iPhone Air vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: Best Slim Phone of 2026?
MKBHD's 2025 Best Design winner (iPhone Air) vs the runner-up (Galaxy S25 Edge). Both are answers to the same question: how thin can a flagship phone get without compromising too much on functionality?
Updated · Verdict based on MKBHD Smartphone Awards results and spec analysis.
iPhone Air
Apple · 2025 · From $899
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
Samsung · 2025 · From $1099
Round wins
iPhone Air: 2 · Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: 0 ·Ties: 6
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | iPhone Air | Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.6-inch OLED, 120Hz ProMotion | 6.7-inch QHD+ AMOLED, 120Hz |
| Processor | Apple A18 | Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| RAM | 8GB | 12GB |
| Camera | 48MP main + 12MP front | 200MP main + 12MP ultrawide + 12MP 3x telephoto |
| Battery | 2,800 mAh | 3,900 mAh |
| OS | iOS 19 | Android 15 (One UI 7) |
| Starting price | $899 | $1099 |
| Released | 2025 | 2025 |
Round-by-round breakdown
Thinness
Winner: iPhone AiriPhone Air: 5.5mm. Galaxy S25 Edge: 5.8mm. iPhone wins, and it's the thinnest mainstream phone ever made.
Display
TieBoth 6.6–6.7 inch ProMotion-class OLED at 120Hz. Roughly equivalent.
Camera
TieBoth single-camera systems (sacrificing camera array for thinness). Quality is roughly equivalent.
Battery
TieBoth have smaller batteries than non-slim flagships. Real-world endurance is 5–6 hours of screen-on time on either. Tied weakness.
Performance
TieA18 (iPhone Air) and Snapdragon 8 Elite (Galaxy S25 Edge) are functionally identical for typical use.
Software
TieiOS 19 + Apple Intelligence vs One UI 7 + Galaxy AI. Pick on platform preference.
Software updates
TieBoth 7 years of major OS updates.
Price
Winner: iPhone AiriPhone Air: $899. Galaxy S25 Edge: $1,099. iPhone is $200 cheaper.
Final verdict
Buy the iPhone Air if you want the thinnest mainstream phone ever made and you live in iOS. Buy the Galaxy S25 Edge if you want a slim Android flagship with 7-year update support. Both are fundamentally design-first phones — neither will be the right pick for camera or battery priorities.
Frequently Asked Questions
iPhone Air vs Galaxy S25 Edge: which is the best slim phone?
iPhone Air won MKBHD's 2025 Best Design award; Galaxy S25 Edge was runner-up. iPhone is thinner and cheaper; Samsung has the longer update window in some markets.
Are slim phones worth the trade-offs?
Only if you specifically value the in-pocket feel and aesthetic over camera flexibility and battery life. For most buyers, regular-thickness flagships are the better practical choice.
iPhone Air or iPhone 17?
iPhone 17 (MKBHD's 2025 Phone of the Year) for most buyers — better camera, longer battery, $100 cheaper. iPhone Air only if pocketability is decisive.