When it comes to premium smartphones, Samsung and Apple remain at the forefront of innovation, performance, and design, especially their slimmest phones - Samsung S25 Edge vs iPhone Air. This post is an overall comparison between these slim phones. If you are interested in it, don't miss the authentic and comprehensive review.
Both the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge and the iPhone Air are defined by a focus on a remarkably slim and premium design, using high-end materials like titanium. However, their approaches to display, form factor, and other aspects differ.
| Feature | Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge | Apple iPhone Air |
|---|---|---|
| Release Status | Released (Approx. May 2025) | Released (September 19, 2025) |
| Operating System | Android 15 (One UI 7) | iOS 26 |
| Dimensions (Thickness) | 5.8 mm (0.23 in) | 5.6 mm (0.22 in) |
| Weight | 163 g (5.75 oz) | 165 g (5.82 oz) |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3nm) | Apple A19 Pro (3nm) |
| RAM (Memory) | 12 GB | 12 GB |
| Base Storage | 256 GB | 256 GB |
| Display Size | 6.7 inches | 6.5 inches |
| Display Resolution | 3120 x 1440 (~513ppi) | 2736 x 1260(~460ppi) |
| Peak Brightness | 2,600 nits | 3,000 nits (Outdoor Peak) |
| Rear Camera System | Dual Camera (200MP Main + 12MP Ultra-wide) | Single Camera (48MP Fusion Main) |
| Main Camera Resolution | 200 MP (f/1.7, OIS) | 48 MP (f/1.6, Sensor-shift OIS) |
| Ultra-wide Camera | 12 MP (f/2.2) | N/A (No dedicated Ultra-wide lens) |
| Max Video Recording | 8K at 30fps | 4K at 60fps (Dolby Vision) |
| Front Camera | 12 MP (f/2.2) | 18 MP Center Stage (f/1.9) |
| Battery Capacity | 3,900 mAh | ~3,149 mAh |
| Wired Charging | 25W | 20W |
| Wireless Charging | 15W (Qi2 Ready) | 20W (MagSafe/Qi2) |
| USB-C Port Speed | USB 3.2 | USB 2.0 |
Tips: If you want to compare the iPhone 17 lineup products in detail, read this guide.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset. This custom Snapdragon variant is optimized for Samsung devices, delivering outstanding performance for demanding tasks like gaming and AI processing. It's paired with a substantial 12GB of RAM. Early benchmarks show the S25 Edge achieving very high scores in both single-core and multi-core tests, demonstrating industry-leading Android performance.
The iPhone Air features Apple's latest A19 Pro chip, an extremely powerful SoC with a 6-core CPU and a 5-core GPU, each core having built-in Neural Accelerators. The "Pro" variant in the Air is designed to offer exceptional speed, and its deep integration with iOS 26 makes the user experience incredibly fluid.
For on-device generative AI, Apple touts the A19 Pro's Neural Engine as being significantly more powerful than the previous generation. The iPhone Air also includes a generous 12GB of RAM, a notable step up for an Apple device.
|
Feature
|
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
|
Apple iPhone Air
|
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3nm) | Apple A19 Pro (3nm) |
| CPU Configuration | 8-core (Custom Oryon CPU) | 6-core (2 Performance + 4 Efficiency) |
| RAM (Memory) | 12 GB LPDDR5X | 12 GB LPDDR5X |
| CPU Performance | Excellent multi-core performance, often slightly surpassing the A19 Pro in multi-threaded benchmarks due to having more cores. | Superior single-core performance in benchmarks, maintaining Apple's lead in per-core power. |
| GPU/Graphics | Adreno 830 GPU | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
| Graphics Performance | Excellent, often winning in graphics-intensive tests like 3DMark, delivering higher raw frame rates. | Highly optimized for iOS; the 5-core GPU is slightly less powerful than the 6-core in the iPhone 17 Pro models, and typically trails the Snapdragon's Adreno GPU in synthetic tests. |
| AI/Neural Engine | New Hexagon AI Engine, optimized for real-time translation and advanced Galaxy AI features. | 16-core Neural Engine, highly efficient for on-device machine learning, powering features like Apple Intelligence. |
| Efficiency/Thermals | Larger 3,900 mAh battery helps longevity. Thinner design may lead to quicker thermal throttling under sustained heavy load. | Chip is incredibly power-efficient, allowing for "all-day battery life" despite a smaller 3,149 battery. The thin design (5.6mm) necessitates excellent thermal management. |
The camera systems represent one of the biggest philosophical differences between these two ultra-slim flagships. The key difference comes down to versatility and sheer megapixel count versus computational photography and core image quality.
|
Feature
|
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
|
Apple iPhone Air
|
|---|---|---|
| Rear Camera Count | Dual Camera System | Single Camera System |
| Main Wide Camera | 200MP (f/1.7, 1/1.3" sensor, OIS) | 48MP Fusion Camera (f/1.6, OIS) |
| Secondary Rear Camera | 12MP Ultrawide (f/2.2, for wide-angle shots) | None |
| Zoom Capabilities | 2x Optical-Quality Zoom (via 200MP crop) and 10x Digital Zoom. | 2x Optical-Quality Zoom (via 48MP crop) and 10x Digital Zoom. |
| Front Camera | 12MP (f/2.2) | 18MP Center Stage Camera (f/1.9, multi-aspect sensor) |
| Max Video Recording | 8K at 30fps, 4K at 120fps | 4K at 60fps (in Dolby Vision) |
| Flexibility | Higher versatility with dedicated ultrawide lens and extreme high-resolution mode. | Less versatile due to single lens, but relies heavily on software. |
| Low-Light Performance | Excellent, but often produces a punchier, brighter image. | Exceptional, generally preferred by reviewers for more natural-looking colors and detail in challenging light. |
| Selfie Experience | Standard quality selfie camera. | Features Center Stage for video calls and a new square-aspect sensor for flexible framing. |
Read more: Xiaomi 17 has been rolled out. Some people are interested in Xiaomi 17 and iPhone 17. If you are plan to buy one of them, read through this guide.
Achieving a super-slim profile inevitably impacts battery capacity, which is evident in both devices.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is equipped with a 3,900 mAh battery, which is relatively modest for its size but necessary for its 5.8mm thickness. It supports 25W wired charging and 15W wireless charging (Qi2 Ready). Samsung's software optimizations help manage this capacity, with battery tests indicating solid all-day usage under moderate conditions.
The iPhone Air has a smaller battery, listed at around 3,149 mAh. Apple compensates with the exceptional power efficiency of the A19 Pro chip and deep-level iOS 26 optimizations, including the new Adaptive Power Mode. Apple claims up to 27 hours of video playback. It is limited to 20W wired charging and up to 20W wireless charging via MagSafe, which is faster than the S25 Edge's wireless rate.
In pure capacity, the Galaxy S25 Edge has a significant hardware advantage. However, Apple's unparalleled efficiency in the A-series chip means the iPhone Air's real-world battery performance is competitive, often exceeding expectations for its capacity, though the S25 Edge is likely to have a longer total battery runtime for heavy users.
The comparison between the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge and the Apple iPhone Air is a classic case of "more features vs. better optimization". Both phones prioritize an ultra-thin design, forcing trade-offs that define their respective strengths and weaknesses. Choosing between these two premium, thin devices depends entirely on prioritizing features.
|
Pros (Why you would choose S25 Edge)
|
Cons (The compromises)
|
|---|---|
| More Versatile Camera: Includes a dedicated 12MP Ultrawide lens (for wide-angle and macro) alongside a high-resolution 200MP main sensor. | Shorter Real-World Battery Life: Despite having a larger battery than the iPhone Air, it drains faster in many endurance tests. |
| Faster USB-C Port: Features USB 3.2 for much faster wired data transfer speeds. Includes Reverse Wireless Charging. | Slightly Less Stable Performance: The thin design leads to more noticeable thermal throttling under heavy, sustained load. |
| True Stereo Audio: Provides a full, balanced stereo sound experience, ideal for media and gaming. | Higher Starting Price (MSRP) compared to the iPhone Air. |
| Feature-Rich Software: Comes with a more extensive suite of Galaxy AI features and better integration with Google's services. | Less Comfortable In-Hand Feel: The flat-edged, angular design is often described as feeling less comfortable than the Air's rounded frame. |
|
Pros (Why you would choose iPhone Air)
|
Cons (The compromises)
|
|---|---|
| Better Battery Endurance: The highly efficient A19 Pro chip and optimized iOS allow the phone to outlast the S25 Edge in many battery tests. | Single, Mono Speaker: A major sacrifice, resulting in unbalanced, less immersive audio for video and music. |
| Superior Ergonomics & Design: Thinner and features a rounded titanium frame that feels noticeably smoother and more premium in the hand. | Missing Ultrawide Camera: The single 48MP camera lacks the shooting flexibility of a dual-lens system. |
| MagSafe & Qi2 Charging: Full support for the MagSafe ecosystem, providing a powerful and convenient magnetic charging experience. | Slower USB-C Port: The port is limited to USB 2.0 speeds for slow wired data transfer. |
| Better Stability & Efficiency: The A19 Pro chip maintains higher performance stability over long sessions than the S25 Edge's chip. | eSIM Only (Global): May be inconvenient for frequent travelers who rely on physical SIM cards. |
Switching to a new device, regardless of whether you choose the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge or the iPhone Air, can be a headache when it comes to migrating your data. This is especially true when moving between different operating systems (Android to iOS or vice-versa). To solve this problem, you can try this one-stop data transfer tool - Samsung Data Transfer, which is compatible with a wide range of Android and iOS devices.
- Transfer data between iOS and Android devices with USB.
- Allow you to transfer your contacts, SMS, photos, videos, music, documents, apps, and more from Android to Android.
- The transfer from iPhone to iPhone, iOS to Android, and Android to iOS is available.
- Work for Android 6.0 or later and iOS 5.0 or higher, including the latest versions.
- Support not only Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge/S25 Ultra/S25 FE/S25/S24/S23/S22/S21/S20/S10, iPhone 17/17 Pro/17 Pro Max/Air/16/15/14/13/12/11/X but also OnePlus, OPPO, realme, Motorola, Google, Tecno, Vivo, Honor, Sony, and more.
Download this data transfer program.
Step 1: Please install and launch the software on your computer after downloading it. Then connect both your mobile phones to the computer with USB cables.
Step 2: For iOS devices, you will be required to choose "Trust". For Android devices, your need to follow the on-screen guide to enable the USB debugging mode. Once done, check if your new phone is the "Destination" device, or click "Flip".
Step 3: Now, select the data types you want to transfer, and click "Start Copy" to begin the process.
Both the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge and the iPhone Air represent the pinnacle of thin, premium smartphone design in 2025.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is the superior choice for the user who demands a larger, more feature-rich display, high-resolution photo versatility, and the flexibility of the Android ecosystem.
The iPhone Air is the perfect fit for the user who prioritizes extreme portability and thinness, best-in-class mobile processor performance (especially for AI and efficiency), and a streamlined, video-optimized camera experience within the cohesive iOS ecosystem.
The ultimate decision rests on which compromises you are willing to make for a beautifully thin device—a small sacrifice in battery for Apple's efficiency, or a small sacrifice in maximum thinness for Samsung's display and camera hardware versatility. By the way, don't forget to transfer your data to your new phone with Samsung Data Transfer. It can copy different data at once.
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