With the launch of the upcoming Galaxy S25 Edge and the iPhone 17 Air, slim phones are back in the spotlight. It’s a trend that frankly no one asked for and a category that has perhaps died a long time ago. So while Chinese OEMs hop onto the Silicon Carbon trend and cram as much battery as possible, Apple and Samsung are working on a trend no one wanted: Slim phones. But why are both companies obsessed with something that no one cares about? Well, there are multiple reasons, and it’s time to decode them.
Table of Contents
A Brief History of Slim Phones: Who Started This Trend and Why?
Samsung and Apple aren’t exactly reinventing the wheel with slim phones. They date back to a decade ago when phones had plastic backs and removable batteries. Remember the Motorola Razr series and the Sony Xperia Z lineup? Well, they made slim phones popular even before they were a thing.
Samsung is no stranger to slim phones, as the company introduced the first Galaxy S measuring just 9.9mm. It was thinner than the original iPhone that made its debut three years earlier and measured 11.6mm. Even Apple learned a trick or two from Samsung when it launched the iPhone 4 by marketing it as the slimmest phone at just 9.3mm.
Later in 2015, Samsung introduced the Galaxy A8, which was the slimmest phone yet at 5.9mm. Other manufacturers followed suit with the Vivo X5 Max at 4.75mm and the Oppo R5 and 4.85mm. Even Motorola continued its legacy of making thin phones by creating the Droid Razr, measuring just 7.1mm.
But these phones often compromised on battery and durability to achieve their slim form factor. They lasted only a few hours compared to their regular counterparts.
Despite being shockingly thin, these slim phones still managed to offer a 3.5mm headphone jack, with the X5 Max having a built-in DAC. History lessons aside, the point is that slim phones aren’t a completely new trend, so why are Samsung and Apple caring about them now?
Reason 1: Lack of Innovation
The smartphone market has hit a point of saturation as manufacturers try to stand out either with quirky software or by simply throwing in more powerful hardware. However, the hardware has pretty much matured to the point that the average person cannot differentiate between the Snapdragon 8 Elite and 8 Gen 3. We are way past the hype over benchmarks and speed tests, as most mid-range phones out there are fast enough for basic tasks.
Even for a power user, a mid-range chip like the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 or MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra should suffice. But companies need a new feature to advertise their phones every year, and giants like Samsung and Apple aren’t usually the first to board the innovation train.
They need a “groundbreaking feature” to make their phone stand out from the rest of the crowd. For instance, the main selling point of the S25 Ultra is the S-Pen, while Apple relies on the charm of its closed ecosystem to push numbers.
There’s no hiding the fact that Apple and Samsung like to play it safe when it comes to their flagship phones. Instead of making the S25 Plus slimmer, Samsung wants to introduce the S25 Edge to test the waters.
Similarly, Apple is planning to kill the less popular Plus model in favor of the iPhone 17 Air/Slim to bring back its lost mojo. After the introduction of Action Button and Camera Control Button, Cupertino doesn’t have any major cards left up its sleeve, and shaking up the design could be its last big bet.
Also Read:
Reason 2: Fumbling Software and Failure to Keep Promises
Both Samsung and Apple have been faltering on the software front lately. Let’s be honest, Samsung’s One UI 7 update is a huge mess with so many delays and bugs that users have stopped asking for it. With many Samsung phones yet to get Android 15, the company hasn’t exactly been succeeding on the software front.
Similarly, Apple has been struggling with the rollout of Apple Intelligence to the extent that lawsuits have been filed against the company. iOS hasn’t been the smoothest either, with plenty of bugs and bumps along the way. So both companies need a distraction, and what better than new hardware to grab the audience’s?
The iPhone 17 Air and the S25 Edge, with their razor-sharp design, could add a desirability factor. Even though the majority of people use their phones with a case, there is no doubt that a lighter and slimmer device will still have its appeal. It could divert all the eyeballs over the trouble brewing in those companies to their upcoming product.
Reason 3: One More Thing to Keep the Audience Excited
Apple always likes to reveal that “one more thing” at the end of their presentation to keep everyone on the edge. While those surprise reveals have taken a backseat in recent years, it was a frequent occurrence during the Steve Jobs era.
From the MacBook Air to the iPhone X, there are plenty of “one more things” at Apple’s annual events. This year, it’s the time for the iPhone 17 Air, which will have a single camera and a completely different design from the rest of the lineup.
Similarly, after the S25 series offered only incremental updates, Samsung teased the S25 Edge at the end of the keynote to reignite excitement. The South Korean giant has managed to keep the hype machine running by showcasing the S25 Edge at various events and having a separate launch timeline for it.
Samsung has also revealed that it’s working on a tri-fold phone reportedly called the G-Fold. Creating these unique products will not only help these brands grab headlines but also push sales by creating a buzz in the market.
Reason 4: Apple and Samsung Cannot Compete With Chinese OEMs
Apple and Samsung are among the last to adopt new tech. Take silicon-carbon batteries, for instance, both companies are yet to utilize the tech in their smartphones. The upcoming Galaxy S26 might not get it.
Whether it’s IP69 ratings, superfast charging, 1-inch camera sensors, high PWM dimming, or superzoom camera lenses, there are so many things that Apple and Samsung could learn from their Chinese counterparts. Moreover, Chinese OEMs aren’t shy of collaborating with brands like Leica, Zeiss, or Hasselblad to improve their camera processing.
Ever since the Note 7 fiasco, Samsung has stopped taking risks and has been playing it safe. From the S20 Ultra to the S25 Ultra, the battery capacity and charging speed have remained the same. Apart from making iterative changes in design and software, there hasn’t been any major leap, to be honest.
Similarly, Apple conveniently copies features like 120Hz, USB-C port, wireless charging, Always On Display, and more from Android phones once the tech matures. And what’s funny is the fact that the company often markets this as some sort of “groundbreaking innovation”.
What are Samsung and Apple Sacrificing to Make Phones Thin?
So what’s the catch behind thin phones? Well, the battery life, for starters. Take the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. It is expected to pack a 3,900mAh battery, the lowest among the S25 series.
It is even lower than the 4,000mAh found on the Samsung Galaxy S25. Similarly, the iPhone 17 Air is said to have a battery on par with the iPhone 16, meaning it could boast a 3,561mAh cell. Both phones will have the lowest capacities among their respective lineup.
Despite what Apple and Samsung would like you to believe that the efficiency gains could make up for smaller battery, they sadly can’t. Another letdown is the cameras, as the S25 Edge and iPhone 17 Air have fewer cameras than their peers.
The S25 Edge skips on telephoto lens while the iPhone 17 Air has a single camera setup, a huge letdown by 2025 standards. It is the cost that you need to pay for getting that slim phone experience.
Some of the other tradeoffs include potentially less durable design and a smaller cooling chamber, leading to lower peak performance. While you might appreciate the slim design at first glance, the novelty factor will eventually wear off as you realize that your flagship can’t even last an entire day.
Are Slim Phones the Future?
Maybe, but phones will be slim in the future, not because manufacturers want to make their phones slim, but as a natural result of silicon-carbon batteries. As battery technology evolves, most flagship phones will automatically become slimmer.
These slim phones are easier to carry and fit inside your pocket. Their main target audience is influencers, celebrities, businessmen, and those who prefer aesthetics over everything else. Many people want a smartphone without the heft and bulk that comes with it.
It’s a niche audience just like the market for compact phones. However, there is no one ranting on social media to make phones thinner, unlike the demand for compact phones. It’s the opposite since most users prefer a bigger battery over a slimmer design.
So don’t be surprised if your favorite celebrity is spotted using an iPhone 17 Air or S25 Edge. Given that both companies are the trendsetters in the industry, it won’t be a surprise if other manufacturers join the madness of making the slimmest phone possible.
Tecno recently showcased the Spark Slim at MWC, measuring just 5.75mm. Unlike Samsung and Apple, it uses silicon-carbon batteries. Still, it can’t beat the iPhone 17 Air and S25 Edge, which measure 5.5mm and 5.84mm, respectively.
So, whether or not these slim phones witness a second death or take us back to those days of glory when phones were fun is only a matter of time.
