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iPhone 17 Air, Galaxy S26 Edge, and Pixel 10: this is the year base flagships turn into midrangers

This year's standard flagships sound like total ripoffs.

By Anam Hamid

Published: Aug 06, 2025, 12:34 PM

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This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.

Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 Edge | Image Credit - PhoneArena

Apple, Google, and Samsung are all rumored to shake up their lineups in one way or another this year, and I think this is nothing more than an exercise in degrading the experience for value-conscious flagship customers.

Smartphones are broadly divided into three categories: affordable, mid-tier, and high-end. As if it weren't enough that flagship models are already quite expensive, smartphone makers increasingly want to nudge you towards the variants with the most bells and whistles and the biggest price tag. This presumed strategy will be on display this year with the rumored iPhone 17 Air, Galaxy S26 Edge, and Pixel 10.

Less phone for the same price

Slimmer smartphones are supposed to be better. We spend every waking moment with our smartphones, and I don't even want to think about what that's doing to our wrists.

The reason smartphones ballooned in size in the first place is that they pack more tech than before. This is why flagships are far heavier than cheap phones.

The iPhone 17 Air and the Galaxy S26 Edge want to remedy that by offering you flagship specs in a thinner package. The only problem is that they will make far too many trade-offs to be considered high-end phones. And despite offering inferior specs, they will likely cost the same as the handsets they are replacing in their respective lineups. They are already beginning to sound like ripoffs.

Galaxy S26 Edge will replace Galaxy S26 Plus

Galaxy S25 Edge. | Image Credit - PhoneArena

Yes, the Galaxy S25 Edge already exists, but it's more of an afterthought now. However, the Galaxy S26 Edge will be the only option for those who want something better than the base Galaxy S26 but don't want to splurge on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

It's unlikely to fill the void that would be left by the discontinuation of the Plus model. It's rumored 4,200mAh battery will still be no match for the Galaxy S26 Plus's 4,900mAh cell, and it will have a dual-camera setup, as opposed to the Plus variant's triple-sensor array.

And while pricing details are yet to surface, the Edge will likely cost the same as the Plus. That would be a step back in terms of value.

Is a phone with a small battery and middling camera worthy of a flagship price?

iPhone 17 Air will be further proof that thinner isn't always better

iPhone 17 Air renders

The iPhone 17 Air sounds even harder to justify than the Galaxy S25 Edge. The device is rumored to pack a laughably small 2,900mAh battery and a single rear camera.

This model will likely sit above the base model and will probably cost the same as the soon-to-be-discontinued Plus model, which offers both a beefier battery and an ultra-wide sensor.

Pixel 10 is attempting something similar

The base Pixel model will have three rear cameras for the first time. | Image Credit - Android Headlines

On the surface, the Pixel 10 is an upgrade over the Pixel 9 with its third telephoto camera. It's even rumored to cost the same as the Pixel 9.

That doesn't mean the device will pack more value. According to one report, the Pixel 10 will use smaller sensors for the primary and ultrawide cameras. This could potentially affect its chances of making it to the best camera phones of 2025 list.

After all, cameras are the main selling points of the Pixel 10, and equipping the Pixel 10 with the same sensors as the mid-tier Pixel 9a is a downgrade.

Taking all of this together, it looks like the base flagship models from Apple, Google, and Samsung will be nothing more than spruced-up mid-tier variants. Yes, they will come equipped with blazing-fast chips and high-quality screens, but they will be lacking in the other key areas that separate a flagship from a midranger.

I don't know whether this is a move to convince customers to shell out for the priciest models or part of a broader strategy to do away with spruced-up mid-tier phones. There were some rumors about Google discontinuing the a series, for instance.

Either way, springing for a flagship will no longer be enough to enjoy top-shelf specs; you must also make sure to choose the highest-end model.

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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.

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