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Apple’s iPhone Air won MobileSyrup’s 2025 Phone of the Year award, with Samsung’s Galaxy S25+ named runner-up. The result is MobileSyrup’s editorial choice—not a consumer vote or a disclosed points-based ranking.
What MobileSyrup awarded
MobileSyrup announced the iPhone Air as its Phone of the Year on December 30, 2025. Its January 2, 2026 awards recap also lists the iPhone Air as the winner. The Galaxy S25+ placed second. MobileSyrup’s award feature and awards recap report the result.
Why the iPhone Air won
MobileSyrup describes the award as a team editorial selection informed by the phones its reviewers enjoyed using and found themselves returning to after reviews. The feature highlights the iPhone Air’s thin, light design and the way it feels in hand, describing it as “so great in your hand” and having an “incredibly thin and light body.” Those are the publication’s stated reasons for its choice, not the outcome of a published scoring rubric or controlled comparison.
The award feature also does not establish that the iPhone Air beats the Galaxy S25+ in battery life, camera performance, or benchmark scores. It records MobileSyrup’s preference, not a measured head-to-head result.
#1 Best Overall
- Universal Carrier Compatibility: This phone is unlocked and compatible with any carrier of choice on GSM and CDMA networks (e.g. AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, US Cellular, Cricket, Metro, Tracfone, Mint Mobile, etc.)
- Carrier Verification Required: Please check with your carrier to verify compatibility
- Simple Activation Process: When you receive the phone, insert a SIM card from a compatible carrier. Then, turn it on, connect to Wi-Fi, and follow the on screen prompts to activate service
- Package Contents: The device does not come with headphones or a SIM card. It does include a generic (Mfi certified) charger and charging cable
- Battery Health Guarantee: Tested for battery health and guaranteed to have a minimum battery capacity of 80%
What Apple says about the iPhone Air
Apple’s product information provides context for the design and hardware behind the award winner. Apple describes the phone as having a titanium design and a 6.5-inch display with ProMotion refresh rates up to 120 Hz. It lists an A19 Pro chip, a 48 MP Fusion main camera, and an 18 MP Center Stage front camera in its September 9, 2025 launch announcement.
Apple Canada lists the iPhone Air at 5.6 mm thick and 165 g. Those are manufacturer specifications, not independent measurements; the current figures appear on Apple Canada’s iPhone Air product page.
Rank #2
- Universal Carrier Compatibility: This phone is unlocked and compatible with any carrier of choice on GSM and CDMA networks (e.g. AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, US Cellular, Cricket, Metro, Tracfone, Mint Mobile, etc.)
- Carrier Verification Required: Please check with your carrier to verify compatibility
- Simple Activation Process: When you receive the phone, insert a SIM card from a compatible carrier. Then, turn it on, connect to Wi-Fi, and follow the on screen prompts to activate service
- Package Contents: The device does not come with headphones or a SIM card. It does include a generic (Mfi certified) charger and charging cable
- Battery Health Guarantee: Tested for battery health and guaranteed to have a minimum battery capacity of 80%
Apple’s launch statement also describes “great all-day battery life.” That is a manufacturer claim; the award coverage and product specifications cited here do not provide a controlled battery comparison with the Galaxy S25+.
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What the award means if you are choosing a phone
The award is useful as a signal of what MobileSyrup’s team valued in its experience with the iPhone Air: a notably slim, light design and an appealing in-hand feel. It does not settle whether the Air is the better choice for every buyer. If you are comparing it with the Galaxy S25+ or another 2025 phone, focus on the trade-offs that matter to you:
Quick Recap
Best Value
- This pre-owned product is not Apple certified, but has been professionally inspected, tested and cleaned by Amazon-qualified suppliers.
- There will be no visible cosmetic imperfections when held at an arm’s length.
- This product is eligible for a replacement or refund within 90 days of receipt if you are not satisfied.
- Product may come in generic Box.
Rank #4
- Universal Carrier Compatibility: This phone is unlocked and compatible with any carrier of choice on GSM and CDMA networks (e.g. AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, US Cellular, Cricket, Metro, Tracfone, Mint Mobile, etc.)
- Carrier Verification Required: Please check with your carrier to verify compatibility before use
- Simple Activation Process: When you receive the phone, insert a SIM card from a compatible carrier. Then, turn it on, connect to Wi-Fi, and follow the on screen prompts to activate service
- Package Contents: The device does not come with headphones or a SIM card. It does include a generic (Mfi certified) charger and charging cable
- Battery Health Guarantee: Tested for battery health and guaranteed to have a minimum battery capacity of 80%
Rank #3
- Universal Carrier Compatibility: This phone is unlocked and compatible with any carrier of choice on GSM and CDMA networks (e.g. AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, US Cellular, Cricket, Metro, Tracfone, Mint Mobile, etc.)
- Carrier Verification Required: Please check with your carrier to verify compatibility
- Simple Activation Process: When you receive the phone, insert a SIM card from a compatible carrier. Then, turn it on, connect to Wi-Fi, and follow the on screen prompts to activate service
- Package Contents: The device does not come with headphones or a SIM card. It does include a generic (Mfi certified) charger and charging cable
- Battery Health Guarantee: Tested for battery health and guaranteed to have a minimum battery capacity of 80%
- Handling: Consider the Air’s slimness and listed weight alongside how a phone feels and fits your routine.
- Display: Apple lists a 6.5-inch screen with ProMotion up to 120 Hz; compare display size and refresh-rate details for any alternative using that manufacturer’s specifications.
- Photography: Apple lists a 48 MP Fusion main camera and an 18 MP Center Stage front camera. Resolution and camera names alone do not establish which phone takes better photos.
- Performance and everyday use: Apple identifies the Air’s processor as A19 Pro, but the award result is not a benchmark. Compare independent tests and the features you use before treating one editorial choice as proof of overall superiority.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
