Is the Era of Heavy Smartphones Ending? Samsung and Apple Lead the Return of Slim Flagships

Is the Era of Heavy Smartphones Ending? Samsung and Apple Lead the Return of Slim FlagshipsHow long has it been since you used your phone with one hand to send a text message? In the past few years, the smartphone industry has opted for larger screens and more cameras. While bigger screens, better camera configurations, and larger batteries do bring brands good sales, it comes with a new problem that many users find unbearable heavier phones

Is the Era of Heavy Smartphones Ending? Samsung and Apple Lead the Return of Slim Flagships

How long has it been since you used your phone with one hand to send a text message? In the past few years, the smartphone industry has opted for larger screens and more cameras. While bigger screens, better camera configurations, and larger batteries do bring brands good sales, it comes with a new problem that many users find unbearable heavier phones. Take mainstream flagship phones in 2024 as an example. Weighing over 210 grams (almost half a pound, hence the nickname "half-pound phones"), these phones cause wrist pain after just a short time held in one hand. The once-slim phones have disappeared from the mainstream market for various reasons. Fortunately, the "weight crisis" of smartphones may be turning around next year.

Apple and Samsung "Slim Flagships" Revealed

In August 2024, Mark Gurman, a tech journalist for Bloomberg, mentioned on a communication program: "In the iPhone 17 series' new product lineup, an iPhone Air with a thinner and more powerful design will debut." Initially, the slimmer iPhone 17 was named iPhone 17 Slim, but Mark Gurman later renamed it iPhone 17 Air. Whether "Slim" or "Air," this new iPhone emphasizes thinness.

Coincidentally, possibly in response to the rumored iPhone 17 Air, ETNews in Korea reported that Samsung would launch a new flagship Galaxy S25 Slim in the second quarter of 2025. To confirm this, Smartprix also found a Samsung Galaxy phone with the model number SM-S937U in GSMA's IMEI database.

Though we know little about this SM-S937 (U is the exclusive suffix for the US version of Samsung), based on its number and our experience, this Slim version should be a modified version of the S25+ (SM-S936). It won't replace the original S25+ nor challenge the S25 Ultra in terms of configuration. In fact, this is not the first time Samsung has launched a "slim version" phone. Back in 2014, Samsung released two derivative models, Galaxy Alpha and Galaxy S5 Active, a few months after the Galaxy S5. "Alpha" was the slim version of the Galaxy S5.

The Dilemma Behind the "Half-Pound Phones"

The question is, why is Samsung still focusing on this niche market of slim phones ten years later? Consumers who are dissatisfied with the weight of flagship "half-pound phones" are undoubtedly the primary reason for smartphone brands to return to slim designs. But honestly, making a phone "slimmer" while satisfying mainstream consumer demands is not a simple task.

Generally, the reason for a phone's "overweight" is the battery, camera module, and material of the body. Take the battery, for example. Higher-resolution screens, more powerful chips, and heavier app burdens present greater challenges to a phone's battery life. Although leading chip companies have been emphasizing the energy efficiency of their chips in recent years, under the relentless pursuit of performance, the power consumption logic of phone brands remains "achieving better performance with the same power consumption," rather than "achieving the same performance with lower power consumption."

To meet the demands for longer battery life and high performance, manufacturers must also use large-capacity batteries. But without substantial technological breakthroughs, the energy density of batteries has a limit. Under the constraints of technology and cost, large-capacity batteries inevitably lead to a larger size and heavier weight.

Aside from the battery, the camera module is another reason for the increasing weight of phones. Consumers' demand for phone photography has grown increasingly strong in recent years, and image quality has become a new battleground for phone brands: Multi-camera combinations require extra space for multiple lenses and sensors, while optical image stabilization modules and periscope telephoto lenses significantly increase the size and weight of the phone's camera module.

Another factor contributing to the phone's "overweight" is the change in materials. To offer a premium grip, manufacturers generously use glass, ceramic, and stainless steel to design the phone's back cover and frame. Compared to the plastic and aluminum alloy of the past, these high-end materials significantly contribute to the phone's weight. Of course, some manufacturers have recognized the shortcomings of "high-end materials" and started to use titanium alloy frames to reduce the phone's weight. But with the combined effect of the battery, camera, and "ceramic back," the weight of mainstream phones keeps increasing.

The Return of Slim Phones

Will Samsung and Apple trigger a "weight loss" trend in flagship phones? As mentioned earlier, slim phones are not a new concept in 2024. In the cycle of mobile phone trends, the era of "slim" smartphones had already arrived ten years ago. In 2013, Huawei released the Ascend P6 with a thickness of only 6.18mm, breaking the thinness record for flagship phones at the time. In 2014, Gionee and vivo released the ELIFE S5.1 and X5Max, reaching thicknesses of 5.1mm and 4.75mm, respectively. The latter's thickness record remains unbroken.

Extreme thinness was considered a mainstream direction in the smartphone market at the time, comparable to today's image flagship phones. Later, as the demand for performance, cooling, battery life, and photography in smartphones grew, users' pursuit of thinness took a backseat.

So, can the iPhone 17 Air and Galaxy S25 Slim, expected to launch next year, revive the glory of "slim phones"? From a market demand perspective, while large screens and high-performance devices remain mainstream, a segment of the market's demand for thin and portable phones is indeed growing. However, creating slim flagship phones is not easy. Before a breakthrough in materials science, "slim phones" typically mean compromising on configuration and performance. In the highly competitive domestic smartphone market, this approach is tantamount to digging one's own grave for manufacturers.

Breaking Through in Overseas Markets

But that said, even if slim phones are "fraught with danger" and a slight misstep means "a year of wasted effort," I believe Samsung and Apple still have the potential to lead this trend in overseas markets with low competition.

On the one hand, Samsung and Apple have more leverage in the phone supply chain, and their brands can withstand greater market risk. Take the example of the iPhone mini model, which was only influential online. Such a project destined to fail somehow lasted two years in Apple's hands.

On the other hand, even if Samsung or Apple must sacrifice configuration to achieve a slim body, overseas phone markets with low competition and overseas phone users with high tolerance are more willing to accept slim versions with reduced configuration.

Competition and Opportunity

From a competitive standpoint, the actions of these two giants might also encourage other manufacturers to follow suit. After all, the smartphone market is fiercely competitive, and any new market opportunity cannot be missed. If slim phones become a new consumer hot spot, the entire industry will benefit.

Conclusion

In the current market, smartphone development has entered a relatively mature stage, and differentiation and segmented markets have become key areas for manufacturers to seek breakthroughs. The return of slim phones actually reflects consumers' demand for diverse products. Whether the emergence of "slim versions" is to meet the needs of specific user groups or to explore new segmented markets, slim phones have their value.

In any case, having more choices is always better for us consumers. As an Apple user who refuses to buy the Pro Max model because of its weight, I look forward to Samsung, Apple, and other manufacturers bringing a breath of fresh air to the homogenized phone market. Perhaps in the near future, "slimmed-down" smartphones will once again become mainstream, allowing the consumer trend of phones to cycle again.