Do you want a skinny smartphone with worse battery life?
Polling by YouGov has found that what people want most from their smartphones is better battery life. So why are Apple and Samsung pitching you skinnier but potentially battery-compromised phones?
I want to hold these skinnier phones in my hand and see if I'm bowled over by the difference, especially once you add a phone case. It could dent your enthusiasm, though, knowing that these new designs may be motivated most by Samsung and Apple's desperation to sell you something new – anything.
Can you tell the difference?
Samsung acknowledged it really doesn't know if you want a skinnier phone.
Blake Gaiser, head of smartphone product management at Samsung Electronics America, says the company is making a limited number of S25 Edge devices and they won't be sold everywhere.
He said it's a test of whether you want what he called a 'Goldilocks device' – not as fancy as Samsung's top-tier model at $1300, but jazzier than other high-end Samsung phones.
Samsung says the S25 Edge is 5.8mm thick, not including the protruding camera lenses on the back of the phone, and assuming you don't use a case. For comparison, Samsung's new S25 (non-thin) phone is 7.2mm and the iPhone 16 is 7.8mm.
Eyeballing my ruler, I can barely see the difference between 6mm and 7mm.
Gaiser said the new model's size and weight 'makes a huge difference in your hand' – and some early reviewers said the same.
But the trade-off of slimness is a lower capacity battery than that of comparable new Galaxy devices, which typically means shorter battery life. That could be too big of a compromise for some of you.
Apple's rumoured new 5.5mm deep iPhone Air will also reportedly have drawbacks, including wimpier battery life. To compensate, Apple will sell a case with a backup battery built in, the Information reported.
Gaiser said Samsung made the phone more efficient to go easy on the battery. Apple plans to do the same with its new models, Bloomberg News reported.
Skinny phones are born of desperation
Ultimately, the motivation behind slimmer phones is jolting smartphone sales, which are lower today than they were in 2017, according to figures from research firm IDC.
You know why. Smartphones don't change much from year to year, and they're good enough now to hold on to them for a long time.
Advertisement Advertise with NZME.
That makes a smartphone like a car and a fridge – products we rely on but don't upgrade often. That's not great for Samsung and Apple, so they'll try anything to get you excited about something new.
Trying out skinny phones, even if you don't embrace them, could also give Apple and Samsung a chance to test wild technologies that you might like, like phones that fold open to reveal more screen real estate.
The concept hasn't yet caught on widely because the devices cost a fortune and most of us aren't sure why we'd want one. (Apple is aiming for its first folding smartphone by 2027, Bloomberg News reported.)
Myriam Joire, a technology journalist and podcaster, says skinny phones could catch on, as lighter, slimmer laptops did following Apple's introduction of its MacBook Air in 2008. But she said Samsung and Apple didn't need to make so many trade-offs.
She said Chinese phone brands like Xiaomi and OnePlus, which are hard to buy in the United States, use novel battery technology created for electric cars to make slim phones with great battery life, and at significantly lower prices than higher-end phones from Samsung and Apple.
Apple and Samsung, Joire said, 'are not innovating anymore because they have no competition' in North America.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
20 hours ago
- Scoop
InvestNow Launches Foundation Series Nasdaq-100 Fund Catered To Kiwi Investors
Press Release – InvestNow The new fund charges a management fee of just 0.15% per annum, a 0.50% transaction fee on all buy orders (entry fee) and 0.50% on all sell orders (exit fee). InvestNow has announced the launch of the Foundation Series Nasdaq-100 Fund, which offers exposure to the Nasdaq-100 Index® through a Portfolio Investment Entity (PIE) fund structure, with market-leading low fees and added tax advantages. The new fund charges a management fee of just 0.15% per annum, a 0.50% transaction fee on all buy orders (entry fee) and 0.50% on all sell orders (exit fee). It is the tenth offering in InvestNow's low-cost Foundation Series Funds range, and the first time that New Zealand investors can get exposure to the Nasdaq-100® within a PIE fund. 'The Nasdaq-100® is one of the world's preeminent large-cap growth indexes, and by capturing exposure through a low-cost, tax-efficient PIE fund, it can help reduce expenses and therefore enhance returns for Kiwi investors,' says InvestNow Senior Portfolio Manager Jason Choy. 'Direct investors into other funds that track the Nasdaq-100® face a marginal tax rate of up to 39%. Through a PIE fund however, investors' tax rate is capped at just 28%, which can help sidestep an up to 40% higher tax bill in real terms. The advantages are considerable, and I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being one of the most popular funds we offer.' The Foundation Series Nasdaq-100 Fund offers exposure to the 100 largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, which includes tech heavyweights such as Apple, Tesla, NVIDIA and Microsoft. 'These are some of the world's largest and fastest growing companies. I'm thrilled we can offer investors exposure to the Nasdaq-100® in such a novel way; that we can partner with such global investment giants underlines our expertise and our product offering,' Choy adds. InvestNow started its low-cost Foundation Series Funds range in 2020, which have an average management fee of just 0.16% per annum. Currently the Foundation Series Funds have around $500m in funds under management.
Scoop
21 hours ago
- Scoop
InvestNow Launches Foundation Series Nasdaq-100 Fund Catered To Kiwi Investors
InvestNow has announced the launch of the Foundation Series Nasdaq-100 Fund, which offers exposure to the Nasdaq-100 Index® through a Portfolio Investment Entity (PIE) fund structure, with market-leading low fees and added tax advantages. The new fund charges a management fee of just 0.15% per annum, a 0.50% transaction fee on all buy orders (entry fee) and 0.50% on all sell orders (exit fee). It is the tenth offering in InvestNow's low-cost Foundation Series Funds range, and the first time that New Zealand investors can get exposure to the Nasdaq-100® within a PIE fund. 'The Nasdaq-100® is one of the world's preeminent large-cap growth indexes, and by capturing exposure through a low-cost, tax-efficient PIE fund, it can help reduce expenses and therefore enhance returns for Kiwi investors,' says InvestNow Senior Portfolio Manager Jason Choy. 'Direct investors into other funds that track the Nasdaq-100® face a marginal tax rate of up to 39%. Through a PIE fund however, investors' tax rate is capped at just 28%, which can help sidestep an up to 40% higher tax bill in real terms. The advantages are considerable, and I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being one of the most popular funds we offer.' The Foundation Series Nasdaq-100 Fund offers exposure to the 100 largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, which includes tech heavyweights such as Apple, Tesla, NVIDIA and Microsoft. 'These are some of the world's largest and fastest growing companies. I'm thrilled we can offer investors exposure to the Nasdaq-100® in such a novel way; that we can partner with such global investment giants underlines our expertise and our product offering,' Choy adds. InvestNow started its low-cost Foundation Series Funds range in 2020, which have an average management fee of just 0.16% per annum. Currently the Foundation Series Funds have around $500m in funds under management.
Techday NZ
7 days ago
- Techday NZ
Experts warn of surge in Google, Apple, Microsoft breaches
Cybersecurity experts are raising alarm over a significant campaign targeting users through the Google Chrome Web Store, as well as the discovery of a vast database containing hundreds of millions of stolen log-in credentials. The recent developments underscore rising risks associated with browser extensions and the continuing vulnerabilities in digital identity platforms. "A Google Chrome Web Store campaign is using over 100 malicious browsers that mimic tools like VPNs, AI assistants, and crypto utilities to steal cookies and execute remote scripts secretly. Though Google has removed many extensions identified, some still remain on the Web Store," said Andrew Costis, Engineering Manager of the Adversary Research Team at AttackIQ. "The campaign relies on malvertising strategies to trick users into clicking buttons that link to malicious browser extensions. The extensions connect the victim to the threat actor's infrastructure, allowing information to be stolen, as well as modifying network traffic to deliver ads, perform redirections, or serve as a proxy. "With some of these extensions still active on the Chrome Web Store, it is essential that individuals and organizations take appropriate precautions. Knowledge is key -- users should only trust proven, reputable publishers and familiarize themselves with lure website domains. Additionally, organizations should implement adversarial exposure validation tools to ensure their security systems are tested against malicious browser campaigns." The campaign's persistence highlights the challenges facing platform operators like Google in completely eradicating malicious content from widely used app stores. With new extensions and techniques emerging regularly, the risk to end users remains ongoing. Meanwhile, cybersecurity concerns have been exacerbated by the discovery of a database containing an estimated 184 million records of stolen log-in credentials. The database reportedly contains detailed access information for popular services, including Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, as well as various banking, healthcare, and government platforms across numerous countries. "What's most noteworthy is how this breach highlights the immense value of centralized identity platforms like Google, Okta, Apple and Meta to attackers. With over 184 million records exposed, threat actors can now launch widespread account takeover attempts across countless SaaS applications and cloud services that rely on these providers for authentication," sid Cory Michal, Chief Security Officer at AppOmni. "This is not surprising. Databases like this are regularly bought, sold, and repackaged on dark web forums like BreachForums. Massive credential dumps are part of an ongoing black market where breached data is commoditized and often aggregated from multiple incidents over time. What's new isn't the existence of the data, but the scale, the recency of some credentials, and the targeting of identity providers that are widely used to access SaaS and cloud services—making this breach especially potent for enabling downstream account takeovers. "This breach calls attention to a bigger issue. We increasingly run our personal and professional lives through online platforms and SaaS products, yet our digital identities are still largely protected by outdated, vulnerable methods like usernames, passwords, and easily phishable MFA methods. As long as these remain the primary means of access, attackers will continue to exploit them at scale with infostealer malware and phishing. This highlights the urgent need for adoption of stronger, phishing-resistant authentication methods, continuous identity monitoring, and a shift toward identity-centric security models. "It also reinforces the need for organizations to adopt an identity-centric security posture and monitor for malicious activity even when logins appear legitimate. In today's SaaS driven environments, users and systems authenticate from anywhere, often using federated identity providers like Apple, Google, and Meta. This makes identity a primary control point for security." Both incidents reveal the critical need for vigilance and adaptation in security practices, as threat actors continue to exploit outdated habits and overlooked vulnerabilities with increasing effectiveness and reach.
