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Thin smartphones never really went away, but they have fallen a little out of fashion in recent years.
Sleek design still matters, but not if it comes at the expense of usability.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
And yet 2025 looks set to be the year that manufacturers likeAppleandSamsungtake another serious swing at the ultra-thin dream.
Back in the early 2010s, there was a clear obsession with making devices slimmer with each release.
At the time, thinness was treated as a headline feature, often associated with innovation and premium engineering.
At 6.9mm thick, the iPhone 6 is the thinnest iPhone to date
But the compromises quickly became apparent.
Thinner phones typically meant smaller batteries, inferior thermal performance, and more fragile frames.
In some cases, camera quality was affected by the lack of space for larger sensors and stabilization hardware.
An unofficial image of the iPhone 17 Air
The industry gradually shifted focus, recognizing that usability and longevity mattered more than shaving off an extra millimeter.
That shift is reflected in the flagship phones we see today.
In hindsight, its clear why the ultra-thin trend faded.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge on display at Galaxy Unpacked
Why thin is back on the menu, boys
So why is ultra-thin making a comeback now?
Part of it comes down to advances in materials and internal design.
Smartphone components, from chipsets like Apple’sM-series chipsto batteries, have become more compact and efficient.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
But theres also a clear marketing play at work here.
What would we lose?
While ultra-thin smartphones might look impressive, they almost always come with compromises and theyre rarely minor.
Chief among the potential problems is battery life.
Camera systems are another concern.
Theres also the issue of thermal performance.
With increasingly powerful processors and AI workloads running on-rig, managing heat is becoming more important, not less.
And then theres usability.
Thinner phones often mean fewer ports, smaller speakers, and less tactile buttons.
Elegance vs everyday use: Is it worth the trade-off?
None of this is to say ultra-thin smartphones shouldnt exist.
Theres real appeal in lighter, sleeker devices, especially if they stand apart fromincreasingly indistinguishable flagship designs.
But thinness, on its own, is not innovation.
