Galaxy S25 Edge vs iPhone 16 Pro Max - brief hands-on.

Went to my local Best Buy and I was surprised to see the Galaxy S25 Edge on display. Naturally, I had to pull out my iPhone 16 Pro Max and compare the two. I think the bigger surprise isn’t really the thinness, but the lightness. You notice the lightness right away, and I think that’s the goal for both Samsung and Apple.

They’re not going for thinness, but for lightness.

Thinness just happens to be the by-product.

The screen bezels were about the same as the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and I hope the iPhone 17 Air bezels are just as small. The S25 Edge’s screen is slightly smaller at 6.7 inches vs 6.9 inches, and the S25 Edge is slightly narrower, making it even more comfortable to hold when you consider its 5.8mm thinness.

The baseline for finding that perfect balance between weight, size, and functionality is once again being challenged, instead of the old, “Go big or go home” mentality. To get 90% of the iPhone Pro Max experience with roughly a 33% weight reduction might be a fair trade-off for many people.

I think I’m sold.

September can’t come soon enough.

S25 Edge (left), iPhone 16 Pro Max (right)

S25 Edge (left), iPhone 16 Pro Max (right)

S25 Edge (left), iPhone 16 Pro Max (right)