera. Despite what Apple will tell you, the iPhone Air only has one camera on the front and one on the back. Ignore whatever math tells you that it has four sensors, somehow counting every focal length as a different camera. That\u2019s not how that works. The iPhone Air has one 48MP wide camera capable of a central crop to create a 2x zoom, and that\u2019s it.<\/p>\n Now, this is where I get to look at the Galaxy S25 Edge and Apple\u2019s own iPhone 16e and declare that one camera just isn\u2019t enough. It will probably be fine for a lot of your shots, especially if you stick to wider scenes, \u00a0but I wouldn\u2019t expect the primary sensor to zoom beyond maybe 8x or 10x. It won\u2019t offer an ultrawide field of view, leaving you with limited flexibility, and there\u2019s a chance it won\u2019t support portrait mode for pets. That\u2019s where the single-lens iPhone 16e<\/a> fell short, and I haven\u2019t seen anything to suggest the iPhone Air will somehow right that wrong.<\/p>\n If I wanted one camera for $1,000 I’d take up film photography.<\/p>\n Unfortunately for Apple, the Galaxy S25 Edge ships with two rear cameras, and it still left me disappointed. Yes, using 200MP for a 1x or 2x zoom shot is great \u2014 there\u2019s detail everywhere you look \u2014 but even that comes up short once you punch all the way in. The Edge still topped out at 10x zoom and counted on a mix of digital processing to get there. Cut the number of megapixels in half, and I\u2019m not sure how Apple can work its magic, especially with Apple Intelligence still lagging.<\/p>\n Who knows, maybe I\u2019ll be wrong. Maybe Apple will stretch its tiny battery (around 3,200mAh) for miles. Maybe it\u2019ll work the same camera magic from its iPhone 17 Pro into just one sensor.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll be genuinely impressed if it does, but I\u2019m not holding my breath. Samsung couldn\u2019t do it, but at least it gave the Galaxy S25 Edge a better chance.<\/p>\n![\"Apple](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1758038592_284_Apple-iPhone-Air-Thin-design-2.jpg\"\/ "\\"Apple")
<\/p>\n![\"Samsung](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Samsung-Galaxy-S25-Edge-Battery-Information-Page-One-UI-7.jpg\"\/ "\\"Samsung")
<\/p>\n![\"Apple](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Apple-iPhone-Air-camera.jpg\"\/ "\\"Apple")
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![\"Samsung](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1758038593_747_custom_filename.jpg\"\/)
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