Slim phones may be doomed, but even you’re not completely sure about it

For quite some time, smartphone design trends followed a simple and predictable pattern. A leading brand, typically Apple, releases a new design, met with an initial outcry, followed by commercial success and numerous iterations by other companies. In 2025, that pattern was broken.

Samsung and Apple both launched ultra slim smartphones, but strong interest did not follow the initial outcry. In fact, the Galaxy S25 Edge and the iPhone Air have both recorded such bad sales that the whole industry is reconsidering copying them. You are also questioning the idea.

Most of you think slim smartphones are doomed

At least that’s what the results of a poll we ran over the last couple of weeks show. We asked you if you thought ultra slim smartphones have a future, and a small majority of the answers were negative. However, a little over 46% of you still think there’s a chance for those devices.



It’s easy to understand the doomsayers. Samsung has reportedly reconsidered launching the Galaxy S26 Edge because of abysmal sales of its predecessor, Apple may delay the iPhone Air 2, and Chinese brands are halting the development of their own iterations on the idea. That’s certainly not what a bright future looks like.

Looking at the current ultra slim smartphones doesn’t make things much better. Both the iPhone Air and the Galaxy S25 Edge are riddled with compromises, mainly with the battery capacity. They have fewer cameras with lower quality and performance limitations, which makes them less attractive to anyone who’s not bothered by a thicker design.

There could still be hope

On this question, I’d side with the minority because I still think there’s hope for the ultra slim phones. We’ve already seen devices like the Motorola Edge 70 and the Huawei Mate 70 Air, which have addressed some of the major issues of Apple and Samsung’s devices. They offer significantly larger batteries and are more affordable, and I’m sure other brands will follow with a similar approach.



While I don’t expect Apple and Samsung to lower their prices, I’d be surprised if their second-generation ultra slim phones don’t come with major improvements. Larger batteries, improved thermals, and better cameras could make those devices appealing to more people. Paired with the constant energy efficiency improvements of modern processors, that could make future iPhone Air and Galaxy Edge models much less of a compromise.

Slim phones don’t need to be best-sellers

What’s probably the most important caveat is that the ultra slim models don’t need to outsell the Pro and Ultra devices. Selling to enough people to cover the development costs and boast about the innovative design would be enough for any manufacturer. I am sure it will be enough for Apple and Samsung, too.

Apple kept the iPhone Mini and the iPhone Plus for years before cancelling them. Samsung has a giant portfolio of devices that covers every price point and spec imaginable. I hope they both continue to give chances to the concept, and maybe one day we’ll all rock 5 mm-thick phones.

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