iPhone Air vs Galaxy S25 Edge: Are Ultra-Thin Phones Dead?
iPhone Air and Galaxy S25 Edge reveal limits of ultra-thin design. Experts predict changes in Samsung and Apple’s upcoming phone strategy.
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The trend of 2025 ultra-thin smartphones is already beginning to die down. Although the design of Samsung's Galaxy S25 Edge and Apple's iPhone Air was very good, it brought along the drawbacks of reduced battery life and durability. The opinion of analysts is that we are witnessing the very beginning of the end of the super-thin phones epoch.
Through the iPhone Air, Apple fitted its foldable phone strategy. The company used the model to test consumer reception of a premium device that is streamlined without taking major risks with the core iPhone 17 lineup. On the other hand, Samsung intended to communicate a new direction with the Galaxy S25 Edge by breaking the design continuity drawn across the past generations of devices.
Rumors of shifts in both companies’ strategies have appeared lately. Samsung reportedly is dropping the Galaxy S26 Edge, planing to go on with only the S26 Plus and standard variants. While Apple might be scaling down iPhone Air outputs in favor of the best-selling iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro.
According to the industry, experts, Apple’s decision to keep the Air outside the main 17 series may have been strategic, allowing the company to test the market without affecting its flagship devices. The early feedback appears to be mixed, the praise is for the device’s engineering and the criticism is for its limited battery and features.
Apple had experimented with different form factors and it has sometimes done so that it gives out Mini, Plus, and Air versions of the iPhone. Samsung, on the other hand, has continued to work through several variants, making three to four models each year. The company's experiments focus on the needs of a clear set of consumers, including compact designs, large-screen models, and slim but premium ones.
Nevertheless, the market feedback points toward a restricted demand, which in turn has an impact on the production modifications and the decisions regarding the cessation of production.
At the same time, a majority of the reviews of ultra-thin smartphones pointed out the issues of strength and longevity of the battery as of the main drawbacks, thus implying that the mere introduction of a new product is going to be insufficient in sustaining the customer interest.
