Just like the super slim phone sings a song we’re all just thinking: “Ooh,” look at phones built to be thin. On the edge of 17.
Big phones may well be all the rage, but one of the caveats with having a big phone is thickness: most phones these days are fairly thick and reasonably heavy. Wouldn’t it be nice if a mobile went the other way?
Earlier this year, Samsung showed off what could happen if a mobile manufacturer did just that.
The Galaxy S25 Edge managed to grab the formula for the S25 Ultra, remove the S-Pen and some of the camera system, and fit in everything you might need for a slim premium smartphone measuring 5.8mm thin.
Reviewing the phone, it was a genuine surprise: a flagship that felt thinner, and was easier in the pocket and the carry. It’s a lovely phone.
From September 19 onwards, however, Samsung isn’t alone, because Apple is there with its own slim smartphone. That’s the day Apple’s iPhone Air will launch, bringing with it a 5.64mm iPhone 17.
To get an iPhone this thin, Apple has needed to cut back on some cameras and remove the physical SIM slot. At least one of those will be a minor issue (SIM), though the camera reduction could be a deal breaker, especially when Samsung’s alternative comes packing two.
Unfortunately, the iPhone 17 Air hasn’t arrived on Pickr’s review desk yet, but ahead of the launch, we wanted to compare what we know versus what we’ve experienced, and use a great vibe from a great Stevie Nicks track, Edge of Seventeen. Which is where we basically are: the Edge of (the) 17.
Editor’s note: this is clearly a preview, because the iPhone 17 range isn’t out yet. We’ll come back for a full comparison when we’ve completed our iPhone Air review. And yes, we know it’s called the “iPhone 17”, but it’s difficult to make a neat bit about the “Edge of 17” without citing it as an iPhone 17 Air, which is also is.
Slim size
With the iPhone 17 Air just launched, we don’t actually have a unit ready to review. However, we do have a photo of the S25 Edge against a ruler from when we reviewed that phone, earlier in the year, and we know its size.
And there is a good 0.15mm difference between them, which honestly is basically nothing. It’s barely a hair’s difference. For someone with very little hair at all, it may as well be no difference.
You also need to take into account that while the overall body of each phone is slim, the camera extrusion builds the thickness back up slightly. So yes, they’re both winners, but they’re also both a little thicker on the back, as well. They’re not flat phone cameras, that’s for sure.
Winner: Tie
Weight
Both phones are also very light, at least in comparison to their full-size siblings.
The S25 Edge is 163 grams, while the iPhone 17 Air is 165 grams. A difference of two grams is barely a sultana, and so while both are very light, both win this category.
Winner: Tie
Durability
Similarities all around for the weight and thickness, it seems, and it’s the same story for the design, which is basically a combination of titanium and glass for each of them.
In the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, you’ll find a matt titanium frame with glass on the front and back, while the Apple iPhone 17 Air offers a polished and shiny titanium frame with glass on the front and back.
Winner: Tie
Cameras
Cameras are where things start to deviate, because Samsung has two of them and Apple only has one.
Officially, the S25 Edge’s use of a 200 megapixel wide and a 12 megapixel ultra-wide gives it a slight edge, but the iPhone’s 48 megapixel camera covering 1X and 2X isn’t terribly far behind, so it’s not a huge leap ahead.
We’ve seen a few test shots from the iPhone Air (and you can too), and they look pretty damn stellar. As such, we’re not ready to rule out the iPhone on spec alone, and expect they’ll be pretty evenly matched when it comes down to it, even with the difference in camera tech.
Winner: Tie
Battery
Battery life will likely also be very similar, likely because there’s only so much battery you can pack into the frame.
In the S25 Edge, there’s a 3900mAh battery, and based on what’s been uncovered overseas, the iPhone 17 Air’s 3149mAh is a little behind that.
Despite that, Apple could still feasibly hit the same all day battery life we found on the S25 Edge, and possibly a little more from video alone, as Apple’s chips tend to be optimised for energy efficiency when consuming content on their phones.
Samsung has the minor lead here.
Winner: Samsung
Value
But only temporarily it seems, because in a bit of a first, Apple’s model is actually less expensive.
When the iPhone 17 Air launches on September 19, it will actually cost $50 less than Samsung’s S25 Edge, a difference of $1799 for the 256GB Air and $1849 for the S25 Edge.
We have no doubt Samsung will counter quickly, but this point goes to Apple.
Winner: Apple
Both are winners
Both phones are clearly impressive, and focused on a buyer keen on getting the cutting edge early and happy to forgive the odd removal.
The cameras aren’t as impressive, and neither will be the battery life, but the super slim design will almost definitely make these phones something to covet because of how thing they are.
In terms of which you would pick, each is on track to being about as good as each other, with the main difference being which camp you normally sit in.
If you love a big Android but hate the thick size, the S25 Edge is one of the sexist smartphones in your camp. It’s slim, stylish, and fits in the pocket beautifully.
And we’re largely expecting a vibe exactly like that for the iPhone 17 Air, with a delightfully slender take on almost everything folks love about the iPhone.
In short (or in slim), if the only thing that bothers you is the thickness of your phone because you live in skinny jeans or just hate holding a chunky handset, either the S25 Edge or iPhone 17 Air will likely be up your alley.
