We knew it was coming, however it nonetheless blew our socks off. On the “Awe Dropping” press occasion at present, Apple introduced the iPhone Air, its ultra-slim flagship smartphone, which is simply 5.6mm thick. It’s the thinnest iPhone ever (comfortably beating a document held by the iPhone 6 since 2014) however it doesn’t simply put Apple’s personal merchandise within the shade. Listed here are 17 issues, starting from tech merchandise to foodstuffs, which look positively overweight subsequent to the iPhone Air.
Authentic iPod (19.8mm)
The primary iPod was greater than three and a half instances the thickness of the iPhone Air. It wanted to be thick to carry all these songs!
Apple Newton MessagePad (19mm)
Apple’s unique PDA went on sale in 1993. Later fashions have been even larger.
A typical deck of playing cards (about 16.5mm)
That’s with out the field and jokers. The iPhone Air is about the identical thickness as simply 18 taking part in playing cards.
iPhone 3G (12.3mm)
The thickest ever iPhone, maybe surprisingly, wasn’t the primary mannequin, which was 11.6mm. It was the second (3G) and third (3GS) fashions, which every measured 12.3mm.
Apple Watch Collection 11 (9.7mm)
The newly introduced Collection 11 is Apple’s thinnest ever smartwatch. (Or joint-thinnest. Final yr’s Collection 10 was additionally 9.7mm.) On the different finish of the dimensions, the Apple Watch Extremely 1 and a pair of are each 14.4mm thick, and the brand new Extremely 3 is a relatively svelte 12mm.
Apple
A ginger nut biscuit (8mm)
Extraordinarily skinny sliced bread (8mm)
Warburtons Comfortable Thick White, which I favor, has 14mm slices, however going for a skinny choice ought to get you right down to roughly 10mm. One thing excessive like Pepperidge Farm Very Skinny White Bread may push that to round 8mm, however you’ll be able to’t go a lot additional earlier than it turns into translucent. And now I fancy a sandwich.
iPhone 16e (7.8mm)
The slimmest fashions from Apple’s final technology have been the iPhone 16e, 16, and 16 Plus, all of which measured a relatively chubby 7.8mm. Meaning the Air is 28 % slimmer.
Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd
Google Pixel 2 (7.8mm)
The thinnest ever Pixel telephone got here out in 2017.
Authentic iPad Air (7.5mm)
It appeared so slender when it got here out in 2013.
A pencil (7mm)
Though it’s extra of a diameter, I suppose.
iPhone 6 (6.9mm)
Weirdly, the thinnest iPhone till the Air got here alongside was the iPhone 6 from means again in 2014. Apple hasn’t proven a lot curiosity prior to now decade in making a correctly skinny telephone… till now.
Foundry
Sony Xperia Z Extremely (6.5mm)
On the time (2013) this was the world’s thinnest Full HD telephone.
Huawei Ascend P6 (6.18mm)
When it was introduced, additionally in 2013, Huawei stated this was the world’s thinnest smartphone.
The slimmest paperback I may discover (6mm)
Single Spies by Alan Bennett is just 95 pages lengthy, however it appears like Struggle and Peace subsequent to the iPhone Air.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge (5.8mm)
Samsung’s slimmest smartphone measures 5.8mm thick.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Tecno Spark Slim (5.75mm)
Proven off at MWC 2025, the Spark Slim was claimed on the time to be the thinnest smartphone on the earth (though that’s debatable–see under). It’s only a idea; the Chinese language makers don’t have any plans to deliver it to market.
…and 5 which can be even thinner
The iPhone Air is skinny. Actually skinny. However imagine it or not, it’s not the thinnest smartphone (or Apple machine) ever made.
Motorola Moto Z (5.2mm)
Some individuals have forgotten this exceptionally slender machine, presumably as a result of it got here out again in 2016.
13-inch M4 iPad Professional (5.1 mm)
And it nonetheless doesn’t appear to be affected by Bendgate.
Oppo R5 (4.9 mm)
This got here out in 2014, the identical yr because the iPhone 6.
vivo X5Max (4.8mm)
The thinnest non-folding telephone I’ve been capable of finding, at a frankly ludicrous 4.8mm, additionally got here out in 2014! What a yr for skinny telephones.
A number of folding telephones (as little as 4.2mm)
Within the record above I’ve ignored folding telephones, which might be thinner (in some circumstances significantly thinner) when unfolded. The Honor Magic V5 and the Oppo Discover N5, for instance, are every simply 4.2mm thick when “open.” However I don’t suppose it is a honest comparability as a result of the consumer’s foremost expertise of them (by way of portability) is once they’re closed, and twice the thickness.
Learn all about Apple’s slim new telephone (and the opposite new handsets) in our iPhone 17 information hub.
