It is often said that Apple does not do things first; That makes them right. But not everything can be done right. And my fear is that the errors in the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, launching this week, just four months before the iPhone 17 air are congenital to this type of device rather than something that can be corrected.
There are obviously positive points for this form factor, which is why Samsung and Apple both go down the under-6 mm path. In addition to being only 5.8 mm thick, the S25 Edge weighs 163g, which is incredibly easy for a phone with a 6.7-inch screen and actually lighter than each of Apple’s current 6.1-inch handsets. I haven’t had one, but in any case, Edge’s lack of heft is strikingly noticeable in hand and I can see why it appeals … It just doesn’t appeal to me.
If you offered to make my 3.5 pounds MacBook Pro Lighter I would jump by the chance. Less weight in the backpack when I take it to the office would be a welcome upgrade. Same for my iPad Air (460g) and AirPods Max (386g plus another 135 g for the stupid case). But weight is simply not a pain point for my iPhone 16 Plus (6.7 inches, 199G). And I would go ahead and say that I actively did not like it was made easier.
Have you ever noticed that a tennis ball is more difficult to catch than something harder and heavier, like a baseball or cricket ball? That’s because weight causes an object to sink into your hand and stay there while lighter objects need to actively grab. A 199 g phone, plus case, sits nicely in my hand. A phone that is 163 g (which is probably not encapsulated because you will show the groundbreaking slimline design) is far more likely to be dropped, especially if it is almost exclusively made of smooth glass. And then, improved crack protection or no improved crack protection, you risk disaster.
What does this questionable ease gift cost us? Lots. The S25 edge comes with three main compromes: lower battery capacity (1000 mAh less than the S25+ with markedly slower charging), a weaker camera system (no telecommunications lens, therefore worse zoom) and a higher price. Telephone cameras have debated a developmental stage where one of them is as good as almost anyone needs, but price and battery life is contrary to weight, active pain points. I find it confusing that someone willingly would pay more for a phone that lasts less time solely to make it thinner.
It is also not like this is a particularly attractive design. It’s just the same old glowing rectangle, camera lenses set up vertically on the back of the usual galaxy style, pinhole camera cut on the front. And because of the design barrier, the USB-C port (if there was only one way to get rid of it …), the bottom edge of Wonky looks like the gate that sits closer to the back of the chassis than the front. It’s just not a design that has something to recommend it other than being thin.
Antron Copeman / Foundry
All of these compromises – and more – are expected to hit the iPhone 17 air. Apple’s ultra -thin handsets reportedly have only one rear camera, a higher price than the iPhone 16 Plus, and the life of the battery so badly that it will sell an accessory just so users can get through the day. Granted, people who have kept dummies have come very impressed with the design, but remember that these are not working models. First impression is one thing; It is another to use it after the wow factor that is worn.
A common argument in favor of major changes is to say that you will feel different when you have had a chance to get used to it. And so far, Apple Watchers has kept hope that the iPhone 17 air would draw a similar trick that even though it seems impractical in theory, we will fall in love with the object when it is in our hands when we first have spent some time with it and got used to its benefits. Therefore, rival products are so important to our understanding of the 17 air. They give reviewers a chance to actually experience the reality of an under-6 mm smartphone.
The launch of the S25 edge has therefore been an interesting exercise for Apple fans. But if that’s what’s waiting for the iPhone 17 air in the fall, I feel less optimistic than ever. Not for me, please.