(Credit: Eric Zeman)
CUPERTINO—Apple's latest phone, the iPhone Air, is super thin and light, but we've seen thin-and-light phones before. Just a few months ago, Samsung trotted out its own slim model, the Galaxy S25 Edge. The two phones compete directly for the title of world's thinnest phone. You can see how close in size they are in the photo above. Here's what the measurements say, and what it's like to hold them in person.
The iPhone Air measures 6.15 by 2.94 by 0.22 inches (HWD) and weighs 5.82 ounces. Getting phones slimmer than 0.25 inches (6mm) takes some crafty engineering. Apple says it stuffed many of the core components, like the camera stack and processor, in the raised "plateau" at the top of the phone. The company also eliminated the physical SIM card for all models and used the recovered space for more battery capacity.
In comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge measures 6.23 by 2.98 by 0.23 inches and weighs 5.75 ounces. That makes the Edge a bit larger than the Air, and a smidge lighter. Samsung relied on similar engineering tricks to trim down the Edge.
Though the difference between 0.22 and 0.23 inches is minimal on paper, the real-life feel of the phones is dramatically different. The Air has a rounded metal frame that feels smooth and fits comfortably in your hand. Conversely, the Edge has a flat-sided frame that forms right angles with the front and rear glass panels. This makes the Edge feel far larger than the Air when held, despite how close the actual measurements are.
The Edge has a bigger screen—6.7 inches, compared with 6.5 inches on the iPhone Air—and that plays a role here, too. Pricing is also slightly different between the phones: the Edge costs $1,099, while the Air starts at $999.
It's slimmer and less expensive, so does the iPhone Air have an edge over Samsung's Galaxy phone? We'll be sure to let you know once we test the iPhone Air. Check back for our full reviews of all the new iPhones soon.
Until then, see what sets the four iPhone 17 models apart from one another, as well as what separates the iPhone 17 from the iPhone 16, what we think of the new iPhones.