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A recent PhoneBuff battery drain test put Samsung's Galaxy S25 Edge head-to-head with Apple's new iPhone Air. The result was razor-close: the S25 Edge eked out a win by just one minute, showing that battery capacity still matters even when a handset uses highly efficient components.
How the PhoneBuff drain test unfolded
PhoneBuff ran both phones through an identical, automated battery loop meant to reflect mixed real-world usage. Displays were calibrated to 200 nits, Wi-Fi and GPS were enabled for mapping, and both devices followed the same sequence of tasks: a one-hour phone call, email triage, continuous web browsing, gaming with Alto's Adventure, Google Maps navigation, a 16-hour standby segment, and finishing with a demanding Snapchat session.
Why the S25 Edge pulled ahead
Apple equipped the iPhone Air with the in-house C1X 5G modem and the N1 wireless chip, plus an LTPO OLED display. Those parts are designed to be power efficient, and they showed their strengths in several stages of the test. Still, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge carried a slight advantage: a larger battery. Over long, mixed use that extra capacity proved decisive.
PhoneBuff also pointed out a hardware nuance that may have affected the outcome. The S25 Edge uses a stereo speaker setup, while the iPhone Air has a single speaker. To match perceived loudness in the test, the iPhone Air’s single speaker had to be driven harder, which can increase power draw during audio-heavy segments.
Detailed runtime figures
Both phones delivered impressive totals, but the S25 Edge finished just ahead.
- iPhone Air — Active time: 9 hours 58 minutes; Standby: 16 hours; Total: 25 hours 58 minutes
- Galaxy S25 Edge — Active time: 9 hours 59 minutes; Standby: 16 hours; Total: 25 hours 59 minutes
PhoneBuff described the result as effectively a tie, yet that one-minute margin gives the S25 Edge the technical win. The iPhone Air narrowed the gap in several tests, including gaming and the final Snapchat session, suggesting strong efficiency and good software optimization for iOS in specific apps.
Practical takeaway for buyers
For everyday users the differences will be subtle. If you prioritize the longest possible uptime under heavy mixed usage, a larger battery still helps. But if you value system-level efficiency, tightly tuned components like Apple's C1X modem and N1 wireless chip can deliver excellent endurance too. When choosing between these two flagships, consider battery capacity, speaker setup, and how you use power-hungry apps like navigation and social media.
Conclusion
The PhoneBuff battery drain test shows that hardware efficiency and software tuning matter, but so does raw battery capacity. The Galaxy S25 Edge won by the smallest of margins, proving that even the most efficient internals may not fully offset a smaller cell. For most users, both phones offer strong all-day battery life, and the choice will come down to personal preferences and ecosystem loyalty.
Source: wccftech
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