Super-slim phones: a welcome new direction?

Samsung has kicked off a trend with the Galaxy S25 Edge – but are slimmer-than-ever mobile phones just a fad, ponders Mike Lowe

- Mike Lowe

As you'll see from my Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review among these very pages, ultra-slim mobile phones have arrived. But should we all call it a trend, or is it merely a fad? Indeed, I don't remember ever actively asking for a slimmer-than-ever Galaxy phone. But here's the thing: now I totally get it.

After a fortnight of living with the Edge - cue background Aerosmith music - I duly boxed it up for return, then moved back into my much-loved Google Pixel 9 XL.

Blimey, I know the clue's in the name, but the Pixel is large. And heavy. That's exacerbated by this new Samsung launch, giving me almost nostalgic memories of my time with the S25 Edge.

Which got me thinking: why now? Pencil-thin handsets aren't a new idea. Oppo released an even more corsetted handset, the R5, over a decade ago, in 2014, which measured under 5mm.