Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs iPhone 17 Air: Everything You Need to Know

This year is poised to be all about super-thin phones that will push the boundaries of innovation. So we’ve got to talk about the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge and the iPhone 17 Air. While Samsung has scheduled its launch for the evening of May 13 (Eastern Time), we’ll have to wait a few more months for the thinnest iPhone. Here’s a quick comparison of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge and the iPhone 17 Air to help you decide which one to buy.

1. Design and Display

A super slim body is going to be the standout feature of both the S25 Edge and the iPhone 17 Air. While the S25 will be 5.85 mm thick, the iPhone will reportedly be slightly thinner at just 5.5 mm.

Both devices will sport a 6.7-inch OLED screen, but the iPhone 17 Air is likely to have a higher resolution of 1200 x 2600 pixels, compared to the S25 Edge’s 1080 x 2400 pixels. This year, Apple is expected to bring the 120Hz refresh rate across its lineup, including the iPhone 17 Air.

Both phones will be stunning to look at and offer a brilliant display perfect for productivity, entertainment, and gaming.

2. Hardware, Performance, and Battery Life

Similar to the rest of the Galaxy S25 series, the S25 Edge will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, with 12GB of RAM. The iPhone 17 Air will likely have Apple’s A19 chip and 8GB of RAM. Both devices will likely provide buttery-smooth performance for multitasking and gaming.

Rumors also suggest that the iPhone 17 Air could feature Apple’s in-house C1 modem chip, similar to the iPhone 16e.

In terms of battery, Samsung’s slimmest phone will most probably boast a battery capacity between 3,800mAh and 4,200mAh, smaller than the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 4,900mAh. For charging, the phone is expected to support 25W wired charging. Speculations suggest that the iPhone 17 Air will likely have a 3000 mAh battery as the thin design may hurt battery life.

Both phones are expected to feature AI-powered battery optimizations to help provide a decent battery life. Moreover, both will likely lack a physical SIM card and only support eSIM to allow for the ultra-slim form factor.

3. Camera Comparison

It’s tricky to provide an accurate camera comparison before release, but Samsung’s teaser for the S25 Edge has revealed that it will feature a dual-camera setup with a 200MP primary sensor (similar to the Galaxy S25 Ultra) and a 12MP ultra-wide lens.

You’ll also get a 10MP front camera and support for shooting up to 8K video. The camera system will, of course, feature Samsung’s AI-enhanced photography tools, which will play a significant role in image processing.

Apple will most probably equip the iPhone 17 Air with a single 48MP main camera, similar to the iPhone 16e. However, the sensor will probably be more advanced and rely on computational photography for features like 2x optical-quality zoom. This will allow you to capture high-quality images despite the single-camera setup

4. Galaxy S25 Edge vs iPhone 17 Air AI Features

The S25 Edge will feature Samsung Galaxy AI just like the other devices in the lineup. This will include things like AI-enhanced photography, real-time language translation, and cross-app automation. A host of AI features will make everyday tasks easier and improve user experience.

Similarly, the iPhone 17 Air will have Apple Intelligence, hopefully with more AI features at launch. Apple lags behind the competition with delays in rolling out Apple Intelligence. So, it’s expected that it will bridge the gap when the iPhone 17 series is launched.

5. Price and Availability

Samsung has posted an official invite video on its YouTube channel for the launch of the S25 edge on May 12 (May 13th in South Korea). This is perhaps a big advantage, since its competitor, the iPhone 17 Air, isn’t expected until September.

However, Samsung’s slimmest phone will come at a pretty steep price range of about $1100-$1200. In contrast, the iPhone 17 Air will likely be cheaper at around $899.

You can grab an S25 Edge if you’ve got the funds on hand and want to jump on to the thin phone trend. But if you want the best deal and can practice some patience, it’s probably worth waiting for the iPhone 17 Air.

What are your expectations from Apple’s thinnest phone ever? Feel free to share in the comments below!