Samsung Probably Won’t Let Apple’s iPhone Air Steal the Edge

Just how many phones does Samsung launch every year? Probably too many to count. But when it comes to flagships, it’s usually three or four like in 2025. And even though the rumor mill keeps insisting that Samsung has given up on the Galaxy S26 Edge, something about that doesn’t sit right with me.

Honestly, I’ve seen people pick the Edge over the Ultra, and yes, that might make you roll your eyes. But here’s the thing: people like you or me don’t make up a big slice of the market. Most buyers don’t care about sensor binning or PWM dimming. They just want a phone that looks and feels nice, without being too big. And some are even ready to pay a premium for it. The Edge has always fit that sweet spot: a more premium feel than the base Galaxy S, but not as bulky as the Ultra.

Apple hasn’t given up on iPhone Air form factor yet, according to market research

Earlier today, Samsung Korea posted a few playful jabs at the iPhone Air. The timing couldn’t be more interesting. It comes right when reports suggest sluggish sales for these ultra-thin phones — and whispers that the market might not be ready for them yet. After hearing about Samsung possibly axing the S26 Edge, some reports even claimed Apple was scaling back its iPhone Air shipment targets. Which they might be, I don’t deny.

But here’s the twist. JP Morgan believes Apple already has at least two successors to the iPhone Air in the works (h/t Max Weinbach on X). And to be fair, JP Morgan’s Apple forecasts have aged pretty well, especially their spot-on prediction about the iPhone 17 series pricing.

Samsung better hold on to the Edge, or it might just hand over all the Airs to Apple

If Apple is doubling down on thin and light, Samsung won’t walk away from that battlefield so easily. The Air might not break records in sales or specs, but it sells an idea — something elegant, light, and different from the rest of the lineup. And that’s exactly where the Edge shines. It looks premium, and gives Samsung a middle-ground phone that actually made sense for a lot of people.

So if Apple does launch the iPhone 17 Air in 2026 and 2027, you can probably see where this is going. Samsung wouldn’t want to leave that market gap wide open. My guess? We’ll see a successor to the Galaxy S25 Edge, maybe not along with S26 siblings in February, but definitely later down the road. Killing off the Edge might sound logical on paper, but history says Samsung never lets Apple own a form factor unchallenged.