In 1999, the best-selling mobile phone Nokia 3210 was 16.7-22.5 mm thick (the greatest thickness was in the area of the screen) and earned the nickname "nutcracker" for its dimensions.
Fast forward to 2019 and compare the fat Nokia 3210 with the much sleeker and incomparably more powerful Apple iPhone Xs Max and Samsung Galaxy S10 +.
But, as surprising as it may sound, none of them deserve the title of "thinnest smartphone of 2019". After all, Android users can afford to choose from a range of ultra-thin smartphones from different manufacturers. And in this rating we have collected the thinnest of them. The list includes only the 2018-2019 models. release.
10. LG G7 ThinQ
The average price is 27,690 rubles.
Characteristics:
- smartphone with Android 8.0
- support for two SIM-cards
- screen 6.1 ″, resolution 3120 × 1440
- dual camera 16 MP / 16 MP, autofocus
- memory 128 GB, memory card slot
- 3G, 4G LTE, LTE-A, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS
- RAM 6 GB
- battery 3000 mAh
- weight 163 g, WxHxT 71.90 × 153.20 × 7.90 mm
- separate DAC
LG's new flagship comes with a massive 6.1-inch Quad HD + Full Vision display. It is a tall model with a 19.5: 9 aspect ratio and is very slim at the same time. Its display has a cutout similar to the iPhone XS that houses the front camera. However, it can be hidden using the settings in the interface.
This smartphone also boasts a dual 16MP camera (two 16MP sensors), which gives you the ability to take wide-angle shots, as well as a powerful Snapdragon 845 processor. All these features make the LG G7 ThinQ one of the best smartphones up to 30,000 rubles.
Pros: Military Standard 810G protection, 3.5 mm audio jack, fast charging.
Cons: Not a very powerful battery.
9.Samsung Galaxy S10 +
The average price is 124,139 rubles.
Characteristics:
- smartphone with Android 9.0
- support for two SIM-cards
- screen 6.4 ″
- three cameras 16 MP / 12 MP / 12 MP, autofocus
- memory 1024 GB, memory card slot
- 3G, 4G LTE, LTE-A, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, GLONASS
- RAM 12 GB
- battery 4100 mAh
- weight 175 g, WxHxT 74.10 × 157.60 × 7.80 mm
It is currently the best flagship of the Korean tech giant, with a thickness of only 7.8mm.
The back of the phone is made of glass, which is undoubtedly very beautiful, but not very practical. The huge display with Super AMOLED panel has perfect color reproduction, plenty of brightness and good contrast ratios.
Inside the Galaxy S10 + is up to 12GB of RAM and the top-end Samsung Exynos 9820 processor, which also provides fast charging functionality. Despite all this most advanced technology on the inside, the Galaxy S10 is thinner than many modern mobile phones.
Pros: a powerful, beautiful, waterproof smartphone that has everything you need for comfortable work, even such a trifle as a 3.5 mm audio jack.
Cons: high price.
8. OnePlus 6
The average price is 29,400 rubles.
Characteristics:
- smartphone with Android 8.1
- support for two SIM-cards
- screen 6.28 ″, resolution 2280 × 1080
- dual camera 16 MP / 20 MP, autofocus
- memory 128 GB, without slot for memory cards
- 3G, 4G LTE, LTE-A, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, GLONASS
- RAM 8 GB
- battery 3300 mAh
- weight 177 g, WxHxT 75.40 × 155.70 × 7.75 mm
There are few devices in the mobile market that can come close to the OnePlus 6 in terms of value for money.
This smartphone has an excellent AMOLED display with a 19: 9 aspect ratio and Gorilla Glass 5 protective glass, a very fast and energy efficient Snapdragon 845 processor (compared to the 835 it spends 30% less energy) and a large amount of RAM.
The main camera has optical stabilization, very fast autofocus and macro mode. As a result, photos are bright and vibrant even in low light.
The manufacturer even took care of such necessary trifles as a protective case and a film, they are included in the kit.
Pros: there is fast charging, there is face recognition, there is a 3.5 mm audio jack.
Cons: Can't expand memory storage,
7. Apple iPhone Xs Max
The average price is 96,990 rubles.
Characteristics:
- smartphone with iOS 12
- support for two SIM-cards (nano SIM + eSIM)
- screen 6.5 ″, resolution 2688 × 1242
- dual camera 12 MP / 12 MP, autofocus
- memory 256 GB, without slot for memory cards
- 3G, 4G LTE, LTE-A, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, GLONASS
- weight 208 g, WxHxT 77.40 × 157.50 × 7.70 mm
It is one of the best-selling smartphones on the market and also one of the thinnest. iPhone Xs Max has one of the best displays that a modern mobile device has to offer, and is also equipped with advanced facial recognition technology.
The device is powered by the latest A12 Bionic chipset, so you can run the most demanding apps and games without any problems.
Pros: Excellent rear and front cameras, fast and wireless charging supported.
Cons: Overpriced, very slippery body.
6. Honor 10
The average price is 21,900 rubles.
Characteristics:
- smartphone with Android 8.1
- support for two SIM-cards
- 5.84 ″ screen, 2280 × 1080 resolution
- dual camera 16 MP / 24 MP, autofocus
- memory 128 GB, without slot for memory cards
- 3G, 4G LTE, LTE-A, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, GLONASS
- RAM 4 GB
- battery 3400 mAh
- weight 153 g, WxHxT 71.20 × 149.60 × 7.70 mm
If you need a slim, beautiful and powerful phone, then this is in front of you. Honor 10 is convenient to work with one hand due to the relatively small screen size, and inside the case there is a good 3400 mAh battery with fast charging function, and the HiSilicon Kirin 970 processor, which is not much inferior in its capabilities to the 2018 flagship Snapdragon 845 chipset.
The rear camera with AI technology takes excellent pictures in automatic mode. However, for professionals, there is a Pro-mode with a lot of fine tuning. The front camera has a beauty mode that is standard for modern smartphones, and makes perfect selfies that you are not ashamed to share on social networks.
Pros: instantly triggered fingerprint scanner, it is easy to read the text on the screen even under the bright sun.
Cons: Can't increase memory size.
5.Samsung Galaxy A50
The average price is 19,990 rubles.
Characteristics:
- smartphone with Android 9.0
- support for two SIM-cards
- 6.4 ″ screen, resolution 2340 × 1080
- three cameras 25 MP / 8 MP / 5 MP, autofocus
- memory 64 GB, memory card slot
- 3G, 4G LTE, LTE-A, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, GLONASS
- RAM 4 GB
- battery 4000 mAh
- weight 166 g, WxHxT 74.70 × 158.50 × 7.70 mm
For the most part, the smartphone market is split into two segments. There are high-end devices with the highest build quality, innovative features and state-of-the-art chipsets, as well as mid-range and budget smartphones with adequate but not overwhelming performance.
The Samsung Galaxy A50 is a sweet spot that combines excellent build quality with premium features like NFC and an in-screen fingerprint reader with a mid-range chipset and ample but not flagship RAM.
It features a Super AMOLED touchscreen, Exynos 9610 processor and Mali-G72 MP3 video processor and 4GB of RAM. There is a triple camera at the back, which is strange to see in good smartphone up to 20 thousand rubles... It allows you to take detailed and wide-angle shots even in low light.
With its high screen-to-body ratio, the Galaxy A50 is easy to grip with one hand.
Pros: there is fast charging, there is a 3.5 mm headphone jack, there is face recognition.
Cons: there is an Always on display, but there is no indicator of the missed event, the fingerprint scanner periodically "dulls".
4. HUAWEI P20
The average price is 28,799 rubles.
Characteristics:
- smartphone with Android 8.1
- support for two SIM-cards
- 5.8 ″ screen, 2240 × 1080 resolution
- dual camera 12 MP / 20 MP, autofocus
- memory 128 GB, without slot for memory cards
- 3G, 4G LTE, LTE-A, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, GLONASS
- RAM 4 GB
- battery 3400 mAh
- weight 165 g, WxHxT 70.80 × 149.10 × 7.65 mm
This sleek and stylish smartphone with a glass and metal body has beautifully rounded corners. Its display has increased brightness thanks to RGBW technology, which adds another white color to the standard three subpixels.
The device has a large enough battery, HiSilicon Kirin 970 chipset and Mali-G72 MP12 GPU, so performance won't be an issue, and the same goes for battery life.
Another strong point of the HUAWEI P20 is the dual camera with Master AI neural network algorithm. He is responsible for automatically determining the shooting scenario and adjusting the frame parameters. As a result, you get the clearest, brightest and most detailed photo.
Pros: Superb design, fast charging.
Cons: no 3.5 mm audio jack (there is an adapter included in the kit), the rear camera sticks out slightly from the case, you cannot increase the memory capacity.
3. Vivo X21
The average price is 24,489 rubles.
Characteristics:
- smartphone with Android 8.1
- support for two SIM-cards
- screen 6.28 ″, resolution 2280 × 1080
- dual camera 24 MP / 5 MP, autofocus
- memory 128 GB, memory card slot
- 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, GLONASS
- RAM 6 GB
- battery 3900 mAh
- weight 156 g, WxHxT 74.78 × 154.45 × 7.37 mm
Perhaps you know that it was this Chinese manufacturer in December 2014 that presented the thinnest smartphone at that time - the Vivo X5 Max. Its thickness was only 4.75 mm. However, it was bypassed by the Coolpad Ivvi K1 Mini, which has an "extremely light build" with its 4.7 mm. However, Vivo smartphones are still renowned as some of the thinnest smartphones on the market. And the Vivo X21 is no exception.
However, in addition to the dimensions of this model, there is something to brag about. For example, a large AMOLED screen with rich color reproduction and a good aspect ratio - 19: 9, a Snapdragon 660 processor from the mid-price category and a large amount of RAM, as well as the presence of a Hi-Fi AK4376A audio processor. The latter provides stable and clear sound and 0.1% distortion when working with headphones.
Pros: bright and detailed photos from the rear and front cameras, there is fast charging, there is a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a silicone case and stereo headphones with ear pads and a microphone are included.
Cons: No NFC, outdated micro-USB connector, overpriced.
2. Xiaomi Mi A2
The average price is 12,400 rubles.
Characteristics:
- smartphone with Android 8.1
- support for two SIM-cards
- screen 5.99 ″, resolution 2160 × 1080
- dual camera 12 MP / 20 MP, autofocus
- memory 64 GB, without memory card slot
- 3G, 4G LTE, LTE-A, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, GLONASS
- RAM 4 GB
- battery 3010 mAh
- weight 168 g, WxHxT 75.40 × 158.70 × 7.30 mm
This mobile phone is unlikely to win the grand prize for its beautiful design. But for those looking for a slim device with a good screen, decent performance and a low price, the Mi A2 is a real treasure.
It features a 5.99-inch display with an 18: 9 aspect ratio, reinforced with a scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass 5 coating, and a 20-megapixel front camera, which is one of the best in the under 20 thousand price category.
This model runs on the high-performance hardware platform Snapdragon 660 in combination with the Adreno 512 video accelerator. Modern games run without lags on medium and low settings.
Pros: there is fast charging, the set includes a protective case, the rear camera takes excellent pictures even "out of the box", without manual adjustment.
Cons: no 3.5 mm jack (there is an adapter), you cannot make contactless payments, you cannot increase the memory capacity.
1. NTT Docomo Card Keitai KY-01L
Average price is 32,000 yen (19,315 rubles).
Characteristics:
- smartphone with modified Android
- 2.8-inch black and white screen with 600 x 480 pixels
- memory 8 GB, without slot for memory cards
- 3G, 4G LTE, LTE-A, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GSM
- the amount of RAM 1 GB
- battery 380 mAh
- weight 47 g, WxHxT 55.88 × 91.44 × 5.30 mm
While Apple, Google and other phone makers are releasing smartphones with a lot of bells and whistles, Japan's largest mobile operator NTT Docomo has released a smartphone that follows a different trend: to be as lightweight and easy to use as possible.
NTT Docomo claims its phone is the “thinnest” smartphone in the world and is the size of a credit card. It is made of black plastic, is very light and fits not only in a pocket, but also in a large wallet.
At the same time, Card Keitai KY-01L is more likely not an independent device, but an auxiliary device intended for those who already have large smartphones.It's easy to use, easy to navigate, and offers the essentials - calls and short text messages.
"This flood of so-called companion phones reflects the desire of handset manufacturers to find new selling opportunities in a saturated market," said Ben Wood, principal analyst at research firm CCS Insight.
“A small companion phone looks like an attractive idea on paper, but such devices tend to be a compromise (in performance), and in addition, consumers have to pay for them in addition to their existing smartphones, and also often pay extra for mobile communications,” He added.
Software and hardware part of Card Keitai KY-01L
This phone is equipped with a 2.8-inch black and white screen, which is made using E-Ink technology (electronic ink). You have probably come across it if you use e-books. Such a screen saves the battery, and it is convenient to read from it even outdoors on a sunny day. However, Card Keitai KY-01L has backlights, so the text will be illegible in the dark.
Card Keitai KY-01L runs a modified Android OS, but you cannot install applications
The phone has LTE and 4G connectivity for making phone calls and browsing the web. However, it lacks a camera, voice assistant, or store for downloading apps.
Here is a complete list of his applications:
- Dialer.
- Web browser.
- The calendar.
- SMS.
- Clock.
- Calculator.
- Notebook.
- Settings menu.
Of the 8 GB of internal storage, only 5 GB is available to the user. However, this volume is quite enough to download photos from a computer to a phone, and install them instead of wallpaper.
As a hardware platform, the manufacturer chose a Snapdragon Wear 2100 quad-core processor with a clock speed of 1.2GHz. Usually this is installed in wearable devices.
For the sake of size, I had to sacrifice a loudspeaker, with the exception of the auditory speaker. Therefore, when dialing a number, not a melody is heard, but a tone signal. It is also distributed when the buttons are pressed.
Super lightweight battle
Is Card Keitai KY-01L the thinnest smartphone in the world? Of course, there are phone makers out there who might say otherwise. The Vivo X5 Max and Coolpad Ivvi K1 Mini, for example, are just under 5mm thick, although Docomo would no doubt point out that Chinese manufacturers are cheating by not taking into account the bulging camera. On the other hand, Vivo and Coolpad could argue that Docomo cheated by not including the camera in their smartphone at all.
Pros: IPX2 waterproof rating (withstands splashes of water droplets sprayed at a distance of 20 cm), the battery "lasts" 7 days when the phone is in standby mode.
Cons: lack of front and rear cameras, memory capacity cannot be increased.