Poor iPhone Air Sales Help Seal the Fate of Galaxy S26 Edge

Earlier this year, Samsung launched its first ultra-slim flagship, the Galaxy S25 Edge, positioning it as the start of a new design direction. A more refined and better-rounded Galaxy S26 Edge was expected to follow in 2026, and early leaks pointed to meaningful upgrades. That momentum, however, stalled abruptly, as Samsung has halted development of the next Edge. The reasons are now coming into focus, and the iPhone Air is also to blame.

Samsung canceled Galaxy S26 Edge because it saw no future for slim flagships

The Galaxy S25 Edge showed early promise but fell short in a few key areas. Its cameras and, more notably, its battery felt underwhelming for the asking price. Samsung planned to address these shortcomings with the Galaxy S26 Edge next year. However, that plan has now been scrapped, reflecting a broader rethink of the ultra-thin flagship category. Both Samsung and Apple seemingly misjudged the market.

Samsung’s confidence in slim flagships was largely tied to expectations around sales of the Galaxy S25 Edge. Those expectations, however, were not met. While the phone generated early buzz for its sleek design, real-world demand reportedly fell short of internal targets. Even then, the company went ahead with the development of the S26 Edge. But then, Apple entered the scene with its ultra-thin iPhone Air, and everything changed.

The iPhone Air suffered a similar fate, making it clear that there’s no market for “half-baked” slim flagships. Apple now has no plans to launch a sequel, at least not in 2026. Likewise, Samsung has also shelved the Galaxy S26 Edge for the time being. The companies may revisit the ultra-thin flagship experiment in the future, but it’s on pause for now. It will be interesting to see who makes the next move: Apple or Samsung.