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The iPhone Air is thinner, but the Galaxy S25 Edge may be the more complete ultra-thin phone. Apple’s phone measures 5.64 mm at its main chassis and weighs 165 g, while Samsung’s is 5.8 mm thick and weighs 163 g. That 0.16-mm difference is too small to decide the purchase by itself.
Samsung uses its slightly thicker design to retain a QHD+ 120Hz display, a dedicated ultrawide camera, wireless charging, fingerprint authentication, stereo speakers and DeX. Apple counters with a thinner body, A19 Pro performance, MagSafe, Apple’s ecosystem and a simpler camera system built around computational photography. The right choice depends on which compromise you will notice every day.
Galaxy S25 Edge vs iPhone Air: key differences
| Feature | Galaxy S25 Edge | iPhone Air |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. launch/list price | $1,099.99 for 256GB; $1,219.99 for 512GB | $999 for 256GB; $1,199 for 512GB; $1,399 for 1TB |
| Dimensions | 158.2 × 75.6 × 5.8 mm | 156.2 × 74.7 × 5.64 mm |
| Weight | 163 g | 165 g |
| Display | 6.7-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz | 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz |
| Resolution | 3,120 × 1,440 | 2,736 × 1,260, 460 ppi |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy | A19 Pro |
| Rear cameras | 200MP wide and 12MP ultrawide | 48MP Fusion wide camera |
| Biometrics | Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint reader | Face ID |
| Charging | Up to 25W wired, wireless charging and Wireless PowerShare | Up to 20W wired in independent comparison testing; MagSafe support |
| Water resistance | IP68 | IP68 |
Prices above are U.S. launch/list prices announced in 2025, not a guarantee of the price you will find in 2026. Samsung promotions, trade-in credits and carrier offers can materially change the effective price.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallDesign: the iPhone wins the ruler test, but not the weight test
Apple’s detailed specifications list the iPhone Air at 5.64 mm thick, compared with 5.8 mm for the Galaxy S25 Edge. Rounded marketing figures make the difference look like approximately 0.2 mm, but the exact gap is only 0.16 mm.
#1 Best Overall
- 6.7" LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, 480Hz PWM, HDR10+, 3120x1440px Quad HD+, Android 15, up to 7 major Android upgrades, One UI 7
- 256GB, 12GB RAM, No SD Card Slot, Qualcomm SM8750-AC Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm), Octa-Core, Adreno 830 GPU, 3900mAh Battery
- Rear Camera: 200MP, f/1.7, wide + 12MP, f/2.2, ultrawide, Digital Zoom up to 10x, Front Camera: 12MP, f/2.2, wide
- 2G: 850/900/1800/1900, 3G: UMTS 1(2100)/2(1900)/4(AWS)/5(850)/8(900), 4G LTE: 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/14/18/19/20/25/26/28/29/30/38/39/40/41/48/66/71, 5G: 1/2/5/7/25/28/41/66/71/77/78/257/258/260/261 - Nano-SIM + eSIM
- US Model – Global Connectivity – Compatible with Most GSM Carriers like T-Mobile, AT&T, MetroPCS, etc. Will Also work with CDMA Carriers Such as Verizon, Sprint.
The Galaxy is actually the lighter phone: 163 g versus 165 g for the iPhone Air. It is also slightly taller and wider. Both use titanium frames, so neither is a lightweight plastic experiment; both are premium phones engineered around an unusually thin central chassis.
Those measurements do not describe the entire object in your hand. Phone makers generally quote the main body rather than the thickest part of the camera hardware. The iPhone Air concentrates its cameras, speaker and Apple silicon in a raised rear “plateau,” while the Galaxy also has a prominent camera area. That can affect table stability, finger placement and how thick the phone feels when it is lying flat.
A case can erase nearly all of the distinction. If you plan to use a protective case, the meaningful question becomes whether the phone’s bare frame, weight distribution and camera arrangement feel better—not which specification is smaller by a fraction of a millimeter.
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Apple describes the iPhone Air as its thinnest iPhone, while Samsung positions the S25 Edge as an exceptionally slim Galaxy S-series model. Neither claim should be expanded into a claim that the phone is the thinnest smartphone ever made.
Display: Samsung has the sharper panel; Apple emphasizes outdoor visibility
The Galaxy S25 Edge has the larger and higher-resolution screen on paper: a 6.7-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a 3,120 × 1,440 resolution and adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz. Samsung’s rounded-corner measurement works out to approximately 6.5 inches when accounting for the corners and camera cutout.
The iPhone Air has a 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a 2,736 × 1,260 resolution, 460 pixels per inch, ProMotion up to 120Hz and an always-on display. For text, detailed photographs and supported high-resolution video, Samsung has the specification advantage.
Apple’s counterargument is visibility rather than pixel count. Its specifications list up to 3,000 nits of outdoor peak brightness and a seven-layer anti-reflective coating. Samsung uses Vision Booster and adaptive color tone to improve viewing in changing conditions.
Official peak-brightness figures are not directly comparable to every brightness level you encounter in daily use. Independent testing by PhoneArena found strong brightness from both phones, with the lead varying by test condition. The practical split is straightforward: choose Samsung if maximum resolution and a slightly larger working area matter most; choose Apple if outdoor readability and reflection control are higher priorities.
Cameras: Samsung’s important advantage is the ultrawide camera
The Galaxy S25 Edge has a 200MP main camera with optical image stabilization, Samsung’s stated 2× “optical quality” zoom and up to 10× AI zoom. It also includes a 12MP autofocus ultrawide camera and a 12MP front camera.
The iPhone Air has a single 48MP Fusion rear camera and an 18MP Center Stage front camera. It does not have a dedicated rear ultrawide lens.
Rank #2
- 6.7" LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, 480Hz PWM, HDR10+, 3120x1440px Quad HD+, Android 15, up to 7 major Android upgrades, One UI 7
- 256GB, 12GB RAM, No SD Card Slot, Qualcomm SM8750-AC Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm), Octa-Core, Adreno 830 GPU, 3900mAh Battery
- Rear Camera: 200MP, f/1.7, wide + 12MP, f/2.2, ultrawide, Digital Zoom up to 10x, Front Camera: 12MP, f/2.2, wide
- 2G: 850/900/1800/1900, 3G: UMTS 1(2100)/2(1900)/4(AWS)/5(850)/8(900), 4G LTE: 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/14/18/19/20/25/26/28/29/30/38/39/40/41/48/66/71, 5G: 1/2/5/7/25/28/41/66/71/77/78/257/258/260/261 - Nano-SIM + eSIM
- US Model – Global Connectivity – Compatible with Most GSM Carriers like T-Mobile, AT&T, MetroPCS, etc. Will Also work with CDMA Carriers Such as Verizon, Straight Talk.
That makes Samsung the more flexible camera phone. The ultrawide lens is useful for architecture, landscapes, interiors, large groups and situations where stepping backward is impossible. The high-resolution main sensor can also provide additional cropping options. Samsung does not, however, include a dedicated telephoto camera: its 2× claim comes from the high-resolution main camera rather than a separate optical zoom lens.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesApple’s simpler camera system is not automatically inferior. The 48MP Fusion camera, image processing and video tools may produce results that Apple users prefer, especially for social-media sharing, moving subjects and consistent point-and-shoot photography. Center Stage can keep people framed during compatible front-camera calls and selfies.
Megapixel counts do not settle camera quality. Sensor dimensions, lens quality, stabilization, shutter behavior, skin tones, night processing and video encoding all matter. In its comparison testing, PhoneArena awarded the Galaxy a higher overall camera score, but that is one outlet’s methodology rather than a universal verdict.
Buy the Galaxy for camera versatility. Consider the iPhone Air if you mainly use the standard rear view, care more about Apple’s video and processing workflow, or prefer its front-camera features.
Performance: two fast phones with different strengths
The Galaxy S25 Edge uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform for Galaxy, a 3nm platform with hardware support for ray tracing and Vulkan optimization. Samsung lists 12GB of RAM for the 256GB and 512GB models.
The iPhone Air uses Apple’s A19 Pro with a six-core CPU, five-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine and hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Apple’s close integration of silicon and software gives it a strong advantage in short, bursty tasks such as app launches, interface response and some single-core workloads.
PhoneArena’s benchmark comparison showed the iPhone Air ahead in Geekbench 6 single-core performance, while multi-core results were close and GPU results varied by workload. A benchmark version, software build, temperature and test duration can all change the outcome.
For everyday use, both phones have more than enough performance. The more important question for thin-phone buyers is sustained performance. Long gaming sessions, video exports and emulation create heat, and a thin chassis leaves less room for cooling hardware and heat spreading. Neither phone should be called universally faster without specifying the task. A conventional flagship may be a better choice if sustained gaming or heavy video work matters more than thinness.
Battery and charging: capacity does not equal endurance
Samsung lists a 3,900mAh typical battery for the Galaxy S25 Edge and a 3,786mAh rated minimum capacity. Apple does not foreground an mAh number on its public technical specifications. PhoneArena’s comparison cites approximately 3,149mAh from third-party reporting, so that figure should not be presented as an Apple-confirmed specification.
Samsung therefore has the capacity advantage on paper. The iPhone Air can narrow that gap through Apple’s silicon, operating-system optimization and a lower-resolution display workload. Capacity alone cannot establish which phone lasts longer.
Rank #3
- SUPER SLIM. SUPER LIGHT: Galaxy S25 Edge is surprisingly light and our slimmest S Series phone yet. You’ll want to show off this sleek, super-slim design that slips easily into your pocket or bag without bulking things up.
- OUR POWERFUL 200MP CAMERA ON OUR SLIMMEST S SERIES PHONE: Capture every memory in stunning clarity with our highest-resolution camera on a Galaxy phone. Galaxy S25 Edge features a 200MP camera to preserve your memories with professional-level detail.
- MORE POWER TO YOU: Reimagine what’s possible with Galaxy S25 Edge, featuring our most powerful processor yet. Effortlessly translate your calls, slow down a video or edit your photos without skipping a beat
- NOT SLIM ON TOUGHNESS: Don’t let the sleek form of Galaxy S25 Edge fool you — this phone is tough too. With a titanium build and a Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 face, S25 Edge is as strong as it is stylish
- VIRTUAL ASSISTANT, PERSONAL HELP: Streamline your day with an assistant that gets you. Ask it to Google search for a pet-friendly vegan restaurant nearby and text it to your friend — your Galaxy S25 Edge handles multiple tasks with a single ask.²
In PhoneArena’s testing, the two phones were close in browsing endurance; the iPhone Air led in video playback, while the Galaxy led in gaming. Those are test-suite results, not guarantees for every owner. Screen brightness, cellular reception, camera use, gaming settings and background activity can change real-world endurance substantially.
Samsung supports up to 25W wired charging and says the Galaxy S25 Edge can reach approximately 55% in 30 minutes with a compatible 25W adapter. It also supports fast wireless charging and Wireless PowerShare. The adapter is sold separately.
Independent comparison coverage reports approximately 20W wired charging for the iPhone Air. Its major charging advantage is the MagSafe accessory ecosystem, which makes magnetic chargers, stands, wallets and battery accessories convenient. Apple’s iPhone Air MagSafe Battery was listed at $99 at launch, but it adds both cost and bulk—the exact trade-off an ultra-thin-phone buyer may be trying to avoid.
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Samsung is the better fit for faster wired top-ups and greater stated capacity. Apple is more attractive if magnetic accessories and an emergency MagSafe battery fit your routine.
Daily-use hardware: fingerprint convenience versus Face ID
The Galaxy S25 Edge has an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint reader. It can be useful when the phone is on a desk, when you are wearing a mask or when face recognition is inconvenient.
The iPhone Air relies on Face ID. Face recognition is fast and tightly integrated with iOS, payments and authentication, but it is less flexible in some angles and situations. This is not a minor specification for everyone: biometric preference can affect dozens of unlocks every day.
The Galaxy also has a conventional stereo-speaker arrangement. PhoneArena found an audio advantage for Samsung and described the iPhone Air as having a more constrained speaker arrangement. That makes the Galaxy the safer choice for watching video without headphones, although speaker preference is ultimately subjective and independent measurements are more useful than a blanket claim about sound quality.
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Durability: thin does not mean waterproof or risk-free
Both phones carry IP68 dust- and water-resistance claims. That is a laboratory rating under specified conditions, not a promise that either phone is waterproof. Water resistance can decline with wear, impact or repair, and liquid damage may not be covered by a standard warranty.
Apple highlights Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and Ceramic Shield on the back. Samsung highlights its titanium frame and Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2. These materials are intended to improve resistance to everyday damage, but an ultra-thin phone still concentrates stress around its camera housing and raised rear structures.
A case may reduce drop risk while eliminating much of the thinness advantage. Before buying, check the cost and availability of accidental-damage coverage. AppleCare+ and Samsung Care+ can be relevant for a high-priced thin phone, but plan terms, deductibles and eligibility vary by country and purchase channel.
Rank #4
- 6.7" LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, 480Hz PWM, HDR10+, 3120x1440px Quad HD+, Android 15, up to 7 major Android upgrades, One UI 7
- 512GB, 12GB RAM, No SD Card Slot, Qualcomm SM8750-AC Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm), Octa-Core, Adreno 830 GPU, 3900mAh Battery
- Rear Camera: 200MP, f/1.7, wide + 12MP, f/2.2, ultrawide, Digital Zoom up to 10x, Front Camera: 12MP, f/2.2, wide
- 2G: 850/900/1800/1900, 3G: UMTS 1(2100)/2(1900)/4(AWS)/5(850)/8(900), 4G LTE: 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/14/18/19/20/25/26/28/29/30/38/39/40/41/48/66/71, 5G: 1/2/5/7/25/28/41/66/71/77/78/257/258/260/261 - Nano-SIM + eSIM
- US Model – Global Connectivity – Compatible with Most GSM Carriers like T-Mobile, AT&T, MetroPCS, etc. Will Also work with CDMA Carriers Such as Verizon, Straight Talk.
Software and ecosystem: the deciding factor for many buyers
The Galaxy S25 Edge runs Android with Samsung’s One UI and offers customization, Galaxy AI features, DeX and integration with Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Ring and Samsung tablets. DeX is particularly valuable if you want to connect the phone to a monitor and use a desktop-style interface.
The iPhone Air runs iOS and integrates with Apple Watch, Mac, iPad, AirPods, iMessage, FaceTime and Find My. It also offers Apple Intelligence support, an Action button, Camera Control and MagSafe accessories.
Neither ecosystem is objectively better for every reader. An existing Apple Watch owner has a strong practical reason to choose the iPhone Air because switching platforms may mean replacing the watch and changing established messaging, cloud-storage and accessory habits. The same logic applies to a Galaxy Watch, Samsung tablet or Galaxy Buds owner considering the S25 Edge.
AI features can vary by country, language, account, subscription and software version. Treat them as useful platform features, not permanent hardware guarantees.
Price and storage value
At U.S. launch, Samsung priced the Galaxy S25 Edge at $1,099.99 for 256GB and $1,219.99 for 512GB. Apple launched the iPhone Air at $999 for 256GB, $1,199 for 512GB and $1,399 for 1TB.
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Budget for the complete ownership cost, not just the phone. The Galaxy may need a 25W charger if you do not already own a compatible USB-C Power Delivery adapter. The iPhone Air may invite spending on a MagSafe charger, case, magnetic battery or AppleCare+. Existing accessories and wearables can matter more than a $100 difference at checkout.
Which phone should you buy?
Choose the Galaxy S25 Edge if you want:
- A larger, sharper QHD+ display.
- A dedicated ultrawide camera and broader rear-camera flexibility.
- More battery capacity on paper and faster wired charging.
- Fingerprint unlocking and conventional stereo speakers.
- Android customization, One UI and Samsung DeX.
- Compatibility with Galaxy wearables and tablets.
- A phone that is slightly lighter despite being slightly thicker.
Choose the iPhone Air if you want:
- The thinnest body and a design built around Apple’s slim-phone concept.
- A19 Pro performance and Apple’s tightly integrated software experience.
- iOS, Apple Watch, Mac, iPad, AirPods and Find My integration.
- MagSafe accessories and magnetic charging options.
- Apple’s video, computational-photography and Center Stage workflow.
- Strong stated outdoor-brightness and anti-reflective-display specifications.
- A lower U.S. starting price or a 1TB storage option.
Consider neither if you prioritize:
- Maximum battery life without carrying an accessory.
- Long gaming sessions or sustained heavy workloads.
- A dedicated telephoto camera.
- The strongest camera system available at any size.
- Fast charging above what these thin designs provide.
- Maximum repairability or rugged, case-free use.
- Better performance per dollar than an ultra-thin premium phone can offer.
A conventional Galaxy S25+, Galaxy S25 Ultra, standard iPhone 17 or iPhone 17 Pro may provide a better balance of battery, cameras, cooling and durability if thinness is not your primary reason for upgrading.
Verdict: Samsung preserved more, while Apple optimized more
The iPhone Air wins the thickness contest by a tiny margin, but that is not the same as winning the comparison. Samsung’s central achievement is preserving more traditional flagship functionality in a 5.8-mm body: a sharper 120Hz display, two rear cameras, 12GB of RAM, wireless charging, fingerprint authentication, stereo audio and DeX.
Apple makes a different trade. The iPhone Air is thinner, built around A19 Pro and Apple’s ecosystem, and pairs its simplified rear camera with MagSafe, iOS integration and Apple’s processing and video strengths.
For most Android buyers who want an ultra-thin phone without giving up everyday flexibility, the Galaxy S25 Edge is the more complete package. For Apple users who value the thinnest iPhone, Apple Watch compatibility, MagSafe and the iOS experience above camera flexibility and wired charging speed, the iPhone Air is the more coherent choice.
The broader lesson is simple: compare what the thinness costs you. If you want maximum battery, cooling, zoom photography or durability, buy a conventional flagship. If you specifically want an ultra-thin premium phone, Samsung is focusing on more than dimensions—and that may matter more than the fraction of a millimeter Apple saves.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
