Whether or not the Edge will replace the Plus next year is unclear. Either way, 2025 has both a Galaxy S25 Edge and an S25 Plus. With how much Samsung has been pushing the Edge, the slim phone ends up costing less than its sibling, even though its MSRP is $100 higher. For a detailed comparison between the two, check out our Galaxy S25+ vs. S25 Edge article.
Alternative flagships from OnePlus and Xiaomi, including the Poco sub-brand, are on sale too. The OnePlus 13 costs about the same as the small Galaxy S25 - but if you want a smaller device, check out the Xiaomi 15. There's also the Poco F7 Ultra as the most affordable Snapdragon 8 Elite phone and the Xiaomi 15 Ultra to challenge Samsung's Ultra to a camera shootout.
The 17 domination continued in week 40, Xiaomi and Apple's latest flagships remaining as the most popular phones in our database. The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max retained its crown, joined by its 17 Pro sibling and the iPhone 17 Pro Max on the rostrum. Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max The 15T Pro and the vanilla 17 make it four Xiaomi phones in the top 5 - quite the achievement for the Chinese maker.
The shift from 'smart' to 'ambient' represents a fundamental design philosophy change. Instead of users actively engaging with AI features, the technology anticipates needs, processes context, and responds proactively.
