Rumors circulating from Asia suggest that Samsung may follow Apple's iPhone 17 range model positioning by discontinuing its own "plus" variant the next year.
Due to poor sales, Apple is anticipated to discontinue the "Plus" model of the most recent iPhone lineup this year and replace it with the brand-new, incredibly thin "Air" variant. The iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max will be replaced by the iPhone 17, 17 Air, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max.
At the moment, Samsung's competitors include the Galaxy S25, S25+, S25 Edge, and S25 Ultra. "Instant Digital," a Weibo leaker, claims that Samsung may replace its Plus model with the ultra-thin Edge next year, following Apple's lead. The Galaxy S26, S26 Edge, and S26 Ultra would make up the new lineup.
There is a lot of overlap between the S25+ and S25 Edge; they both include a 6.7-inch display, a Snapdragon 8 CPU, a 50-megapixel primary camera, and more. The Galaxy Edge's ultra-thin design, lack of a telephoto camera, and switch to titanium from aluminum are some of its main distinctions.
Samsung released a remarkably tiny smartphone earlier this year, the S25 Edge, which is only 5.8 mm thick, ahead of Apple. At 5.5mm, Apple's iPhone 17 Air might be even slimmer. It is anticipated to go on sale in the fall along with the other iPhone 17 versions.