2025 is the year of the slim smartphone, as not long ago we got the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, which is a slimmer alternative to the other Samsung Galaxy S25 models, and soon Apple is rumored to be launching the iPhone 17 Air, which is said to be the same for the iPhone 17 series.
So far, nothing is known for sure about the iPhone 17 Air, but between leaks and rumors we have a fairly good idea of what to expect, and having fully reviewed the Galaxy S25 Edge we know exactly how that could be improved.
So below, you’ll find a list of the five ways the iPhone 17 Air could beat the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. Some of these things are more likely to happen than others, but we’ll explain how likely we think they are too.
1. A slimmer build
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge’s main selling point is just how slim it is, and from what we’ve heard the same will be true of the iPhone 17 Air. So if Apple’s phone is thinner then that would give it a real advantage over Samsung’s.
The Galaxy S25 Edge is just 5.8mm thick, but the iPhone 17 Air could have it beat, as while leaks don’t agree on how thick it is, most put it at less than that. We’ve heard 5.65mm, 5.5mm and even 5.44mm, so Apple’s phone could be a sliver slimmer than Samsung’s svelte smartphone.
2. A lighter weight
As well as being slimmer the iPhone 17 Air could also beat the Galaxy S25 Edge by being lighter. After all, there’s an expectation that a slim phone will be light, and if Apple’s rumored handset really launches with the ‘Air’ moniker then that also has connotations of lightness.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge then weighs 163g, which is pretty light. That’s just 1g heavier than the much smaller Galaxy S25, and far lighter than the 190g Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus – which has the same size screen as the Edge.
That also makes the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge a bit lighter than the 170g iPhone 16, and much lighter than the 199g iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 Pro – let alone the 227g iPhone 16 Pro Max.
So Apple might have its work cut out to make the iPhone 17 Air lighter than Samsung’s rival, and so far we haven’t heard much about its weight, but one leak from yeux1122 puts it at approximately 145g, in which case it would indeed be the lighter phone.
3. Better cameras
One area where we’re skeptical that the iPhone 17 Air will beat the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge – but would still like it to – is the cameras.
The Galaxy S25 Edge has a 200MP wide camera, a 12MP ultra-wide, and a 12MP front-facing one. In our Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review we noted that the main sensor can take “fantastic” shots, but that they’re more subdued than usual from a Samsung phone, and that they don’t have as much detail as photos taken by the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Of course, the Galaxy S25 Edge also lacks a telephoto camera, which is a major omission.
So the cameras there are a mixed bag, but reports suggest the iPhone 17 Air will actually only have one rear camera – most likely a 48MP one, along with a 12MP front-facing camera.
As such it’s unlikely that Apple’s phone will win for photography but not impossible – these rumors could be wrong, or the one rear camera it reportedly has could really excel. We certainly hope it will.
4. More power
Apple’s phones tend to be more powerful than Samsung’s and that will quite possibly be the case with the iPhone 17 Air, though we can’t be certain yet.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge has a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which is the best chipset currently available to Android phones. That’s joined by a respectable 12GB of RAM, so this is no slouch when it comes to performance.
There’s a bit more of a question mark over how the iPhone 17 Air will perform, especially as tipsters disagree over whether the iPhone 17 Air will have the same chipset as the base iPhone 17 (likely an A19) or the same one as the iPhone 17 Pro series (likely an A19 Pro). The latter will almost certainly have the Snapdragon 8 Elite beat, but the former may not.
We’ve also heard conflicting reports on how much RAM the iPhone 17 Air might have, with some pointing to 12GB and others to just 8GB.
5. A longer lasting battery
One thing that slim phones will inevitably struggle with is battery life, as there’s simply not enough space in them for a big battery.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge has just a 3,900mAh one, and for comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus (which has the same size screen) has a 4,900mAh one.
The iPhone 17 Air’s battery might be even smaller than the S25 Edge’s, with one rumor putting it at under 3,000mAh. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t last as long, with another source claiming its life will be comparable to current iPhones.