With Apple and Samsung preparing their upcoming launches, a fresh leak has added fuel to the rivalry. This time, it’s all about thinness. Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Air is tipped to become the slimmest premium phone ever, but numbers suggest it may not outdo Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26 Edge—especially when it comes to battery life.
According to a deleted post from leaker @Jukanlosreve, the iPhone 17 Air will measure just 5.5 mm thick. That’s slightly slimmer than the Galaxy S25 Edge at 5.8 mm, giving Apple bragging rights as the world’s thinnest flagship for now. The iPhone also comes in lighter at 145 grams versus 163 grams for Samsung’s model.
That diet comes at a cost, though. The iPhone 17 Air is said to pack a battery of only around 3,036 mAh, much smaller than the Edge’s 3,900 mAh cell. Samsung’s upcoming S26 Edge, expected in January, is also rumored to come in at 5.5 mm—matching the iPhone 17 Air’s thickness.
Despite its thin build, Apple’s phone will actually be taller and wider than Samsung’s S25 Edge—163 x 77.6 mm compared to 158.2 x 75.6 mm—making the Galaxy the more compact device overall. The S25 Edge also carries a larger 6.7-inch screen with 3,120 x 1,440 resolution, while the iPhone sticks to a 6.6-inch ProMotion display at 2,740 x 1,260. Both are expected to support 120 Hz refresh rates, based on leaked slides from Korean carrier KT.
Samsung also looks to have the upper hand on memory, with 12 GB of RAM versus Apple’s 8 GB. Pricing for the iPhone 17 Air is rumored to start at about $1,010 in Korea (1.4 million KRW).
The iPhone 17 Air is shaping up to be a showcase for Apple’s design ambitions—thinner and lighter than anything else in the premium space. But Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge looks like the more practical choice, at least on paper. And with the Galaxy S26 Edge likely to improve further, those not tied to Apple’s ecosystem and willing to wait might find Samsung’s option the smarter buy.
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