Ryan Haines / Android Authority
Somehow, I’ve become the resident thin phone guy at Android Authority. I’m not sure how I’ve done it, given my just-okay review of the Galaxy S25 Edge and my repeated concerns about how thin phones will all have the same problems, but here we are. And, as the thin phone guy, I now have the iPhone Air in my pocket.
Only, I’m not really keeping it in my pocket — it’s spending most of its time in my hand. Unlike the Galaxy S25 Edge, which feels slim just to prove a point, the iPhone Air is thin because nobody else can do it the same way. Sure, it comes with sacrifices, but I think the things it gets right make it the thin phone to beat.
There’s thin, and then there’s Air
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
Don’t get me wrong — the Galaxy S25 Edge is thin. When I first held it, I marveled at what Samsung managed to pull off, carefully holding the titanium edges so the phone wouldn’t slip out of my hand. And yet, I struggled to give Samsung full credit.
It felt like the Galaxy S25 Edge suffered from all the same design drawbacks as its Galaxy S25 siblings, just in a thinner form. Although slight, the titanium frame still felt industrial and somewhat sharp, making it uncomfortable to hold such a thin device. Tack on the twice-as-thick and dense camera bump in one corner, and the otherwise lightweight Edge became top-heavy.
Swapping a flat, industrial frame for a glossy, round one makes a whole world of difference.
By contrast, the iPhone Air feels like a pebble that has been washed smooth over time. It features a glossy, ever-so-slightly rounded titanium frame that rims all four sides of Ceramic Shield glass on the front and back, and it rises to meet the camera peninsula in a somewhat futuristic fashion. And yes, I realize that sounds like I’m simply praising the idea of a rounded frame over a flat one, but it’s more than that. Apple’s buttons are much easier to feel and press despite not sticking out as far, and its slightly smaller design makes everything much easier to reach.
Of course, I would be silly to sit here and tell you that the iPhone Air gives you more for your money. It doesn’t. It only has one rear camera, one speaker that lives in the earpiece, and a global eSIM-only design that puts the rest of the world on par with the iPhone restriction Americans have had for a few years.
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