Some argue that a product loses its momentum and appeal over time if it ceases to innovate, allowing competitors to catch up. While this notion holds some truth, a closer look reveals its limitations. Innovation manifests in various forms. In the smartphone industry, functional and configurational advancements have hit a plateau, with significant technological breakthroughs unlikely in the near future. Nevertheless, stagnation is unacceptable; thus, innovation must pivot to new territories.

This new direction prioritizes design, particularly in achieving slimmer phones without compromising their aesthetics. Apple is rumored to be taking this approach with the anticipated iPhone 17 Air/Slim (tentatively named Ultra-Slim, pending official confirmation), boasting a slender profile of merely 6.2mm.

On paper, the iPhone 17 Ultra-Slim might not seem groundbreaking. For instance, the vivo X5 Max from a decade ago was a mere 4.75mm thick, and last year's Huawei Mate XT, when unfolded, measured just 3.6mm. However, these examples are either outdated or not directly comparable to conventional smartphones. Enter the Samsung S25 Slim, a genuine competitor to the iPhone 17 Ultra-Slim, poised for release this month.

While other brands are expected to follow suit with their own lightweight models, Samsung S25 Slim will pioneer the market. As a fresh addition to the S25 series, it will debut by the end of this month with a reduced thickness of 6.5mm. Maintaining the series' functional standards, it will also receive preferential treatment in chip utilization, featuring the custom Snapdragon 8 Gen1+ for Galaxy, a chip exclusively crafted for Samsung by Qualcomm.

The reasons behind Samsung's privileged treatment from Qualcomm remain undisclosed. Speculation suggests a possible patent licensing exchange. This custom chip is remarkably powerful, boasting a maximum clock speed of 4.47GHz, surpassing the regular Snapdragon 8 Gen1+ in top domestic flagships like the Xiaomi 15, which clocks at 4.32GHz. In a sense, it's an overclocked version of existing chips, though customization entails more than just speed boosts, potentially tweaking other parameters too.

The camera will be formidable, equipped with the same 200-megapixel ISOCELL HP2 sensor as the S24 Ultra. Battery capacity, however, is unlikely to exceed 4000mAh without significant technological advancements. Samsung mirrors Apple's strategy by offering four models within the same series.

In the domestic market, the prospect of multiple ultra-slim models launching this year hints at a new smartphone trend. Will this spark your interest in upgrading to a sleek new device?