Who knew, the iPhone Air did not have sufficient hype for Samsung

[ad_1] <img class="e_9g" decoding="async" loading="eager" sizes="(min-width: 64rem) 51.25rem, 80vw" title="Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge lying down hero" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Samsung-Galaxy-S25-Edge-lying-down-hero.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Samsung-Galaxy-S25-Edge-lying-down-hero-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Samsung-Galaxy-S25-Edge-lying-down-hero-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Samsung-Galaxy-S25-Edge-lying-down-hero-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Samsung-Galaxy-S25-Edge-lying-down-hero-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Samsung-Galaxy-S25-Edge-lying-down-hero-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Samsung-Galaxy-S25-Edge-lying-down-hero-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Samsung-Galaxy-S25-Edge-lying-down-hero-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge lying down hero" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Samsung-Galaxy-S25-Edge-lying-down-hero.jpg"/> Ryan Haines / Android Authority

Effectively, it’s occurred. Apparently, Samsung has determined to cancel the Galaxy S26 Edge. In a tragic, disappointing, and fully surprising transfer, there received’t be a second era of Samsung’s ultra-thin flagship. And, as somebody who has spent loads of time with the Galaxy S26 Edge, evaluating it to simply about each different flagship on the market, let me inform you, I’m shocked.

Besides I’m not. I’m not shocked, even a little bit bit. Samsung’s purpose with the Galaxy S25 Edge was clear from the beginning: To mooch off the hype for Apple’s upcoming iPhone Air. It needed to beat Apple to the punch, however in its haste, forgot learn how to make that punch land, and now there’s no escaping its most blatant copycat try but.

You possibly can’t beat Apple with a half-baked concept

<img class="e_9g" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 64rem) 51.25rem, 80vw" title="iPhone Air lying flat" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/iPhone-Air-lying-flat.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/iPhone-Air-lying-flat-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/iPhone-Air-lying-flat-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/iPhone-Air-lying-flat-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/iPhone-Air-lying-flat-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/iPhone-Air-lying-flat-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/iPhone-Air-lying-flat-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/iPhone-Air-lying-flat-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="iPhone Air lying flat" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/iPhone-Air-lying-flat.jpg"/> Ryan Haines / Android Authority

I nonetheless keep in mind Samsung’s first teaser of the Galaxy S25 Edge, virtually as if it had been only some months in the past — as a result of it was. Samsung included a clip of its ultra-thin smartphone coming collectively on the very finish of its bigger Galaxy S25 announcement, and it gave me only a glimmer of hope. In spite of everything, I’d been left so underwhelmed by the second annual Galaxy S24 launch that I used to be searching for any signal of life out of Samsung.

Nonetheless, by the point Samsung pulled the covers all the way in which again in Could 2025, it was clear that it had solely largely thought by its newest massive concept. Though the Galaxy S25 Edge actually met the standards for being skinny, it did so on the expense of its telephoto digicam, battery capability, and cooling know-how — all of that are fairly vital while you don’t have Apple’s diploma of management over optimization.

The Galaxy S25 Edge has a bunch of intelligent components that Samsung simply hasn't found out learn how to combine.

And, whereas I used to be more than pleased to marvel at Samsung’s design from the second I took the Edge out of its extra-thin field, I felt like the nice occasions stopped there. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset burned too brilliant for the Edge’s lack of cooling {hardware}, which then triggered the pint-sized 3,900mAh battery to drop like a stone, dragging the show brightness and sustained efficiency beneath load with it. Combine in a digicam duo that’s much less versatile than the one you get on the less expensive Galaxy S25 FE, and it turns into even more durable to justify spending $1,099 on the Edge.

In fact, I wasn’t positive simply how underbaked the Galaxy S25 Edge would actually really feel till Apple introduced its iPhone Air. When it did, it put its historical past of doing extra with much less on full show. No, I received’t make an excuse for Apple’s resolution to dot only one sensor on its digicam peninsula, however the remainder of the iPhone Air comes collectively in a means that Samsung didn’t match. It stretches an excellent smaller battery simply as far, squeezes comparable efficiency out of the A19 Professional chipset, and sports activities a slim titanium body that feels pure within the hand quite than boxy and industrial.

<img class="e_9g" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="calc(min(calc(100vw - 1.875rem), 51.25rem) / 2)" title="Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge thickness" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Samsung-Galaxy-S25-Edge-thickness.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Samsung-Galaxy-S25-Edge-thickness-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Samsung-Galaxy-S25-Edge-thickness-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Samsung-Galaxy-S25-Edge-thickness-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Samsung-Galaxy-S25-Edge-thickness-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Samsung-Galaxy-S25-Edge-thickness-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Samsung-Galaxy-S25-Edge-thickness-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Samsung-Galaxy-S25-Edge-thickness-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge thickness" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Samsung-Galaxy-S25-Edge-thickness.jpg"/><img class="e_9g" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="calc(min(calc(100vw - 1.875rem), 51.25rem) / 2)" title="iPhone Air camera bump thickness" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/iPhone-Air-camera-bump-thickness.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/iPhone-Air-camera-bump-thickness-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/iPhone-Air-camera-bump-thickness-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/iPhone-Air-camera-bump-thickness-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/iPhone-Air-camera-bump-thickness-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/iPhone-Air-camera-bump-thickness-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/iPhone-Air-camera-bump-thickness-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/iPhone-Air-camera-bump-thickness-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="iPhone Air camera bump thickness" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/iPhone-Air-camera-bump-thickness.jpg"/> Maybe worse for Samsung is the truth that I don’t love the iPhone Air, both. I believe it seems higher than the Edge, feels higher than the Edge, and runs smoother than the Edge, however it’s sure by most of the similar limitations. Its cooling {hardware} is ok, however not nice; its battery is actually tiny, and I’ve by no means needed a single digicam on a telephone that prices $1,000. And but, I’d come a lot nearer to utilizing the iPhone Air once more, just because it feels so good to carry.

The Galaxy S25 Edge flopped, however Samsung can study from it

<img class="e_9g" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 64rem) 51.25rem, 80vw" title="Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 split screen spotify chrome" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Samsung-Galaxy-Z-Fold-7-split-screen-spotify-chrome.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Samsung-Galaxy-Z-Fold-7-split-screen-spotify-chrome-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Samsung-Galaxy-Z-Fold-7-split-screen-spotify-chrome-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Samsung-Galaxy-Z-Fold-7-split-screen-spotify-chrome-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Samsung-Galaxy-Z-Fold-7-split-screen-spotify-chrome-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Samsung-Galaxy-Z-Fold-7-split-screen-spotify-chrome-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Samsung-Galaxy-Z-Fold-7-split-screen-spotify-chrome-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Samsung-Galaxy-Z-Fold-7-split-screen-spotify-chrome-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 split screen spotify chrome" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Samsung-Galaxy-Z-Fold-7-split-screen-spotify-chrome.jpg"/> Ryan Haines / Android Authority

If there’s one factor I would like Samsung to remove from the disappointing chapter that was the Galaxy S25 Edge launch, it’s this: Apple doesn’t all the time get it proper. It’s so simple as that. Simply because Apple determined to go slim for the iPhone Air doesn’t imply Samsung wanted to do the identical. Simply because it may beat Apple to market doesn’t imply it ought to have.

Extra particularly, I believe each Apple and Samsung invested too closely within the skinny telephone hype they created. I don’t know of anybody, whether or not an iOS fan or an Android fan, who has ever requested for a telephone that does much less, actually not one which does much less and prices extra. And, if Samsung had finished what it normally does — copied Apple after the actual fact — it will have realized that. It will have watched the iPhone Air convey up the rear of the iPhone 17 collection (in accordance with MacRumors and Morgan Stanley) and determined to not give it a strive.

Lesson primary: Apple would not know all the pieces.

As a substitute, Samsung jumped into the fireplace first, and I believe we will say it received burned. It discovered the laborious means which you can’t steal hype from a product that didn’t have a lot hype to start with, and which you can’t push the bounds of optimization when your opponent has lengthy been the king of smartphone optimization. However, now that the Galaxy S25 Edge exists — a minimum of for just a few extra months — Samsung must discover a silver lining. It must take a number of the {hardware} developments from the Edge and discover a solution to work them into different Galaxy units that individuals will truly purchase.

In my view, which means letting the Galaxy S25 Edge inform the way forward for the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold. It means studying classes from the subpar cooling structure that comes with an ultra-thin body, classes from pairing a smaller battery with a extra highly effective chipset, and classes from the concept that much less isn’t extra. Thus far, these classes have labored fairly nicely on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, however Samsung must push them even additional.

And, on the very least, Samsung must cease letting Apple act because the be-all and end-all trendsetter that it has someway turn into, as a result of it will be unable to beat Apple at its personal sport.