The return of thin phones in 2025? A new wave of ultra-thin smartphones is clearly coming in 2025 – the iPhone 17 Air and Galaxy S25 Edge promise elegance, but thinness almost always means compromises. Will we get burned again, like with the iPhone 6?
If someone had told me in 2020 that Apple would launch in 2025 “iPhone Air”, you would think it was a wireless concept that floats above the table and is charged by the wind. But here we are – iPhone 17 Air and Galaxy S25 Edge are coming, both with the promise of an ultra-thin design that is supposed to be “sexy.” And yes, those are actual words from Samsung representatives. So – the return of thin phones 2025!
But – are elegance and slimness really enough to convince users who have grown to love powerful, but slightly more rugged phones in recent years? If history doesn't forgive anything, it's form without substance. And smartphones from the early 2010s can teach us a lot.
The return of thin phones 2025: a retro future - why we've already abandoned thinness
Remember the iPhone 6? In 2014, the world was amazed – just 6.9 mm thick! It was light, sleek, and… bendable. Literally. “Bendgate” became the first viral Apple scandal, in which phones bent in users’ pockets. Motorola Moto Z, Oppo R5 – they all sacrificed battery, durability, and cameras for a few millimeters less.
The industry then sobered up: most of today's flagships measure between 7.5 and 9 mm, but they offer batteries with a capacity of over 5000 mAh, advanced cameras and thermal efficiency. Because in a world where we replace our phones every 2-3 years, the priority is one: that it works. All day. Every day.
Why is thinness “in” again?
1. Component progress: Chips have become smaller and more efficient. Apple's A19 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 are designed with 3nm technology. The same goes for batteries - new lithium-polymer cells allow for more power in less space. The return of thin phones 2025!
2. AI optimization: Software today does more with less. AI-driven power and cooling systems reduce the physical need for a massive cooling system. The return of thin phones 2025!
3. Marketing and Differentiation: The iPhone Air is not just a device, it is design statementIn a sea of similar Pro, Ultra, Max, and Plus models, “thinnest iPhone ever” is the catchphrase.
And let's not forget – after the pandemic and recession, companies want that old “Wow, we've never seen anything like this” feeling again. Thinness is sexy again because it's rare again.
Trade-offs: What will we lose for a millimeter less? The return of thin phones in 2025?
1. Battery: Physics is still queen
A thinner phone means less space for a battery. The Galaxy S25 Edge is said to have a battery of around 3900 mAh – a number closer to the mid-range than the premium flagship. With a 120Hz display and an AI-powered OS, 100 % in the morning will quickly become 10 % before sunset.
2. Cameras: less space, less magic
Big sensors, periscope lenses, stabilization – all of these things take up space. If Apple does launch the iPhone 17 Air with a single camera (like the iPhone SE), it will be a step backwards, not forwards. No matter how thin it is, users want more than one “social media ready” lens.
3. Cold shower: overheating problems
AI processes, graphics-intensive games, 4K video recording… all of this generates heat. And a thin phone has less metal, less space, and less room for passive or active cooling. There’s nothing worse than a phone that’s running hot—except maybe one that’s automatically slowing down.
4. Usability: minimalistic, but to the point of uselessness
Remember the headphone jack? The microSD slot? The physical buttons you feel under your fingers? Slim design often means these things are removed in the name of “clean lines.” But “minimalism” is often just marketing cover for “we made space because we had no other choice.”
Is thin really smarter?
Make no mistake – we’re not against aesthetics. An ultra-thin phone can function as a secondary device, something for events, travel, or for those for whom form matters more than functionality. But these phones shouldn’t become the only choice. The iPhone 17 Air and Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge should exist as “additional choices” – not replacements for flagship models that already balance performance and design.
Thin, with brains – or nothing at all
If we have learned anything in recent 15 years of smartphones, is that beauty means nothing if the phone is turned off at 4 p.m. iPhone 17 Air and Galaxy S25 Edge They have the potential to refresh the market – but they must not repeat the mistakes of the past.
In a world where AI writes emails, where phones replace cameras, where they are expected to withstand everything from video calls to Netflix marathons, a thin phone needs to be more than just thin.
If you want Apple and Samsung, to be trusted with another design experiment, they will have to prove that it's about more than just aesthetics. Otherwise, we'll say the same thing we did in 2015: "It looks nice. But I'll take the Pro Max, thanks."
