Apple and Samsung are set to unveil their thinnest flagship phones yet this year: the iPhone 17 Air and the Galaxy S25 Edge respectively. These “ultra-slim” phones have a tempting design for sure, but is that enough to warrant a purchase over safer alternatives?
1Compromised Battery Life and Durability
These ultra-slim phones are very likely going to have worse battery life than their regular counterparts simply because there’s less room inside their casings to fit a sizable battery.
you’re able to mitigate this drawback by using newsilicon-carbon batterieswith higher energy density, but neither of these companies has started using this tech yet. Even then, most people would rather keep their phones the same thickness but have more battery life.
Case in point, the S25 Edge will have a 3900mAh cell according to aleaked certification. That’s 100mAh less than even the base Galaxy S25, which is a significantly smaller phone.
Thinner phones are also, by design, less durable, as they are less resilient to bending and impacts. Their inferior shock absorption could also make accidental drops more dangerous.
2Lighter and Doesn’t Feel Bulky in Pocket
The highlight feature of these slimmer phones is that they are notably lighter, so they won’t fatigue your hands as much and won’t feel bulky when stowed in your pocket.
As per credible leakerIce Universe, the Galaxy S25 Edge will weigh the same as the base S25 (162 grams) despite having a screen almost as big as the S25+, which weighs 190 grams.
3Offsets the Thickness of a Phone Case
Most people put a case on their phone, which adds to the overall weight and thickness, especially if it’s a rugged case or one with a built-in kickstand or cardholder.
A slimmer frame can help offset these unwanted consequences, so your phone remains protected without having to bear all that extra heft.
The iPhone 17 Air is rumored to have a 5.5mm chassis (not counting the camera bump), while the Galaxy S25 Edge may be slightly thicker at 5.84mm.
4Worse Heat Dissipation May Affect Performance
A thinner design leaves less room for large vapor chambers and heat sinks, so the S25 Edge and the iPhone 17 Air may suffer from inferior heat dissipation compared to other models.
This can potentially affect performance, as the devices are forced to throttle to avoid overheating. That said, if you only use your phone for basic tasks, you’ll likely be just fine.
5Camera Bump Is Disproportionately Big
A slimmer casing may make the camera bump feel massive in comparison. Camera components may be the hardest to miniaturize without sacrificing quality, as a smaller image sensor generally delivers worse photos.
Also, an unintended consequence of this design may be that the phones are much heavier at the top. This can make accidental drops more likely because the center of gravity is farther away from your palm, so you might want to buy a phone ring holder to ensure a good grip.
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6Case Can Be Flush With the Camera Bump
However, there’s an important silver lining here. Because the camera bump is bigger, manufacturers can design cases that are perfectly flush with it.
That way, the camera bump won’t protrude and wobble when put on a flat surface.
7Poor Value for Money
The S25 Edge doesn’t have a telephoto lens and will allegedly start at $999, just like the Galaxy S25+. Similarly, the iPhone 17 Air is rumored to house a single rear camera and will likely be priced close to the $899 iPhone 16 Plus.
Now, we don’t know if this was done to leave a bit more room for the battery or to bring down the cost, but either way, you’re not getting your money’s worth. Also, speakers on both devices will likely be smaller and, hence, not as loud.
Personally, a slimmer design is not a strong selling point, especially if it comes with this many sacrifices. I do like the idea a lot and I can’t wait to go hands-on with these devices, but I probably wouldn’t actually buy an ultra-slim phone just for its own sake. Sorry, Apple and Samsung, you’ll have to do better than this to win me over.
