Apple just unveiled the iPhone Air, and it’s turning heads with its ultraslim design. Keep reading to see why thin phones might finally make sense.

Apart from foldables, the designs of today’s phones haven’t changed much over the last decade. Phones keep getting bigger with larger batteries and sharper cameras, which seems to match what people want. Some people rave about thin phones, but for me, thickness sits at the bottom of my list. Laptops need slim builds for travel, but phones? I don’t see much benefit unless you skip features. Still, if you trade desk or car charging for that sleek feel, you may find the best thin smartphones appealing.

Apple offers you the iPhone Air, Samsung brings the Galaxy S25 Edge, and foldables keep pushing slimmer frames. My uncle goes for lean phones. He says they feel better in hand and handle drops with less risk. I get his view, and maybe you do, too. So if top-tier performance isn’t your goal, these are the slim phones I recommend.

Apple iPhone Air

Remember the original MacBook Air from 2008? It was crazy thin and way lighter than other laptops at the time. Fast forward to 2025, and the headline from Apple’s September 9 event is the iPhone Air ($999). This is Apple’s first new smartphone in a few years. The company released the device at an event with the “awe dropping” tagline from its headquarters in Cupertino, California

The iPhone Air stays super slim with ceramic shields on both sides, giving it extra toughness. It measures just 5.6 millimeters (0.22″) thick and feels incredibly light in your hand.

Battery life had everyone curious before the reveal. Apple didn’t go into full detail, but the Cupertino giant promised that even with its thin design, the Air still delivers all-day performance. The internal layout packs in as much battery as possible, and iOS 26 adds new power-saving features that learn your habits and predict when you might run low. Rumors had suggested the Air’s battery sits at 3,149 mAh, a bit smaller than the iPhone 13, but Apple claims it still holds up for everyday use. Yeah, Apple’s announcement was a relief.

Thin phone with best battery: TECNO POVA Slim

TECNO stepped in early, unveiling its slim phone before Apple could draw all the attention. The Hong Kong brand showed off the POVA Slim, which it calls the “world’s slimmest 3D-curved 5G phone” at 5.95 mm (0.23″). That number grabs attention, but the rest of the specs deserve a look, too.

Inside, the phone packs a 5,160 mAh battery, outpacing the moto G (2025) and its 5,000 mAh cell. For perspective, Motorola’s phone measures around 8.2 mm (0.32″), so TECNO fits more power into a frame far thinner.

The display plays its own role in the appeal. You get a 1.5K ultrabright AMOLED panel with a 144 Hz refresh rate. From my experience, the jump from 60 Hz up to 90, 120, and 144 Hz makes every swipe, scroll, and tap feel alive in your hand.

Super-thin phone: Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge ($1,099.99) puts thinness front and center. It measures 5.8 mm (0.23″) thick and weighs 168 grams (5.9 oz), making it feel even lighter than it looks. Pictures don’t capture how sleek it feels in hand.

Performance, software, and Galaxy AI match other S25 models. Natural language search works well. You can ask the S25 Edge to show multiple items at once, like “Show me pictures of cats,” and it finds them. This feature is perfect for anyone hoarding a large collection of photos and videos.

Even with the smallest battery (3,900 mAh) in the lineup, the S25 Edge still delivers solid battery life. Samsung claims it lasts all day, and user reports back that it does—but don’t count on extra hours beyond that.

Thinnest foldable phone: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 sits at 8.9 mm (0.35″) when folded and 4.2 mm (0.17″) when open. To give you an idea, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is 8.25 mm (0.32″), yet the Fold7 still comes out lighter than Apple’s big phone. That kind of design takes serious skill.

Now in its seventh run, the Fold7 ($1,999.99) steps up with strong hardware, wide and sharp screens, smooth multitasking, and smart software.

The 6.5-inch (165 mm) cover screen feels right for quick texting or scrolling. Flip it open and you get an 8-inch (203 mm) display that works great for ebooks, movies, or work. Many people say reading news articles or PDFs feels more natural on the big screen. Social apps benefit too, since pictures and videos show with more impact.

A 4,400 mAh battery keeps the Fold7 running just under 2 days with about 4 hours on each screen and several hours on 5G. That’s on par with previous Fold models and similar to regular slab phones.

Honor’s Magic V5

If you want a thin foldable without diving into Apple or Samsung, HONOR’s Magic V5 (£1,699.99 ≈ $2,309.72) makes a strong case. The Magic V2 first broke the 10 mm (0.39″) barrier, and now the V5 folds down to just 8.8 mm (0.35″). It’s so slim, the USB-C port almost touches the frame edges—any thinner, and it wouldn’t fit at all.

The real highlight is the operating system. HONOR’s MagicOS 9.0 works well with foldables, offering a smooth Android experience that makes the bigger screen useful for basic productivity. The only big snag? Netflix. Some people claim the app runs for about 10 minutes before throwing an error, and you need to restart the phone to keep watching.

Before you go

Buying a phone doesn’t happen every day, so you want to pick one that fits your needs. Once technology catches up and brands deliver slim models with solid battery, performance, and cameras, I think they will go mainstream.

If you’re after a thin phone today, I’ll be honest. You’ll trade battery life and camera quality unless you drop a huge amount of cash. Still, slim phones look sleek, modern, and premium. They give off a minimalist, high-design vibe, which can turn heads. Maybe that’s exactly what you want?