Apple might've just launched the iPhone Air with a ton of buzz around it, but it's not the only super-thin phone around. While Apple's new model is impressive in a number of ways, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge is looking to steal some of its thunder thanks to an Amazon deal that has down to its all-time lowest price.
For a limited time, you can snag an unlocked version of the Galaxy S25 Edge for $699 — 36% off from its normal price. When the S25 Edge launched back in May, I thought its $1,099 cost was way too high, but the discounted price makes it way more reasonable. And most importantly, I think it’s the better thin phone than the iPhone Air. Here’s why.
Way better AI features
Without a doubt, the Galaxy S25 Edge’s Galaxy AI features are much better than any of the AI features with the iPhone Air. I think Apple dropped the ball by not really introducing more new Apple Intelligence features with its latest phones; as a result, the gap with what the Galaxy S25 Edge offers is more noticeable than ever.
The biggest difference comes from Samsung's cross-app actions feature, which relies on a combination of AI agents on the Galaxy S25 Edge to perform complex tasks. I can speak a command, like asking when and where Linkin Park’s playing next, while creating a calendar event for that to remind me about it later. You don’t get that on the iPhone Air.
There’s also the generative AI features of the Galaxy S25 Edge's photo editing tools, like how Generative Edit is light years better at removing unwanted stuff in photos. In fact, I put it to the test against Apple’s Photo Clean Up feature and the results are a one-sided win for Samsung. Just look at the photos above of Microsoft's Panos Panay to see how Galaxy AI does the better job of erasing.
A better camera experience
While I continue to test out the iPhone Air vs Galaxy S25 Edge with a proper photo shootout, I will say that Samsung’s thin phone has the better camera experience. For starters, it has the immediate advantage of having two cameras instead of the one on the iPhone Air. The ultrawide camera on the back of the S25 Edge gives me just an extra layer of utility to better capture sprawling landscapes and scrunch in more people with group shots.
But it doesn’t end there because as a videographer, the Galaxy S25 Edge’s camera app offers the tools and modes that I crave. Sure, the iPhone Air has some excellent features, like Dual Capture, but Samsung has long offered dual recording functionality — and it’s also available with the S25 Edge.
Computer in my pocket
Although there’s always ongoing debate about whether the iPhone or Android is the better platform, the One UI 7 experience with the Galaxy S25 Edge has one feature you won’t get on any iPhone. It’s Samsung DeX, which allows the phone to act much like a desktop PC when it’s connected to a monitor.
I continually use Samsung DeX because of how it offers that PC-like experience with multiple apps running simultaneously — whereas the iPhone Air really doesn’t have proper multitasking. Samsung DeX offers window tiling similar to what you’d find with Windows 11.
Even without DeX, One UI 7 on the Galaxy S25 Edge still beats the iPhone Air when it comes to productivity. That’s because I can run up to 3 apps at the same time, which makes it even more of a breeze when I’m copying and pasting one thing to another app. You won’t get that with the iPhone Air. And with the One UI 8 global rollout underway, the Galaxy S25 Edge will soon enjoy a software update.
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